Congress of People's Deputies

The Congress of People's Deputies (German: Kongress der Volksbeauftragten, KdV) is the upper house of the legislature of the Free Socialist Republic of Germany. It is composed of an unfixed amount of members who are elected by the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils every time an election is held.
== Structure ==
The Congress of People's Deputies is composed of two sections: the Council of People's Ministers (German: Volksministerrat) and the People's Council (German: Volksrat).
The Council of People's Deputies is composed of the heads of the various ministries in Germany. Some ministries have more than one head. The People's Council is the collective head of state, with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson functioning as head of state and head of government respectively in practice. They are joined by a secretary, the president of the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils, and ten "executive members". When proposing laws and reforms, two-thirds of the congress must approve before it will be passed for a vote to the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils. Neither the Chairperson nor the Deputy Chairperson is able to veto decisions made by either congress, unless emergency powers are granted by the majority of both congresses in a time of war or major crisis. These powers have never been used.
The composition of the Congress of People's Deputies is directly tied to the will of the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils. In the vein of soviet democracy, the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils can recall members of the Congress of People's Deputies through a vote of no confidence at any time. Neither section of the Congress of People's Deputies is permitted to appoint their own members, as they must be elected. The Congress of People's Deputies is, however, allowed to issue recommendations for candidacies. The close ties between the two legislative bodies are also expressed through the dual status of the President of the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils as a member of the People's Council.
Laws proposed by the Congress of People's Deputies must be approved by the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils to be enacted. The Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils can also propose legislation on its own, which must be approved by the Congress of People's Deputies under the same grounds as the opposite situation. This is meant to ensure that, from a legislative perspective, both bodies keep each other in check, ostensibly to keep the Congress of People's Deputies from forming a separate social caste.
== Composition ==
People's Council 	Incumbent(s) 	Incumbent(s) 	Party
Chairperson of the People's Council 	Rosa Luxemburg 	Rosa Luxemburg 	KPD
Deputy Chairperson of the People's Council 	Karl Liebknecht 	Karl Liebknecht 	KPD
Secretary of the People's Council 	Max Fechner 	Max Fechner 	USPD
President of the Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils	Clara Zetkin 	Clara Zetkin 	KPD
Executive Members 	Rudolf Rocker 	Rudolf Rocker 	FAUD
Executive Members 	Richard Lipinski 	Richard Lipinski 	USPD
Executive Members 	Georg Ulrich Handke	Georg Ulrich Handke	KPD
Executive Members 	Lore Agnes 	Lore Agnes 	USPD
Executive Members 	Rosa Aschenbrenner 	Rosa Aschenbrenner 	KPD
Executive Members 	Lina Maria Becker 	Lina Maria Becker 	KPD
Executive Members 	Hermann Liebmann 	Hermann Liebmann 	USPD
Executive Members 	Ernst Reuter 	Ernst Reuter 	KPD
Executive Members 	Anna Stiegler 	Anna Stiegler 	USPD
Executive Members 	Wilhelm Hammann 	Wilhelm Hammann 	KPD
Council of People's Ministers 	Incumbent(s) 	Incumbent(s) 	Party
People's Ministry for Defence 	Ernst Thälmann 	Ernst Thälmann 	KPD
People's Ministry for Defence 	Land Forces 	Albert Schreiner 	KPD
People's Ministry for Defence 	People's Navy 	Hans Paasche 	KPD
People's Ministry for Defence 	Air Forces 	Walter Kreiser 	USPD
People's Ministry for Foreign Affairs 	Walter Ulbricht 	Walter Ulbricht 	KPD
People's Ministry for Interior Security 	Hans Kippenberger 	Hans Kippenberger 	KPD
People's Ministry for Food and Agriculture 	Friedrich Wehmer 	Friedrich Wehmer 	USPD
People's Ministry for Industry 	Fritz Selbmann 	Fritz Selbmann 	KPD
People's Ministry for Industry 	August Thalheimer 	August Thalheimer 	KPD
People's Ministry for Trade 	Curt Wach 	Curt Wach 	KPD
People's Ministry for Finance 	Hermann Duncker 	Hermann Duncker 	KPD
People's Ministry for Finance 	Ruth Fischer 	Ruth Fischer 	KPD
People's Ministry for Transport 	Hugo Eberlein 	Hugo Eberlein 	KPD
People's Ministry for Communications 	Erich Mielke 	Erich Mielke 	KPD
People's Ministry for Culture 	Paul Frölich 	Paul Frölich 	KPD
People's Ministry for Culture 	Theodor Plievier 	Theodor Plievier 	FAUD
People's Ministry for Education 	Georg Ledebour 	Georg Ledebour 	USPD
People's Ministry for Education 	Fritz Lange 	Fritz Lange 	KPD
People's Ministry for Press Affairs 	Fritz Heckert 	Fritz Heckert 	KPD
People's Ministry for Science and Technology 	Max Volmer 	Max Volmer 	Ind.
People's Ministry for Justice 	Lothar Bolz 	Lothar Bolz 	KPD
People's Ministry for Labour 	Arthur Crispien 	Arthur Crispien 	USPD
People's Ministry for Labour 	Otto Franke 	Otto Franke 	KPD
People's Ministry for Health and Welfare 	Georg Benjamin 	Georg Benjamin 	KPD
People's Ministry for Health and Welfare 	Willi Münzenberg 	Willi Münzenberg 	KPD
People's Ministry for the Environment 	Paul Mattick 	Paul Mattick 	KPD
People's Ministry for Family Affairs 	Hedwig Krüger 	Hedwig Krüger 	KPD
People's Ministry for National Planning 	Alfred Fellisch 	Alfred Fellisch 	USPD
People's Ministry for Minority Affairs 	Karl Radek 	Karl Radek 	KPD
People's Ministry for Religious Affairs 	Werner Eggerath 	Werner Eggerath 	KPD
People's Ministry for Religious Affairs 	Ernst Bloch 	Ernst Bloch 	Ind.
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