#OTD 1919 Friedrich #Ebert, devoted Social-Democrat, saddler by profession & former owner of a Kneipe "Zur Gute Hilfe" in #Bremen, was voted the 1st President of the new GER Republic during 5th national assembly in #Weimar. Why Weimar and not #Berlin?(1)

(2) It had an image problem: #Berlin symbolised Prussia's upper hand in GER & was associated with everything thought un-GER (disorder, lack of sense of "Heimat", mob, whining). Fake news campaign followed. So Curt #Baake, Ebert's advisor, came up with Weimar ( #Goethe #Schiller).

#Weimar proved to be an excellent choice & the National Theatre as a venue brought (almost) nothing but positive associations even in #Bavaria (on the brink of leaving GER for Austria again) & Cologne (caleld #Berlin "heimatlose, großstädtiche Pöbel"). #Berlin could wait.

I should say "5th national assembly session in Weimar".

Portrait of Ebert dated 1925 (shortly before his sudden death of sceptic shock) via #Bundesarchiv.
The 5th session of the Nationalversammlung in Weimar on Feb 11, 1919 - image via http://bundestag.de .