1 October

Brandenburger Tor

Max Liebermann

The Greater Berlin Act enters into force. The amalgamation of seven towns, 57 rural communities and 27 estate districts means that Berlin now has a population of around 3.86 million, making it the world’s third largest city after New York and London.

German soldiers withdraw from the demilitarized zone 50km east of the Rhine and the number of soldiers in the Reichswehr is lowered to 150,000.

The impressionist artist Max Liebermann becomes president of the Prussian Academy of Arts. [Overesch/Saal, p. 115]

12 - 17 October

At the USPD convention, the party decides to split apart. This is because of the differing positions on the Communist International (Comintern), steered by Moscow. Whilst the right wing of the party rejects Comintern’s rules, the left wing pushes for membership. As a result, the left wing of the USPD breaks away from the party and joins the KPD at the beginning of December. It is only after the influx of members from the left wing of the USPD that the United Communist Party of Germany (VKPD), as it calls itself for a short while after unification, becomes a mass party. In the period that follows, the remaining part of the USPD gets closer to the Majority Socialists, as in the past.
[Kolb, p. 43; Winkler p. 148-149]

28 October

The Prussian Assembly adopts the new state constitution in its second reading.
[Overesch/Saal, p. 119]

29 October

The Saxon state government makes 9 November a public holiday.

Paul Wegener’s film “The Golem: How He Came into the World” premiers in Berlin. [Overesch/Saal, p. 119]