4 May - 17 May

At the initiative of the SPD and the KPD, a petition for a referendum is held on the expropriation of the former German princes without compensation. Since the threshold of 10% of voters for a successful petition is clearly exceeded (31.8%), the petition for a referendum becomes a motion for a referendum, which is to be held on 20 June.
[Winkler, p. 313]

5 May

The flag ordinance, which is initiated by the Luther government and signed by Reichspräsident Hindenburg, enables legational and consular authorities of the Reich to fly the black, white and red merchant flag in addition to the black, red and gold imperial flag. The ordinance is met with strong criticism from the DDP, the SPD, and parts of the Center Party as well as from trade unions and the defense union “Black, Red, Gold Banner of the Reich”.
[Winkler, p. 311]

7 May

Thomas Mann, Gerhart Hauptmann, Hermann Stehr, Ludwig Fulda and Arno Holz are given positions in the newly founded department for Fine Poetry at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin.
[Overesch/Saal, p. 291]

12 May

The controversial flag ordinance leads to a vote of no confidence and a motion of censure. The motion of no confidence fails. However, the DDP’s motion of censure, which is supported by the SPD and the KPD, leads in the end to the fall of the bourgeois minority government led by Luther.
[Büttner, p. 341]

17 May

The controversial flag ordinance leads to a vote of no confidence and a motion of censure. The motion of no confidence fails. However, the DDP’s motion of censure, which is supported by the SPD and the KPD, leads in the end to the fall of the bourgeois minority government led by Luther.
[Büttner, p. 341]