Last modified: 2012-12-29 by pete loeser
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![[Republikaner flag]](../images/d/de}rep1.gif)
Image by Marcus Schmöger, 2 Jun 2009
The Republicans, or REP (Die Republikaner) were founded in 1983 by two dissident CSU members (being members of the Bundestag). The main figure of the first years (1985-1994) was Franz Schönhuber, though, who moved the party from right-conservative to a precarious position between right-conservative and right-radical (in particular with a harsh anti-immigration stance). He was a close ally of France's Le Pen. After a lot of internal troubles the party has now settled somewhat under the leadership of Rolf Schlierer, who maintains a policy of distinction from the more radical right (like NPD and DVU); the more radical factions either have deserted the party or still favour a collaboration with NPD and/or DVU.
The first few years brought some stunning electoral successes: in particular REP could win a few seats in the European Parliament in 1989, and they could twice (1992 and 1996) gain several seats in the Baden-Württemberg Landtag. Since then, however, they were not able to gain any parliamentary seats except for municipal ones.
As the party originally had a distinctly Bavarian base, the main symbol (changed somewhat over time) consists of three lozenges (from the Bavarian arms, but in the German national colours) combined with the party name. Interestingly, the Czech Republicans virtually copied this symbol.
As a right-conservative and nationalist party the REP make widespread use of the German national flag black-red-gold; in contrast to the NPD, for instance, they do not use black-white-red.
Own party flags are rather rarely used. In the early years they used a blue flag with their lozenges and the party name (in white) [1]. There was also a table pennant version of this.
Sources: Several issues of the party journal Der Republikaner 1989 and 1991.
Marcus Schmöger, 2 Jun 2009
![[Republikaner table pennant]](../images/d/de}rep1w.gif)
Image by Marcus Schmöger, 2 Jun 2009
![[Republikaner New flag]](../images/d/de}rep2.gif)
Image by Marcus Schmöger, 2 Jun 2009
More recently, in about 2003, a different kind of flag appeared. This is white, shows the revised lozenges, and the party name in blue. However, the party shop does not currently offer this flag for sale, so perhaps this had been a short-lived flag only.
Sources: Photographs of party convention 2003, downloaded from www.rep.de (March 2004), (now gone) and from www.brv-verlag.de.
Marcus Schmöger, 2 Jun 2009