German National Socialist Workers' Party Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei | |
---|---|
Leader | Hans Knirsch |
Founded | November 1919 |
Dissolved | 11 December 1933 |
Preceded by | German Workers' Party |
Merged into | Sudeten German Party |
Headquarters | Dux, Czechoslovakia |
Paramilitary wing | Volkssport |
Trade union | German Socialist Miners' Union[1] |
Membership | 61,000 (May 1932 est.) |
Ideology | Nazism[2][3] |
Political position | Far-right |
The German National Socialist Workers' Party (German: Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei, DNSAP, Czech: Německá národně socialistická strana dělnická) was a protofascist party of Germans in Czechoslovakia, successor of the German Workers' Party (DAP) from Austria-Hungary. It was founded in November 1919 in Duchcov. The most crucial party activists were Hans Knirsch, Hans Krebs, Adam Fahrner, Rudolf Jung and Josef Patzel. In May 1932, it had 1,024 local chapters with 61,000 members.[6]
Unlike the successive sister party in Austria, which only played a marginal role in Austrian politics, the Czechoslovak branch attracted a considerable number of votes because of the large Sudeten German minority in Czechoslovakia. In elections, it worked together with the Deutsche Nationalpartei (DNP). The party advocated cultural and territorial autonomy and anti-clericalism. It also showed anti-semitic tendencies.[7] It organized fascist militia Volkssport.[8][9] In October 1933, the Czechoslovak government banned it for its anti-state activities.[6] It was officially dissolved on 11 November 1933. DNSAP was succeeded by the Sudeten German Party.