Wikipedia
Reichsrat is a legislative body in German-speaking countries similar to the Upper House of a Parliament. The cognate in Scandiavian countries is Riksråd. These may refer to:
- Reichsrat (Austria), the parliament of the Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918)
- Reichsrat (Bavaria), the House of Lords in the Kingdom of Bavaria (1806-1918)
- Reichsrat (Germany), a body representing the German States in the Weimar Republic (1919-1933)
- Riksråd, various Royal Councils in Scandinavian countries
- Riksrådet, the Privy Council of Sweden
The Reichsrat was one of two legislative bodies in Germany during Weimar Republic (1919–1933), the other being the Reichstag.
The Reichsrat consisted of members appointed by the German States and participated in legislation affecting all constitutional changes and state competences, while the Reichstag was the elected body of the people. Therefore, the Reichsrat functioned similarly to a parliamentary upper house, such as the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, although the Weimar constitution did not specifically spell out a bicameral parliament. The Reichsrat was the successor body to the Bundesrat of the German Empire (1867–1918), which was a more formalized upper house.