Prussian House of Lords

upper house

The Prussian House of Lords (German: Preußisches Herrenhaus) was the first chamber of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Prussia between 1850 and 1918. The second chamber was the Prussian House of Representatives (Preußisches Haus der Abgeordneten, also called the Abgeordnetenhaus).

The Prussian House of Lords (now seat of the Federal Council)

The House of Lords was created on 31 January 1850. Its seat was on Leipziger Straße in Berlin at a building rebuilt by the architect Friedrich Schulze in 1904.

A member of the House of Lords was known as a pair, or officially as a member of the Prussian House of Lords (Mitglieder des preußischen Herrenhauses, or MdH).

The House consisted of hereditary peers, life peers appointed by the King of Prussia, peers by virtue of position, representatives of cities and universities, etc. The majority of members were nobles, although the House also had commoners as members, especially among the representatives of cities and universities.