Constitution of the German Confederation

The Constitution of the German Confederation, or German Federal Act (German: Deutsche Bundesakte), was the constitution for the German Confederation as set forth in the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna. Out of the 360 states of the former Holy Roman Empire, it established a confederation of 39 states under the presidency of the Emperor of Austria. In its initial form, the Constitution came into effect on 8 June 1815.

The preamble states that the Constitution's purpose was "the safety and independence of Germany" united in "perpetual Confederation".^[1] Each state pledged to protect every other state and Germany as a whole if attacked. All states were also required to adopt their own constitutions. Since the 1815 Constitution was only an initial framework, it was expanded effective 8 June 1820. In its final form, the Constitution was notably conservative, enshrining the monarchical principle and giving the Confederation the right to intervene against "dangerous movements" in any member state.^[2]

The Constitution of the German Confederation went out of force when the Confederation dissolved in 1866 following Prussia's victory in the Austro-Prussian War and the establishment of the North German Confederation.