Reichstag Fire Decree

The Reichstag Fire Decree, issued by President Paul von Hindenburg on 28 February 1933, the day after the Reichstag fire, was an emergency decree under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. It suspended key civil liberties, including freedom of expression, press, assembly, and association, and protections against arbitrary arrest and property confiscation. The decree became a central legal foundation of the Nazi dictatorship, enabling the arrest of political opponents without charge.