subversive and officially banned by the German Empire under the Anti-Socialist Laws of 1878. Under proscription, the party's members continued to organize successfully. After the ban was lifted in 1890, they rechristened themselves as the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD) and surged at the polls. By the 1912 elections, the SPD (a direct descendant of the small SDAP) had become the largest party in Germany. Legacy Though the SDAP dissolved after a brief lifespan of just six years, it was an essential catalyst in creating the first significant labor party in Germany. After World War II, members of the SPD in East Germany were compelled to join forces with the Communist Party to form the Socialist Unity Party. Throughout its 41-year rule, the party paid regular tribute to its Marxist progenitor. In West Germany, the SPD became one of the two major parties and continues to wield vast influence in the post-reunification era. It still traces its lineage back to the SDAP at Gotha and Eisenach. See also History of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Notes Sometimes translated as Social Democratic Labor Party of Germany. See Lindemann et al. Not to be confused with the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (also SAPD) which existed from 1931 to 1945. References Bibliography Further reading Political parties of the German Empire Defunct socialist parties in Germany Social democratic parties in Germany Political parties established in 1869 1875 disestablishments in Germany 1869 establishments in Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany Political parties disestablished in 1875