This article gives an overview of liberalism in Latvia. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in the Saeima. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labelled themselves as a liberal party. Background Latvia was one of the early post World War I nations which adopted some ideas from the 1919 Weimar Constitution. German liberal lawyer Hugo Preuß (Preuss) is often attributed as the author of the draft version of the constitution that was passed by the Weimar National Assembly, which historian William L. Shirer in a book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich regards as "the most liberal and democratic document of its kind the twentieth century had ever seen ... full of ingenious and admirable devices which seemed to guarantee the working of an almost flawless democracy.". In Latvia some early law experts such as Kārlis Dišlers, Fēlikss Cielēns and modern day jurists agree that Weimar Constitution was underlying the wording of the Constitution of Latvia (Satversme), and in some way is a synthesis between the Weimar Constitution and Westminster system used in the United Kingdom. History Liberalism in Latvia was a small but important force since 1922 in Latvia. The current regained position after the re-independence of 1990. Nowadays the Latvian Way (Latvijas Ceļš, member LI, ELDR) is a right of center market liberal party. Currently the party has merged with the Latvia's First Party to form LPP/LC. German Baltic Democratic Party 1918: Moderate German liberals in Latvia formed the German-Baltic Democratic Party (Deutsch-Baltische Demokratische Partei/Vācbaltu demokrātiskā partija) 1934: The party is banned, along with all other political parties, after a coup by Kārlis Ulmanis German Baltic Progressive Party 1918: Radical German liberals in Latvia formed the German-Baltic Progressive Party (Deutsch-Baltische Fortschrittliche Partei/Vācbaltu progresīvā partija) 1934: The party is banned From Democratic Party to Democratic Centre 1922: Shortly after its foundation the Democratic Party (Demokrātiskā partija) merged with the Radical Democratic Party (Radikālā Demokrātiskā partija) and the People's Party (Ļaužu partija) into the Democratic Centre (Demokrātiskais centrs). The party is led by the later presidents of Latvia, Jānis Čakste and Gustavs Zemgals. 1934: The party is banned. In exile it is continued by the Liberal Party (Liberāļu partija) Latgalian Democratic Party 1920: Latgalian liberals formed the Latgalian Democratic Party (Latgales demokrātu partija) 1926: