West Prussia

{{for|the subdivision of East Prussia|Marienwerder (region)}} '''West Prussia''' ({{lang-de|Westpreußen}}; {{lang-pl|Prusy Zachodnie}}) was a [[Provinces of Prussia|province]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] province of [[Royal Prussia]]. After Germany was defeated in 1918, in February 1920 it handed over West Prussia's central parts to become the so-called [[Polish Corridor]] and the [[Free City of Danzig]], while the parts remaining with the German [[Weimar Republic]] became the new [[Posen-West Prussia]] or were joined to the [[Province of East Prussia]] as [[Marienwerder (region)|Regierungsbezirk West Prussia]]. The territory was included within [[Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia]] from 1939–45, after which it became part of [[Poland]]. ''West Prussia'' is also used as a general name for the [[Historical regions of Central Europe|region in historical context]] from the 13th century to 1945. In the [[Middle Ages]], it was inhabited by Slavic tribes: by [[Pomeranians (Slavic tribe)|Pomeranians]] in [[Pomerelia]] west to [[Vistula]] river, by Old Prussians and later [[Masovians]] in [[Kulmerland]], and by [[Old Prussians]] (mainly [[Pomesanians]]) in the part of the region located east to [[Vistula]] river and north to [[Kulmerland]]. Due to immigration and cultural changes, the population became mixed over centuries and consisted of [[Germans]], [[Kashubians]], [[Poles]], as well as [[Slovincians]], [[Huguenots]], [[Mennonites]], and [[Scottish people|Scots]], among others. Most of the territory of West Prussia is today part of [[Poland]]’s [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]], which has [[Danzig]] as its capital. == History == In the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]] (1454–1466), the towns of [[Pomerelia]] and western [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] rebelled against the [[Teutonic Knights]] and sought the assistance of King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] of Poland. By the [[Second Peace of Thorn (1466)]], Pomerelia and western Prussia became the Polish province of [[Royal Prussia]], which received special rights, especially in [[Danzig]] (Gdańsk). Royal Prussia became part of the [[Polish Crown]] in 1569 per [[Union of Lublin]]. Eastern Prussia, on the other hand, remained with the Teutonic Knights, who were reduced to vassals of Poland by the Peace of Thorn. This territory became the [[Duchy of Prussia]] in 1525 and removed the Polish suzerainty in 1657 [[Treaty of Wehlau]]. Most of Royal Prussia was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in the 1772 [[First Partition of Poland]], and became the Province of West Prussia the following year, with the exception of [[Warmia]], which became part of the [[Province of East Prussia]]. The Polish administrative and legal code was replaced by the Prussian system, and 750 schools were built from 1772-1775. Both [[Protestantism|Protestant]] and Roman Catholic teachers taught in West Prussia, and teachers and administrators were encouraged to be able to speak both German and Polish. [[Frederick II of Prussia]] also advised his successors to learn Polish, a policy followed by the Hohenzollern dynasty until [[Frederick III, German Emperor|Frederick III]] decided not to let [[William II, German Emperor|William II]] learn the language. Frederick looked upon many of his new citizens with scorn. Already during his early days Frederick detested the Poles and gave evidence to his prejudice against Polish people;in a letter from 1735 he calls them "dirty" and "vile apes" He had nothing but contempt for the ''[[szlachta]]'', the numerous Polish nobility, and wrote that Poland had "the worst government in Europe with the exception of [[Ottoman Empire]]". He considered West Prussia as uncivilized as [[Canada under British Imperial Control (1764-1867)|Colonial Canada]] and compared the [[Poles]] to the [[Iroquois]]. In a letter to his brother [[Prince Henry of Prussia|Henry]], Frederick wrote about the province that "it is a very good and advantageous acquisition, both from a financial and a political point of view. In order to excite less jealousy I tell everyone that on my travels I have seen just sand, pine trees, heath land and Jews. Despite that there is a lot of work to be done; there is no order, and no planning and the towns are in a lamentable condition." Frederick invited German immigrants to redevelop the province, also hoping they would displace the Poles. Many German officials also regarded the Poles with contempt. According to [[Jerzy Surdykowski]], Frederick the Great brought up 300,000 colonists on territories he conquered and enforced Germanization According to [[Christopher Clark]] 54 percent of the annexed area's and 75 percent of the urban populace were German-speaking Protestants. Further Polish areas were annexed in the [[Second Partition of Poland]] in 1793, including cities of [[Danzig]] (Gdańsk) and [[Toruń]] (Thorn). Some of the areas of [[Greater Poland]] annexed in 1772 that formed the [[Netze District]] were added to West Prussia in 1793 as well. From 1807–13 during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], southern parts of West Prussia were incorporated in the [[Duchy of Warsaw]]. In 1815 the province, again annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, was administratively subdivided into the ''[[Regierungsbezirk]]e'' [[Danzig (region)|Danzig]] and [[Marienwerder (region)|Marienwerder]]. From 1824-1878 West Prussia was combined with East Prussia to form the [[Province of Prussia]], after which they were reestablished as separate provinces. The region became part of the [[German Empire]] in 1871 during the [[unification of Germany]]. It underwent German measures aimed at Germanisation of conquered Polish territories which included settlement of 150,000 German colonists on territories conquered from Poland by Prussia. [[Image:Settlement Comission.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Acquisitions of Polish land for Germanization by the Prussian Commission of Colonization]] The Polish historian [[Andrzej Chwalba]] points out several other measures that were enforced by the German state as part of Germanisation policy: *Ethnic Germans were favoured in government contracts and only they won them, while Poles always lost. *Ethnic Germans were also promoted in investment plans, supply contracts. *German craftsmen in Polish territories received the best locations in cities from authorities so that they could start their own business and prosper. *Soldiers received orders that banned them from buying in Polish shops and from Poles under the threat of arrest. *German merchantmen were encouraged to settle in Polish territories. *Tax incentives and beneficial financial arrangements were proposed to German officials and clerks if they would settle in Polish inhabited provinces. After the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in 1919, most of West Prussia was granted to the [[Second Polish Republic]] (the [[Polish Corridor]]) or the [[Free City of Danzig]], while small parts in the west and east of the former province remained in [[Weimar Republic|Weimar Germany]]. The western remainder formed [[Posen-West Prussia]] in 1922, while the eastern remainder became part of [[Marienwerder (region)|Regierungsbezirk West Prussia]] within [[East Prussia]]. The region was included in the [[Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia]] within [[Nazi Germany]] during World War II and settled with 130,000 German colonists, while between 120,000 to 170,000 Poles and Jews were ethnically cleansed by the Germans. As in all other areas Poles and Jews were classified as "Untermenschen" by the German state, with their fate being slavery and extermination. Many West Prussian Germans fled westward as the [[Red Army]] advanced on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. All of the areas occupied by Nazis were restored to Poland according to the post-war [[Potsdam Agreement]] in 1945, along with further neighbouring areas of former Nazi Germany. The vast majority of the remaining German population of the region which had not fled before was subsequently [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] westward. Many German civilians were deported to [[labor camps]] like [[Vorkuta]] in the [[Soviet Union]], where a large number of them perished or were later reported missing. In 1949, the refugees established the non-profit [[Landsmannschaft Westpreußen]] to represent West Prussians in the [[Federal Republic of Germany]]. == Historical population == [[Image:Westpreußen und DanzigerBucht.png|thumb|right|Map of West Prussia and the [[Gdańsk Bay|Bay of Danzig]] in 1896]] [[File:Sprachen Westpreussen en.svg|thumb|Administrative divisions and languages in West Prussia according to the German census 1910. The numbers include German military stationed in the region, as well as civil clerks and officials, , were settled as part of German state's official policy of Germanisation of Polish areas
Legend for the districts: {{legend|#FF9999|German language}} {{legend|#6699CC|Polish language}} {{legend|#9999CC|Kashubian language}} {{legend|#CCCC66|others or bilingual}} ]] {| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" |+ Population of Prussia and its Provinces in 1890 |- ! !! Inhabitants !! foreigners |- | West Prussia || 1,433,681 || 1,976 |} From 1885 to 1890 West Prussia's population decreased by 1%. *1875 - 1,343,057 *1880 - 1,405,898 *1890 - 1,433,681 (717,532 Catholics, 681,195 Protestants, 21,750 Jews, others) *1900 - 1,563,658 (800,395 Catholics, 730,685 Protestants, 18,226 Jews, others) *1905 - 1.641.936 (including 437.916 Polish speakers, 99.357 [[Kashubian language|Kashubian]] speakers) According to the official German census of 1910 in the areas that became Polish after 1918 42 percent of the populace were ethnic German in 1910 (including German military, civil clerks and settlers). Contemporary sources in late 19th and early 20th centuries, gave the number of Kashubians between 80,000 to 200,000. == Subdivisions == Note: Prussian provinces were subdivided into districts called "Kreise" (singular "[[Districts of Prussia|Kreis]]", abbreviated "Kr."). Cities would have their own "[[Stadtkreis]]" (urban district) and the surrounding rural area would be named for the city, but referred to as a "[[Landkreis]]" (rural district). '''Population according to the German census 1905:''' {| border="1" cellspacing="1" style="background:#f4f4db;" |- |'''Kreis''' (district) |'''Polish Name''' |'''Population 1905''' |'''Polish, Kashubian''' |'''in Percent''' |'''German''' |'''in Percent''' |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;"| ''[[Regierungsbezirk Danzig]]'' |- |[[Elbing]]-Stadt |[[Elbląg]] |55,627 |175 |0.31 |55,328 |99.46 |- |[[Elbing]]-Land |[[Elbląg]] |38,871 |105 |0.27 |38,737 |99.66 |- |[[Malbork|Marienburg]] |[[Malbork]] |63,110 |1,705 |2.70 |61,044 |96.73 |- |[[Danzig]]-Stadt (City) |[[Gdańsk]] |160,090 |3,065 |1.91 |154,629 |96.59 |- |[[Danzig]]-Niederung (lowland) |[[Gdańsk]] |36,519 |178 |0.49 |36,286 |99.36 |- |[[Danziger Höhe]] (highland) |[[Gdańsk]] |50,148 |5,703 |11.73 |44,113 |87.97 |- |[[Dirschau]] |[[Tczew]] |40,856 |15,144 |37.07 |25,466 |62.33 |- |[[Preußisch Stargard]] |[[Starogard Gdański]] |62,465 |44,809 |71.73 |17,425 |27.90 |- |[[Berent]] |[[Kościerzyna]] |53,726 |29,898 |55.65 |23,515 |43.77 |- |[[Kartuzy|Karthaus]] |[[Kartuzy]] |66,612 |46,281 |69.48 |20,203 |30.33 |- |[[Wejherowo|Neustadt]] |[[Wejherowo]] |55,587 |27,358 |49.22 |27,048 |48.66 |- |[[Putzig]] |[[Puck, Poland|Puck]] |25,701 |17,906 |69.67 |7,629 |29.68 |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:center;"|''[[Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder]]'' |- |[[Stuhm]] |[[Sztum]] |36,559 |13,473 |36.85 |22,550 |61.68 |- |[[Marienwerder (district)|Marienwerder]] |[[Kwidzyń]] |68,096 |24,541 |36.04 |42,699 |62.70 |- |[[Susz|Rosenberg]] |[[Susz]] |53,293 |3,465 |6.50 |49,304 |92.51 |- |[[Löbau]] |[[Lubawa]] |57,285 |45,510 |79.44 |11,368 |19.84 |- |[[Brodnica|Strasburg]] |[[Brodnica]] |59,927 |38,507 |64.26 |21,008 |35.06 |- |[[Wąbrzeźno|Briesen]] |[[Wąbrzeźno]] |47,542 |25,415 |53.46 |21,688 |45.62 |- |[[Toruń|Thorn]]-Stadt (City) |[[Toruń]] |43,658 |13,988 |32.04 |29,230 |66.59 |- |[[Toruń|Thorn]]-Land |[[Toruń]] |58,765 |30,833 |52.47 |27,508 |46.81 |- |[[Chełmno|Kulm]] |[[Chełmno]] |49,521 |25,659 |51.89 |23,521 |47.50 |- |[[Graudenz]]-Stadt (City) |[[Grudziądz]] |39,953 |4,421 |11.07 |30,709 |76.86 |- |[[Graudenz]]-Land |[[Grudziądz]] |46,509 |19,331 |41.56 |26,888 |57.81 |- |[[Schwetz]] |[[Świecie]] |87,151 |47,779 |54.82 |39,276 |45.07 |- |[[Tuchel]] |[[Tuchola]] |30,803 |20,540 |66.68 |9,925 |32.22 |- |[[Konitz]] |[[Chojnice]] |59,694 |32,704 |54.79 |26,581 |44.50 |- |[[Schlochau]] |[[Człuchów]] |66,317 |10,180 |15.35 |55,981 |84.41 |- |[[Złotów|Flatow]] |[[Złotów]] |67,783 |18,002 |26.56 |49,167 |72.54 |- |[[Deutsch Krone]] |[[Wałcz]] |63,706 |653 |1.03 |62,977 |98.86 |} == External links == *[http://www.westpreussen-online.de/ www.westpreussen-online.de] {{de icon}} *[http://www.gemeindeverzeichnis.de/gem1900//gem1900.htm?westpreussen/westpreussen1900.htm Administrative subdivision of the province in 1910] {{de icon}} *[http://www.rosenberg-wpr.de/westpreussen.rm Das Westpreußenlied (Real Audio)] *[http://users.foxvalley.net/~goertz/faqwpr.html West Prussia FAQ] *[http://www.progenealogists.com/germany/prussia/index.html East and West Prussia Gazetteer] {{Territories and provinces of Prussia}} {{pomeranian history|adm}} {{coord missing|Germany}}