Province of Hesse-Nassau

Summary

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The Province of Hesse-Nassau (German: Provinz Hessen-Nassau) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944.

Province of Hesse-Nassau
Provinz Hessen-Nassau (German)
Province of Prussia
1868–1944
Flag of Hesse-Nassau
Flag
Coat of arms of Hesse-Nassau
Coat of arms

The Province of Hesse-Nassau (red), within the Kingdom of Prussia, within the German Empire
CapitalKassel
Area 
• 1905
15,699.3 km2 (6,061.5 sq mi)
• 1939
16,845 km2 (6,504 sq mi)
Population 
• 1905
2,070,076
• 1939
2,688,922
History 
1868
• Disestablished
1944
Political subdivisionsKassel
Wiesbaden
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Electorate of Hesse
Duchy of Nassau
Free City of Frankfurt
Grand Duchy of Hesse
Kingdom of Bavaria
Province of Kurhessen
Province of Nassau
Today part ofGermany

Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the previously independent Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), the Duchy of Nassau, the Free City of Frankfurt, areas gained from the Kingdom of Bavaria, and areas gained from the Grand Duchy of Hesse (including part of the former Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg from Hesse-Darmstadt). These regions were combined to form the province Hesse-Nassau in 1868 with its capital in Kassel and redivided into two administrative regions: Kassel and Wiesbaden. The largest part of the province surrounded the province of Upper Hesse in the Grand Duchy of Hesse (People's State of Hesse from 1918).[1]

On 1 April 1929, the Free State of Waldeck became a part of Hesse-Nassau after a popular vote, becoming part of the Kassel administrative region.

In 1935, the Nazi government de facto abolished all states, so the provinces held little meaning. Nevertheless, effective 1 July 1944, Hesse-Nassau was split into the provinces of Kurhessen (capital in Kassel) and Nassau (capital in Wiesbaden).[2] On 19 September 1945, after the end of World War II, these two provinces were re-merged and combined with most of the neighbouring People's State of Hesse to form Greater Hesse,[3] which became the modern state of Hesse in 1946. Parts of Nassau were also moved into the Rhineland-Palatinate.

Oberpräsidents edit

The Oberpräsident (or "High Commissioner") was the chief administrator of a Prussian province, appointed by the King on the advice of the Prussian Minister for the Interior. The Oberpräsident administered the province with the assistance of a Prussian government-appointed provincial council.

Oberpräsidenten for the Province of Hesse-Nassau
Name Image Born-Died Party affiliation Start of Tenure End of Tenure
Eduard von Möller   1814–1880 1867 1871
Ludwig von Bodelschwingh [de]   1811–1879 1872 1875
August von Ende [de]   1815–1889 DRP 1876 1881
Botho zu Eulenburg   1831–1912 DkP 1881 1892
Eduard von Magdeburg [de] 1844–1932 1892 1898
Robert von Zedlitz-Trützschler [de]   1837–1914 1898 1903
Ludwig von Windheim [de] 1857–1935 1903 1907
Wilhelm Hengstenberg [de]   1907 1917
August von Trott zu Solz   1855–1938 1917 1919
Rudolf Schwander   1868–1950 1919 1930
August Haas [de] 1881–1945 SDP 1930 1932
Ernst von Hülsen [de] 1875–1950 1932 1933
Philipp von Hessen   1896–1980 Nazi 1933 1943
Ernst Beckmann [de] 1893–1957 Nazi 1943 1944

Population edit

Historical population numbers[4]
1871 1875 1880 1890 1900 1925 1933 1939
Evangelical christians 988.041 - - 1.156.457 1.308.016 1.631.157 1.776.895 1.798.267
Catholic christians 371.736 - - 455.477 530.541 674.175 709.701 741.384
Other christian affiliation 3.892 - - 7.625 10.611 4.271 1.283 12.299
Jews 36.390 - - 44.543 48.105 52.757 46.923 20.662
Total 1.400.370 1.467.898 1.554.376 1.664.426 1.897.981 2.396.871 2.584.828 2.675.111

Insignia edit

The flag of Hesse-Nassau is identical to that of the Netherlands. The Dutch royal house originates from the Duchy of Nassau.

The coat of arms is split into three parts, each part showing the coats of arms for the three entities that formed Hesse-Nassau:

  • a crowned, silver/red-striped lion on a blue background (Electorate of Hesse)
  • a crowned, golden lion on a blue field strewn with billets (Duchy of Nassau)
  • a silver eagle with golden talons on a red background (Free City of Frankfurt)
 
Hesse-Nassau in 1905

References edit

  1. ^ Wülfing, Katrin. "Königreich Preußen, Provinz Hessen-Nassau: Details". Hessische Parlamentarismusgeschichte (in German). Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  2. ^ Hitler, Adolf (1 April 1944). "Erlaß des Führers über die Bildung der Provinzen Kurhessen und Nassau". Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024 – via verfassungen.de.
  3. ^ "Aufbauzeit nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg". hessen.de (in German). Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Preußen, Provinz Hessen-Nassau". www.eirenicon.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.