The Province of Hesse-Nassau () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944.
The Prussian province was officially formed in 1868 by a Royal Decree of 7 December 1868, which merged the two administrative districts of Kassel and Wiesbaden; however, it had already come into being through the annexations of Hesse-Kassel, Nassau, and Frankfurt in 1866 and was organized by decrees of March 1867 (concerning the municipal constitutions).
History 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).
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). 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, which became the modern state of Hesse in 1946. Parts of Nassau were also moved into the Rhineland-Palatinate.
The ('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 18671871 1811–1879 18721875 1815–1889 DRP 18761881 Botho zu Eulenburg 1831–1912 DkP 18811892 1844–1932 18921898 1837–1914 18981903 1857–1935 19031907 19071917 August von Trott zu Solz 1855–1938 19171919 Rudolf Schwander 1868–1950 19191930 1881–1945 SDP 19301932 1875–1950 19321933 Philipp von Hessen 1896–1980Nazi 19331943 1893–1957 Nazi 19431944
Population +Historical population numbers18711875188018901900192519331939Evangelical christians988.041 - -1.156.4571.308.0161.631.1571.776.8951.798.267Catholic christians371.736 - -455.477530.541674.175709.701741.384Other christian affiliation3.892 - -7.62510.6114.2711.28312.299Jews36.390 - -44.54348.10552.75746.92320.662Total1.400.3701.467.8981.554.3761.664.4261.897.9812.396.8712.584.8282.675.111
Insignia
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)
References