History of Pomerania (1806–1933)

History of Pomerania (1806–1933) covers the history of Pomerania from the early 19th century until the rise of Nazi Germany.

The name Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means "[land] by the sea".Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie „Land am Meer“. (Pommersches Landesmuseum, German)

From the Napoleonic Wars to the end of World War I, Pomerania was administered by the Kingdom of Prussia as the Province of Pomerania (Western (Hither) and Farther Pomerania) and Province of West Prussia (Pomerelia). After World War I Pomerania was divided between Poland and Germany. After the abdication of Wilhelm II as Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, Western Pomerania was part of the Free State of Prussia within the Weimar Republic, while the eastern part (Pomerelia) became a part of Poland, and organized into the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The Polish Corridor of the Second Polish Republic was established from the bulk of West Prussia, causing an exodus of the German minority there. Poland build a large Baltic port at Gdynia. The Danzig (Gdańsk) area became the city state Free City of Danzig.

The Industrial Revolution primarily affected the Stettin (Szczecin) area and the infrastructure, while most Pomerania retained a rural and agricultural character.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 412, 413, 464ff, . Since 1850, the net migration rate was negative, German Pomeranians emigrated primarily to Berlin, the west German industrial regions and overseas.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 400ff, . Many also immigrated to the United States, especially the state of Wisconsin, which was founded in 1848.

Napoleonic Wars and its consequences

After Prussia lost the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in late 1806, French troops marched north into the Pomeranian province. Fortified Stettin (Szczecin) surrendered without battle, and the province became occupied by the French forces. Polish troops took part in the capture of several towns in the region, including Szczecinek and Nowogard. Only fortified Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) resisted, and the French laid a siege in March 1807. Ferdinand von Schill was among the defendants. The siege was not successful and was lifted only when Prussia surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte in the Peace of Tilsit on July 2.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 360, .

Napoleonic occupation also thwarted Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden's plans to construct a fortified port city on Rügen, Gustavia. Constructions had begun in 1806, but the unfinished town was levelled by the French forces already in the following year.*

The terms of surrender included high war reparations (25,000,000 Taler from the Province of Pomerania alone). The agreed withdrawal of the French troops was delayed repeatedly. In November 1808, the French troops left the province except for Stettin, which forced the provincial government to move to Stargard in 1809. The Kriegs- und Domänenkammer was renamed Royal-Prussian government ("Königlich Preußische Regierung"), while the former government ("Regierung") was renamed Supreme State Court ("Oberlandesgericht").Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 363, 364, .

In 1812, French troops invaded Swedish Pomerania, and also occupied Prussian Pomerania again. The Prussian troops took quarter in Kolberg. After Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, who commanded a Prussian corps with a significant Pomeranian share, had left the coalition with France in the Convention of Tauroggen of December 30, 1812, the Prussian military called the Pomeranians to arms in February 1813. Also in February, Russian troops reached Farther Pomerania. In March, all French forces left Pomerania, except for Stettin, which was held by the French until December 5, 1813. After the war, Prussia after diplomatic efforts of Karl August von Hardenberg in the Congress of Vienna gained Swedish Pomerania by paying 2,6 million Taler to Denmark and granting her the Duchy of Lauenburg, and paying an additional 3,5 million Taler to Sweden on June 7, 1815. On October 23, Swedish Pomerania was merged into the Prussian province, both now constituting the Province of Pomerania.

After Napoleon's break-up of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Western Part was the member of the German Confederation. After foundation of the German Empire of 1871, the whole of Pomerania was included into the newly created state.

The Pomeranian provinces between 1815 and World War I Province of Pomerania before World War I

The Province of Pomerania () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 until 1934.

Creation and administration of the province within the Kingdom of Prussia

Although there had been a Prussian Province of Pomerania before, the Province of Pomerania was newly reconstituted in 1815, based on the "decree concerning improved establishment of provincial offices" (), issued by Karl August von Hardenberg on April 30, and the integration of Swedish Pomerania, handed over to Prussia on October 23.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 366, .

The Hardenberg decree reformed all Prussian territories, which henceforth formed ten (later eight) provinces with similar administration. After the implementation of the reform, the new Province of Pomerania consisted basically of her predecessor and Swedish Pomerania, but also of the Dramburg (Drawsko Pomorskie) and Schivelbein (Świdwin) counties.

The province was headed by a governor (Oberpräsident, literally "superior president") with his seat in the capital, Stettin. It was subdivided into government regions (Regierungsbezirke) headed by a president (Regierungspräsident). Initially, two such regions were planned (Regierungsbezirk Stettin, comprising Western Pomerania, and Regierungsbezirk Köslin, comprising Farther Pomerania). Hardenberg however, who as the Prussian chief diplomat had settled the terms of session of Swedish Pomerania with Sweden at the Congress of Vienna, had assured to leave the local constitution in place when the treaty was signed on June 7, 1815. This circumstance led to a creation of a third government region, Regierungsbezirk Stralsund, for the former Swedish Pomerania at the expense of the Stettin region.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 366–369, .

In early 1818, governor Johann August Sack had reformed the county (Kreis) shapes, yet adopted the former shape in most cases. Köslin government region comprised nine counties, Stettin government region thirteen, and Stralsund government region four (identical with the previous Swedish Amt districts).

The new parliament (Landtag) assembled first on October 3, 1824. Based on two laws of June 5Allgemeines Gesetz wegen Anordnung der Provinzialstände. and July,Gesetz wegen Anordnung der Provinzialstände im Herzogtum Pommern und im Fürstentum Rügen. 1823, the Landtag was constituted by 25 lords and knights, 16 representatives of the towns, and eight from the rural communities.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 375, .

Subordinate to the provincial Landtag were two Kommunallandtag assemblies, one for former Swedish Pomerania (Western Pomerania north of the Peene river) and one for the former Prussian part.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 377, .

The counties each assembled a Kreisstand, where the knights of the county had a vote each and towns also just one vote."Kreisordnung des Herzogtums Pommern und des Fürstentums Rügen" of August 17, 1825.

Throughout its existence, the province was a stronghold of the conservative parties.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 377ff, 439ff, .

Reorganisation of Catholic Church institutions in Pomerania With the conversion of most Pomeranians to Lutheranism in the 16th and 17th centuries the Duchy of Pomerania turned into a Catholic diaspora. However, the repopulation policy under Frederick II of Prussia brought about the settlement of Palatine Catholics in Pomerania in 1748. So their three newly founded villages of Blumenthal (a part of today's Ferdinandshof), Hoppenwalde (a part of today's Eggesin) and Viereck formed the first new post-Reformation Catholic congregations in Pomerania. The Catholic Northern Missions took care of Catholic Pomeranians. Between 1709 and 1780 then Brandenburgian Pomerania was part of the Vicariate Apostolic for Upper and Lower Saxony, before this merged into the Vicariate Apostolic of the North, then also comprising other Lutheran states.

The affairs of the Roman Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Prussia had been reorganised by the Bull "De salute animarum", issued in 1821. By that time there were six new Catholic congregations in the Prussian Province of Pomerania, besides the above-mentioned three also one in Demmin, Stettin (est. 1809), and Stralsund (est. 1785). In the eastern, rather newer parts of the province, in the districts of Bütow (Bytów) and Lauenburg (Lębork), which had not been part of the Duchy of Pomerania during the Reformation, the Catholic faith had survived. These districts, however, belonged to the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Culm (Chełmno) (until 1922). In 1821 the rest of Pomerania was disentangled from the Vicariate Apostolic of the North and subordinated to a new jurisdiction of the Diocese of Breslau (Wrocław). This jurisdiction was titled the Prince-Episcopal Delegation for Brandenburg and Pomerania (, ), since Emanuel von Schimonsky was invested to Breslau's see under the new honorary rank of prince-bishop in 1824. The delegate resided in Berlin and served in personal union as provost of then St. Hedwig's Church.

Breslau's Prince-Bishop Heinrich Förster (1853–81) gave generous aid to the founding of churches, monastic institutions, and schools, especially in the diaspora regions. Pope Leo XIII appointed as his successor Robert Herzog (1882–86), until then Prince-Episcopal Delegate for Brandenburg and Pomerania.

According to the Prussian Concordat of 1929 Pope Pius XI elevated the Prince-Episcopal Delegation for Brandenburg and Pomerania to the Diocese of Berlin on August 13, 1930, becoming a suffragan of the Diocese of Breslau simultaneously elevated to archdiocese. So all of Pomerania became part of the Eastern German Ecclesiastical Province, with Bütow (Bytów) and Lauenburg (Lębork) being part of the new Territorial Prelature of Schneidemühl (Piła).

Infrastructure

In the 19th century, the first overland routes ("Chaussee") and railways were introduced in Pomerania. In 1848, 126.8 Prussian miles of new streets had been built. On October 12, 1840, construction of the Berlin–Stettin railway began, which was finished on August 15, 1843. Other railways followed: Stettin-Köslin (1859), Angermünde-Stralsund and Züssow-Wolgast (1863), Stettin- Stolp (1869), and a connection with Danzig (1870).

In rural areas, many narrow-gauge railways were built for faster transport of crops. The first gas, water, and power plants were built. Streets and canalisation of the towns were modernized.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 447ff, .

The construction of narrow-gauge railways was enhanced by a special decreeGesetz über Klein- und Privatanschlußbahnen. of July 28, 1892, implementing Prussian financial aid programs. In 1900, the total of narrow-gauge railways had passed the 1,000 kilometer threshold.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 464, .

From 1910 to 1912, most of the province was supplied with electricity as the main lines were built. Plants were built since 1898.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p. 462, .

The Świna and lower Oder rivers, the major water route to Stettin, were deepened to 5 meters and shortened by a canal (Kaiserfahrt) in 1862. In Stettin, heavy industry was settled, making it the only industrial center of the province.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp. 413ff, 447ff, .