Province of Brandenburg

Brandenburg Province of Prussia ← 1816 – 1946 →   →   → Flag Coat of arms Anthem Brandenburglied Brandenburg (red}, within the Kingdom of Prussia, within the German Empire Capital Potsdam (1815- 1827) Berlin (1827-1843) Potsdam (1843-1918) Charlottenburg (1918-1946) History  - Established 1816  - Greater Berlin Act 1 October 1920  - Disestablished 1946 Area  - 1939 38,275 km² (14,778 sq mi) Population  - 1939 3,023,443       Density 79 /km²  (204.6 /sq mi)

The Province of Brandenburg (German: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. Its capital was originally Potsdam, before moving to Berlin in 1827, then back to Potsdam in 1843 and finally in Berlin-Charlottenburg in 1918.

History

The province of Brandenburg was created from the majority of the territory that previously formed the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which had been under Prussian rule since the House of Hohenzollern, rulers of Brandenburg, inherited the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 (see Brandenburg-Prussia). The major territorial difference was that the province’s western border was brought eastward to the Elbe River, with the Altmark region (west of the Elbe) going to the newly-formed Province of Saxony. The Neumark region east of the Oder River was retained by Brandenburg, as was Lower Lusatia.

On 1 April 1881 Berlin became a city district (Stadtkreis Berlin) separate from Brandenburg. The Greater Berlin Act of 1920 expanded the borders of Berlin, incorporating numerous surrounding districts and towns from Brandenburg to form Greater Berlin (German: Groß-Berlin). On 21 March 1939 while part of Nazi Germany, the Province of Brandenburg was again called the historical name Mark Brandenburg (the official name of the earlier Margraviate of Brandenburg).

In 1946, after World War II, the section of Brandenburg east of the Oder-Neisse line was ceded to Poland to form the Poznań Voivodeship. The remaining territory became part of the Soviet occupation zone and became part of East Germany in 1949. Following German reunification in 1990, Brandenburg was re-established as a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Administration

The province of Brandenburg was divided into two Regierungsbezirke, Frankfurt and Potsdam.

Regierungsbezirk Frankfurt

Urban districts (Stadtkreise)

1. Cottbus (from 1886)
2. Forst (Lausitz) (from 1897)
3. Frankfurt an der Oder (from 1826)
4. Guben (from 1884)
5. Landsberg (Warthe) (from 1892)

Rural districts (Landkreise)

1. Calau
2. Cottbus
3. Crossen (Oder)
4. Guben
5. Königsberg Nm.
6. Landsberg (Warthe)
7. Lebus
8. Luckau
9. Lübben (Spreewald)
10. Meseritz
11. Oststernberg
12. Schwerin (Warthe)
13. Soldin
14. Sorau (Lausitz)
15. Spremberg (Lausitz)
16. Weststernberg
17. Züllichau-Schwiebus

Regierungsbezirk Potsdam

Urban districts (Stadtkreise)

1. Lichtenberg (1908-1920; from 1912: known as Berlin-Lichtenberg; after 1920: part of Groß-Berlin)
2. Schöneberg (1899-1920; from 1912: known as Berlin-Schöneberg; after 1920: part of Groß-Berlin)
3. Wilmersdorf (1907-1920; from 1912: known as Berlin-Wilmersdorf; after 1920: part of Groß-Berlin)
4. Brandenburg (Havel) (from 1881)
5. Charlottenburg (1877-1920; then a part of Groß-Berlin)
6. Eberswalde (from 1911)
7. Neukölln (1899-1920; then a part of Groß-Berlin)
8. Potsdam (from 1809)
9. Rathenow (from1925)
10. Spandau (1886-1920; then a part of Groß-Berlin)
11. Wittenberge (from 1922)

Rural districts (Landkreise)

1. Angermünde
2. Beeskow-Storkow
3. Jüterbog-Luckenwalde
4. Niederbarnim (mostly incorporated into Groß-Berlin in 1920)
5. Oberbarnim
6. Osthavelland (mostly incorporated into Groß-Berlin in 1920)
7. Ostprignitz
8. Prenzlau
9. Ruppin
10. Teltow (mostly incorporated into Groß-Berlin in 1920)
11. Templin
12. Westhavelland
13. Westprignitz
14. Zauch-Belzig

External links

• Further information (in German)
• Population breakdown of Brandenburg province, 1910 (in German)