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General Information
Geographic
Map with districts (Kreise) of province Posen (in preparation)
Town-list with affiliation to district (in planning)
Local geography of the Province Posen (around 1910) [only in german]
History
A part of Greater Poland was annexed by King Friedrich II of Prussia in 1772 during the first
partition of Poland and became the name Netzedistrict. During the second partition of Poland
in 1793 the remainder of the province Posen was annexed by King Friedrich William II of
Prussia and called South Prussia.
After the Prussian defeat by Napoleon Bonaparte, the area of Posen was united with the
Grand Duchy of Warsaw (1807-1815). By loosing the power of Napoleon also the Grand
Duchy of Warsaw fell and Prussia got the province Posen back (1815-1919). The province
Posen is partitioned into the administrative districts (Regierungsbezirke) Posen and
Bromberg. The capital of the province is Posen (Poznan).
After First World War Posen became part of the new formed Poland. Germany occupied the
province Posen in the Second World War (1939-1945) and called it Warthegau. Into 1945
Posen was returned to Poland and the German population was expelled.
A historical representation in more detail of the province Posen and the Kingdom of Poland
can be read here.
Political Division
In 1944 the Reichsgau Wartheland was divided as follows:
Administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) Posen containing 18 districts (Kreise):
Birnbaum, Gostingen, Graetz, Jarotschin, Kolmar, Kosten, Krotoschin, Lissa, Obernick,
Posen-Land, Posen-Stadt, Rawitsch, Samter, Scharnikau, Schrimm, Schroda, Wollstein,
Wreschen
Administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) Hohensalza containing 15 districts (Kreise):
Altburgund, Dietfurt, Eichenbrueck, Gnesen-Land, Gnesen-Stadt, Hermannsbad,
Hohensalza-Land, Hohensalza-Stadt, Konin, Kutno, Leslau-Land, Leslau-Stadt, Mogilno,
Waldrode, Warthbruecken
Administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) Kalisch/Litzmannstadt containing 11 districts
(Kreise):
Kalisch-Land, Kalisch-Stadt, Kempen, Lask, Lentschuetz, Litzmannstadt-Land,
Litzmannstadt-Stadt, Ostrowo, Schieratz, Turek, Welungen
The sections separated from the original Prussian province Posen were assigned in 1944 at the
following districts in the mentioned provinces and administrative districts:
Province Brandenburg, administrative district Frankfurt:
Meseritz, Schwerin (Warthe), Zuellichau-Schwiebus [parts of the former districts Bomst
and Fraustadt]
Province Danzig-Westpreussen, administrative district Bromberg:
Bromberg-Land, Bromberg-Stadt, Wirsitz
Province Niederschlesien, administrative district Liegnitz:
Fraustadt
Province Pommern, administrative district Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen:
Flatow [part of the former district Kolmar], Netzekreis [parts of the districts Filehne,
Czarnikau and Kolmar], Schneidemuehl
In 1900 the province Posen was divided into the following districts (Kreise):
Administrative district Posen containing 28 districts (Kreise):
Adelnau, Birnbaum, Bomst, Fraustadt, Gostyn, Graetz, Jarotschin, Kempen, Koschmin,
Kosten, Krotoschin, Lissa, Meseritz, Neutomischel, Obornik, Ostrowo, Pleschen, PosenStadt, Posen-Ost, Posen-West, Rawitsch, Samter, Schildberg, Schmiegel, Schrimm,
Schroda, Schwerin, Wreschen.
Administrative district Bromberg containing 14 districts (Kreise):
Bromberg-Stadt, Bromberg-Land, Czarnikau, Filehne, Gnesen, Inowrazlaw, Kolmar,
Mogilno, Schubin, Strelno, Wirsitz, Witkowo, Wongrowitz, Znin.
In 1806 the province South-Prussia had 1.503.508 inhabitants with 3 sections (Departements):
Departement of "Kriegs- und Domainen-Kammer" in Posen containing the districts
(Kreise):
Posen, Oborniki, Meseritz, Bomst, Fraustadt, Krebe, Schrim, Kosten, Krotoschin, Peifern,
Schroda, Gnesen, Wangrowitz, Powitz, Brzesk, Radziejow, Kowal.
Departement of "Kriegs- und Domainen-Kammer" in Kalisch containing the districts
(Kreise):
Kalisch, Adelnau, Konin, Ostreschow, Wielun, Lumtomiersk, Warta, Schadek, Sieradz,
Petrikau, Radomsk, Czenstochau.
Departement of "Kriegs- und Domainen-Kammer" in Warsaw containing the districts
(Kreise):
Warsaw, Blonin, Tschersk, Rawa, Sochaczew, Gostin, Orlow, Lenczyca, Zgierz, Brzezin.
Court districts
The highest court of the province Posen was the Supreme Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Posen
(Poznan).
The lower courts were:
Superior Court (Landgericht) Bromberg with 7 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte):
Bromberg, Exin, Inowrazlaw, Krone, Labischin, Schubin, Strelno.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Gnesen with 5 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte): Gnesen,
Mogilno, Tremessen, Wongrowitz, Wreschen.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Lissa with 8 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte): Bojanowo,
Fraustadt, Gostyn, Jutroschin, Kosten, Lissa, Rawitsch, Schmiegel.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Meseritz with 9 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte):
Bentschen, Birnbaum, Graetz, Meseritz, Neutomischel, Schwerin, Tirschtiegel,
Unruhstadt, Wollstein.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Ostrowo with 8 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte):
Adelnau, Jarotschin, Kempen, Koschmin, Krotoschin, Ostrowo, Pleschen, Schildberg.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Posen with 9 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte): Obornik,
Pinne, Posen, Pudewitz, Rogasen, Samter, Schrimm, Schroda, Wronke.
Superior Court (Landgericht) Schneidemuehl with 13 Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte):
Czarnikau, Deutsch-Krone, Filehne, Jastrow, Kolmar, Lobsens, Margonin, MaerkischFriedland, Nakel, Schloppe, Schneidemuehl, Schoenlanke, Wirsitz.
For the administration of justice at the Superior Courts (Landgerichte) were courts of assizes
(3 judge and 12 jurors) formed and at the Inferior Courts (Amtsgerichte) were courts of lay
assessors (1 judge of the Inferior Court and 2 lay assessors) formed.
Traffic Routes
Beside of water ways and a quantity of high roads there is a large number of railways for
traffic within the province and outward. Around 1910 there were the following railways:
The East-Railway (Ostbahn) from Kreuz via Bromberg to Thorn with the branch lines
Landsberg-Schwerin-Meseritz, Bromberg-Fordon-Culmsee, Bromberg-Znin, NakelGnesen, Nakel-Konitz and the light railways Weissenhoehe-Lobsens-Witoslaw and
Bromberg-Crone an der Brahe.
The Thorn-Posener Railway with the branch lines Hohensalza-Bromberg,
Hohensalza-Kruschwitz, Hohensalza-Rogasen, Mogilno-Strelno and the light railway
Gnesen-Witkowo-Powidz.
The Oels-Gnesener Railway with the branch line Posen-Stalkowo and the light
railway Militsch-Sulmirschuetz.
The Posen-Belgarder Railway via Schneidemuehl.
The Posen-Stargarder Railway with the branch lines Rokietnica-Birnbaum and
Kreuz-Rogasen.
The Maerkisch-Posener Railway with the branch lines to Reppen-MeseritzBirnbaum, Bentschen-Meseritz, Bentschen-Wollstein-Lissa, Bentschen-Rotenburg and
the light railways to Graetz, Neustadt and Neutomischel.
The Upper-Silesian Railway (oberschlesische Bahn) with the branch lines CzempinSchrimm, Lissa-Glogau and Bajanowo-Guhrau.
The Posen-Kreuzburger Railway via Jarotschin and Kempen to Silesia with the
branch lines Jarotschin-Lissa, Ostrowo-Lissa, and Ostrowo-Stalmierzyce.
The Railway from Oels via Kempen to the Polish boundary (Wilhelmsbrueck).
Religious Division
The superintendance of the entire church policy was by the state. The highest evangelical
church function in the province Posen was the Generalsuperintendent. The catholic church
was led by the archbishops in Gnesen and Posen.
Educational System
For the education there were numerous elementary and middle schools, higher girl's schools
and higher teaching institutes in the province. For the teacher training there were teacher's
training colleges and "Praeparanden" institutes. Deaf-mutes and blind ones were teached in
special institutes.
Around 1910 there were the following institutes:
1 university (Hochschule) in Posen
17 secondary schools (Gymnasien) in: Bromberg, Nakel, Schneidemuehl,
Hohensalza, Wongrowitz, Gnesen, Posen (3, of those one had also middle school
classes), Rogasen, Meseritz, Fraustadt, Rawitsch, Lissa, Schrimm, Krotoschin and
Ostrowo.
1 secondary school with scientific bias (Realgymnasium) in Bromberg
2 Progymnasien in Tremessen and Kempen
3 institutes for the deaf and dumb (Taubstummenanstalten) in: Posen, Bromberg
and Schneidemuehl
1 home for the blind (Blindenanstalt) in Bromberg
9 "Praeparanden" institutes (Praeparandenanstalten) in: Czarnikau, Lobsens,
Rogasen, Lissa, Meseritz, Bromberg, Wollstein, Schneidemuehl and Schoenlanke
7 teacher training colleges for men (Lehrerseminare) in: Bromberg, Exin,
Schneidemuehl, Paradies, Koschmin and Rawitsch (2)
3 teacher training colleges for women (Lehrerinnenseminare) in: Posen and
Bromberg (2)
Military
In larger cities an important number of soldiers of different branches of service were situated.
The ranks of the administrative district Bromberg belonged to 2nd Army corps with command
headquarters in Stettin, those of the administrative district Posen belonged to 5th Army corps
with command headquarters in Posen. Posen and Bromberg were the most important
garrisons. The other garrison towns were: Gnesen, Hohensalza, Schneidemuehl, Fraustadt,
Lissa, Rawitsch, Krotoschin, Ostrowo, Wreschen and Schrimm.
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Libraries
Stiftung Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus (formerly: Haus des Deutschen Ostens)
- Bibliothek -, Bismarckstr. 90, D-40210 Duesseldorf
Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek (formerly: Buecherei des Deutschen Ostens)
Berliner Platz 11, D-44623 Herne
Nordost-Bibliothek
Conventstr. 1, D-21335 Lueneburg
Herder-Institut e. V.
- Bibliothek -, Gisonenweg 5-7, D-35037 Marburg
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Miscellaneous Subjects
Publishing houses and bookshops with genealogical, historical and native literature:
List of publishing houses and bookshops
Professional Researchers
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