Kreis Wirsitz
Encyclopedia
Kreis Wirsitz was one of several Kreise (English: counties) in the northern administrative district of Bromberg
, in the Prussian province of Posen
.
, became part of the Grand Duchy of Posen
on May 15, 1815 as accorded at the Congress of Vienna
. The rather titulary Grand Duchy of Posen, held by the Hohenzollern, the ruling family in the Kingdom of Prussia
, was in fact an autonomous province within Prussia, but not belonging to those territories covered by the loose league called the German Confederation
. Its constitutional peculiarity had been abolished on December 5, 1848 when it was converted into the Prussian Province of Posen
, by way of which it was transformed into one of Prussia's regional subdivisions, but still no part of the German Confederation.
On July 1, 1816 the county of Wyrzysk (German: Kreis Wirsitz) was formed.
After a territorial reorganisation within the Kingdom of Prussia
the borders of the Kreis Wirsitz were partly redrawn so that by January 1, 1818 the municipality of Kcynia
(German: Exin) became a part of the neighbouring county of Schubin
(Polish: Szubin
).
The town of Wyrzysk
(German: Wirsitz) domiciled the county administration.
Being an administrative unit of the Kingdom of Prussia
the Kreis Wirsitz joined the newly founded North German Confederation
in July 1867, becoming thereby for the first time part of
a German commonwealth. By way of unification of German states
the North German Confederation had been enlarged by southern German states and constitutionally reinforced to become a united Germany
on January 18, 1871 with Kreis Wirsitz being part of it.
The members of the German parliament
(German: Reichstag) forming the Polish National Democratic Party (Polish: Stronnictwo Narodowo-Demokratyczne), led by Władysław Taczanowski
(1825–1893), protested on April 1, 1871 in the parliament of the newly founded united Germany
against Prussia
joining with all her provinces united Germany.
On December 27, 1918 the Uprising of Greater Poland
started and involved most of the Prussian Province of Posen
, where Germans, identifying themselves as being Polish, formed the majority and fought against the German rule in that province, forming the historical landscape named Greater Poland
. While the Uprising, terminated by a German-Polish ceasefire agreed on February 16, 1919, led to an end of German rule in most of the territory of the Province of Posen, its northern outskirts including the Kreis Wirsitz remained calm and under German control. This may be because some 64-53% of the population (figures of 1890 and 1910) in the Kreis Wirsitz consisted of Germans, identifying themselves as being German as opposed to 36% of Germans, identifying themselves as being Polish (figures from German census of 1890).
By the Treaty of Versailles
on June 28, 1919 Germany
ceded the Kreis Wirsitz to the newly reestablished Poland
. On November 25, 1919 both countries agreed upon how to hand over the territories ceded to Poland, but still held by Germany. This agreement was ratified on January 10, 1920. So official representatives of Germany (soldiers, government officials and the like) left the Kreis Wirsitz between January 17 and February 4, 1920 which was then factually taken over by Poland.
The Kreis Wirsitz became the powiat Wyrzyski (Polish for county of Wyrzysk). The population of ceded territories was entitled to choose to become Poles or remain Germans. Many emigrated to Germany (so-called optants, who opted not to become Poles), especially those who did identify themselves as being German. This emigration and intra-Polish migration resulted into figures as measured in the Polish census of 1931
. Then 20,5% of the county's population were Poles, identifying themselves as being German
.
On April 1, 1938 the powiat Wyrzyski was ceded from the Poznań Voivodeship, which had become the Polish name of the Province of Posen, to the Polish Voivodeship of Pomerania then renamed into Greater Pomerania
(Polish: Województwo Wielkopomorskie). Covering most of the territory of historical Pomerelia
this voivodeship is also called Voivodeship of Pomerelia, in order to be not confused with the Prussian Province of Pomerania, with the Free State of Prussia being a federal state of Germany
.
More about the powiat Wyrzyski, which ceased to exist in 1975 cf. the Polish site http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powiat_wyrzyski
Bromberg district
Bromberg was the northern of two Prussian administrative regions, or Regierungsbezirke , of the Grand Duchy of Posen and its successor, the Province of Posen...
, in the Prussian province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
.
History
The area around the town of Wyrzysk, then part of the Duchy of WarsawDuchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
, became part of the Grand Duchy of Posen
Grand Duchy of Poznan
The Grand Duchy of Posen, or the Grand Duchy of Poznań was part of the Kingdom of Prussia, created from territories annexed by Prussia after the Partitions of Poland, and formally established following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Per agreements derived at the Congress of Vienna it was to have...
on May 15, 1815 as accorded at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. The rather titulary Grand Duchy of Posen, held by the Hohenzollern, the ruling family in the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, was in fact an autonomous province within Prussia, but not belonging to those territories covered by the loose league called the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
. Its constitutional peculiarity had been abolished on December 5, 1848 when it was converted into the Prussian Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
, by way of which it was transformed into one of Prussia's regional subdivisions, but still no part of the German Confederation.
On July 1, 1816 the county of Wyrzysk (German: Kreis Wirsitz) was formed.
After a territorial reorganisation within the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
the borders of the Kreis Wirsitz were partly redrawn so that by January 1, 1818 the municipality of Kcynia
Kcynia
Kcynia is a town in Nakło County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,712 inhabitants .Kcynia is the birthplace of Jan Czochralski....
(German: Exin) became a part of the neighbouring county of Schubin
Kreis Schubin
Kreis Schubin was a Kreis in Prussia in the northern administrative district of Bromberg, in the province of Posen.- Table of Standesämter :...
(Polish: Szubin
Szubin
Szubin is a town in Nakło County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, located southwest of Bydgoszcz. As of 12 December 2004 it had a population of 9354.-History:...
).
The town of Wyrzysk
Wyrzysk
Wyrzysk is a town in Poland with 5,263 inhabitants, situated in Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship.- Geographic location of municipal-rural community of Wyrzysk:...
(German: Wirsitz) domiciled the county administration.
Being an administrative unit of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
the Kreis Wirsitz joined the newly founded North German Confederation
North German Confederation
The North German Confederation 1866–71, was a federation of 22 independent states of northern Germany. It was formed by a constitution accepted by the member states in 1867 and controlled military and foreign policy. It included the new Reichstag, a parliament elected by universal manhood...
in July 1867, becoming thereby for the first time part of
a German commonwealth. By way of unification of German states
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
the North German Confederation had been enlarged by southern German states and constitutionally reinforced to become a united Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
on January 18, 1871 with Kreis Wirsitz being part of it.
The members of the German parliament
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
(German: Reichstag) forming the Polish National Democratic Party (Polish: Stronnictwo Narodowo-Demokratyczne), led by Władysław Taczanowski
Wladislaw Taczanowski
Wladislaw Taczanowski was an elected member of the German Reichstag in Berlin from March 1871 to January 1877 as a representative of the Polenpartei . A nobleman and member of the Taczanowski magnate dynasty, he is regarded as one of the influential Prussian-Polish politicians active during the...
(1825–1893), protested on April 1, 1871 in the parliament of the newly founded united Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
against Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
joining with all her provinces united Germany.
On December 27, 1918 the Uprising of Greater Poland
Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)
The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918–1919 or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region against Germany...
started and involved most of the Prussian Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
, where Germans, identifying themselves as being Polish, formed the majority and fought against the German rule in that province, forming the historical landscape named Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
. While the Uprising, terminated by a German-Polish ceasefire agreed on February 16, 1919, led to an end of German rule in most of the territory of the Province of Posen, its northern outskirts including the Kreis Wirsitz remained calm and under German control. This may be because some 64-53% of the population (figures of 1890 and 1910) in the Kreis Wirsitz consisted of Germans, identifying themselves as being German as opposed to 36% of Germans, identifying themselves as being Polish (figures from German census of 1890).
By the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
on June 28, 1919 Germany
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
ceded the Kreis Wirsitz to the newly reestablished Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. On November 25, 1919 both countries agreed upon how to hand over the territories ceded to Poland, but still held by Germany. This agreement was ratified on January 10, 1920. So official representatives of Germany (soldiers, government officials and the like) left the Kreis Wirsitz between January 17 and February 4, 1920 which was then factually taken over by Poland.
The Kreis Wirsitz became the powiat Wyrzyski (Polish for county of Wyrzysk). The population of ceded territories was entitled to choose to become Poles or remain Germans. Many emigrated to Germany (so-called optants, who opted not to become Poles), especially those who did identify themselves as being German. This emigration and intra-Polish migration resulted into figures as measured in the Polish census of 1931
Polish census of 1931
The Polish census of 1931 or Second General Census in Poland was the second census taken in Poland, performed on December 9, 1931 by the Main Bureau of Statistics...
. Then 20,5% of the county's population were Poles, identifying themselves as being German
German minority in Poland
The registered German minority in Poland consists of 152,900 people, according to a 2002 census.The German language is used in certain areas in Opole Voivodeship , where most of the minority resides...
.
On April 1, 1938 the powiat Wyrzyski was ceded from the Poznań Voivodeship, which had become the Polish name of the Province of Posen, to the Polish Voivodeship of Pomerania then renamed into Greater Pomerania
Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919-1939)
Pomeranian Voivodeship or Pomorskie Voivodeship was an administrative unit of inter-war Poland . It ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland...
(Polish: Województwo Wielkopomorskie). Covering most of the territory of historical Pomerelia
Pomerelia
Pomerelia is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern Pomerania: on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula...
this voivodeship is also called Voivodeship of Pomerelia, in order to be not confused with the Prussian Province of Pomerania, with the Free State of Prussia being a federal state of Germany
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
.
More about the powiat Wyrzyski, which ceased to exist in 1975 cf. the Polish site http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powiat_wyrzyski