Province of Saxony
Encyclopedia
The Province of Saxony was a province
of the Kingdom of Prussia
and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg
.
The Province of Saxony was one of the richest regions of Prussia with highly developed agriculture and industry. In 1932 the province was enlarged with the addition of the regions around Ilfeld
and Elbingerode
, which had previously been part of the Province of Hanover
.
On 1 July 1944, the Province of Saxony was divided along the lines of its three administrative regions. The Erfurt Regierungsbezirk was merged with the Herrschaft Schmalkalden
district of the Province of Hesse-Nassau
and given to the state of Thuringia
. The Magdeburg Regierungsbezirk became the Province of Magdeburg, and the Merseburg Regierungsbezirk became the Province of Halle-Merseburg.
In 1945, the Soviet military administration combined Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg with the State of Anhalt
into the Province of Saxony-Anhalt
, with Halle
as its capital. The eastern part of the Blankenburg exclave of Brunswick and the Thuringian exclave of Allstedt
were also added to Saxony-Anhalt. In 1947, Saxony-Anhalt became a state.
Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt were abolished in 1952, but were recreated after the reunification of Germany in 1990 with some slight border changes as modern states of Germany
.
e. In 1945, only the provinces of Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg were re-merged.
Regierungsbezirk Magdeburg
Urban districts (Stadtkreise)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
Provinces of Prussia
The Provinces of Prussia constituted the main administrative divisions of Prussia. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the various princely states in Germany gained their nominal sovereignty, but the reunification process that culminated in...
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...
and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
.
History
The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:- the former Duchy of MagdeburgDuchy of MagdeburgThe Duchy of Magdeburg was a province of Brandenburg-Prussia from 1680 to 1701 and a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1807. It replaced the Archbishopric of Magdeburg after its secularization by Brandenburg. The duchy's capitals were Magdeburg and Halle, while Burg was another...
and Principality of HalberstadtPrincipality of HalberstadtThe Principality of Halberstadt was a state of the Holy Roman Empire ruled by Brandenburg-Prussia. It replaced the Bishopric of Halberstadt after its secularization in 1648. Its capital was Halberstadt. In 1807, the principality was made a state or regional capital of the Kingdom of Westphalia...
, which had been part of the Kingdom of WestphaliaKingdom of WestphaliaThe Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
from 1807-1813; - the parts of the Margraviate of BrandenburgMargraviate of BrandenburgThe Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
that were situated to the west of the Elbe River, such as the AltmarkAltmarkThe Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
; - territory gained from the Kingdom of SaxonyKingdom of SaxonyThe Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
after the Battle of LeipzigBattle of LeipzigThe Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
in 1813: the towns and surrounding territories of WittenbergWittenbergWittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, MerseburgMerseburgMerseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
, NaumburgNaumburgNaumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
, MansfeldMansfeldMansfeld is a town in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, 10 km northwest of Eisleben....
, QuerfurtQuerfurtQuerfurt a town in Saalekreis district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg, on a branch line from Oberroblingen. Pop. 12,935 .-History:...
, and HennebergHennebergHenneberg may refer to:*the House of Henneberg, German nobility*County of Henneberg, a mediæval state in the Holy Roman Empire*Henneberg, Thuringia, a municipality in Thuringia, Germany*Mary Jane Henneberg, b. 1973, TV reporter...
; - and territory given to Prussia after the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss: lands around ErfurtErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
(formerly directly subordinate to the Emperor of the FrenchEmperor of the FrenchThe Emperor of the French was the title used by the Bonaparte Dynasty starting when Napoleon Bonaparte was given the title Emperor on 18 May 1804 by the French Senate and was crowned emperor of the French on 02 December 1804 at the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, in Paris with the Crown of...
as Principality of ErfurtPrincipality of ErfurtThe Principality of Erfurt existed from 1806 to 1814 and included Erfurt and the surrounding land, including the Grafschaft Blankenhain...
), the EichsfeldEichsfeldThe Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of Lower Saxony and northwest of Thuringia in the south of the Harz mountains...
(formerly belonging to the Archbishopric of MainzArchbishopric of MainzThe Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
) and the former Imperial Cities of MühlhausenMühlhausenMühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
and NordhausenNordhausenNordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
.
The Province of Saxony was one of the richest regions of Prussia with highly developed agriculture and industry. In 1932 the province was enlarged with the addition of the regions around Ilfeld
Ilfeld
Ilfeld is a municipality in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the south foot of the Harz, at the entrance to the Bährethal, north from Nordhausen by the railway to Wernigerode.-Establishments in 1911:...
and Elbingerode
Elbingerode
Elbingerode is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oberharz am Brocken. Elbingerode has 3.672 inhabitants ....
, which had previously been part of the Province of Hanover
Province of Hanover
The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
.
On 1 July 1944, the Province of Saxony was divided along the lines of its three administrative regions. The Erfurt Regierungsbezirk was merged with the Herrschaft Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden
- Notable people :*Christoph Cellarius, scholar, born 22 November 1638, died 4 June 1707 in Halle*Christian Karl August Ludwig von Massenbach, colonel, born 16 April 1758, died 21 November 1827 at Białokosz...
district of the Province of Hesse-Nassau
Province of Hesse-Nassau
Hesse-Nassau Province was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868-1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944.Hesse-Nassau was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the previously independent Hesse-Kassel , the Duchy of Nassau, the Free...
and given to the state of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. The Magdeburg Regierungsbezirk became the Province of Magdeburg, and the Merseburg Regierungsbezirk became the Province of Halle-Merseburg.
In 1945, the Soviet military administration combined Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg with the State of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
into the Province of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
, with Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
as its capital. The eastern part of the Blankenburg exclave of Brunswick and the Thuringian exclave of Allstedt
Allstedt
Allstedt is a town the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximatively 10 km southeast of Sangerhausen.- References :...
were also added to Saxony-Anhalt. In 1947, Saxony-Anhalt became a state.
Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt were abolished in 1952, but were recreated after the reunification of Germany in 1990 with some slight border changes as modern states of Germany
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
.
Subdivisions
Prior to 1944, the province of Saxony was divided into three RegierungsbezirkRegierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
e. In 1945, only the provinces of Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg were re-merged.
Regierungsbezirk MagdeburgMagdeburg (region)Magdeburg was one of the three Regierungsbezirke of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, located in the north of the country.-History:The region was formed in 1815 as a subdivision of the Kingdom of Prussia's Province of Saxony, becoming part of Saxony-Anhalt after World War II. The Regierungsbezirk was...
Urban districts (Stadtkreise)- AscherslebenAscherslebenAschersleben is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km east of Quedlinburg, and 45 km northwest of Halle .-Pre-20th century:...
(1901-1950) - Burg bei MagdeburgBurg bei MagdeburgBurg bei Magdeburg is a town of about 24,700 inhabitants on the Elbe-Havel-Canal in Germany, northeast of Magdeburg. It is situated around a former weir, the Sachsenschleusen...
(1924-1950) - HalberstadtHalberstadtHalberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
(1817-1825 and 1891-1950) - MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
- QuedlinburgQuedlinburgQuedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
(1911-1950) - StendalStendalStendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover...
(1909-1950)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
- Calbe a./S.
- Gardelegen
- Haldensleben
- Jerichow I
- Jerichow II
- Oschersleben (Bode)
- Osterburg
- QuedlinburgQuedlinburg (district)Quedlinburg was a district in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Wernigerode, Halberstadt , Bördekreis, Aschersleben-Staßfurt, Mansfelder Land, Sangerhausen and the district Nordhausen in Thuringia....
- Salzwedel
- StendalStendal (district)Stendal is a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Jerichower Land, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Havelland in Brandenburg.- History :In the...
- Wanzleben
- WernigerodeWernigerode (district)Wernigerode was a district in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, the district Nordhausen in Thuringia and the district Goslar in Lower Saxony.- Geography :...
- Wolmirstedt
Regierungsbezirk Merseburg
Urban districts (Stadtkreise)- EislebenEislebenEisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
(1908-1950) - Halle a. d. SaaleHalle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
- MerseburgMerseburgMerseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
(1921-1950) - Naumburg a. d. SaaleNaumburgNaumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
(1914-1950) - WeißenfelsWeißenfelsWeißenfels is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle.-History:...
(1899-1950) - WittenbergWittenbergWittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
(Lutherstadt) - ZeitzZeitzZeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:...
(1901-1950)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
- BitterfeldBitterfeld (district)Bitterfeld was a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Dessau, the district of Wittenberg, Delitzsch and the districts of Saalkreis and Köthen.- History :...
- DelitzschDelitzsch (district)Delitzsch is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the districts of Torgau-Oschatz and Muldentalkreis, the city of Leipzig, the district of Leipziger Land and the state of Saxony-Anhalt .- History :After the 1815 Congress of Vienna Saxony had to cede large...
- Eckartsberga
- Liebenwerda
- Mansfelder Gebirgskreis
- Mansfelder Seekreis
- Merseburg
- Querfurt
- SaalkreisSaalkreisSaalkreis was a district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts were Mansfelder Land, Bernburg, Köthen, Bitterfeld, the district Delitzsch in the Free State of Saxony, and the district Merseburg-Querfurt...
- SangerhausenSangerhausen (district)Sangerhausen was a district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts were Quedlinburg, Mansfelder Land, Merseburg-Querfurt, and the districts Kyffhäuserkreis and Nordhausen in Thuringia...
- Schweinitz
- Torgau
- WeißenfelsWeißenfels (district)Weißenfels was a district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts were Burgenlandkreis, Merseburg-Querfurt and the Saxon district Leipziger Land.- History :...
- WittenbergWittenberg (district)Wittenberg is a district in the east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Anhalt-Bitterfeld, the district-free city of Dessau-Roßlau, the districts of Potsdam-Mittelmark, Teltow-Fläming and Elbe-Elster in Brandenburg, and the district of Nordsachsen in the Free State of Saxony.-...
- Zeitz
Regierungsbezirk Erfurt
Urban districts (Stadtkreise)- ErfurtErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
(1816-1818 and 1872-present) - MühlhausenMühlhausenMühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
(1892-1950) - NordhausenNordhausen (district)Nordhausen is a Kreis in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt, the district Kyffhäuserkreis, Eichsfeld in Thuringia and the districts Osterode and Goslar in Lower Saxony.-History:The district was created in 1815, when the Prussian...
(1882-1950)
Rural districts (Landkreise)
- Hohenstein county
- Heiligenstadt
- Langensalza
- Mühlhausen
- Schleusingen
- Weißensee
- Worbis
- Ziegenrück