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Grand_Duchy_of_Poznan.gif
Grand Duchy of Poznań (Polish: Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie, German: Grossherzogtum Posen, French Grand Duche de Posnanie) was a Polish political body in the years 1815-1918 in personal union with the Kingdom of Prussia. Autonomy of the Duchy was significantly reduced in the 1830s and 1840s and totally abolished in the 1860s. The Prussian and German propaganda prefer to use the name Province of Poznań (Provinz Posen) for the whole period.
Area and population
The area was 28 951 km and contained most of the territories of the historical province of Greater Poland, which comprised the western parts of the Duchy of Warsaw (Departments of Poznań, Bydgoszcz, partly Kalisz) that were ceded to the Kingdom of Prussia according to the Congress of Vienna (1815) with an international guarantee of self administration and free development of the Polish nation.
Population:
- 776,000 (1815)
- 820,000 (1816)
- 1,350,000 (1849)
- 2,100,000 (1910)
Teritorial administration
The monarch of the Duchy was the Prussian King (a Hohenzollern) and his representative was the Governor-General: the first was prince Antoni Radziwiłł (1815-1831), who was married to Princess Luise of Prussia, the king's cousin. The governor was assigned to give advice in matters of Polish nationality, and had the right to veto the administration decisions, in reality however all administrative power was in the hands of the Prussian over-president of the province.
The Prussian administrative unit that covered the territory of the Duchy was called the Province of the Grand Duchy of Poznań in the years 1815-1849, and later to simplify just the Province of Poznań (Polish: Prowincja Poznańska, German: Provinz Posen).
The territory of the duchy was divided into 2 districts (Polish: Rejencja, German: Regierungsbezirk): Poznań Disctrict, Bydgoszcz District, which were further divided into 26 original counties (Polish: Powiat(y), German: Kreis(e)) administered by the "landrats" ("county councils"). Later, these were redivided into 40 counties, plus 2 urban districts. In 1824, the Duchy also received the provincial council (term started in 1827) but with little administrative power, limited to providing advice. In 1817, Chelmno land was moved to West Prussia.
The teritorial administration in 1897:
(English county name, Polish county name, county town)
(plase note that at this time Polish county names were written with capital letters)
- Babimost County, (Powiat Babimojski), Babimost
- Gostyń County, (Powiat Gostyński), Gostyń
- Grodzisk County, (Powiat Grodziski), Grodzisk Wielkopolski
- Jarocin County, (Powiat Jarociński), Jarocin
- Kępno County, (Powiat Kępiński), Kępno
- Kościan County, (Powiat Kościański), Kościan
- Koźmin County, (Powiat Koźmiński), Koźmin
- Krotoszyn County, (Powiat Krotoszyński), Krotoszyn
- Leszno County, (Powiat Leszczyński), Leszno
- Międzychód County, (Powiat Międzychodzki), Międzychód
- Międzyrzecz County, (Powiat Międzyrzecki), Międzyrzec
- Nowy Tomyśl County, (Powiat Nowotomyski), Nowy Tomyśl
- Oborniki County, (Powiat Obornicki), Oborniki Wiekopolskie
- Odolanów County, (Powiat Odolanowski), Odolanów
- Ostrów County, (Powiat Ostrowski), Ostrów Wielkopolski
- Ostrzeszów County, (Powiat Ostrzeszowski), Ostrzeszów
- Pleszew County, (Powiat Pleszewski), Pleszew
- Poznań City, (Miasto Poznań), Poznań
- [Poznań East County, (Powiat Poznański Wschodni), Poznań
- [Poznań West County, (Powiat Poznański Zachodni), Poznań
- Rawicz County, (Powiat Rawicki), Rawicz
- Skwierzyna County, (Powiat Skwierzyński), Skwierzyna
- Szamotuły County, (Powiat Szamotulski), Szamotuły
- Śmigiel County, (Powiat Śmigielski), Śmigiel
- Śrem County, (Powiat Śremski), Śrem
- Środa County, (Powiat Średzki), Środa Wielkopolska
- Września County, (Powiat Wrzesiński), Września
- Wschowa County, (Powiat Wschowski), Wschowa
(English county name, Polish county name, county town)
(plase note that at this time Polish county names were written with capital letters)
- Bydgoszcz City, (Miasto Bydgoszcz), Bydgoszcz
- Bydgoszcz County, (Powiat Bydgoski), Bydgoszcz
- Chodzież County, (Powiat Chodzieski), Chodzież
- Czarnków County, (Powiat Czarnkowski), Czarnków
- Gniezno County, (Powiat Gnieźnieński), Gniezno
- Inowrocław County, (Powiat Inowrocławski), Inowrocław
- Mogilno County, (Powiat Mogileński), Mogilno
- Strzelno County, (Powiat Strzelneński), Strzelno
- Szubin County, (Powiat Szubiński), Szubin
- Wągrowiec County, (Powiat Wągrowiecki), Wągrowiec
- Wieleń County, (Powiat Wieleński), Wieleń
- Witkowo County, (Powiat Witkowski), Witkowo
- Wyrzysk County, (Powiat Wyrzyski), Wyrzysk
- Żnin County, (Powiat Żniński), Żnin
History
Up to 1830 the Prussian authorities were relatively tolerant to the Polish people, only the Prussian administrative schemes were introduced and the role of German language was strengthened in education.
Repression system after 1830
After the November Uprising (1830 in Congress Poland against Russia) which was significantly supported by the Poles from the Grand Duchy of Poznań, the Prussian administration under over-president Edward Flotwell introduced a system of police and repression against the Poles. He started to expel the Poles from administration, tried to weaken the Polish nobility by buying its lands, and after 1832 the role of the Polish language in education was significantly suppressed.
Milder period after 1840
to be written
Autonomy abolished
In 1848 the Frankfurt parliament attempted to divide the Duchy into two parts: the Province of Poznań, which should be given to the Germans and annexed to the German Empire and the Province of Gniezno, which should be given to the Poles, and held outside Germany, but because of the protest of Polish parliamentarians these plans failed, and the integrity of the Duchy was preserved. However on February 9th, 1849, after a series of broken assurances, the Prussian administration renamed the Duchy to the Province of Poznan. The line that divided the two proposed parts was ignored into oblivion. However the Grand Duchy of Poznan remained a possession of the Hohenzoller dynasty and the name remained in unofficial use until 1918.
The Kulturkampf
In the 1880s Bismarck started the Germanization policies: increase of police forces, colonization comission, Hakata, Kulturkampf). In 1904 special legislation was passed against the Polish population. The legislation of 1908 allowed confiscation of Polish landed property. The Prussian authorities did not allow the development of industries, so the Duchy's economy was dominated by high-level agriculture.
The liberation
After the World War I the fate of the Grand Duchy was undecided. The Poles demanded this historical Polish region to be included in Poland newly regaining independence, while the Germans refused any territorial cincessions. The Greater Poland Uprising that broke out on 27 December 1918, a day after the speech of Ignacy Jan Paderewski allowed the region to be liberated from German occupation. The treaty of Versaiiles decided that most of the territory of Grand Duchy to be included in Poland.
Polish organizations in the Grand Duchy of Poznań
German organizations in the Grand Duchy of Poznań
- Colonization Komission (Ansiedlungskommision, est.1886)
- German Estern Marches Society (Hakata), (Deustcher Ostmarken Verein, est. 1894)
Famous people of the Grand Duchy of Poznań
(in alphabetical order)
- Stanisław Adamski (1875-1967), Polish preist, social and political activist of the Union of Catholic Societies of Polish Workers (Związek Katolickich Towarzystw Robotników Polskich), founder and editor of the 'Robotnik' (Worker) weekly
- Tomasz K. Bartkiewcz (1865-1931), Polish composer and organist, co-founder of the Singer Circles Union (Związek Kół Śpiewackich)
- Józef Brzeziński
- Hipolit Cegielski (1815-1868), Polish businessman, social and cultural activist
- Dezydery Chłapowski (1788-1879), Polish general, business and political activist
- Bernard Chrzanowski (1861-1944), Polish social and political activist, president of the Union of the Greater Poland Falcons (Związek Sokołów Wielkopolskich)
- August Cieszkowski (1814-1894), Polish philosopher, social and political activist, co-founder of the Polish League (Liga Polska), co-founder and president of the PTPN
- Czesław Czypicki (1855-1926), Polish lawyer from Kożmin, activist fo the singers societies
- Bolesław Dembiński (1833-1914), Polish comoser and organist, activist fo the singers societies
- Franciszek Dobrowolski (1830-1896), Polish theatre director, editor of Dziennika Poznańskiego (Poznań Daily)
- Michał Drzymała (1857-1937) - famous Polish peasant
- Tytus Działyński (1796-1861), Polish political activist, protector of arts
- Ewaryst Estkowski (1820-1856), Polish teacher, education activist, editor of Szkoła Polska (Polish School) magazine
- Edward H. Flotwell (1786-1865), Prussian politician, over-president of the Grand Duchy of Poznań
- Maksymilian Jackowski (1815-1905), Polish activist, secretary-general of the Central Economic Society (Centralne Towarzystwo Gospodarcze), patron of the agricultural circles
- Kazimierz Jarochowski (1828-1888), Polish historian, publicist of the Dziennik Poznański (Poznań Daily), co-foundrer of PTPN
- Ferdinand Hansemann (1861-1900), Prussian politician, co-founder of the Hakata Society
- Hermann Kennemann (1815-1910), Prussian politician, co-founder of the Hakata Society
- Józef Kościelski (1845-1911), Polish politician and parliamentarian, co-founder of the Straż (Guard) society
- Konstanty Kościnski, author of The Guide to Poznań and the Grand Duchy of Poznanń (Przewodnik pod Poznaniu i Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskiem), Poznań 1909
- Antoni Kraszewski (1797-1870), Polish politician and parliamanetarian
- Józef Krzymiński (1858-1940), Polish physician, social and political activist, membe rof parliament
- Karol Libelt (1807-1875), Polish philosopher, political and social activist, president of PTPN
- Karol Marcinkowski (1800-1848), Polish physician, social activist, founder of the Poznan Bazar
- Władysław Marcinkowski (1858-1947), Polish sculptor who created a monument of Adam Mickiewicz in Milosław
- Teofil Matecki (1810-1886), Polish physician, social activist, member of PTPN, founder of the Adam Mickiewicz monument of Poznań
- Maciej Mielzyński
- Ludwik Mycielski ([[]]-[[]]), Polish political, president of the National Council (Rada Narodowa) in 1913
- Andrzej Niegolewski (1787-1857), Polish colonel during the Napoleonic Wars, member of parliament, shareholder of the Poznan Bazar
- Władysław Niegolewski (1819-1885), Polish libeal politician and member of parliament, insurgent in 1848, 1848 i 1863, cofounder of TCL i CTG
- Władysław Oleszczyński (1808-1866), Polish sculptor, who created a monument of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań
- Gustaw Potworowski (1800-1860), Polish activist, founder of the Kasyno in Gostyń, activist of the Polish League (Liga Polska)
- Edward Raczyński (1786-1845), Polish conservative politician, protector of arts, founder of the Raczynski Library in Poznan
- Antoni Radziwiłł (1775-1833), Polish duke, composer, and politcian, governor-general of the Grand Duchy of Poznan
- Cyryl Ratajski (1875-1942), president of Poznań 1922-34
- Karol Rzepecki (1865-1931), Polish bookseller, social and political activist, editor of Sokół (Falcon) magazine
- Walenty Stefański (1813-1877), Polish bookseller, political activist, co-founfer of the Polish League (Liga Polska)
- Florian Stablewski (1841-1906), Polish priest archbishop of Poznań and Gniezno, Polish member of Prussian parliament
- Antoni Stychel (1859-1935), Polish priest, member of parliament, president of the Union of the Catholic Societies of Polish Workers (Związek Katolickich Towarzystw Robotników Polskich)
- Roman Szymański (1840-1908), Polish political activist, publicist, editor of Orędownik magazine
- Heinrich Tiedemann (1840-1922), Prussian politician, co-founder of the Hakata Society
- Aniela Tułodziecka (1853-1932), Polish educational activist of the Warta Society (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Wzajemnego Pouczania się i Opieki nad Dziećmi Warta)
- Teofil Walicki
- Piotr Wawrzyniak (1849-1910), Polish priestr, economic and educational activist, patron of the Union of the Earnings and Economic Societies (Związek Spółek Zarobkowych i Gospodarczych)
- Leon Wegner (1824-1873), Polish economist and historian, co-founder of PTPN
- Richard Witting ([[]]-[[]]), Prussian politician, over-president of Poznań City 1891-1902
See also
References
- Gazeta Wielkiego Księstwa Poznańskiego
- Konstanty Kościnski, Przewodnik pod Poznaniu i Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskiem, Poznań 1909
- T.Dohnalowa, Z dziejów postępu technicznego w Wielkopolsce w pierwszej połowie XIX wieku, in: S.Kubiak, L.Trzeciakowski (ed.), Rola Wielkopolski w dziejach narodu polskiego
- F.Genzen, Z.Grot, F.Paprocki, Zabór pruski w Powstaniu Styczniowym. Materiały i dokumenty, Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków 1968
- B.Grześ, J.Kozłowski, A.Kramarski, Niemcy w Poznańskiem wobec polityki germanizacyjnej 1815-1920, Poznań 1976
- Witold Jakóbczyk, Przetrwać nad Wartą 1815-1914. Dzieje narodu i państwa polskiego, vol. III-55, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warszawa 1989
- Witold Jakóbczyk (ed.), Studia nad dziejami Wielkopolski w XIX w., vol.I-III, Poznań 1951-1967
- Witold Jakóbczyk (ed.), Wielkopolanie XIX w., Poznań 1969
- Witold Jakóbczyk (ed.), Wielkopolska. Wybór źródeł, t. I 1815-1850, Wrocław 1952
- Witold Jakóbczyk (ed.), Wielkopolska. Wybór źródeł, t. II 1851-1914, Wrocław 1954
- T.Klanowski, Germanizacja gimnazjów w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim i opór młodzieży polskiej w latach 1870-1814, Poznań 1962
- Czesław Łuczak, Życie społeczno-gospodarcze w Poznaniu 1815-1918, Poznań 1965
- K.Malinowski (ed.), X wieków Poznania, Poznań-Warszawa 1956
- Witold Molik, Kształtowanie się inteligencji wielkopolskiej w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim 1840-1870, Warszawa-Poznań 1979
- F.Paprocki, Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie w okresie rządów Flottwella (1830-1842), Poznań 1970
- L.Plater, Opisanie historyczno-statystyczne Wielkiego Księstwa Poznańskiego, wyd. J. N. Bobrowicz, Lipsk 1846
- B.Pleśniarski, Poglądy Wielkopolan na sprawy wychowawcze i oświatowe w świetle prasy Księstwa Poznańskiego 1814-1847,
- A.Skałkowski, Bazar Poznański. Zarys stuletnich dziejów (1838-1938), Poznań 1938
- L.Słowiński, Nie damy pogrześć mowy. Wizerunki pedagogów poznańskich XIX wieku, Poznań 1982
- J.Stoiński, Szkolnictwo średnie w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim w I połowie XIX wieku (1815-1850), Poznań 1972
- J.Topolski (ed.), Wielkopolska przez wieki, Poznań 1973
- S.Truchim, Geneza szkół realnych w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim, Warszawa 1936
- S.Truchim, Historia szkolnictwa i oświaty polskiej w Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskim 1815-1915, Łódź 1967
- Lech Trzeciakowski, Kulturkampf w zaborze pruskim, Poznań 1970
- Lech Trzeciakowski, Pod pruskim zaborem 1850-1914, Warszawa 1973
- Lech Trzeciakowski, Walka o polskość miast Poznańskiego na przełomie XIX i XX wieku, Poznań 1964
- Lech Trzeciakowski, W dziewiętnastowiecznym Poznaniu, Poznań 1987
- Wielkopolski Słownik Biograficzny, 2nd edition, Warszawa-Poznań 1983
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