West Prussia (German: Westpreußen; Polish: Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia. In February 1920, Germany (after it had been defeated in 1918) handed over West Prussia's central parts to become the so-called Polish Corridor (i.e. Pomeranian Voivodeship) and the Free City of Danzig, while the parts remaining with the German Weimar Republic became the new Posen-West Prussia or were joined to the Province of East Prussia as Regierungsbezirk West Prussia. The territory was included within Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia from 1939–45, after which it became part of Poland.
West Prussia is also used as a general name for the region in historical context from the 13th century to 1945. In the Middle Ages, it was inhabited by Slavic tribes: by Pomeranians in Pomerelia west to Vistula river, by Old Prussians and later Masovians in Kulmerland, and by Old Prussians (mainly Pomesanians) in the part of the region located east to Vistula river and north to Kulmerland. Due to immigration and cultural changes, the population became mixed over centuries and consisted of Germans, Kashubians, Poles, as well as Slovincians, Huguenots, Mennonites, and Jews, among others.
Most of the territory of West Prussia is today part of Poland’s Pomeranian Voivodeship, which has Gdańsk (German: Danzig) as its capital.
Read more about West Prussia: Historical Population, Subdivisions, Office Holders
Famous quotes containing the words west and/or prussia:
“The West of which I speak is but another name for the Wild; and what I have been preparing to say is, that in Wildness is the preservation of the World.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
““Austria the shield and Prussia the sword!” Too bad that they are attached to the wrong arm: The right one holds the defiantly glistening shield, and the left one is supposed to wield the sword.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)