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The 'Grand Duchy of Posen' () or 'Grand Duchy of Poznań' () was an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Polish lands commonly known as "Great Poland" between the years 1815-1848. The name was unofficially used afterwards for denoting the territory, especially by Poles, and today is used by modern historians to describe different political entities until 1918. Its capital was Poznań (German: ''Posen''). The grand duchy was formally replaced with the Province of Posen in Prussian constitution from 5 December 1848.

Contents

Area and population

Territorial administration

Poznań District, (Rejencja Poznańska), Poznań

History

Repression system after 1830

Milder period after 1840

Autonomy abolished 1848

Kulturkampf

Polish organisations in the Grand Duchy

German organisations in the Grand Duchy

Famous people of the Grand Duchy

See also

References

Area and population

The area was 28,951 km² 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 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)

Territorial administration

The monarch of the duchy, with title of Grand Duke of Poznań, was the Hohenzollern king of Prussia and his representative was the Duke-Governor: the first was Prince Antoni Radziwiłł (1815–31), 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 1815–49, and later to simplify just the 'Province of Posen' (, ).
The territory of the duchy was divided into two districts (, ): Poznań District, Bydgoszcz District, which were further divided into 26 original counties (, ) administered by ''landrat''s ("county councils"). Later, these were redivided into 40 counties, plus two 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, Chełmno Land was moved to West Prussia.
The territorial administration in 1897:

Poznań District, (Rejencja Poznańska), Poznań

(English county name, Polish county name, county town)

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★ Babimost County, (Powiat Babimojski), Babimost

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★ Gostyń County, (Powiat Gostyński), Gostyń

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★ Grodzisk County, (Powiat Grodziski), Grodzisk Wielkopolski

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★ Jarocin County, (Powiat Jarociński), Jarocin

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★ Kępno County, (Powiat Kępiński), Kępno

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★ Kościan County, (Powiat Kościański), Kościan

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★ Koźmin County, (Powiat Koźmiński), Koźmin

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★ Krotoszyn County, (Powiat Krotoszyński), Krotoszyn

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★ Leszno County, (Powiat Leszczyński), Leszno

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★ Międzychód County, (Powiat Międzychodzki), Międzychód

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★ Międzyrzecz County, (Powiat Międzyrzecki), Międzyrzec

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★ Nowy Tomyśl County, (Powiat Nowotomyski), Nowy Tomyśl

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★ Oborniki County, (Powiat Obornicki), Oborniki Wiekopolskie

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★ Odolanów County, (Powiat Odolanowski), Odolanów

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★ Ostrów County, (Powiat Ostrowski), Ostrów Wielkopolski

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★ Ostrzeszów County, (Powiat Ostrzeszowski), Ostrzeszów

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★ Pleszew County, (Powiat Pleszewski), Pleszew

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★ Poznań City, (Miasto Poznań), Poznań

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★ Poznań East County, (Powiat Poznański Wschodni), Poznań

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★ Poznań West County, (Powiat Poznański Zachodni), Poznań

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★ Rawicz County, (Powiat Rawicki), Rawicz

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★ Skwierzyna County, (Powiat Skwierzyński), Skwierzyna

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★ Szamotuły County, (Powiat Szamotulski), Szamotuły

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★ Śmigiel County, (Powiat Śmigielski), Śmigiel

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★ Śrem County, (Powiat Śremski), Śrem

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★ Środa County, (Powiat Średzki), Środa Wielkopolska

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★ Września County, (Powiat Wrzesiński), Września

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★ Wschowa County, (Powiat Wschowski), Wschowa
=== Bydgoszcz District (Rejencja Bydgoska), Bydgoszcz ===
(English county name, Polish county name, county town)

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★ Bydgoszcz City, (Miasto Bydgoszcz), Bydgoszcz

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★ Bydgoszcz County, (Powiat Bydgoski), Bydgoszcz

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★ Chodzież County, (Powiat Chodzieski), Chodzież

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★ Czarnków County, (Powiat Czarnkowski), Czarnków

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★ Gniezno County, (Powiat Gnieźnieński), Gniezno

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★ Inowrocław County, (Powiat Inowrocławski), Inowrocław

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★ Mogilno County, (Powiat Mogileński), Mogilno

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★ Strzelno County, (Powiat Strzelneński), Strzelno

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★ Szubin County, (Powiat Szubiński), Szubin

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★ Wągrowiec County, (Powiat Wągrowiecki), Wągrowiec

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★ Wieleń County, (Powiat Wieleński), Wieleń

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★ Witkowo County, (Powiat Witkowski), Witkowo

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★ Wyrzysk County, (Powiat Wyrzyski), Wyrzysk

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★ Żnin County, (Powiat Żniński), Żnin

History

Until 1830, the Prussian authorities were relatively tolerant to the Polish people, although the Prussian administrative schemes were introduced and the role of the German language was strengthened in education.

Repression system after 1830

The 1830 November Uprising within Congress Poland against the Russian Empire was significantly supported by Poles from the Grand Duchy, Afterwards, 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''

★ Greater Poland Uprising 1846 — part of the all-Polish 3-partition uprising

★ Greater Poland Uprising 1848 — part of the Spring of Nations

Autonomy abolished 1848

During the Revolutions of 1848 the Frankfurt Parliament attempted to divide the Duchy into two parts: the Province of Poznań, which would have been given to the Germans and annexed to a newly-created German Empire, and the Province of Gniezno, which would have been 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 9, 1849, after a series of broken assurances, the Prussian administration renamed the duchy to the Province of Poznań (''Provinz Posen''). The line that divided the two proposed parts was ignored. However the Grand Duchy of Poznań remained a possession of the Hohenzollern dynasty and the name remained in unofficial use until 1918.

Kulturkampf

In the 1880s, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck started the Germanisation policies, such as an increase of police forces, a colonization commission, the German Society for the Eastern Borders (Hakata), and the Kulturkampf. In 1904, special legislation was passed against the Polish population. The legislation of 1908 allowed the 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.
=== Integration with Poland 1918–19 ===
After World War I, the fate of the Grand Duchy was undecided. The Poles demanded that the region be included in the newly independent Second Polish Republic, while the Germans refused any territorial concessions. Greater Poland Uprising broke out on 27 December 1918, a day after the speech of Ignacy Jan Paderewski. The Treaty of Versailles decided that most of the territory of the Grand Duchy would be included in Poland.

Polish organisations in the Grand Duchy

★ Scientific Help Society for the Youth of the Grand Duchy of Poznań (established 1841, ) — scholarship for the poor youth

★ Poznań Bazar (Bazar Poznański, established 1841)

★ Central Economic Society for the Grand Duchy of Poznań (established 1861, ) — promotion of modern agriculture

★ People's Libraries Society (established 1880, ) promotion of education among the people

★ Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences (established 1875, ) promotion of arts and sciencies

German organisations in the Grand Duchy

★ Colonization Commission (Ansiedlungskommision, established 1886)

★ German Eastern Marches Society (Hakata), (Deustcher Ostmarken Verein, established 1894)

Famous people of the Grand Duchy

(in alphabetical order)

★ Stanisław Adamski (1875–1967), Polish priest, 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 (1815–68), 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 (1814–94), 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 for the singers' societies

★ Bolesław Dembiński (1833–1914), Polish composer and organist, activist fo the singers societies

★ Franciszek Dobrowolski (1830–96), 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 (1820–56), 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 (1828–88), Polish historian, publicist of the Dziennik Poznański (Poznań Daily), co-founder of PTPN

★ Ferdinand Hansemann (1861–1900), Prussian politician, co-founder of the German Eastern Marches Society

★ Hermann Kennemann (1815–1910), Prussian politician, co-founder of the German Eastern Marches 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 Poznań'' (Przewodnik pod Poznaniu i Wielkim Księstwie Poznańskiem), Poznań 1909

★ Antoni Kraszewski (1797–1870), Polish politician and parliamentarian

★ Józef Krzymiński (1858–1940), Polish physician, social and political activist, member of parliament

★ Karol Libelt (1807–75), Polish philosopher, political and social activist, president of PTPN

★ Karol Marcinkowski (1800–48), Polish physician, social activist, founder of the Poznań Bazar

★ Władysław Marcinkowski (1858–1947), Polish sculptor who created a monument of Adam Mickiewicz in Milosław

★ Teofil Matecki (1810–86), 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 Poznań Bazar

★ Władysław Niegolewski (1819–85), Polish liberal politician and member of parliament, insurgent in 1846, 1848 and 1863, cofounder of TCL and CTG

★ Władysław Oleszczyński (1808–66), Polish sculptor, who created a monument of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań

★ Gustaw Potworowski (1800–60), 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 Poznań

★ Antoni Radziwiłł (1775–1833), Polish duke, composer, and politician, governor-general of the Grand Duchy of Poznań

★ 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 (1813–77), Polish bookseller, political activist, co-founder 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 German Eastern Marches 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 priest, economic and educational activist, patron of the Union of the Earnings and Economic Societies (Związek Spółek Zarobkowych i Gospodarczych)

★ Leon Wegner (1824–73), Polish economist and historian, co-founder of PTPN

★ Richard Witting (1812–1912), Prussian politician, over-president of Poznań City, 1891–1902

See also

★ History of Poland (1795–1918)

★ History of Poznań

References

★ Robert Alvis, ''Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City'', Syracuse 2005

★ ''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