Province of Schleswig-Holstein

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Schleswig-Holstein
Province of Prussia

 

 

 

1868 – 1946
Flag Coat of arms
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Schleswig-Holstein
The Province of Schleswig-Holstein (red), within the Kingdom of Prussia, within the German Empire
Capital Kiel (1866-1879)
Schleswig (1879-1917)
Kiel (1917-1946)
History
 - Established 1868
 - North Schleswig ceded to Denmark 15 June 1920
 - Greater Hamburg Act 1 April 1937
 - Disestablished 1946
Area
 - 1905 (?) 19,004 km² (7,337 sq mi)
 - 1939 15,682 km² (6,055 sq mi)
Population
 - 1905 (?) est. 1,504,339 
     Density 79.2 /km²  (205 /sq mi)
 - 1939 est. 1,598,328 
     Density 101.9 /km²  (264 /sq mi)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Schleswig
Duchy of Holstein
Duchy of Lauenburg
Free City of Lübeck
Schleswig-Holstein
Aabenraa County
Haderslev County
Sønderborg County
Tønder County
Today part of Schleswig-Holstein
Region Syddanmark

The Province of Schleswig-Holstein (German: Provinz Schleswig-Holstein) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946. It was created from the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which had been conquered by Prussia and the Austrian Empire from Denmark in the Second War of Schleswig in 1864. Following the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, which ended in Austrian defeat, Schleswig and Holstein were annexed by Prussia. The province was created in 1868 and also included the Duchy of Lauenburg.

Following the defeat of Imperial Germany in World War I, the Allied powers organised two plebiscites in Northern and Central Schleswig on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. In Northern Schleswig 75% voted for reunification with Denmark and 25% for staying with Germany. In Central Schleswig the situation was reversed with 80% voting for Germany and 20% for Denmark. No vote ever took place in the southern third of Schleswig.

On 15 June 1920, Northern Schleswig was officially reunited with Denmark (see: South Jutland County). The remainder of Schleswig remained part of Schleswig-Holstein, now a province of the Free State of Prussia.

With the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937, the Free City of Lübeck was incorporated into the Schleswig-Holstein province, while the city districts of Altona and Wandsbek were incorporated into the Hansestadt Hamburg.

After World War II, Schleswig-Holstein was part of the British occupation zone, although a small part of Schleswig-Holstein east of Ratzeburg was reallocated to Mecklenburg in the Soviet occupation zone. The British-occupied section became the new German state of Schleswig-Holstein in 1949.

Map of the Province of Schleswig-Holstein as of 1905.
Map of the Province of Schleswig-Holstein as of 1905.

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