"East Prussia" is sometimes used to refer to the Duchy of Prussia (1525–1618)

East Prussia (German: Ostpreußen [ˈɔstˌpʁɔʏ̯sən] (help·info); Lithuanian: Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to 1945. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. ^[1] From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was a province of the German state of Prussia. The Province of East Prussia (Provinz Ostpreußen) was a province of Prussia from 1773-1829 and 1878-1945 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state The capital of East Prussia was Königsberg. Königsberg (Karaliaučius Low German: Königsbarg; Królewiec see also other names) was until 1946 the name of Kaliningrad.

East Prussia enclosed the bulk of the ancestral lands of the Baltic Old Prussians. "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. During the 13th century, the native Prussians were conquered by the crusading Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The indigenous Balts who survived the conquest were gradually converted to Christianity. The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Crusades undertaken by the Catholic kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Because of Germanization and colonisation over the following centuries, Germans became the dominant ethnic group, while Poles and Prussian Lithuanians formed minorities. Germanisation (also spelled Germanization) is either the spread of the German language, people and culture either by force or Assimilation The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. The term Prussian Lithuanians, Lietuwininkai (singular Lietuwininkas) Lietuvininkai refers to a Western Lithuanian ethnic group which did not form From the 13th century on, East Prussia was part of the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights, which became the Duchy of Prussia in 1525. The monastic state of the Teutonic Knights (Deutschordensland sometimes known in English by the German term Ordensstaat (ˈɔːdn̩ˌʃtɑːt or "Order-State" The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia (Herzogtum Preußen Prūsijos kunigaikštystė Prusy Książęce was a Duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from ^[2] The Old Prussian language became extinct by the 17th century^[3] or early 18th century. Prussian is an extinct Baltic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the area that later became East Prussia (now north-eastern Poland

In 1618 the Duchy of Prussia entered into a personal union with the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg, and was separated from Brandenburg by territory of Poland. Brandenburg-Prussia (Brandenburg-Preußen was a German Monarchy established by the Personal union between the Duchy of Prussia and the The Margraviate of Brandenburg (Markgrafschaft Brandenburg was a major Principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 Because the duchy was outside of the Holy Roman Empire, the prince-electors of Brandenburg were able to proclaim themselves kings in Prussia beginning in 1701. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl King in Prussia (König in Preussen was a title used by the Electors of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772 After the annexation of most of Polish Royal Prussia in the First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772, East Prussia was connected with the rest of the Prussian state and reorganized into the Province of East Prussia the following year. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Royal Prussia ( Prusy Królewskie was a province of the Kingdom of Poland from 1466 and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772 The First Partition of Poland or First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that ended the existence The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Province of East Prussia (Provinz Ostpreußen) was a province of Prussia from 1773-1829 and 1878-1945 Between 1829 and 1878, the Province of East Prussia was joined with West Prussia to form the Province of Prussia. West Prussia ( Prusy Zachodnie was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773&ndash1824 and 1878&ndash1918 which was created out of the earlier Polish The Province of Prussia (Provinz Preußen was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1829-1878 created out of the provinces of East Prussia and

The Kingdom of Prussia became the leading state of the German Empire after its creation in 1871. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Treaty of Versailles following World War I made East Prussia an exclave of Weimar Germany, while the Memel Territory was added to Lithuania. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The Klaipėda Region (Klaipėdos kraštas or Memel Territory (Memelland or Memelgebiet Territoire de Memel was defined by the Treaty of Versailles Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Following Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II in 1945, war-torn East Prussia was partitioned between Soviet Union (the Kaliningrad Oblast), the People's Republic of Poland (the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship), and the Lithuanian SSR (the constituent counties of the Klaipėda Region). Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (also known as Warmia-Masuria Province or by its Polish name województwo warmińsko-mazurskie or simply Warmińsko-Mazurskie The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика The Klaipėda Region (Klaipėdos kraštas or Memel Territory (Memelland or Memelgebiet Territoire de Memel was defined by the Treaty of Versailles ^[4] The capital city Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946. Kaliningrad (Калининград is a Seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian Exclave between Poland The German population of the province largely evacuated during the war, during the years 1944–46, but an estimated 300. The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region 000 (around one fifth of the population) died due to war circumstancesand the remainder were subsequently expelled. The expulsion of Germans after World War II was the Forced migration and Ethnic cleansing of German nationals ( Reichsdeutsche) and ethnic

Contents 1 History 1.1 From Catholic monastic state to Protestant duchy 1.2 Kingdom of Prussia 1.3 German Empire 1.4 World War I 1.5 Weimar Republic 1.6 Nazi Germany 1.7 World War II 1.8 Evacuation of East Prussia 1.9 Expulsion of Germans from East Prussia after World War II 1.10 Northern part to the Soviet Union 1.11 Southern part to Poland 1.12 Modern situation 2 Bibliography 2.1 Publications in English 2.2 Publications in German 2.3 Publications in other languages 3 See also 4 Notes and references 5 External links

History

From Catholic monastic state to Protestant duchy

Upon the invitation of Duke Konrad I of Masovia, the Teutonic Knights invaded Prussia in the 13th century and created a monastic state to administer the conquered Old Prussians. Attempted conquests of Prussia Konrad unsuccessfully attempted to conquer pagan Prussia in a 1209 crusade and several times after, 1219 1222 Pg 45 The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. The monastic state of the Teutonic Knights (Deutschordensland sometimes known in English by the German term Ordensstaat (ˈɔːdn̩ˌʃtɑːt or "Order-State" "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. The Knights' expansionist policies brought them into conflict with the newly-reunited Kingdom of Poland and embroiled them in several wars, culminating in the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War, whereby the united armies of Poland and Lithuania, bolsted by Bohemian mercenaries, defeated the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) in 1410. The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Wladislaus II Jagiełło, Grand Duke of Lithuania, to The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by Its defeat was formalised in the Second Treaty of Thorn in 1466 ending the Thirteen Years' War, leaving western Prussia under Polish control as the province of Royal Prussia and eastern Prussia remaining under the Knights, but as a fief of Poland. The Second Peace of Thorn of 1466 (Zweiter Friede von Thorn Drugi Pokój Toruński was a Peace treaty signed in the Hanseatic city of Thorn (Toruń on The Thirteen Years' War was also the name of an Austrian-Ottoman War Thirteen Years War in Hungary The Thirteen Years' War (Dreizehnjähriger Krieg Wojna trzynastoletnia Royal Prussia ( Prusy Królewskie was a province of the Kingdom of Poland from 1466 and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772 Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing

The Teutonic Order lost eastern Prussia when Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach converted to Lutheranism and secularized the Prussian branch of the Teutonic Order in 1525. Albert (Albrecht Albertus 16 May 1490 – 20 March 1568 was the 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and after converting to Lutheranism, Malbork (Marienburg in Westpreußen Civitas Beatae Virginis is a Town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region with 41000 inhabitants (2001 Albert (Albrecht Albertus 16 May 1490 – 20 March 1568 was the 37th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and after converting to Lutheranism, Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Albert established himself as the first duke of the Duchy of Prussia and a vassal of the Polish crown by the Prussian Homage. The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia (Herzogtum Preußen Prūsijos kunigaikštystė Prusy Książęce was a Duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The Prussian Homage or Tribute (Preußische Huldigung hołd pruski was the formal investment of Albert of Prussia as duke of the Polish Fief Walther von Cronberg, the next Grand Master, was enfeoffed with the title to Prussia after the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, but the Order never regained possession of the territory. The Diet of Augsburg were the meetings of the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire in the German city of Augsburg. In 1569 the Hohenzollern prince-electors of the Margraviate of Brandenburg became co-regents with Albert's son, the feeble-minded Albert Frederick. The Prince-Electors (or simply Electors) of the Holy Roman Empire ( German: Kurfürst ( pl The Margraviate of Brandenburg (Markgrafschaft Brandenburg was a major Principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 Albert Frederick (Albrecht Friedrich 7 May 1553 &ndash 28 August 1618 was Duke of Prussia from 1568 until his death

Albert's line died out in 1618, and the Duchy of Prussia passed to the Electors of Brandenburg, forming Brandenburg-Prussia. Brandenburg-Prussia (Brandenburg-Preußen was a German Monarchy established by the Personal union between the Duchy of Prussia and the Through the treaties of Wehlau, Labiau, and Oliva, Elector and Duke Frederick William succeeded in revoking Polish sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia in 1660. The Treaty of Wehlau (Vertrag von Wehlau Traktat Welawski was a Treaty signed in the eastern Prussian town of Wehlau ( Welawa, now Znamensk) The Treaty of Labiau was a Treaty signed between Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg and King Charles X Gustav of The Treaty of Oliva, (or Peace of Oliva; Vertrag von Oliva pokój oliwski Freden i Oliva was a Peace treaty ending the "Deluge" (Swedish Frederick William (Friedrich Wilhelm February 16 1620 &ndash April 29 1688) was the Elector of Brandenburg and the The absolutist elector also subdued the noble estates of Prussia. Absolutism is a Historiographical term used to describe a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by any other institutions such as churches legislatures or social

Kingdom of Prussia

Although Brandenburg remained theoretically subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor, the Prussian lands were not within the Holy Roman Empire and were outside the jurisdiction of the Emperor. The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in In return for supporting Emperor Leopold I in the War of the Spanish Succession, Elector Frederick III was allowed to crown himself "King in Prussia" in 1701. Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714 several European powers combined to stop French succession to the Spanish throne and what would likely have been a resulting Biography Born in Königsberg, he was the third son of Frederick William Elector of Brandenburg by his father's first marriage to Louise Henriette King in Prussia (König in Preussen was a title used by the Electors of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772 The new kingdom ruled by the Hohenzollern dynasty became known as the Kingdom of Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising The designation "Kingdom of Prussia" was gradually applied to the various lands of Brandenburg-Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising To differentiate from the larger entity, the former Duchy of Prussia became known as Altpreußen ("Old Prussia"), the province of Prussia, or "East Prussia".

Approximately one-third of East Prussia's population died in the plague and famine of 1709–1711,^[5] including the last speakers of Old Prussian. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any Faunal species which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional Malnutrition, Starvation ^[6] The plague, probably brought by foreign troops during the Great Northern War, killed 250,000 East Prussians, especially in the province's eastern regions. The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. Crown Prince Frederick William I led the rebuilding of East Prussia, founding numerous towns. Frederick William I (Friedrich Wilhelm I ( August 14, 1688 &ndash May 31, 1740) of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King Thousands of Protestants expelled from the Archbishopric of Salzburg were allowed to settle in depleted East Prussia. The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire, roughly consisting of the present-day state of Salzburg (the The province was overrun by Imperial Russian troops during the Seven Years' War. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths

After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Warmia, part of the former Polish province Royal Prussia, was merged with the former Duchy of Prussia. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Warmia (Warmia Latin: Varmia) or Erm(eland ( is a region between Pomerania and Masuria in northeastern Poland Royal Prussia ( Prusy Królewskie was a province of the Kingdom of Poland from 1466 and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772 On January 31, 1773, King Frederick II announced that the newly annexed lands were to be known as the Province of West Prussia, while the former Duchy of Prussia and Warmia became the Province of East Prussia. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1773 ( MDCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the West Prussia ( Prusy Zachodnie was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773&ndash1824 and 1878&ndash1918 which was created out of the earlier Polish The Province of East Prussia (Provinz Ostpreußen) was a province of Prussia from 1773-1829 and 1878-1945

From 1824–1878, East Prussia was combined with West Prussia to form the Province of Prussia, after which they were reestablished as separate provinces. The Province of Prussia (Provinz Preußen was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1829-1878 created out of the provinces of East Prussia and

German Empire

Along with the rest of the Kingdom of Prussia, East Prussia became part of the German Empire during the unification of Germany in 1871. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, when Prussian Chief Minister Otto von Bismarck managed to unify a number of independent

In 1875 the ethnic make-up of East Prussia was 73. 48% German-speaking, 18. 39% Polish-speaking, and 8. 11% Lithuanian-speaking (according to Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego). 2,189 people of 1,958,663 living in East Prussia in 1890 were not German citizens. From 1885 to 1890 Berlin's population grew by 20%, Brandenburg and the Rhineland gained 8. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Brandenburg ( Lower Sorbian: Bramborska; Upper Sorbian: Braniborska) is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. 5%, Westphalia 10%, while East Prussia lost 0. Westphalia (Westfalen) is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Bielefeld, Bochum, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Münster 07% and West Prussia 0. 86%. This stagnancy in population despite a high birth surplus in eastern Germany was because many people from the East Prussian countryside moved westward seeking work in the expanding industrial centres of the Ruhr Area and Berlin (see Ostflucht). The Ruhr Area, ( German Ruhrgebiet, colloquial Ruhrpott, Kohlenpott or Revier) is an Urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia The Ostflucht (flight from the East was a movement by residents of the Former eastern territories of Germany, such as East Prussia, West Prussia,

The population of the province in 1900 was 1,996,626 people, with a religious make up of 1,698,465 Protestants, 269,196 Roman Catholics, and 13,877 Jews. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Low Prussian dialect predominated in East Prussia, although High Prussian was spoken in Warmia. Low Prussian (Niederpreußisch sometimes known simply as Prussian ( Preußisch) is a Dialect of East Low German that developed in East High Prussian (Hochpreußisch sometimes known simply as Prussian ( Preußisch) is a Dialect of East Central German that developed in the region Warmia (Warmia Latin: Varmia) or Erm(eland ( is a region between Pomerania and Masuria in northeastern Poland The numbers of Masurians and Prussian Lithuanians decreased over time due to the process of Germanization. The Mazurs or Masurs (Mazurzy are a sub- Ethnic group in the Masovian and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships in Poland. The term Prussian Lithuanians, Lietuwininkai (singular Lietuwininkas) Lietuvininkai refers to a Western Lithuanian ethnic group which did not form Germanisation (also spelled Germanization) is either the spread of the German language, people and culture either by force or Assimilation The Polish-speaking population concentrated in the south of the province (Masuria and Warmia), while Lithuanian-speaking Prussians concentrated in the northeast (Lithuania Minor). Lithuania Minor (Mažoji Lietuva Kleinlitauen Litwa Mniejsza Máлая Литвá or Prussian Lithuania (Prūsų Lietuva Preußisch-Litauen Litwa Pruska is a historical The Old Prussian ethnic group became completely Germanized over time and the Old Prussian language died out in the 18th century. "Prussians" redirects here "Prussians" may also refer to citizens of the former German state of Prussia. Prussian is an extinct Baltic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the area that later became East Prussia (now north-eastern Poland

World War I

At the beginning of World War I, East Prussia became a theatre of war when the Russian Empire invaded the country. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and primarily Eastern Europe. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Russian Army encountered little resistance at first because the bulk of the German Army had been directed towards the Western Front according to the Schlieffen Plan. The Russian Ground Forces (Сухопутные войска Российской Федерации tr The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining For the French counter-plan see Plan XVII The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff 's early 20th century overall strategic In the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 and the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes in 1915, however, the Russians were decisively defeated and had to retreat, followed by the German Army advancing into Russian territory. The Battle of Tannenberg was a decisive engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I, fought by the The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers ' offensive on the The majority of the civilian population fled from the invading Russian Army and some thousand remaining civilians were deported to Russia. Treatment of civilians by the armies was mostly disciplined, although 74 civilians were killed by Russian troops in the Abschwangen massacre. Abschwangen was a small village near Preussisch Eylau in East Prussia some 30 km south of Königsberg, today Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia The region had to be rebuilt owing to damage caused by the war.

Weimar Republic

With the abdication of Emperor William II in 1918, Germany became a republic. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 Most of West Prussia and the former Prussian Province of Posen, territories annexed by Prussia in the 18th century Partitions of Poland, were ceded to the Second Polish Republic according to the Treaty of Versailles. The Province of Posen (Provinz Posen Prowincja Poznańska was a province of Prussia from 1848-1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 the whole The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. East Prussia became an exclave, being separated from mainland Germany.

On 11 July 1920, amidst the backdrop of the Polish-Soviet War, the East Prussian plebiscite in eastern West Prussia and southern East Prussia was held under Allied supervision to determine if the areas should join the Second Polish Republic or remain in Weimar Germany Province of East Prussia. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar The East Prussia(n plebiscite (Abstimmung in Ostpreußen also known as the Allenstein and Marienwerder plebiscite or Warmia Masuria and Powiśle plebiscite (Plebiscyt The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 96. 7% of the people voted for remaining within Germany (97. 89% in the East Prussian plebiscite district).

The Memel Territory, a League of Nations mandate since 1920, was occupied by Lithuania in 1923 without giving the inhabitants a choice on the ballot. The Klaipėda Region (Klaipėdos kraštas or Memel Territory (Memelland or Memelgebiet Territoire de Memel was defined by the Treaty of Versailles A League of Nations mandate refers to a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the

Nazi Germany

In 1938 the Nazis altered about one-third of the toponyms of the area, eliminating, Germanizing, or simplifying a number of linguistically Baltic, Old Prussian names, as well as those Polish or Lithuanian names originating from refugees to Prussia during and after the Protestant Reformation. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology. The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Prussian is an extinct Baltic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the area that later became East Prussia (now north-eastern Poland According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time All persons who did not co-operate with the rulers of Nazi Germany, including activist members of minorities with Polish roots (see Masurians), were sent to concentration camps and kept there until their liberation (unless they died in captivity before liberation). Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Mazurs or Masurs (Mazurzy are a sub- Ethnic group in the Masovian and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships in Poland. See also List of Nazi-German concentration camps, Extermination camp Prior to and during World War II, Nazi Germany under Hitler maintained

World War II

In 1939 East Prussia had 2. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 49 million inhabitants, 85% of them ethnic Germans, the others being Masurians speaking Masurian (Polish) in the south, or Lietuvininkai speaking Lithuanian (Baltic) in the northeast. The Mazurs or Masurs (Mazurzy are a sub- Ethnic group in the Masovian and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships in Poland. Masurian (Mazurski Masurisch was a dialect of the Polish language, spoken by Masurs in East Prussia, today Poland, which were distant descendants The term Prussian Lithuanians, Lietuwininkai (singular Lietuwininkas) Lietuvininkai refers to a Western Lithuanian ethnic group which did not form Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Most German East Prussians, Masurians, and Lietuvininkai were Lutheran, while the population of Ermland was mostly Roman Catholic due to the history of the bishopric. Warmia (Warmia Latin: Varmia) or Erm(eland ( is a region between Pomerania and Masuria in northeastern Poland

During World War II, the province was extended (see Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including At the beginning of World War II, significant Polish areas were annexed by Nazi Germany in contrary to Hague Convention IV 1907 and put under German civil Despite Nazi propaganda presenting all the regions annexed as possessing significant German populations that wanted reunification with Germany, the Reich's statistics of late 1939 show that only 31,000 out of 994,092 people in the annexed Polish western territories were German. Nazi propaganda is the term that describes the psychologically powerful Propaganda within Nazi Germany, much of which was centered around Jews consistently

Many inhabitants of East Prussia were killed in the war, many of whom were young Germans conscripted into the Wehrmacht and killed in action. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945

Evacuation of East Prussia

Main article: Evacuation of East Prussia

In 1944 the medieval city of Königsberg, which had never been severely damaged by warfare in its 700 years, was almost entirely destroyed by two Allied air raids on the night of 26/27 August 1944 and three nights later on the 29/30 August 1944. The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region Königsberg (Karaliaučius Low German: Königsbarg; Królewiec see also other names) was until 1946 the name of Kaliningrad. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Winston Churchill (The Second World War, Book XII) erroneously considered the city "a modernised heavily defended fortress". Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for

Gauleiter Erich Koch protracted the evacuation of the German civilian population until the Eastern Front approached the East Prussian border in 1944. A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Erich Koch ( June 19, 1896 &ndash November 12, 1986) was a Gauleiter of the Nazi Party (NDSAP in East Prussia The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign The population of the province had been systematically disinformed by Endsieg Nazi propaganda about the real military state of affairs. Endsieg is German for "final victory" It is used in the meaning that a victory is taken for granted even though all odds are against it As a result many civilians fleeing westward were overtaken by retreating Wehrmacht units and the rapidly advancing Red Army. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya

Reports of Soviet atrocities in the Nemmersdorf massacre of October 1944 and organised rape spread fear and desperation among the civilian populace. Nemmersdorf in East Prussia (today's Mayakovskoye, Kaliningrad Oblast) was one of the first pre-war German villages Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person Thousands lost their lives during the sinkings of the Wilhelm Gustloff, the Goya, and the General von Steuben. Ship history The Wilhelm Gustloff was the first purpose-built cruise liner for the Nazi Kraft durch Freude (KdF (" Strength Through Joy " History of the ship The Goya was originally built as a freighter by the Akers Mekanika Verksted shipyard in Oslo in 1940. Prologue Operation Hannibal Along with the Wilhelm Gustloff and many other vessels she was part of the largest evacuation by sea in modern times The capital Königsberg surrendered on April 9, 1945, following the desperate four-day Battle of Königsberg. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Battle of Königsberg, better known as the Königsberg Offensive Operation, was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Strategic Offensive operation The exact number of civilian victims of the fight has never been determined but is estimated to be at least 300 000 with most of them dying under miserable conditions.

However, most of the German inhabitants, which at that point consisted mainly of children, women, and old men, did escape the Red Army as part of the largest exodus of people in human history. "A population which had stood at 2. 2 million in 1940 was reduced to 193,000 at the end of May 1945. "^[7]

Expulsion of Germans from East Prussia after World War II

Main article: Expulsion of Germans after World War II

Shortly after the end of the war in May 1945, Germans who had fled in early 1945 tried to return to their homes in East Prussia. The Königsberg Castle (Königsberger Schloss Кёнигсбергский замок was a Castle in Königsberg, Germany (since 1946 Kaliningrad Russia The expulsion of Germans after World War II was the Forced migration and Ethnic cleansing of German nationals ( Reichsdeutsche) and ethnic However, they were stopped. . The remaining German population of East Prussia was almost completely expelled by the Communist regime. The expulsion of Germans after World War II was the Forced migration and Ethnic cleansing of German nationals ( Reichsdeutsche) and ethnic During the war and shortly thereafter, many people were also deported as forced labourers to eastern parts of the Soviet Union, including the Gulag camp system. The Gulag was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union.

Northern part to the Soviet Union

Main article: Kaliningrad Oblast

German place names were changed to either Russian or Polish names. Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning

In April 1946, northern East Prussia became an official province of the Russian SFSR, with the Memel Territory becoming part of the Lithuanian SSR. The Klaipėda Region (Klaipėdos kraštas or Memel Territory (Memelland or Memelgebiet Territoire de Memel was defined by the Treaty of Versailles The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика In July of that year, the historic city of Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad and the area named the Kaliningrad Oblast. Kaliningrad (Калининград is a Seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian Exclave between Poland Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning After the expulsion of the German population, beginning in late 1947 ethnic Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians were settled in the northern part. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens

In the Soviet part of the region, a policy of eliminating all remnants of German history was pursued. In 1967 this resulted in the demolition of the remains of Königsberg Castle by order of Leonid Brezhnev to make way on the site for the new "House of Soviets". The Königsberg Castle (Königsberger Schloss Кёнигсбергский замок was a Castle in Königsberg, Germany (since 1946 Kaliningrad Russia

Southern part to Poland

Polish expatriates from Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union as well as Ukrainians from Southern Poland, expelled throughout the Operation Wisla in 1947, were settled in the southern part of East Prussia, now the Polish Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing After the Soviet invasion of Poland following the corresponding German invasion that marked the start of World War II in 1939 the Soviet Union annexed Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens This article is about the 1947 deportation of Ukrainians by the Polish government Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (also known as Warmia-Masuria Province or by its Polish name województwo warmińsko-mazurskie or simply Warmińsko-Mazurskie In 1950 the Olsztyn Voivodeship counted 689,000 inhabitants, 22. Olsztyn Voivodeship (województwo olsztyńskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975 &ndash 1998, superseded 6% of them coming from areas annexed by the Soviet Union, 10% Ukrainians, and 18. 5% of them pre-war inhabitants. Most of the latter immigrated to West Germany from the 1950s to 1970s. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( ^[8]

Polonization and de-Germanisation occurred in Polish Warmia and Masuria after the war. Polonization (polonizacja is the acquisition or imposition Germanisation (also spelled Germanization) is either the spread of the German language, people and culture either by force or Assimilation German names were systematically removed, churchyards and gravestones were ploughed under or demolished, and houses were stripped of elements that recalled the German heritage of the area. A policy was made which aimed at reverting the Germanisation of Masurians, many of whom spoke German instead of Polish.

Modern situation

Since the fall of Communism in 1991, some German groups have tried to help settle Volga Germans from eastern parts of Russia in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The Cold War period of 1985 to 1991 began with the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet leader and ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 The Volga Germans (Wolgadeutsche or Russlanddeutsche) were Ethnic Germans living along the Volga River in the region of southern European Russia Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning This initiative was only a small success, however, as most impoverished Volga Germans preferred to emigrate to the richer Federal Republic of Germany, where they could become German citizens through the right of return. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The term right of return refers to the principle in International law that members of an Ethnic or National group have a right to Immigration

Although the 1945–1949 expulsion of Germans from the northern part of former East Prussia often was conducted in a violent and aggressive way by Soviet officials seeking revenge for Nazi crimes in the Soviet Union, the present Russian inhabitants of the Kaliningrad Oblast have much less animosity towards Germans. German names have been revived in commercial Russian trade and there is sometimes talk of reverting Kaliningrad's name back to the original name of Königsberg. Because the exclave during Soviet times was a military zone which nobody was allowed to enter without special permission, many old German villages are still intact, though they have become dilapidated over the course of time. A closed city or closed town is a settlement in the former Soviet Union with travel and residency restrictions The city centre of Kaliningrad, however, was completely rebuilt, as British bombs (1944) and the Soviet siege (1945) had left it in ruins. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Bibliography

Publications in English

• Baedeker, Karl, Northern Germany, 14th revised edition, London, 1904. Verlag Karl Baedeker is a Germany -based Publisher and pioneer in the business of worldwide Travel guides The guides often
• Beevor, Antony (2002). Antony James Beevor (born 14 December 1946) is a British Historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. "chapters 1-8", Berlin: The Downfall 1945. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-88695-5.   (on the years 1944/45)
• Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, A Terrible Revenge: The Ethnic Cleansing of the East European Germans, 1944-1950, 1994, ISBN 0-312-12159-8
• Dickie, Reverend J. Alfred-Maurice de Zayas (born 31 May 1947 in Cuba) is an American Lawyer, Writer, and Historian. F. , with E. Compton, Germany, A & C Black, London, 1912. A & C Black is a British book publishing company The firm was founded in 1807 by Adam and Charles Black in Edinburgh, and moved to the Soho
• von Treitschke, Heinrich, History of Germany - vol. thumb Heinrich Gotthard von Treitschke ( September 15, 1834 &ndash April 28, 1896) was a nationalist German 1: The Wars of Emancipation, (translated by E & C Paul), Allen & Unwin, London, 1915. Allen & Unwin, formerly a major British publishing house is now an independent book publisher and distributor based in Australia.
• Powell, E. Alexander, Embattled Borders, London, 1928.
• Steed, Henry Wickham, Vital Peace - A Study of Risks, Constable & Co. , London, 1936.
• Newman, Bernard, Danger Spots of Europe, London, 1938.
• Wieck. Michael: A Childhood Under Hitler and Stalin: Memoirs of a "Certified Jew," University of Wisconsin Press, 2003, ISBN 0-299-18544-3.
• Woodward, E. L. , Butler, Rohan; Medlicott, W. N. , Dakin, Douglas, & Lambert, M. E. , et al (editors), Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-1939, Three Series, Her Majesty's Stationary Office (HMSO), London, numerous volumes published over 25 years. The Office of Public Sector Information ( OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (usually abbreviated as HMSO Cover the Versailles Treaty including all secret meetings; plebiscites and all other problems in Europe; includes all diplomatic correspondence from all states. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I.
• Previté-Orton, C. W. , Professor, The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History, Cambridge University Press, 1952 (2 volumes). Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534
• Balfour, Michael, and John Mair, Four-Power Control in Germany and Austria 1945-1946, Oxford University Press, 1956.
• Kopelev, Lev, To Be Preserved Forever, ("Хранить вечно"), 1976. Lev Zalmanovich Kopelev (also Lev Zinovevich Kopelev; Russian: Лев Залма́нович Ко́пелев or Лев Зино́вьевич Ко́пелев
• Koch, H. W. , Professor, A History of Prussia, Longman, London, 1978/1984, (P/B), ISBN 0-582-48190-2
• Koch, H. Longman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724 W. , Professor, A Constitutional History of Germany in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Longman, London, 1984, (P/B), ISBN 0-582-49182-7
• MacDonogh, Giles, Prussia, Sinclair-Stevenson, London, 1994, ISBN 1-85619-267-9
• Nitsch, Gunter, Weeds Like Us, AuthorHouse, 2006, ISBN 9781425967550

Publications in German

• B. Longman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724 Schumacher: Geschichte Ost- und Westpreussens, Würzburg 1959
• Boockmann, Hartmut: Ostpreußen und Westpreußen (= Deutsche Geschichte im Osten Europas). Siedler, Berlin 1992, ISBN 3-88680-212-4
• Buxa, Werner and Hans-Ulrich Stamm: Bilder aus Ostpreußen
• Dönhoff, Marion Gräfin v.  :Namen die keiner mehr nennt - Ostpreußen, Menschen und Geschichte
• Dönhoff, Marion Gräfin v. : Kindheit in Ostpreussen
• Falk, Lucy: Ich Blieb in Königsberg. Tagebuchblätter aus dunklen Nachkriegsjahren
• Suchenwirth, Dr. Richard, Deutsche Geschichte, Dollheimer, Leipzig, 1934.
• Kibelka, Ruth: Ostpreußens Schicksaljahre, 1945-1948
• Bernd, Martin (1998). "Masuren, Mythos und Geschichte". Karlsruhe: Evangelische Akademie Baden. ISBN 8385135936.  
• Wieck, Michael: Zeugnis vom Untergang Königsbergs: Ein "Geltungsjude" berichtet, Heidelberger Verlaganstalt, 1990, 1993, ISBN 3-89426-059-9.

Publications in other languages

• Pierre Benoit, Axelle
• Georges Blond, L'agonie de l'Allemagne
• Michel Tournier, Le roi des aulnes

• K. Piwarski (1946). "Dzieje Prus Wschodnich w czasach nowożytnych".  
• (1969–2003) in Gerard Labuda: "Historia Pomorza", vol. I–IV.  
• collective work (1958–61). "Szkice z dziejów Pomorza", vol. 1–3.  

See also

• Lithuania Minor
• List of cities and towns in East Prussia
• Drang nach Osten
• East Colonisation
• Kaliningrad Oblast
• Landsmannschaft Ostpreußen
• Masuria
• Teutonic Knights
• Warmia

Notes and references

External links

• East Prussia FAQ
• East and West Prussia Gazetteer
• Provinz Ostpreußen (German)
• Ostpreußen.net (German)
• Ostpreußen Info - East Prussia Information (German)
• East- and West Prussia in Photos
• Spuren der Vergangenheit / Следы Пρошлого (Traces of the past) This site by W. A. Milowskij, a Kaliningrad resident, contains hundreds of interesting photos, often with text explanations, of architectural and infrastructural artifacts of the territory's long German past. (German) (Russian)
• German Empire: Province of East Prussia (German)
• Britannica 2007 article

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