Prussian Partition

The Prussian Partition was part of the land that used to be the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was taken over by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Partitions of Poland in the late 1700s. This happened in three steps, with the first in 1772, the second in 1793, and the third in 1795. After these partitions, Poland was not a country for over 100 years.

The Prussian Partition covered an area of about 141,400 square kilometers. This was the western part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The land became part of Prussia, which changed the borders and the lives of many people there. For more information about the other areas taken during this time, you can read about the Russian Partition and the Austrian Partition.

History

Main article: First Partition of Poland

Main article: Second Partition of Poland

Main article: Third Partition of Poland

The Kingdom of Prussia took land from Poland three times. These events are called partitions.

In 1772, Prussia took a place called Polish Prussia. The leader, Frederick II, brought German families there to live. He wanted Prussia to grow richer and stronger.

In 1793, Prussia took two more cities, Gdańsk and Toruń. This made people in Poland unhappy, and they tried to fight back but could not win.

In 1795, Prussia took more land, including areas near Podlasie and Masovia, and the city of Warsaw. Later, people in Poland tried to free their land, but they had to face strong Prussian forces.

Ethnicity

The Prussian Partition was home to many different groups of people besides ethnic Germans and Poles. You could find Kashubs in West Prussia, Czechs and Moravians in Silesia, Jews, and other minority groups as well.

In the early 1800s, many people in these areas spoke Polish. In some places, almost everyone spoke Polish, while in others, many people did.

Society

In the late 1800s, people who were not German in the land taken by Prussia were asked to adopt German culture and language. The king of Prussia brought in many new German settlers to help this change happen faster.

But instead of losing their own culture, the Polish people living there grew more united and proud of who they were. Schools in this area were better than in other parts, but they were not allowed to use the Polish language. This led to a big protest by children in 1901, who were punished for standing up for their language and traditions. Later, the leader of Prussia gave a speech saying he respected Polish traditions, but many people still felt uneasy about the changes happening around them.

Economy

The areas taken from Poland by Prussia were well-developed due to good government policies. The German leaders helped farming, industry, banks, and transportation grow strong and efficient.

Administrative division

In the first partition, Prussia gained land and many people. In the second, it gained more land and people. In the third, it gained even more. Altogether, Prussia took a part of the old Polish-Lithuanian land and people. Most of these lands became part of the area known as Greater Poland.

Prussia divided these lands into several areas, such as Netze District, New Silesia, New East Prussia, South Prussia, West Prussia, and others. Some of these areas were already part of Prussia before the partitions. Later, important areas set up from Polish lands included the Grand Duchy of Posen and the Province of Posen.