Bromberg Region with its districts and cities

Bromberg was the northern of two Prussian government regions, or Regierungsbezirke (Polish: Rejencja), of the Grand Duchy of Posen (1815–1848) and its successor, the Province of Posen (1848–1919). The administrative center was the city of Bromberg (Bydgoszcz), which is now part of Poland.

The region was bordered on the south by the Regierungsbezirk Posen, to the west by the Province of Brandenburg, to the north by West Prussia, and to the east by Congress Poland (part of the Russian Empire).

The Bromberg region had a larger percentage of mostly Protestant Germans than average for the Province of Posen. Other German speakers were by religion Jewish or Roman Catholic. However, around half the population were Roman Catholic Poles. Initially, there was a sizable Jewish minority, but that number diminished over time due to the Ostflucht.

Divisions

Note: Prussian provinces were subdivided into units called Kreise (singular Kreis, abbreviated Kr., English "circle"), which were similar to small counties in US terms, "rural districts" in British terms. The larger cities would have their own Stadtkreis (English: "urban district") and the surrounding rural area would be named for the city, but referred to as a Landkreis (English: "rural district"). In the case of Posen, the Landkreis was split into two: Landkreis Posen West, and Landkreis Posen East. The region was originally divided into several larger Kreise, which were later divided into the final 13 Kreise, the larger ones spinning off smaller units.

Demographics

Ethnolinguistic structure in the Bromberg Region (1910) [1]
District Polish Name Population German % Polish % Bilingual %
City of Bromberg Bydgoszcz 57,696 46,720 81.0% 9,350 16.2% 1,557 2.7%
Bromberg Bydgoszcz 96,473 58,783 60.9% 37,049 38.4% 590 0.6%
Czarnikau Czarnków 42,287 30,016 71.0% 12,027 28.4% 179 0.4%
Filehne Wieleń 33,653 23,504 69.8% 9,918 29.5% 217 0.6%
Gnesen Gniezno 56,250 21,461 38.2% 34,643 61.6% 129 0.2%
Hohensalza Inowrocław 77,294 28,394 36.7% 48,599 62.9% 258 0.3%
Kolmar in Posen Chodzież 76,020 61,600 81.0% 13,957 18.4% 427 0.6%
Mogilno Mogilno 49,253 14,274 29.0% 34,659 70.4% 194 0.4%
Schubin Szubin 48,304 21,035 43.5% 26,799 55.5% 403 0.8%
Strelno Strzelno 37,620 7,437 19.8% 30,109 80.0% 67 0.2%
Wirsitz Wyrzysk 67,219 34,235 50.9% 32,446 48.3% 495 0.7%
Witkowo Witkowo 29,094 4,814 16.5% 24,164 83.1% 91 0.3%
Wongrowitz Wągrowiec 52,574 16,309 31.0% 35,955 68.4% 216 0.4%
Znin Żnin 40,210 10,906 27.1% 29,156 72.5% 133 0.3%
Total - 763,947 379,488 49.7% 378,831 49.6% 4,956 0.6%
Demographic evolution of the Bromberg region (1831-1910) [1]
Year Population German % Polish / Bilingual %
1831 323,756 167,784 51.8% 154,902 47.8%
1860 493,655 250,967 50.8% 242,687 49.2%
1890 625,051 309,756 49.6% 315,042 50.4%
1900 689,023 332,921 48.3% 355,893 51.7%
1905 723,965 354,714 49.0% 368,690 50.9%
1910 763,947 379,488 49.7% 383,787 50.2%

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Belzyt, Leszek (1998). Sprachliche Minderheiten im preussischen Staat: 1815 - 1914 ; die preußische Sprachenstatistik in Bearbeitung und Kommentar. Marburg: Herder-Inst. ISBN 978-3-87969-267-5.[permanent dead link]

52°50′N 17°30′E / 52.83°N 17.5°E / 52.83; 17.5

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