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Hesse-Nassau (Hessen-Nassau in German) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1868 to 1918, then a province of the Free State of Prussia until 1944. It was created as a consequence of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 by combining the previously independent Hesse-Kassel, the Duchy of Nassau, the Free City of Frankfurt, areas gained from the Kingdom of Bavaria, and areas gained from the Grand Duchy of Hesse (Hesse-Darmstadt; including part of the former Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg). These regions were combined to form the province Hesse-Nassau in 1868 with its capital in Kassel and redivided into two administrative regions: Cassel and Wiesbaden.

On 1 April 1929, the Free City of Waldeck became a part of Hesse-Nassau after a popular vote and became part of the Cassel administrative region.

In 1935 the Nazi government abolished (de facto) all states, so the provinces held little meaning. In 1944, Hesse-Nassau was split into the provinces of Electoral Hesse (Kurhessen in German, capital: Kassel) and Province of Nassau (capital: Wiesbaden) as its capital. In 1945, after the end of World War II, these two provinces were remerged and combined with the neighbouring Hesse-Darmstadt to form the northern and western part of the newly founded state of Hesse. Parts of Nassau were also moved into the Rhineland-Palatinate.

[edit] Insignia

The flag of Hesse-Nassau is identical to that of the Netherlands. The Dutch royal house originates from the Duchy of Nassau.

The coat of arms is split into three parts, each part showing the coats of arms for the three entities that form Hesse-Nassau:

• a crowned, silver/red-striped lion on a blue background (Electorate of Hesse)
• a crowned, golden lion, also on a blue background (Duchy of Nassau)
• a silver eagle with golden talons on a red background (Free City Frankfurt)

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