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The subject of this article was previously also known as Saxony. For other uses, see Saxony (disambiguation)

Saxony (German: Sachsen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg. It is usually referred to with its full name (Provinz Sachsen) order to distinguish it from the Kingdom of Saxony.

Contents 1 History 2 Subdivisions 2.1 Regierungsbezirk Magdeburg 2.2 Regierungsbezirk Merseburg 2.3 Regierungsbezirk Erfurt 3 External Links

[edit] History

The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:

• part of the former Duchy of Magdeburg, which had previously been part of the Kingdom of Westphalia;
• the part of the Margraviate of Brandenburg situated west of the Elbe River, such as the Altmark
• territory gained from the Kingdom of Saxony after the Battle of Leipzig in 1813: the towns and surrounding territories of Wittenberg, Merseburg, Naumburg, Mansfeld, Querfurt und Henneberg;
• and territory given to Prussia after the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss: lands around Erfurt and the Eichsfeld (formerly belonging to the Archbishopric of Mainz) and the former Imperial Cities of Mühlhausen and Nordhausen.

The Province of Saxony was one of the richest regions of Prussia with highly developed agriculture and industry. In 1932 the province was enlarged with the addition of the regions around Ilfeld and Elbingerode, which had previously been part of the province of Hanover.

On 1 July 1944, the province of Saxony was divided along the lines of its three administrative regions. The Erfurt Regierungsbezirk was merged with the Herrschaft Schmalkalden district of the province Hesse-Nassau to become the Reichsstatthalter of the new state of Thuringia. The Magdeburg Regierungsbezirk merged with the former state of Anhalt to become the Gau of Magdeburg while the Merseburg Regierungsbezirk became the Gau of Halle-Merseburg, but the Gaue of Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg were merged to reform the province of Saxony in 1945.

Before the end of 1945, the province of Saxony was merged with some exclaves of the former state of Brunswick to form the new state of Saxony-Anhalt. This state was abolished in 1952, but was recreated after the Reunification of Germany in 1990 with some slight border changes as the modern German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

[edit] Subdivisions

Prior to 1944, the province of Saxony was divided into three Regierungsbezirke. In 1945, only the provinces of Magdeburg and Halle-Merseburg were re-merged.

[edit] Regierungsbezirk Magdeburg

Urban districts (Stadtkreise)

1. Aschersleben (1901-1950)
2. Burg bei Magdeburg (1924-1950)
3. Halberstadt (1817-1825 and 1891-1950)
4. Magdeburg
5. Quedlinburg (1911-1950)
6. Stendal (1909-1950)

Rural districts (Landkreise)

1. Calbe a./S.
2. Gardelegen
3. Haldensleben
4. Jerichow I
5. Jerichow II
6. Oschersleben (Bode)
7. Osterburg
8. Quedlinburg
9. Salzwedel
10. Stendal
11. Wanzleben
12. Wernigerode
13. Wolmirstedt

[edit] Regierungsbezirk Merseburg

Urban districts (Stadtkreise)

1. Eisleben (1908-1950)
2. Halle a. d. Saale
3. Merseburg (1921-1950)
4. Naumburg a. d. Saale (1914-1950)
5. Weißenfels (1899-1950)
6. Wittenberg (Lutherstadt)
7. Zeitz (1901-1950)

Rural districts (Landkreise)

1. Bitterfeld
2. Delitzsch
3. Eckartsberga
4. Liebenwerda
5. Mansfelder Gebirgskreis
6. Mansfelder Seekreis
7. Merseburg
8. Querfurt
9. Saalkreis
10. Sangerhausen
11. Schweinitz
12. Torgau
13. Weißenfels
14. Wittenberg
15. Zeitz

[edit] Regierungsbezirk Erfurt

Urban districts (Stadtkreise)

1. Erfurt (1816-1818 and 1872-present)
2. Mühlhausen (1892-1950)
3. Nordhausen (1882-1950)

Rural districts (Landkreise)

1. Hohenstein county
2. Heiligenstadt
3. Langensalza
4. Mühlhausen
5. Schleusingen
6. Weißensee
7. Worbis
8. Ziegenrück

[edit] External Links

• Further information (in German)
• Population breakdown of Saxony province, 1910 (in German)

de:Provinz Sachsen

nl:Saksen (provincie)