- Province of Westphalia
Infobox Former Subdivision
conventional_long_name = Westphalia
common_name = Westphalia
native_name = "Westfalen"
subdivision = Province
nation =Prussia
image_map_caption = Westphalia (red), within theKingdom of Prussia , within theGerman Empire
capital = Münster
latd=51|latm=58|latNS=N|longd=7|longm=38|longEW=E
stat_area1= 20215
stat_year1 = 1817
stat_pop2 = 4784000
stat_year2 = 1925
p1 = Minden
p2 = Mark (county)
p3 = Ravensberg (County)
p4 = Tecklenburg
p5 = Bishopric of Münster
p6 = Bishopric of Paderborn
p7 = County of Limburg
p8 = Duchy of Westphalia
p9 = Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
p10 = Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
p11 = Nassau-Siegen
s1 = North Rhine-Westphalia
flag_s1 = Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia (state).svg
year_start = 1815
year_end = 1946
national_anthem= Westfalenlied
political_subdiv = Arnsberg Minden MünsterThe Province of Westphalia ( _de. Provinz Westfalen) was a province of the
Kingdom of Prussia and theFree State of Prussia from 1815-1946.History
Napoleon Bonaparte founded the
Kingdom of Westphalia , was aclient state of theFirst French Empire from 1807-13. This state only shared the name with the historical region, containing mostly Hessian andEastphalia n regions and only a relatively small part of the region ofWestphalia .Although Prussia had long owned territory in Westphalia, King Frederick William III had preferred to incorporate the
Kingdom of Saxony first. It was not until theCongress of Vienna in 1815 that the Province of Westphalia came into being. The province was formed from several different territories:
* regions in Westphalia under Prussian rule since before 1800 (the Principality of Minden and the counties of Mark, Ravensberg andTecklenburg )
* theBishopric of Münster andBishopric of Paderborn , acquired by Prussia from 1802–03
* the small county of Limburg, acquired in 1808
* theDuchy of Westphalia , placed under Prussian rule after theCongress of Vienna . The northernmost portions of the duchy, including the town ofOsnabrück , became parts of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg.
* theSayn-Wittgenstein er principalities of Hohenstein and Berleburg, along with the principality ofNassau-Siegen (in 1817)In 1816, the district of
Essen was transferred to theRhine Province .Economy
;1907::18 % agriculture::59 % industry::11 % trade
After World War II
After the end of
World War II , the province was merged with the northern half of the Rhine Province to form the German state ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, with the addition of the former state ofLippe in 1947.Maps
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