Province of Westphalia

Infobox Former Subdivision
conventional_long_name = Westphalia
common_name = Westphalia
native_name = "Westfalen"
subdivision = Province
nation = Prussia

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image_map_caption = Westphalia (red), within the Kingdom of Prussia, within the German 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 Münster

The Province of Westphalia ( _de. Provinz Westfalen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815-1946.

History

Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807-13. This state only shared the name with the historical region, containing mostly Hessian and Eastphalian regions and only a relatively small part of the region of Westphalia.

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 the Congress 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 and Tecklenburg)
* the Bishopric of Münster and Bishopric of Paderborn, acquired by Prussia from 1802–03
* the small county of Limburg, acquired in 1808
* the Duchy of Westphalia, placed under Prussian rule after the Congress of Vienna. The northernmost portions of the duchy, including the town of Osnabrück, became parts of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg.
* the Sayn-Wittgensteiner principalities of Hohenstein and Berleburg, along with the principality of Nassau-Siegen (in 1817)

In 1816, the district of Essen was transferred to the Rhine 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 of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, with the addition of the former state of Lippe in 1947.

Maps