Duchy of Brunswick: Map & History
The Duchy of Brunswick was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Duchy of Brunswick was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918. Its capital was the city of Brunswick. It was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the course of the 19th-century history of Germany, the duchy was part of the German Confederation, the North German Confederation and from 1871 the German Empire. It was disestablished after the end of World War I, its territory incorporated into the Weimar Republic as the Free State of Brunswick.
Duchy of Brunswick in Depth
History
The title "Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg" (German: Herzog zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg) was held, from 1235 on, by various members of the Welf (Guelph) family who ruled several small territories in northwest Germany. These holdings did not have all of the formal characteristics of a modern unitary state, being neither compact nor indivisible. When several sons of a duke competed for power, the lands often became divided between them; when a branch of the family lost power or became extinct, the lands were reallocated among surviving members of the family; different dukes might also exchange territories. The unifying element of all these territories was that they were ruled by male-line descendants of Duke Otto I (ruled 1235–1252).
Economy
In 1905, out of 1,000 residents 455 were working in the industrial sector, mining or construction, 289 were working in agriculture and forestry, 121 in commerce, 57.3 were employed in the civil service and 70 were working in miscellaneous other professions.
Geography
The Duchy of Brunswick consisted of several non-connected parts - three larger and seven smaller ones. The biggest and most populous of those was the area surrounding the cities of Braunschweig, Wolfenbüttel and Helmstedt as well as the Elm, which extended from the river Aller in the north to the Harz mountains in the south. The western part with the town of Holzminden extended from the river Weser in the east to the Harz Foreland in the west. The southern part with the town of Blankenburg was located in the Harz mountains. The Duchy's smaller exclaves were Thedinghausen near Bremen, Harzburg, Calvörde, Bodenburg and Östrum, Ostharingen near Goslar, Ölsburg near Peine and a small woodland near the Fallstein.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Brunswick (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Brunswick: Key Facts
| Capital | Brunswick |
|---|---|
| Official language | German |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Founded | 1815 |
| Dissolved | 1918 |
Preceded by
- Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Succeeded by
- Free State of Brunswick
Facts from Wikidata Q326029 (CC0).
Duchy of Brunswick Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Duchy of Brunswick appears, with the other states of the time.
Duchy of Brunswick Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 4,878 km² in 1864 CE.
Duchy of Brunswick: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Brunswick exist?
Duchy of Brunswick is dated to 1814 CE – 1870 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Brunswick?
The capital of Duchy of Brunswick was Brunswick.
How large was Duchy of Brunswick at its peak?
At its peak in 1864 Duchy of Brunswick covered about 4,878 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad