Rulers of Hanover

The Province of Hanover (german: Provinz Hannover) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.

During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation. After Hanover voted in favour of mobilising confederation troops against Prussia on 14 June 1866, Prussia saw this as a just cause for declaring war; the Kingdom of Hanover was soon dissolved and annexed by Prussia. The private wealth of the dethroned House of Hanover was then used by Otto von Bismarck to finance his continuing efforts against Ludwig II of Bavaria.

In 1946, the British military administration recreated the State of Hanover based on the former Kingdom of Hanover; but within the year, at the instigation of the German leadership, it was merged into the new States of Germany, state () of Lower Saxony—along with the states of Free State of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Free State of Brunswick, Brunswick, and Free State of Schaumburg-Lippe, Schaumburg-Lippe—with the city of Hanover as the capital of this new state.

Hanoverian regions

Hanover was subdivided into six regions first called ''Landdrostei[en]'' (High-Bailiwick[s]), which were reorganised into Prussian standard Regierungsbezirke (governorates) on 1 April 1885.
#Aurich (region), Aurich
#Osnabrück (region), Osnabrück
#Stade (region), Stade
#Lüneburg (region), Lüneburg (''Lunenburg'')
#Hildesheim (region), Hildesheim
#Hanover (region), Hanover

Administrative divisions from 1885

On 1 April 1885 the six ''Landdrosteien'' were turned into regional administrative districts called ''Regierungsbezirke'':

The ''Regierungsbezirke'' were subdivided into new urban and rural counties (''Stadtkreise'' and ''Landkreise''), the old ''Amt (district), Amt'' structure being disbanded. Where the name of the county town differs from that of the county, it is shown in brackets:

Regierungsbezirk Aurich

Stadtkreise

*Emden
*Wilhelmshaven (1919–1937, then ceded to Free State of Oldenburg, Oldenburg)

Landkreise

*Landkreis Aurich, Aurich
*Landkreis Emden, Emden (to 1932, then divided between the town of Emden, Landkreis Norden and Landkreis Leer)
*Landkreis Leer, Leer
*Landkreis Norden, Norden
*Kreis Weener, Weener (to 1932, then to Landkreis Leer)
*Landkreis Wittmund, Wittmund

Regierungsbezirk Hannover

Stadtkreise

*Hamelin (from 1923)
*Hanover
*Linden (Hannover), Linden (1886–1920, then to the city of Hanover)

Landkreise

*Landkreis Grafschaft Diepholz, Grafschaft Diepholz (county offices in Diepholz, to 1932 Kreis Diepholz)
*Landkreis Grafschaft Hoya, Grafschaft Hoya (county offices in Syke, before 1932 Kreis Hoya)
*Landkreis Grafschaft Schaumburg, Grafschaft Schaumburg (county offices in Rinteln, before 1932 Province of Hesse-Nassau)
*Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, Hameln-Pyrmont (county offices in Hamelin, before 1922 Kreis Hameln)
*Landkreis Hannover, Hanover
*Landkreis Linden, Linden (to 1932, then to Landkreis Hannover)
*Landkreis Neustadt am Rübenberge, Neustadt am Rübenberge
*Landkreis Nienburg/Weser, Nienburg/Weser
*Landkreis Springe, Springe
*Kreis Stolzenau, Stolzenau (to 1932, then to Landkreis Nienburg/Weser)
*Kreis Sulingen, Sulingen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Grafschaft Diepholz)
*Kreis Syke, Syke (to 1932, then to Landkreis Grafschaft Hoya)

Regierungsbezirk Hildesheim

Stadtkreise

*Göttingen
*Goslar (to 1941, then to Free State of Brunswick, Brunswick)
*Hildesheim

Landkreise

*Landkreis Alfeld, Alfeld
*Landkreis Duderstadt, Duderstadt
*Landkreis Einbeck, Einbeck
*Landkreis Göttingen, Göttingen
*Landkreis Goslar, Goslar (to 1941, then to Free State of Brunswick, Brunswick)
*Kreis Gronau, Gronau
*Landkreis Hildesheim, Hildesheim
*Landkreis Holzminden, Holzminden (from 1941, previously Free State of Brunswick, Brunswick)
*Landkreis Ilfeld, Ilfeld (to 1932, then to Province of Saxony)
*Kreis Marienburg, Marienburg i. Hann. (county offices in Hildesheim)
*Landkreis Münden, Münden
*Landkreis Northeim, Northeim
*Landkreis Osterode am Harz, Osterode am Harz
*Landkreis Peine, Peine
*Kreis Uslar, Uslar (to 1932, then to Landkreis Northeim)
*Landkreis Zellerfeld, Zellerfeld (county offices in Clausthal-Zellerfeld)

Regierungsbezirk Lüneburg

Stadtkreise

*Celle
*Hamburg-Harburg, Harburg (1927 to Harburg-Wilhelmsburg)
*Harburg-Wilhelmsburg (1927–1937, then to Hamburg)
*Lüneburg
*Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, Wilhelmsburg (1925–1927, then to Harburg-Wilhelmsburg)

Landkreise

*Kreis Bleckede, Bleckede (to 1932, then to Landkreis Lüneburg)
*Landkreis Burgdorf, Burgdorf
*Landkreis Celle, Celle
*Landkreis Fallingbostel, Fallingbostel
*Landkreis Gifhorn, Gifhorn
*Landkreis Harburg, Harburg (county offices in Hamburg-Harburg)
*Kreis Isenhagen, Isenhagen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Gifhorn)
*Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg, Lüchow-Dannenberg (county offices in Lüchow (Wendland), Lüchow, formed in 1932 from the counties of Kreis Lüchow, Lüchow and Kreis Dannenberg, Danneberg)
*Landkreis Lüneburg, Lüneburg
*Landkreis Soltau, Soltau
*Landkreis Uelzen, Uelzen (county offices to 1974 in Uelzen, Oldenstadt)
*Kreis Winsen, Winsen

Regierungsbezirk Osnabrück

Stadtkreise

*Osnabrück

Landkreise

*Landkreis Aschendorf-Hümmling, Aschendorf-Hümmling (county offices in Aschendorf/Ems, formed in 1932 from the counties of Kreis Aschendorf, Aschendorf and Kreis Hümmling, Hümmling)
*Landkreis Bersenbrück
*Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim, Grafschaft Bentheim (county offices in Bad Bentheim, Bentheim)
*Kreis Iburg, Iburg (to 1932, then to Landkreis Osnabrück)
*Landkreis Lingen, Lingen
*Landkreis Melle, Melle
*Landkreis Meppen, Meppen
*Landkreis Osnabrück, Osnabrück
*Landkreis Wittlage, Wittlage

Regierungsbezirk Stade

Stadtkreise

*Cuxhaven (from 1937, previously part of Hamburg)
*Geestemünde (1912–1924, then to Stadtkreis Wesermünde)
*Lehe (Bremerhaven), Lehe (1920–1924, then to Stadtkreis Wesermünde)
*Wesermünde (formed in 1924 from the counties of Geestemünde and Lehe (Bremerhaven), Lehe)

Landkreise

*Kreis Achim, Achim (to 1932, then to Landkreis Verden)
*Kreis Blumenthal, Blumenthal (to 1932, then to Landkreis Osterholz)
*Landkreis Bremervörde, Bremervörde
*Kreis Hadeln, Hadeln (county offices in Otterndorf, 1932 to Landkreis Land Hadeln)
*Kreis Jork, Jork (to 1932, then to counties of Stade and Harburg)
*Kreis Kehdingen, Kehdingen (to 1932, then to Landkreis Stade)
*Landkreis Land Hadeln, Land Hadeln (county offices in Otterndorf, formed in 1932 from the counties of Hadeln and Neuhaus an der Oste)
*Kreis Neuhaus an der Oste, Neuhaus an der Oste (to 1932, then to Landkreis Land Hadeln)
*Landkreis Osterholz, Osterholz (county offices in Osterholz-Scharmbeck)
*Landkreis Rotenburg (Wümme), Rotenburg i. Hann.
*Landkreis Stade, Stade
*Landkreis Verden, Verden
*Landkreis Wesermünde, Wesermünde (formed in 1932 from the counties of Landkreis Geestemünde, Geestemünde and Landkreis Lehe, Lehe)
*Kreis Zeven, Zeven (to 1932, then to Landkreis Bremervörde)

Presidents of the Province of Hanover

The heads of the provinces, appointed by the central Prussian government, were called Oberpräsident (Upper President). The provincial executive, the Landesdirektor (provincial director), was elected by the provincial parliament (Provinziallandtag).

*Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode 1867–1873
*Botho Wendt August Graf zu Eulenburg 1873–1878
*Adolf Hilmar von Leipziger 1878–1888
*Rudolf von Bennigsen 1888–1897
*Konstantin Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode 1898–1902
*Richard von Wentzel 1902–1914
*Ludwig Hubert von Windheim 1914–1917
*Ernst von Richter (German People's Party, DVP) 1917–1920
*Gustav Noske (Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD) 1920–1933
*Viktor Lutze (Nazi Party, NSDAP) 1933–1941
*Hartmann Lauterbacher (NSDAP) 1941–1945
*Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf (SPD) 1946

See also

* Kingdom of Hanover, for rulers of Hanover before the Prussian annexation

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanover, Province Of
Province of Hanover,
Provinces of Prussia
1868 establishments in Prussia
History of Hanover (region), Province of Hanover
1946 disestablishments in Germany