Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine

The Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine (German: Großherzogtum Niederrhein), or simply known as the Lower Rhine Province (Provinz Niederrhein), was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and existed from 1815 to 1822.

Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine
Großherzogtum Niederrhein
Province of Kingdom of Prussia
1815–1822

The Lower Rhine Province (red), within the Kingdom of Prussia (blue), within the German Confederation (member states in tan)
CapitalKoblenz
Area
  Coordinates50°22′N 7°36′E
Population 
 1816
951998
 1822
1042724
History 
 Established
1815
 Disestablished
1822
Political subdivisionsAachen
Koblenz
Trier
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Electorate of Trier
Manderscheid
Malmedy
Free Imperial City of Aachen
Palatinate
Luxembourg
Duchy of Limburg
Rhine Province
Today part ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Hesse
Saarland
Eupen-Malmedy

The province was created after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, where Frederick William III was given the Rhineland and with it the title of Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine. This allowed Prussia to consolidate its Rhenish territories held since 1803, such as the Electorate of Trier, County of Manderscheid, Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy, the previously Free Imperial City of Aachen, parts of Luxembourg and Limburg, as well as a few other small territories. On 22 April 1816, these territories were combined to form the Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine, with the provincial capital situated in Koblenz.

On 22 June 1822, by order of the Prussian cabinet, this province was fused with the neighbouring (lower) Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg to form the Rhine Province, of which the former duchy was the upper part.

References


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