Minister President of Prussia
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The minister-president, or prime minister, of Prussia was the head of government of the Prussian state. This important role began in 1848 when King Frederick William IV created it during the 1848–49 Revolution. The minister-president helped lead Prussia through many changes and challenges over the years.
Prussia was a big and powerful state in Germany, and its leader played a key part in shaping the country's history. The office of minister-president continued until 1947 when Prussia was dissolved by the Allied Control Council after World War II. During this time, the minister-presidents worked closely with kings and emperors to guide Prussia through times of peace and war.
History of the office
The minister-president of Prussia was the main leader of the government in Prussia. This role started in 1848 when the Kingdom of Prussia created a new government system. The minister-president worked closely with the king and led the Landtag, which was the group of people who made laws.
Later, after Germany became one country in 1871, the person in this role was often also the leader of all of Germany. After World War I, the role changed again. But during the time of Nazi Germany, Prussia’s special government was removed. Finally, after World War II, Prussia and this job no longer existed.
Chief ministers of the Kingdom of Prussia (1702–1848)
The leaders of the government in Prussia from 1702 to 1848 were called chief ministers. Here is a list of the people who held this important job during that time:
- 1702–1711: Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg
- 1711–1728: Heinrich Rüdiger von Ilgen
- 1728–1739: Friedrich Wilhelm von Grumbkow
- 1739–1749: Heinrich von Podewils
- 1749–1753: Georg Dietloff von Arnim-Boitzenburg
- 1749–1777: Count Karl-Wilhelm Finck von Finckenstein
- 1777–1802: Friedrich Anton von Heynitz
- 1786–1798: Friedrich Wilhelm von Arnim-Boitzenburg
- 1802–1804: Count Christian Heinrich Kurt von Haugwitz (1st term)
- 1804–1806: Count Karl August von Hardenberg (1st term)
- 1806–1804: Count Christian Heinrich Kurt von Haugwitz (2nd term)
- 1806–1807: Carl Friedrich von Beyme
- 1807–1800: Count Karl August von Hardenberg (2nd term)
- 1807–1808: Baron Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein
- 1808–1810: Count Karl Friedrich Ferdinand Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten
- 1810–1822: Prince Karl August von Hardenberg (3rd term)
- 1822–1823: Otto von Voß[clarification needed]
- 1823–1841: Count Carl Friedrich Heinrich, Graf von Wylich und Lottum[clarification needed]
- 1841–1848: Ludwig Gustav von Thile
These leaders helped guide Prussia during a time of big changes.
List of minister-presidents of Prussia (1848–1945)
Minister-presidents of the Kingdom of Prussia (1848–1918)
The role of minister-president in Prussia started in 1848. This was when King Frederick William IV created the position during a big change in the country. Many people held this important job over the years.
Minister-presidents of the Free State of Prussia (1918–1945)
After World War I, Prussia became a free state, and the minister-president role continued until 1945. Different groups, like the SPD and others, had leaders in this role during this time.
Timeline
The timeline shows how the leaders changed from 1848 until Prussia ended in 1945.
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
| Count Adolf Heinrich von Arnim-Boitzenburg (1803–1868) | 19 March 1848 | 29 March 1848 | 10 | Non-partisan | ||
| Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen (1803–1890) | 29 March 1848 | 20 June 1848 | 83 | Non-partisan | ||
| Rudolf von Auerswald (1795–1866) | 25 June 1848 | 8 September 1848 | 75 | Non-partisan | ||
| Ernst von Pfuel (1779–1866) | 21 September 1848 | 1 November 1848 | 41 | Non-partisan | ||
| Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg (1792–1850) | 2 November 1848 | 6 November 1850 | 734 | Non-partisan | ||
| Baron Otto Theodor von Manteuffel (1805–1882) | 9 December 1850 | 6 November 1858 | 2889 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Karl Anton von Hohenzollern (1811–1885) | 6 November 1858 | 12 March 1862 | 1222 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (1797–1873) | 17 March 1862 | 23 September 1862 | 190 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) First term | 23 September 1862 | 1 January 1873 | 3753 | Non-partisan | ||
| Count Albrecht von Roon (1803–1879) | 1 January 1873 | 9 November 1873 | 312 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) Second term | 9 November 1873 | 20 March 1890 | 5975 | Non-partisan | ||
| Count Leo von Caprivi (1831–1899) | 20 March 1890 | 22 March 1892 | 733 | Non-partisan | ||
| Count Botho zu Eulenburg (1831–1912) | 22 March 1892 | 26 October 1894 | 948 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (1819–1901) | 29 October 1894 | 17 October 1900 | 2179 | Non-partisan | ||
| Prince Bernhard von Bülow (1849–1929) | 17 October 1900 | 14 July 1909 | 3192 | Non-partisan | ||
| Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (1856–1921) | 14 July 1909 | 13 July 1917 | 2921 | Non-partisan | ||
| Georg Michaelis (1857–1936) | 14 July 1917 | 1 November 1917 | 110 | Non-partisan | ||
| Count Georg von Hertling (1843–1919) | 1 November 1917 | 30 September 1918 | 333 | Centre | ||
| Prince Maximilian von Baden (1867–1929) | 3 October 1918 | 9 November 1918 | 37 | Non-partisan | ||
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
| Minister-presidents of the Free State of Prussia in the Weimar Republic | ||||||
| Paul Hirsch (1868–1940) | 12 November 1918 | 27 March 1920 | 501 | Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| Heinrich Ströbel (1869–1944) Co-prime minister | 12 November 1918 | 9 January 1919 | 29 | Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| Otto Braun (1872–1955) First term | 27 March 1920 | 21 April 1921 | 390 | Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| Adam Stegerwald (1874–1945) | 21 April 1921 | 5 November 1921 | 198 | Centre Party | ||
| Otto Braun (1872–1955) Second term | 5 November 1921 | 18 February 1925 | 1201 | Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| Wilhelm Marx (1863–1946) | 18 February 1925 | 6 April 1925 | 47 | Centre Party | ||
| Otto Braun (1872–1955) Third term | 6 April 1925 | 20 July 1932 | 2662 | Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
| Franz von Papen (1879–1969) | Reichskommissar | 136 | Non-partisan | |||
| 20 July 1932 | 3 December 1932 | |||||
| Kurt von Schleicher (1882–1934) | Reichskommissar | 56 | Non-partisan | |||
| 3 December 1932 | 28 January 1933 | |||||
| Franz von Papen (1879–1969) | Reichskommissar | 70 | Non-partisan | |||
| 30 January 1933 | 10 April 1933 | |||||
| Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) | Reichsstatthalter | 730 | Nazi Party | |||
| 30 January 1933 | 30 January 1935 | |||||
| Minister-president of the Free State of Prussia in Nazi Germany | ||||||
| Hermann Göring (1893–1946) | Ministerpräsident | 4396 | Nazi Party | |||
| 10 April 1933 | 23 April 1945 | |||||
| Reichsstatthalter | 3736 | |||||
| 30 January 1935 | 23 April 1945 | |||||
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Minister President of Prussia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.
Safekipedia