republic · Germany and Central Europe

Free State of Prussia

1918 CE – 1947 CE · capital Berlin

Republican Prussia, Germany's largest state and a democratic bulwark under Social Democrats until a coup in 1932.

Origins

With William II's abdication in November 1918 the Kingdom of Prussia became a republic. A constitution of 1920 created the Free State of Prussia, covering about three-fifths of Germany's territory and population, from East Prussia to the Rhineland, though it lost territory to Poland, Belgium and Denmark under the Treaty of Versailles.

Rule and society

Prussia was governed for most of the 1920s by a coalition of Social Democrats, the Catholic Centre and liberals under Minister-President Otto Braun, with a police force loyal to the republic. In July 1932 Chancellor Franz von Papen removed the Prussian government by decree, the Preußenschlag. Under the Nazis, Hermann Göring became minister-president and Prussia lost its separate statehood in practice.

Decline and legacy

After 1945 Prussia's eastern territories passed to Poland and the Soviet Union, and its Germans were expelled. The Allied Control Council formally abolished Prussia by Law No. 46 on 25 February 1947.

Lineage

Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck 1180 CE – 1937 CEFree and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 1226 CE – 1937 CEKingdom of Prussia 1701 CE – 1918 CEPrincipality of Birkenfeld 1817 CE – 1937 CEFree State of Waldeck 1918 CE – 1929 CEFree State Bottleneck 1919 CE – 1923 CEFree State of Prussia

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free State of Prussia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-prussia
MLA
“Free State of Prussia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-prussia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Free State of Prussia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-prussia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free State of Prussia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-state-of-prussia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻