Duchy of Nassau: Map & History
The Duchy of Nassau was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what became the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.
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The Duchy of Nassau was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what became the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, later extinct, was the House of Nassau. The duchy was named after the Nassau Castle, itself after its historical core city, Nassau, although Wiesbaden rather than Nassau was its capital. In 1865, the Duchy of Nassau had 465,636 inhabitants. After being occupied and annexed into the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866 following the Austro-Prussian War, it was incorporated into the Province of Hesse-Nassau. The area is a geographical and historical region, Nassau, and Nassau is also the name of the Nassau Nature Park within the borders of the former duchy.
Modern Countries Once Part of Duchy of Nassau
At its mapped extent, Duchy of Nassau covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Duchy of Nassau's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Duchy of Nassau in Depth
History
The House of Nassau produced many collateral lines in the course of its nearly one-thousand-year history. Up to the 18th century, the three main lines were the small princedoms of Nassau-Usingen, Nassau-Weilburg, and Nassau-Dietz (later Orange-Nassau), with large, scattered territories in what is now the Netherlands and Belgium. From 1736, many treaties and agreements were made between the different lines (The Nassau Family Pact), which prevented further splitting of territories and enabled general political co-ordination between the branches. In this context, the administrative subdivisions of the individual territories were adjusted, laying the foundations for the later unification of the territories.
Economy
The economic situation of the small Duchy was precarious. The majority of the land area of the country was Mittelgebirge, which had little agricultural value and represented a substantial barrier to internal transport. Even so, more than a third of the population worked on their own farmland, which was broken up into small areas as a result of partible inheritance. This smallholdings generally had to supplement their income from other sources – often in the Westerwald, this was by service as a peddler. Among tradesmen, the overwhelming majority were artisans.
The Duchy belonged the south German currency area. The most important denomination was therefore the guilder. This was minted for use as currency money.
Geography
The territory of the duchy was essentially congruent with the Taunus and Westerwald mountain ranges. The southern and western borders were formed by the Main and the Rhine, while in the northern part of the territory, the Lahn river separated the two mountain ranges. The neighbouring territory to the east and south was the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg and the Free City of Frankfurt were also to the east. To the west was the Rhine Province of the Kingdom of Prussia, which also controlled an exclave in the eastern part of Nassau, called Wetzlar.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Nassau (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Nassau Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Duchy of Nassau appears, with the other states of the time.
Duchy of Nassau Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 16,877 km² in 1810 CE.
Duchy of Nassau: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Nassau exist?
Duchy of Nassau is dated to 1806 CE – 1865 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Nassau?
The capital of Duchy of Nassau was Weilburg, (1806–1816), Wiesbaden, (1816–1866).
How large was Duchy of Nassau at its peak?
At its peak in 1810 Duchy of Nassau covered about 16,877 km².
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