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Province of Hanover
*Provinz Hannover* (German)
Province of Hanover Provinz Hannover (German)
Province of Prussia
1866–1946
	Flag Coat of arms
	; The Province of Hanover (red), within the Kingdom of Prussia (blue and red), within the German Empire (blue, red, and beige)
	;
Capital	Hanover
Area
• Coordinates	52°22′N 9°43′E / 52.367°N 9.717°E
• 1939	38,705 km2 (14,944 sq mi)
Population
• 1939	3.537.390
History
• Established	1866
• Disestablished	1946
Political subdivisions	Aurich; Hanover; Hildesheim; Lüneburg; Osnabrück; Stade;
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Kingdom of Hanover
State of Hanover
State of Mecklenburg
Today part of	Germany

The Province of Hanover (German: Provinz Hannover) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1866 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 August 1946, the British military administration recreated the State of Hanover based on the former Kingdom of Hanover but, three months later, it was merged into the new state (Bundesland) of Lower Saxony along with the states of Oldenburg, Brunswick, and Schaumburg-Lippe,^[1] 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.

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 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 Oldenburg)

Landkreise

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

Regierungsbezirk Hannover

Stadtkreise

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

Landkreise

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

Regierungsbezirk Hildesheim

Stadtkreise

Göttingen
Goslar (to 1941, then to Brunswick)
Hildesheim

Landkreise

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

Regierungsbezirk Lüneburg

Stadtkreise

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

Landkreise

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

Regierungsbezirk Osnabrück

Stadtkreise

Osnabrück

Landkreise

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

Regierungsbezirk Stade

Stadtkreise

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

Landkreise

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