Old Western Pomerania

Old Western Pomerania or Old Hither Pomerania (Altvorpommern or Alt-Vorpommern) was that part of Western Pomerania that went to Prussia under the terms of the Treaty of Stockholm in 1720.

The name Old Western Pomerania was first used when that area of Swedish Pomerania that had been remained with Sweden after the Treaty of Stockholm, later transferred to Prussia under the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and was named New Western Pomerania or New Hither Pomerania.

Whilst New Hither Pomerania enjoyed a special legal status within the Prussian state after 1815, this was not the case for Old  Western Pomerania or Farther Pomerania  (Hinterpommern). Nevertheless, the Pomeranian Provincial Parliament, also formed in 1823, was elected separately by New Western Pomerania, Old Western Pomerania and Farther Pomerania. Whilst New Western Pomerania was given its own Regional Parliament (for New Western Pomerania and Rügen) in 1823, a joint Regional Parliament for Old Hither Pomerania and Farther Pomerania was formed. Both regional parliaments continued to exist until 1881.

With the gradual loss of New Hither Pomerania's special status, the names New and Old Western Pomerania also fell out of use.

Literature

 * Johannes Hinz: Pommern-Lexikon. Geographie, Geschichte, Kultur. Lizenzausgabe. Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg, 1996, ISBN 3-86047-185-6, p. 31.