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Which territories did Prussia gain after the Congress of Vienna?
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Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna, watercolor etching by August Friedrich Andreas Campe; in the collection of the State Borodino War and History Museum, Moscow.
Following the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), Prussia received significant territorial additions that shifted its center of gravity toward western and central Germany. These acquisitions included:12
- Province of Saxony: Prussia gained areas from the kingdom of Saxony, specifically Wittenberg, Torgau, northern Thuringia, and most of Lusatia, which were merged with older Prussian territories to form this new province.13
- Rhineland and Westphalia: Prussia acquired extensive territories west and east of the Rhine River, which were organized into the Prussian Rhine province and the province of Westphalia.12
- Pomerania: The formerly Swedish part of Vorpommern, including Rügen Island, was merged with existing Prussian holdings to form the province of Pomerania.1
- Saar Region: Under the Peace of Paris (1815), France ceded Saarlouis and Saarbrücken to Prussia, which were incorporated into the Rhine province.1
These gains established Prussia as a strategic defender of Germany's western boundary and a major power in the German Confederation.12