Free State of Bottleneck
Free State of Bottleneck Freistaat Flaschenhals (German) | |||||||||
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1919–1923 | |||||||||
Status | Unoccupied territory within post-World War I Germany | ||||||||
Capital | Lorch | ||||||||
Common languages | German | ||||||||
Government | Republic | ||||||||
President | |||||||||
Historical era | Interwar period | ||||||||
• Established | 10 January 1919 | ||||||||
23 February 1923 | |||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• 1920 | 17,363 | ||||||||
Currency | Freistaattaler | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Today part of | Germany |
The Free State of Bottleneck (German: Freistaat Flaschenhals) was a short-lived quasi-state that existed from 10 January 1919 until 25 February 1923. It was formed out of part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau as a consequence of the occupation of the Rhineland following World War I. The Bottleneck is now part of the modern German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Creation
Following the
The French and American zones did not meet entirely, leaving a narrow gap on the eastern side of the Rhine containing the
Surrounded by the two Allied bridgeheads, the Rhine to the south-west and no roads nor railways to speak of towards the north-east, this tiny region was effectively cut off from the rest of Germany and subsequently separated from the administration of the Weimar Republic.
Owing to the circular nature of the Allied bridgeheads, this enclosed territory took on the shape of a bottleneck, hence the name that was given to the microstate, when it was declared on 10 January 1919.
Life in the Bottleneck
The region contained approximately 17,000 people and its largest town,
There were no roads connecting the Bottleneck to unoccupied Germany, trains were not permitted to stop there, and air or river transportation was impossible. The movement of goods and post to and from the state was only made possible by
Foreign relations
The state issued its own passports to its citizens, and had plans to establish an embassy in Berlin. Furthermore, it was intended to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, but the state ceased to exist before these plans were realised.[2]
Abolition
After four years of existence, the Free State of Bottleneck was abolished on 23 February 1923 following the French Occupation of the Ruhr. The Bottleneck was eventually reincorporated with the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau.
The Bottleneck today
The territory that formerly comprised the Bottleneck is now part of the
Bottleneck stamps and currency are now sought-after rarities. Wine that was smuggled in from occupied Germany and stored in Lorch and Kaub can also fetch high prices.
See also
References
- ^ ""Official" website of the Free State of Bottleneck". Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2007-05-03.[dead link]
- ^ (in German) Lebendige Geschichte: Vor 80 Jahren: der Freistaat Flaschenhals Archived 2006-03-05 at archive.today Hessischer Rundfunk
External links
- Official website of the Free State of Bottleneck (German language)