Prussian-Hessian Customs Union

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prussian-Hessian Zollverein on a map from 1872

The Prussian-Hessian Customs Union was founded as a customs union in 1828 between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Grand Duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt and remained in existence until the German Customs Union came into force in 1834.

Emergence

Prussian Law Gazette with a copy of the Customs Union Treaty between the Hessian-Prussian and the South German Customs Union of March 22, 1833

After the end of Napoleonic rule, efforts to remove customs and trade barriers in the territory of the German Confederation began at various levels . The aim was primarily to improve government revenues. Against this background, Prussia began to create a unified customs area when a new customs law was passed in October 1818. The government began systematically to persuade smaller states located in the Prussian state to join the system. To this end, it started negotiations with the so-called enclaves. On October 25, 1819, the first contract with Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was signed . This was followed by contracts on June 24, 1822 with Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt , and on June 27, 1823 Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach over the areas of Allstedt and Oldisleben and the Principality of Lippe from 9/17. June 1826 over the areas of Lipperode, Cappel and Grevenhagen and with Mecklenburg-Schwerin on December 2, 1826 over the areas of Rossow, Netzband and Schönberg.

A central problem for Prussia was its state territory, which was split into an eastern and a western part due to the territorial gains made by the Congress of Vienna . Therefore, the governments wanted to persuade the larger states in between to join the Prussian customs system in order to create an economic area encompassing the entire national territory. The Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of these potential partners. Between 1820 and 1823, as part of the negotiations for a southern German customs union, it played a leading role in the attempt to create their own customs union together with Hessen-Kassel , Nassau and Baden . However, despite a short-lived trade agreement signed in 1824 between Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt, these approaches finally got stuck. The customs conferences held in Stuttgart with Bavaria , Württemberg and Baden also failed in 1825. Therefore , on February 14, 1828, the Grand Duchy of Hesse , which had emerged from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, finally gave in to Prussian advertising. Looking back, this agreement was important because Prussia succeeded for the first time in gaining influence on the other side of the Main line and, in economic and financial policy, building a bridge between the previously separate parts of the country.

structure

The Prussian Finance Minister Friedrich von Motz saw the agreement with Hessen-Darmstadt only as a first step towards a far more comprehensive customs union. Unlike in the case of the small enclaves, the Prussian government therefore renounced official dominance in relation to Hesse-Darmstadt and also accepted some disadvantages, such as the Hessian obligation to approve Prussian trade agreements that violate Hessian interests. Nevertheless, the agreement meant that Hessen-Darmstadt took over the Prussian customs system and the grand-ducal customs administration was "organized in line with the royal Prussian customs administration". The customs borders were lifted between the two states. The trade in salt, playing cards, brandy, beer, vinegar, tobacco and wine was excluded from this. Changes in the customs tariff required the approval of both countries. The income was divided between Hessen-Darmstadt and the Prussian provinces of Rhineland and Westphalia according to the population of the area involved (in the case of Prussia, the Rhine province and Westphalia).

As a result of the enclave treaties, besides Prussia and Hessen-Darmstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and some smaller exclaves from other countries also belonged to the customs union. Following the connection to the Prussian tax and customs system, Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen became part of the customs union in July 1828 . Other smaller areas followed in 1829 and 1830 (Meisenheim, Lichtenberg, Birkenfeld). The accession of Hessen-Kassel in 1831 became important because the competing Mitteldeutsche Handelsverein was severely weakened. Waldeck followed in 1832 with a large part of the national territory.

The duration of the contract was limited to December 31, 1834. Not least through the mediation of the publisher Johann Friedrich Cotta , the Prussian-Hessian and the South German Zollverein came closer together . In 1829, the two agreed to grant each other duty exemption for domestic products. This paved the way for the German Customs Union of 1834.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm von Weber: The German customs union, history of its origin and development (2nd edition) . Veit & Comp, Leipzig 1871, p. 54 ( on: books.google.de ).
  2. ^ Wilhelm von Weber: The German customs union, history of its origin and development (2nd edition) . Veit & Comp, Leipzig 1871, p. 55 ( on: books.google.de ).
  3. ^ Wilhelm von Weber: The German customs union, history of its origin and development (2nd edition) . Veit & Comp, Leipzig 1871, p. 64 ( on: books.google.de ).
  4. ↑ Article 5 of the treaty of February 14, 1828.
  5. ↑ Article 2 of the contract of February 14, 1828, cited above. after Manfred Görtemaker : Germany in the 19th century. 4th edition. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 1994. ISBN 3-8100-1336-6 , p. 170.