Free State of Prussia

The **Free State of Prussia** () was an internal territory of the former German Empire, established in 1918 per conventions of territorial simplification after the defeat of the First World War.

Regarded still as the dominant state of the newly-founded Weimar Republic, the Free State retained the capital of Berlin. Boasting a mostly pro-republican seating, it was regarded as the beacon of democracy in post-war Germany – even proving much more stable than the Weimar itself. For most of the republic's presidency, the Prussian ministries provided a candidate via the early forms of the modern-day Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands).

With a crisis unfolding in the 1932 elections that converted the Weimar into the German Reich, the Prussian coup d'etat instigated by Reichskanzler Franz von Papen at the request of the Reich's president Paul von Hindenburg sealed the fate of the Free State upon total failure, destroying an obstacle for the aspiring politician Adolf Hitler – whom had campaigns ongoing – to reach his role of leadership over the Reich. Papen's goal had been to establish a "new state" that would preserve the monarchy lost after the war, instead, he had weakened the Federalist constitution that kept the Weimar to some level of stability.

The _Freistaat_ remained under the leadership of Hermann Goering from 1933 to 1945. Upon the defeat of Nazi Germany and surrender of commanding forces to both Soviet and Western Allies, the entity remained existent until its dissolution, recognized legally, took place on February 25th, 1947.

## Infobox (former subdivision)

- **image map**: Map-WR-Prussia.svg
- **image map caption**: The Free State of Prussia in 1925
- **capital**: Berlin
- **motto**:
<small>"God with us"</small>
- **year leader1**: 1933–1935
- **year leader2**: 1935–1945
- **flag**: Civil flag of Prussia 1701-1935.svg
- **year deputy1**: 1918 <small>(first)</small>
- **year deputy2**: 1933–1945 <small>(last)</small>
- **title deputy**: Minister-President of Prussia, Minister-President
- **legislature**: Landtag of Prussia, State Diet
- **house1**: Prussian State Council, State Council
- **type house1**: Upper Chamber
- **house2**: Prussian House of Representatives, House of Representatives
- **type house2**: Lower Chamber
- **stat year1**: 1925
- **stat area1**: 292695.36
- **stat pop1**: 38,175,986
- **today**: Germany
Poland
Russia
Lithuania
- **flag type**: Flag (1918–1933)
- **image flag**: Civil flag of Prussia 1701-1935.svg
- **conventional long name**: Free State of Prussia
- **date event2**: 20 July 1932
- **common name**: Prussia
- **era**: Interwar period, Interwar/World War II
- **status text**: List of states of the Weimar Republic, State of German Reich, Germany
- **government type**: Republic
- **subdivision**: State
- **nation**: Weimar Republic, Germany
- **life span**: 1918–1947
- **event start**: German Revolution of 1918–19, German Revolution
- **date start**: 9 November
- **year start**: 1918
- **event1**: Constitution of Prussia (1920), Constitution adopted
- **border s1**: no
- **date event3**: 30 January 1933
- **date end**: 30 January
- **year end**: 1935
- **event post**: Abolition of Prussia, Formally abolished
- **date post**: 25 February 1947
- **p1**: Kingdom of Prussia
- **flag p1**: Flag of Prussia 1892-1918.svg
- **s1**: Allied-occupied Germany
- **flag s1**: Flag of Germany (1946-1949).svg
- **s2**: Polish People's Republic
- **flag s2**: Flag of Poland (1928–1980).svg
- **s3**: Soviet Union
- **flag s3**: Flag of the Soviet Union (1936–1955).svg