Bremen-Verden

Duchies of Bremen and Verden
Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden (German)
Hertigdömet Bremen och
Hertigdömet Verden
 (Swedish)
1648–1807
1813–1823
1807-1810 French military administration
1810 annexed by Westphalia and
1811-1813 annexed by France
Coat of arms of Bremen-Verden
Coat of arms
Former Bremen-Verden as of 1730 (in light pink) pasted over today's state borders (grey) and former region borders (white, as of 1977) with broken lines, indicating their changes between 1731 and 1977. At the northern tip the Land of Hadeln and Cuxhaven are excluded.[1]
Former Bremen-Verden as of 1730 (in light pink) pasted over today's state borders (grey) and former region borders (white, as of 1977) with broken lines, indicating their changes between 1731 and 1977. At the northern tip the Land of Hadeln and Cuxhaven are excluded.[1]
StatusStates of the Holy Roman Empire, enfeoffed to
1) the Swedish Crown in 1648
2) the Hanoverian Crown in 1733
CapitalStade
Common languagesLow Saxon, German
Religion
mostly Lutherans,
some Calvinists, very few Jews and Catholics
GovernmentAbsolute monarchies in personal union
Monarch 
• 1648–1654
Christina
• 1654–1660
Charles X Gustav
• 1660–1697
•1697–1712
Charles XI
Charles XII
• 1715–1727
George I Louis
• 1727–1760
George II Augustus
• 1760–1820
George III
• 1820–1823
George IV
Governor-general 
• 1646–1663
H. C. Königsmarck
• 1668–1693, de facto
interrupted 1676–9
Henrik Horn
LegislatureLandschaft (also Stiftstände), convening at Landtage or Tohopesaten (diets)
Historical eraAbsolutism (European history)
• Prince-bishoprics of
 Bremen a. Verden
 secularised by the
 Westphalian Peace
 
 
 
15 May 1648
1653–1654
1657–1658
1666
1675–
1679
• Danish occupation
 (Gr. Northern War)
• purchase by Hano-ver from Danes and Swedes
 (Stockholm Treaty)
Hadeln assigned
French invasion
 (7 Years' War)
1712–
1715

1715 and
1719

1731

1757
• occupied by Branden-burg-Prussia (2nd Coalition ag. France)
French occupation
 (Conv. of Artlenburg)
Prussian occupation
• French occupation (4th Coalition ag. France)
• annexed by Westphalia
• annexed by France
 
1801

1803–
1805
1805–1806
1807–
1810

1810

1811–1813
• Restitution (Battle
 of the Nations
)

1813
1823
CurrencyRixdollar
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen
Bishopric of Verden Prince-Bishopric of Verden
Free Imperial City of Verden Verden (Aller)
Hadeln Land Hadeln
Kingdom of Hanover
Prince-Bishopric of Münster

Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden (German pronunciation: [ˈfɛɐ̯dən]; German: Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden), were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained imperial immediacy in 1180. By their original constitution they were prince-bishoprics of the Archdiocese of Bremen and Bishopric of Verden.

In 1648, both prince-bishoprics were secularised, meaning that they were transformed into hereditary monarchies by constitution, and from then on both the Duchy of Bremen and the Duchy of Verden were always ruled in personal union, initially by the royal houses of Sweden, the House of Vasa and the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, and later by the House of Hanover.

With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Bremen-Verden's status as fiefs of imperial immediacy became void; as they had been in personal union with the neighbouring Kingdom of Hanover, they were incorporated into that state.

  1. ^ This map shows the ambit of today's Landschaft der Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden (analogously in English: Estates of the Duchies of Bremen and Verden), which is a public-law corporation established in 1865 succeeding the estates of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (established in 1397), now providing the local fire insurance in the shown area and supporting with its surplusses cultural efforts in and scientific works on the area. The ambit covers almost exactly the former Duchies of Bremen and Verden except of some of Bremen's northern quarters, incorporated in 1939, which prior belonged to the Landschaft's ambit too.