Prussian Settlement Commission - Legislation

Legislation

As the economic approach showed to be a failure, various laws were enacted to promote the Settlement Commission's aims.

• 1896: Land acquired from the commission could be sold freely only to the settler's next of kin: the commission's approval was required for any other sale.
• 1904: The Prussian Government sought to restrict Poles from acquiring land, if this would interfere with the goals of the commission. Any new settlement required a building permit, even if it were only for renovation of an existing building to make it habitable. Local officials routinely denied these permits to Poles. The law faced international criticism and opposition from liberal groups concerned about private property rights. The Prussian Administrative High Court ended this legislation
• 1908: The Prussian diet passed a law permitting the forcible expropriation of Polish landowners by the Settlement Commission. In 1912, four Polish large estates of 1,656 ha were expropriated. The law faced criticism from international community and liberals concerned about the free market rights. Additionally, the Austrian State Council, upon the request of the Poles, who enjoyed considerable autonomy and influence in Austro-Hungary, condemned the actions of German government. Rota, a patriotic poem by Maria Konopnicka was created as response to this law. Newspapers in Europe wrote that Prussia is becoming a "police state". In part due to those protests, the law's execution was delayed until 1914.
• 1913: To prevent Poles redistributing their land to other Poles, a law was passed that forbade the dividing of private land without the agreement of the state.

Other measures in support of the Germanisation policy included:

• Ethnic Germans were favoured in government contracts and only they won them, while Poles always lost.
• Ethnic Germans were also promoted in investment plans, supply contracts.
• German craftsmen in Polish territories received the best locations in cities from authorities so that they could start their own business and prosper.
• Soldiers received orders that banned them from buying in Polish shops and from Poles under the threat of arrest.
• German merchantmen were encouraged to settle in Polish territories.
• Tax incentives and beneficial financial arrangements were proposed to German officials and clerks if they would settle in Polish inhabited provinces.