Kreis Goldap
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The Goldap district was a Prussian district in East Prussia that existed from 1818 to 1945. Its territory is now divided between the Polish Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast.54°18′58″N 22°18′34″E / 54.31611°N 22.30944°E
Kingdom of Prussia
On 1 September 1818 the new Goldap district was formed in Regierungsbezirk Gumbinnen from parts of the old Insterburg district. This included the parishes of Dubeningken, Gawaiten, Goldap, Grabowen, Gurnen, Mehlkehmen, Szirgupönen (from 1824) and Szittkehmen. The district office was in Goldap.
On 1 February 1843 a major exchange of territory took place between the district of Goldap and the district of Stallupönen. The parish of Mehlkehmen was transferred from the district of Goldap to the district of Stallupönen, and in return, the parish of Tollmingkehmen was transferred from the district of Stallupönen to the district of Goldap.
Germany
Since 1871, the district belonged to the German Empire. After the province of Prussia was divided into the provinces of East Prussia and West Prussia, the Goldap district became part of East Prussia on 1 April 1878.
In the spring of 1945 the district was occupied by the Red Army and in the summer of 1945, the Soviet occupation forces placed the southern part of the district including the district town of Goldap under Polish administration and the northern part under Soviet administration, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement. The German population either fled or were subsequently expelled from the district by the local administrative authorities.
Demographics
The Goldap district had a majority German population, with significant minorities of Poles and Lithuanians. The vast majority of the population (99.1% in 1849) was Protestant.[1]
| Year | 1837 | 1849 | 1861 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germans | 25,516 | 80.5% | 31,417 | 87.7% | 37,584 | 91.2% |
| Poles | 3,333 | 10.5% | 2,358 | 6.6% | 1,947 | 4.7% |
| Lithuanians | 2,854 | 9.0% | 2,047 | 5.7% | 1,700 | 4.1% |
| Total | 31,703 | 35,822 | 41,231 | |||
