The Free State Bottleneck (German: Freistaat Flaschenhals) was a short-lived micronation that existed from 10 January 1919 until 25 February 1923. It was formed out of part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau as a consquence of the French and American occupation of the Rhineland following World War I. The Bottleneck is now part of the modern German state of Hesse. The micronation of Sealand Micronations – sometimes also referred to as a cybernations, fantasy countries, model countries, and new country projects – are entities that resemble independent nations or states but which are unrecognized by them, and which for the most part exist only on paper, on the Internet, or in the... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... This article is about a city that serves as a center of government and politics. ... Lorch is a town in Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose governance is based on popular representation and control. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... Europe between 1929 and 1938 The Interwar period (also interbellum) is understood within Western culture to be the period between the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe, specifically 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Occupation of the Varun Balan in 1923 and 1924, by troops from France and Belgium was a response to the failure of German Weimar Republic under Cuno to pay reparations in the aftermath of World War I. Initiated by French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré, the invasion took place on... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The micronation of Sealand Micronations – sometimes also referred to as a cybernations, fantasy countries, model countries, and new country projects – are entities that resemble independent nations or states but which are unrecognized by them, and which for the most part exist only on paper, on the Internet, or in the... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Hesse (German: Hessen) is a state of Germany with an area of 21,110 km² and just over six million inhabitants. ...

Creation

Following the Armistice of 1918, Allied forces occupied the German territory west of the Rhine. In order to maintain a military presence on the eastern side, the Allied powers extended their zones of occupation by the creation of three semi-circular bridgeheads of 30km radius, radiating from Cologne (British zone), Koblenz (American zone) and Mainz (French zone). Front page of the New York Times on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918 The armistice treaty between the Allies and Germany was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on November 11, 1918, and marked the end of the First World War on the Western Front. ... The Rhine (Dutch: ; French: ; German: ; Italian: ; Romansh: ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. ... For other uses, see Cologne (disambiguation). ... Map of the Koblenz region Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence) is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument ( Emperor William I on horseback) are situated. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ...

Owing to an error in measurement, the French and American zones did not meet. The resulting gap on the eastern side of the Rhine contained the Wisper valley and the towns of Lorch and Kaub. Surrounded by the two Allied bridgeheads, the Taunus range to the north-east and the Rhine to the south-west, this tiny region was effectively cut off from the rest of Germany and subsequently separated from the administration of the Weimar Republic. Owing to the circular nature of the Allied bridgeheads, this enclosed territory took on the shape of a bottleneck, hence the name that was given to the microstate, when it was declared on 10 January 1919. The Wisper is a 30 km long river in western Germany, right tributary of the Rhine. ... Lorch is a town in Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. ... Kaub, with the castles Pfalzgrafenstein and Gutenfels. ... View (from top of Frankfurt) of Altkoenig and Grosser Feldberg For the automobile, see Ford Taunus. ... It has been suggested that List of Weimar states be merged into this article or section. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Life in the Bottleneck

50 Pfennig postage stamp of the Bottleneck, containing a map showing how the two Allied bridgeheads give the state its bottleneck-like shape

The region contained approximately 8000 people and its largest town, Lorch, was established as its capital. The mayor of Lorch, E. Pnischeck, was subsequently elected as president of this small territory. Pnischeck headed the Bottleneck's administration for the time of its existance, which even oversaw the production of its own stamps and currency. Lorch is a town in Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. ...

There were no roads connecting the Bottleneck to unoccupied Germany, trains were not permitted to stop there, and air or river transportation was impossible. The movement of goods and post to and from the state was only made possible by smuggling. One time, a French train loaded with coal from the Ruhr valley was hijacked from neighbouring Rüdesheim and taken to the Bottleneck, where the coal was distributed among the populace for heating purposes.^[1] A skirmish with smugglers from Finland at the Russian border, 1853, by Vasily Hudiakov. ... Geography Map of the Ruhr Area The Ruhr Area (German Ruhrgebiet or, colloquially, Ruhrpott) is a metropolitan area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, consisting of a number of large industrial cities bordered by the rivers Ruhr to the south, Rhine to the west, and Lippe to the north. ... Rüdesheim is a German town located in the heart of the Rhine river area at the southern entrance to the Lorelei valley. ...

Foreign relations

The state issued its own passports to its citizens, and had plans to establish an embassy in Berlin. Furthermore, it was intended to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, but the state ceased to exist before these plans were realised.^[2]

Abolition

After four years of existance, the Free State Bottleneck was abolished on 23 February 1923 following the French Occupation of the Ruhr. The Bottleneck was eventually reincorporated with the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau. February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Occupation of the Varun Balan in 1923 and 1924, by troops from France and Belgium was a response to the failure of German Weimar Republic under Cuno to pay reparations in the aftermath of World War I. Initiated by French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré, the invasion took place on... Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 Prussia (German: ; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Lithuanian: ; Polish: ; Old Prussian: Prūsa) was, most recently, a historic state originating in Brandenburg, an area which for centuries had substantial influence on German and European history. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ...

Flaschenhals sign on the bank of the Rhine

The Bottleneck today

The territory that formerly comprised the Bottleneck is now part of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. The history of the Bottleneck is now a tourist attraction in the area, particulary in the former Free State's major towns of Lorch and Kaub. St. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Lorch is a town in Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. ... Kaub, with the castles Pfalzgrafenstein and Gutenfels. ...

Bottleneck stamps and currency are now sought-after rarities. Wine that was smuggled in from occupied Germany and stored in Lorch and Kaub can also fetch high prices.

See also

• Free Republic of Scwarzenberg

References

External Links

• "Official" website of the Free State Bottleneck