Kreis Labiau

Kreis Labiau was a district in East Prussia that existed from 1818 to 1945. It was located on the southeastern coast of the Curonian Lagoon and had the town of Labiau as its capital.

History

Since the East Prussian district reform of 1752, the largest part of the area of the future Labiau district belonged to the Tapiau district, which included Labiau, Tapiau and Taplacken.^[1][2] As part of the Prussian administrative reforms, the “Ordinance for Improved Establishment of the Provincial Authorities” of 30 April 1815 resulted in the need for a comprehensive district reform in all of East Prussia, as the districts established in 1752 had proven to be inexpedient and too large. On 1 February 1818 the new district of Labiau was formed from the northern part of the Tapiau district in the Königsberg Region of the Prussian province of East Prussia.

Since 1871, the district belonged to the German Reich. In the spring of 1945, the district was occupied by the Red Army and then came under Soviet administration. The remaining German population was subsequently expelled. Today this territory belongs to the Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia.

Demographics

According to the Prussian census of 1867, the Labiau district had a population of 50,467, of which 39,225 (77.7%) were Germans and 11,242 (22.3%) were Lithuanians.^[3]

References

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Administrative units of the Prussian Province East Prussia 1878–1945

Allenstein government region
Urban Districts (Stadtkreise)	Allenstein
Rural districts (Landkreise)	Kreis Allenstein [de] Kreis Johannisburg  [de] Kreis Lötzen  [de] Kreis Lyck  [de] Kreis Ortelsburg  [de] Kreis Osterode [de] Kreis Neidenburg  [de] Kreis Rößel Kreis Sensburg  [de]

Königsberg government region
Urban Districts (Stadtkreise)	Königsberg
Rural districts (Landkreise)	Kreis Bartenstein [de] Kreis Braunsberg [de] Kreis Gerdauen [de] Kreis Heiligenbeil [de] Kreis Heilsberg Kreis Labiau Kreis Mohrungen Kreis Preußisch Eylau [de] Kreis Preußisch Holland [de] Kreis Rastenburg Kreis Samland [de] Kreis Wehlau [de]

Gumbinnen government region
Urban Districts (Stadtkreise)	Memel (Part of Gumbinnen pre-1924 and regained in 1939) Insterburg Tilsit
Rural districts (Landkreise)	Kreis Angerapp [de] Kreis Angerburg Kreis Ebenrode [de] Kreis Elchniederung [de] Kreis Goldap Kreis Gumbinnen [de] Kreis Insterburg, rural district [de] Kreis Schloßberg [de] Kreis Tilsit-Ragnit [de] (Comprised of Kreis Tilsit [de] and Kreis Ragnit [de], after losing the northern part of Regierungsbezirk Gumbinnen) Kreis Treuburg [de] Kreis Sudauen [de] (Conquered from Poalnd in 1939-1944) Kreis Memel, rural district [de] (Part of Gumbinnen pre-1924 and regained in 1939) Landkreis Heydekrug (Part of Gumbinnen pre-1924 and regained in 1939)

West Prussia government region (Created in 1920 after losing Province of West Prussia. Transferred to Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreußen in 1939)
Urban Districts (Stadtkreise)	Elbing
Rural districts (Landkreise)	Kreis Elbing [de] Kreis Marienburg [de] Kreis Marienwerder Kreis Rosenberg in Westpreußen Kreis Stuhm

Zichenau government region (Created in 1939 after conquering Poland)
Urban Districts (Stadtkreise)	None
Rural districts (Landkreise)	Kreis Mackeim  [de] Kreis Mielau  [de] Kreis Ostenburg  [de] Kreis Plöhnen  [de] Kreis Praschnitz  [de] Kreis Scharfenwiese [de] Kreis Schröttersburg  [de] Kreis Sichelberg  [de] Kreis Zichenau  [de]