Authorities of Freie Stadt Danzig
Based on art. 102 of the Peace Treaty of Versailles, in 1920 Danzig became a Free and Sovereign City under the Protection of the League of Nations: "The Principal Allied and Associated Powers undertake to establish the town of Danzig, together with the rest of the territory described in Article 100, as a Free City. It will be placed under the protection of the League of Nations".
According to the Art. 105 of Peace Treaty, all people who lived on the terrytory of Freie Stadt Danzig became nationals of Freie Stadt Danzig: "On the coming into force of the present Treaty German nationals ordinarily resident in the territory described in Article 100 will ipso facto lose their German nationality in order to become nationals of the Free City of Danzig".
Art. 103 of the Peace Treaty said that Freie Stadt Danzig should have its own constitution: "A constitution for the Free City of Danzig shall be drawn up by the duly appointed representatives of the Free City in agreement with a High Commissioner to be appointed by the League of Nations. This constitution shall be placed under the guarantee of the League of Nations".
Acting on a majority vote of its Parliament (Volkstag), the Danzig Government (Senat) declared her intention to stay out of any conflict and to be Neutral. Having been made neutral and defenseless, yet "sovereign de jure", Danzig became automatically part of International law, protected by laws of the Hague Convention of 1907 concerning neutral Countries, was guaranteed protection to the civil population in case of War.
The Peace Treaty of Versailles and the Conventions of Paris and Warsaw (1919 - 1921) gave Poland some economic privileges and transferred to Poland all diplomatic and consular representations of Danzig, which did however retain the right to conclude treaties, join international organizations, etc. But parliament (Volkstag) and government (Senat) of Freie Stadt Danzig were independent from other nations.
On 17 November 1920 the Constitution of Freie Stadt Danzig was written and agreed by the League of Nations.
Text of Constituton of Freie Stadt Danzig (in German): Die Verfassung der Freien Stadt Danzig
Text of Constituton of Freie Stadt Danzig (in Polish): Konstytucja Wolnego Miasta Gdañska
) | The first page of Danziger Zeitung on 16.XI.1920 with information about the establishment of Freie Stadt Danzig |
| - 1920 | Col. Edward Lisle Strutt (UK) |
| 1920 - 1921 | Bernardo Attolico (Italy) |
| 1921 - 1923 | Gen. Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking (UK) |
| 1923 - 1925 | Mervyn Sorley McDonnell (UK) |
| 1925 - 1929 | Joost Adriaan van Hamel (the Netherland) |
| 1929 - 1932 | Manfredi, Conte di Gravina dei Principi di Ramacca (Italy) |
| 1932 - 1934 | Helmer Rostgaard Gommesen Rosting (Denmark) |
| 1934 - 1936 | Seán Lester (Ireland) |
| 1936 - 1937 | none |
| 1937 - 1939 | Carl Jakob Burckhardt (Switzerland) |
| 1920 - 1931 | Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Martin Sahm |
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| 1931 - 1933 | Ernst Ziehm |
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| 1933 - 1934 | Hermann Rauschning |
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| 1934 - 1939 | Arthur Greiser |
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| 1920 - 1924 | Wilhelm Schümmer |
| 1924 - 1928 | Hubert Schwartz |
| 1928 - 1929 | Friedrich Grünhagen |
| 1929 - 1931 | Franz Arczynski |
| 1931 - 1933 | Georg Hinz |
| 1933 - 1939 | Arthur Greiser |
| 1920 - 1925 | Albert Heinrich Frank |
| 1925 - 1928 | Hubert Schwartz |
| 1928 - 1931 | Albert Evert |
| 1931 - 1933 | Fritz Dumont |
| 1933 - 1939 | Willibald Wiercinski-Keiser |
| 1921 - 1928 | Ernst Volkmann |
| 1928 - 1931 | Bernhard Kamnitzer |
| 1931 - 1939 | Julius Hoppenrath |
| 1920 - 1921 | Wilhelm Reinhard |
| 1921 - 1921 | Adalbert Mathaei |
| 1921 - 1923 | Adolf Treichel |
| 1923 - 1924 | Julius Gehl |
| 1924 - 1926 | Adolf Treichel |
| 1926 - 1928 | Alfred Semrau |
| 1928 - 1930 | Fritz Spill |
| 1930 - 1931 | Julius Gehl |
| 1931 - 1933 | Wilhelm von Wnuck |
| 1933 - 1933 | Franz Potrykus |
| 1933 - 1936 | Wilhelm von Wnuck |
| 1937 - 1939 | Edmund Beyl |
) ) | Identity card of member of Volkstag. |
) | Building of government, Senat of Freie Stadt Danzig |
) | Building of parliament, Volkstag of Freie Stadt Danzig |
Based on the decision of Albert Forster and Adolf Hitler, in September 1939 the territory of Freie Stadt Danzig was, breaking international conventions and constitutions of Germany and Freie Stadt Danzig, illegally annexed to Germany.