From Prussia to Kaliningrad

Known as Königsberg for a long period, Kaliningrad is one of those territories that is geographically separated from its home country, Russia. But it wasn't always a Russian part. In fact, historically, it belonged to a totally different empire that has now ceased to exist - Prussia. The German-speaking nations of Brandenburg and Prussia formed an independent kingdom in 1701, that later got integrated with other German states to form a unified Germany. But centuries ago, Prussia was part of a military arrangement known as State of the Teutonic Order, which existed between 1226 to 1525. At that time, the Teutonic Order was spread all throughout the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and covered parts of Lithuania. It was only after 1525 when the Duchy of Prussia was formed that existed around today's Kaliningrad for the next 200 years or so. 

It's interesting that how a territory that had always been predominantly German, is now part of Russia that too geographically separated from the mainland. The Free State of Prussia in the 20th century had expanded all across today's Germany, the Silesia territory of Poland, entire Kaliningrad with pockets of other German states enclaved inside. It was 1947 when the State of Prussia was formally abolished and the territories were distributed among Poland, Russia, Lithuania and a newly formed Germany. But with the ending of the Second World War and the defeat of Germany, a total of 14 million German population was expelled under Joseph Stalin, and the territory Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad. It was still secure as the Soviet-era would continue till 1991 and residents of Kaliningrad could travel to Moscow via Lithuania and Belarus (or how it was then known as Byelorussia or White Russia) With the termination of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the formation of newly independent republics, Kaliningrad became isolated and is now sandwiched between the Baltic Sea in the west and Lithuania and Poland in the south and west.

Another interesting point to be noted here is the year 1947 and its relevance with respect to human migration. During the same period, when Germans were being migrated from Königsberg to the new German state, far away in Asia, the largest human migration was witnessed between the two newly formed dominions - India and Pakistan. And it was the same year when another migration project would be finalized; the migration of Jews to their new homeland, Israel. Relatively low, but the tension between India-Pakistan and Israel-Palestine can be marginally compared to a lower paranoia of Germanisation of Kaliningrad. But, as history goes, political propaganda had always created anxiety more than it actually should have. 

It would be strange not to have a German linkage with Kaliningrad even though it's been seven decades to the end of German culture here. From being the seat of the Teutonic Knights to the birthplace of the famous German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, Kaliningrad retains, though controversially, its German legacy, Even though there are efforts made in bridging the gap between the two cultures, certain examples such as towering of the new Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour as the city's centre replacing the former German cathedral highlights a political statement made by the Communist Party, implying that Kaliningrad shall always remain Russin to its core. But to keep the political dogma aside, no one can deny the German connection with Kaliningrad. Then a question arises why didn't Kaliningrad become an independent republic in 1991 when others were forming their own? 

One key reason would be that unlike other SSRs (Soviet Socialist Republics), Kaliningrad wasn't a one. And hence when in 1991 the SSRs broke away to form independent republics, Kaliningrad had no choice other than to remain part of its homeland, Russia. The other factor was the total destruction of Königsberg (or Koenigsberg) during the Allied raids in 1944 by the Red Army and British forces, thus shattering the German remains, as a consequence to which a large population was migrated majorly from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Uzbekistan, the former SSRs. Between 1990 to 1999, Kaliningrad's population rapidly increased about eleven times. Even today the migration issue continues to underline the twisted ethnicity of Kaliningrad as these people belong to majorly the Baltic and Caucasus nations. 

In conclusion, the ethnicity of Kaliningrad is currently Russian and the German connection to it cannot be questioned nor denied. But this doesn't mean it is intended to go back to its German roots as neither Germany is interested in acquiring the territory, nor would Russia willing to give away its strategic Baltic port. Jumping back to the 19th century, here is a map of Kaliningrad which was then known as East Prussia, neighbouring the Russian Empire to its east and south, and the German territory of West Prussia to its west.