Bouches-du-Weser

Bouches-du-Weser among the French departments in 1812

Bouches-du-Weser(French:[buʃ.dy.vɛ.zɛʁ];"Mouths of theWeser";German:Wesermündungen,Low German:Wersermünnen) was adepartmentof theFirst French Empirein present-dayGermany.It was formed in 1811, when the region was annexed by France. Prior to the Napoleonic occupation, its territory had been divided between theFree Hanseatic City of Bremen,theduchy of Oldenburg,and theHanoverianduchies ofBremen and Verden,the latter of which had intermittently been incorporated into theKingdom of Westphaliain 1807. Its territory is part of the current German states ofLower SaxonyandBremen.Its capital wasBremen(French:Brême).

The department was subdivided into the followingarrondissementsandcantons(situation in 1812):

• Bremen,cantons:Achim,Bremen(4 cantons),Lilienthal,Ottersberg,Rotenburg,Syke,ThedinghausenandVerden.
• Bremerlehe,cantons:Beverstedt,Bremerlehe,Dorum,Hagen im Bremischen,OsterholzandVegesack.
• Nienburg,cantons:Alt-Bruchhausen,Bassum,Hoya,Liebenau,Nienburg,Rethem,Stolzenau,SulingenandWalsrode.
• Oldenburg,cantons:Berne,Burhave,Delmenhorst,Elsfleth,Hatten,Oldenburg,Ovelgönne,Rastede,VarelandWesterstede.

Its population in 1812 was 327,175.

AfterNapoleonwas defeated in 1814, the department was divided between theKingdom of Hanover,theDuchy of Oldenburg,and theFree Hanseatic City of Bremen.