The Province of Posen was historically the heartland of the Polish state. However, in 1793, with the Second Partition of Poland, Posen became part of Prussia and would remain so until after Germany's defeat in World War I. It was during these years that the independent state of Poland ceased to exist. Below is a map of Prussia from 1873 showing the Province of Posen highlighted with a yellow border. All of our Jankowski ancestors originated from the province of Posen. The borders in the map below show what Posen looked like in the 1880's when the Jankowski's left Poland forever. In 1998, the province of Posen was incorporated into the newly formed province of Wielkopolskie, which is how you will find it on today's maps. For a brief history of the Province of Poland, click here.