Land reform in Germany

The Austrian Theodor Hertzka published the utopian novel Freiland, ein soziales Zukunftsbild[1] (Freeland - A Social Anticipation)[2] in 1889, promoting emigration to the "empty" new world.

It was also highly influential towards the founding document of Zionism, Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), authored by Theodor Herzl in 1896.

Inspired by the reform theories, the late 19th century also featured the parallel development of hundreds[4] of ideologically motivated[5] settlements which were sometimes funded cooperatively or by the government.

In 1886 the Prussian Settlement Commission was created in West Prussia and Posen motivated by racist beliefs to increase the Germanization of former Polish territories.

[7] In the early 20th century, the Commission oversaw developing administrative infrastructure for interior colonization in the German Reich such as centers of counseling, pension banks, cooperatives and private settlement companies like the Pommersche Ansiedlungsgesellschaft(1903) and Ostpreußische Landgesellschaft(1905).