Lwów Voivodeship
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Lwow Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo Lwowskie) was an administrative unit of interwar Poland (1918-1939). It ceased to exist in September of 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland (see: Polish September Campaign).
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[edit] Population
Its capital, biggest and most important city was Lwów (now: Lviv in Ukraine). It consisted of 27 powiats (counties), 58 towns and 252 villages. In 1921 it was inhabited by 2.789 mln. people, ten years later this number rose to 3 126 300 (which made it the most populous of all Polish Voivodeships). In 1931 population density was 110 per sq. km. Majority of population (57%) was Polish, especially in western counties. Ukrainians (mainly in the east and south-east) made about 33% and Jews (mainly in towns) - around 7%. Also, there were smaller communities of Armenians, Germans and other nationalities. In 1931, illiterate was 23.1% of the Voivodeship's population, which was the same as national average and at the same time - the lowest percentage in Polish Eastern Borderlands.
[edit] Location and area
Voivodeship’s area was 28 402 square kilometers. It was located in south-east Poland, bordering Czechoslovakia to the south, Kraków Voivodeship to the west, Lublin Voivodeship to the north and Volhynian Voivodeship, Stanisławów Voivodeship and Tarnopol Voivodeship to the east. Landscape was hilly (in the north) and mountainous (in the south, along Czechoslovakian border, with numerous spas located there (such as Slawsko). On Jan. 1, 1937 forested was 23.3% of the Voivodeship (with the national average of 22.2%).
[edit] Cities and counties
Lwów, the voivodeship’s capital, was by far its biggest city, with the population of 318,000 (as of 1939). It was also the biggest city in south-east Poland and the third biggest city of the whole country (after Warsaw and Łódź). Other important centers in the voivodeship were: Przemysl (in 1931 pop. 51,000), Boryslaw (pop. 41,500), Drohobycz (pop. 32,300), Rzeszów (pop. 27,000), Jarosław (pop. 22,200), Sambor (pop. 22,000), Sanok (pop. 14,300) and Gródek Jagiellonski (pop. 12,900).
Counties of the Voivodeship:
- Bobrka county (area 891 km² pop. 97 100),
- Brzozow county (area 684 km² pop. 83 200),
- Dobromil county (area 994 km² pop. 94 000),
- Drohobycz county (area 1,499 km² pop. 194 400),
- Grodek Jagiellonski county (area 889 km² pop. 85 000),
- Jaroslaw county (area 1,337 km² pop. 148 000),
- Jaworow county (area 977 km² pop. 86 800),
- Kolbuszowa county (area 873 km² pop. 69 600),
- Krosno county (area 934 km² pop. 113 400),
- Lesko county (area 1,832 km² pop. 111 600),
- Lubaczow county (area 1,146 km² 87 300),
- city of Lwow county (powiat lwowski grodzki - area 67 sq. km., pop. 312 200),
- Lwow county (area 1,276 km² pop. 142 800),
- Lancut county (area 889 km² pop. 97 700),
- Mosciska county (area 755 km² pop. 89 500),
- Nisko county (area 973 km² pop. 64 200),
- Przemysl county (area 1,002 km² pop. 162 500),
- Przeworsk county (area 415 km² pop. 61 400),
- Rawa Ruska county (area 1,401 km² pop. 122 100),
- Rudki county (area 670 km² pop. 79 200),
- Rzeszow county (area 1,270 km² pop. 185 100),
- Sambor county (area 1,133 km² pop. 133 800),
- Sanok county (area 1,282 km² pop. 114 200),
- Sokal county (area 1,324 km² pop. 109 100),
- Tarnobrzeg county (area 949 km² pop. 72 200),
- Turka county (area 1,829 sq. km. pop. 114 400),
- Zolkiew county (area 1,111 km² pop. 95 500).
[edit] Railroads and industry
In general opinion, interwar Poland was unofficially divided into two parts - Poland “A” (better developed) and Poland “B” (less developed). Lwów Voivodeship was located on the boundary line of these. Its industry was scarce, with virtually only two centers - the city of Lwow itself and rich in oil southern region of Boryslaw and Drohobycz. But, other than this, the area was overpopulated and marred by unemployment as well backward, especially in southern, mountainous part.
Starting in mid-1930s, Polish government decided to open massive public project works, known as Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy. The project covered western counties of the Voivodeship where several factories were constructed (steel mill in newly created city of Stalowa Wola, aircraft engine and artillery factory in Rzeszów, as well as armament factory in Sanok). This was a huge boost for overpopulated rural areas, where unemployment was high. Unfortunately, COP was never finished, because of German and Soviet aggression in 1939.
Railroad network was well-developed only in the area of Lwow, as the city was an important hub with as many as eight lines coming from it. Apart from this, some counties (like Kolbuszowa, Brzozow or Jaworow) lacked rail connections while other (Lesko, Lubaczow, Rudki, Stary Sambor) were greatly underdeveloped. Other hubs were: Rawa Ruska, Rzeszow, Rozwadów, Sambor, Drohobycz, Przeworsk, Chodorów and Przemysl.
As for January 1, 1938, total length of railroads within Voivodeship's boundaries was 1,534 kilometers, which was 5.4 km. per 100 sq. km.
[edit] September 1939 and its aftermath
In late September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland and Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Lwow Voivodeship was divided by the two victorious sides. The city of Lwow was occupied by the Soviets and, together with eastern part of the Voivodeship, was incorporated into Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1945, when eastern borders of Poland were established, western part of former Lwów Voivodeship (to the San river) was organized into freshly created Rzeszów Voivodeship (now: Subcarpathian Voivodeship). The remaining, eastern part, constutited Lviv Oblast.
[edit] References
- Maly rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakladem Glownego Urzedu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).
