Białystok Voivodeship (1919–1939)

Województwo białostockie Białystok Voivodeship Former Voivodeship of Poland ← 1919–1939 →   → Map of the Second Polish Republic in 1938 with the Białystok Voivodeship. Capital Białystok History  - Established 1919  - Disestablished 1939 Political subdivisions Counties: (1919–1938) 13, (1938–1939) 10

Białystok Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo białostockie) was an administrative unit of interwar Poland (1918–1939). It ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet attack on Poland.

Contents 1 Area and location 2 Population 3 Administrative divisions 3.1 1919–1938 3.2 1938–1939 4 Cities and Towns 5 Railroads and industry 6 Voivodes 7 References

Area and location

In interwar Poland (1918–1939), Bialystok Voivodeship was located in mid-northern part of the country. It bordered Germany (East Prussia) to north-west, Lithuania to north-east, Wilno Voivodeship and Nowogródek Voivodeship to the east, Polesie Voivodeship and Lublin Voivodeship to the south and Warszawa Voivodeship to the west. Its area was 26 036 km². Landscape was flat, with the mighty Bialowieza Forest located right in the middle.

Population

Inhabited mostly by Poles (in 1931 they made 66.9% of the population), it also had significant Belarusian (16.3%) and Jewish (12.1%) minorities. Interesting is the fact that in 1931, 2.8% claimed Russian as their native tongue. Population, according to the 1931 Polish census was 1 263 300.

Administrative divisions

1919–1938

The Voivodeship consisted of 13 counties:

• Augustów County
• Białystok
• Białystok County
• Bielsk County
• Grodno County
• Łomża County
• Ostrołęka County
• Ostrów Mazowiecka County
• Sokółka County
• Suwałki County
• Szczuczyn County
• Wołkowysk County
• Wysokie Mazowieckie County
• Białowieża County (4 February 1921 to 31 July 1922)

1938–1939

Since April 1, 1938 (see: Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on April 1, 1938) it consisted of 10 counties:

• Augustow County (area 2 035 km², pop. 74 800)
• Białystok (area 39 km², pop. 91 100)
• Białystok County (area 3 079 km², pop. 140 100)
• Bielsk County (area 4 989 km², pop. 204 500)
• Grodno County (area 4 459 km², pop. 213 100)
• Sokolka County (area 2 333 km², pop. 103 100)
• Suwalki County (area 2 246 km², pop. 110 100)
• Szczuczyn County (area 1 451 km², pop. 68 200)
• Wolkowysk County (area 3 938 km², pop. 171 300)
• Wysokie Mazowieckie County (area 1 467 km², pop. 87 000)

Cities and Towns

According to the 1931 census, the biggest cities were:

• Bialystok (pop. 91 100),
• Grodno (pop. 49 700),
• Suwalki (pop. 21 800),
• Wolkowysk (pop. 15 100),
• Augustow (pop. 12 100).

Railroads and industry

In the interwar period, Bialystok Voivodeship was part of the so-called "Poland B". It meant that it was underdeveloped, with 23.1% of population illiterate. Railroad network was scarce (total length 1 377 km., density - 4.2 per 100 km²), forested areas covered 24.4% of Voivodeship's area. The city of Bialystok (whose population reached 107 000 in 1939), was Voivodeship's lone industrial center. Agriculture was at a low level.

Voivodes

• Stefan Badzynski 19 November 1919 – 18 October 1920
• Stefan Kołek May 1920 – September 1920 (acting)
• Stefan Popielawski September 1920 – 12 July 1924 (till 3 November 1920 - acting)
• Marian Rembowski 12 August 1924 – 24 November 1927
• Karol Kirst 24 November 1927 – 10 July 1930
• Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski 1930 – 8 March 1934
• Stanisław Michałowski 8 March 1934 – 29 September 1934 (acting)
• Stefan Pasławski 29 September 1934 – 14 July 1936
• Stefan Kirtiklis 17 July 1936 – 9 September 1937
• Henryk Ostaszewski 9 November 1937 – 10 September 1939 (till 22 December 1937 acting)

References

• Maly rocznik statystyczny, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).

Voivodeships of Poland (1919–1939) City Voivodeship Warsaw Land Voivodeships Białystok Kielce Kraków Lublin Lwów Łódź Nowogródek Polesie Pomeranian Poznań Silesian Stanisławów Tarnopol Warsaw Wilno Wołyń Planned Voivodeships Sandomierz