Poznań Voivodeship (1921–1939)

Poznań
Voivodeship of Poland
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 1919–1939 →

Coat of arms
Location of Poznań Voivodeship within Poland (1938 borders)
Capital Poznań
Voivode
 - August–October 1919 Wojciech Trąmpczyński
 - September 1939 Cyryl Ratajski
History
 - Established 1 August 1919
 - Territorial changes April 1, 1938
 - Annexed 12 September 1939
Area
 - 1921 26,528 km2 (10,243 sq mi)
 - 1938 28,089 km2 (10,845 sq mi)
 - 1939 27,379 km2 (10,571 sq mi)
Population
 - 1921 1,967,865 
     Density 74.2 /km2  (192.1 /sq mi)
 - 1931 2,339,600 
     Density 88.2 /km2  (228.4 /sq mi)

Poznań Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo Poznańskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1921–1939, created after World War I from the Prussian-German province of Poznań (Province of Posen). The borders were changed in 1939: the city of Bydgoszcz passed to the Pomeranian Voivodeship, but some Eastern areas were included (see: Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on April 1, 1938). During World War II it was occupied by Nazi Germany and annexed as Reichsgau Wartheland "(Reich province of the Land of the Warta river)." Poles and Jews were classified by German authorities as untermenschen and subjected to slavery and extermination.

Contents

Area and counties

Between April 1, 1938 – September 1, 1939, the Voivodeship's area was 28 089 km², and its population - 2 339 600 (according to the 1931 Polish census). It consisted of 29 powiats (the highest number in Poland, however, most of them were very small, both in area and population), 100 towns (the highest number in Poland) and 237 villages. Railroad density was high, with 10.1 km. per 100 km² (total length of railroads within the Voivodeship's area was 2 684 km., the highest in the whole country). Forests covered 19.8% of the Voivodeship, which was lower than the national average (in 1937 the average was 22.2%).

Poznańskie Voivodeship was one of the richest and best developed in interwar Poland. With numerous cities and well-developed rail, it also was a breadbasket of the country, its highly efficient agriculture was well-mechanized. The city of Poznań was a big industrial center, as well as a key railroad junction. Only 7.6% of population was illiterate, which was much lower than the national average of 23.1% (as of 1931). Poles made up the majority of the population (90.5%), with 7.4% Germans and 1.9% Jews.

After World War I the number of Germans was 224,254 in 1926 and 203,135 in 1934.[1]

This is the list of the Poznań Voivodeship counties as for August 31, 1939:

Main cities

The biggest cities of the Voivodeship were (data according to the 1931 census):

German minority

According to Polish census in 1921 there were 16.7% Germans in Polish areas(327.846 overall) and 9.2% in 1931(193.044 overall)[2]

County
(German name in brackets)[3]		 ethnic German population (1926) ethnic German population (1934)
Odolanów (Adelnau) 10,038 9,442
Międzychód (Birnbaum) 4,655 4,377
Bydgoszcz (Bromberg, town) 11,016 10,021
Bydgoszcz (Bromberg, district) 13,281 12,211
Czarnków (Czarnikau) 5,511 4,773
Gniezno (Gnesen) 8,616 7,876
Gostyń (Gostyn) 2,395 2,162
Grodzisk Wielkopolski (Grätz) / Nowy Tomyśl (Neutomischel) 16,576 16,555
Inowrocław (Hohensalza) 8,455 8,096
Jarocin (Jarotschin) / Pleszew (Pleschen) 4,667 4,019
Kępno (Kempen) / Ostrzeszów (Schildberg) 16,631 10,889
Chodzież (Kolmar) 14,246 12,348
Koźmin (Koschmin) / Krotoszyn (Krotoschin) 6,542 5,807
Leszno (Lissa) 9,917 8,371
Mogilno (Mogilno) / Strzelno (Strelno) 8,727 7,770
Oborniki (Obornik) 9,417 8,410
Poznań (Posen, town) 5,980 4,387
Poznań (Posen, district) 4,687 4,252
Rawicz (Rawitsch) 6,184 5,038
Szamotuły (Samter) 5,029 4,841
Śmigiel (Schmiegel) / Kościan (Kosten) 3,636 3,488
Śrem (Schrimm) 2,802 3,574
Środa Wielkopolska (Schroda) 2,269 2,029
Szubin (Schubin) 10,193 8,879
Wyrzysk (Wirsitz) 13,495 12,410
Wolsztyn (Wollstein) 10,369 9,313
Wągrowiec (Wongrowitz) 8,401 7,143
Września (Wreschen) 2,436 2,115
Żnin (Znin) 5,404 4,539
Poznań Voivodship (total) 224,254 203,135

Voivodes

See also

References

  1. ^ Kotowski, Albert S. (1998) (in German). Polens Politik gegenüber seiner deutschen Minderheit 1919-1939. Forschungsstelle Ostmitteleuropa, University of Dortmund. p. 56. ISBN 3-447-03997-3. http://books.google.de/books?id=KVg_tMs_ZPIC&pg=PA365&dq=Goetheschule+Graudenz&hl=de&ei=j-AlTdz_JsvDswaVy9DMAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBTgo#v=onepage&q=adelnau&f=false. 
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Kotowski, Albert S. (1998) (in German). Polens Politik gegenüber seiner deutschen Minderheit 1919-1939. Forschungsstelle Ostmitteleuropa, University of Dortmund. p. 56. ISBN 3-447-03997-3. http://books.google.de/books?id=KVg_tMs_ZPIC&pg=PA365&dq=Goetheschule+Graudenz&hl=de&ei=j-AlTdz_JsvDswaVy9DMAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBTgo#v=onepage&q=%20adelnau&f=false. 
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