Lwów Voivodeship

For the medieval / early modern voivodeship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the capital in Lwów, see Ruthenian Voivodeship.
Lwów Voivodeship
Województwo lwowskie
Voivodeship of Poland
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1920–1939 →
 
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Coat of arms

Lwów Voivodeship (dark blue) on the map of Second Polish Republic
Capital Lwów
Government Voivodeship
Voivodes
 • 1921–1924 Kazimierz Grabowski
 • 1937–1939 Alfred Biłyk
Historical era Interwar period
 • Established 23 December 1920
 • Annexed and divided September 1939
 • Underground administration abolished August 1944
Area
 • 1921 27,024 km2 (10,434 sq mi)
 • 1939 28,402 km2 (10,966 sq mi)
Population
 • 1921 2,718,014 
Density 100.6 /km2  (260.5 /sq mi)
 • 1931 3,126,300 
Political subdivisions 27 powiats
Today part of Ukraine, Poland

Lwów Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo lwowskie) was an administrative unit of interwar Poland (1918–1939). According to Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, it ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland (see: Invasion of Poland). The Polish underground administration however, existed until August 1944.

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 2,789,000 people. Ten years later, this number rose to 3,126,300 (which made it the most populous of all Polish Voivodeships). In 1931, the population density was 110 per km². The majority of the population (57%) was Polish, especially in western counties. Ukrainians (mainly in the east and south-east) made up about 33% and Jews (mainly in towns) - around 7%. Also, there were smaller communities of Armenians, Germans and other nationalities. In 1931, the illiteracy rate of the Voivodeship's population lingering from the century of foreign rule was 23.1%, about the same as national average and, at the same time, the lowest in the Polish Eastern Borderlands.[1]

As a reaction to events in Germany, an edict of the Polish Commmonwealth (published on 10 January 1939 in the Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny) changed the names of several villages located in Drohobycz County of Lwów Voivodeship. These villages were mostly inhabited by German settlers, who came there during Austrian rule, and the Polish government decided to get rid of their German names. Josefsberg became Korośnica (now Korosnytsia), Königsau became Równe (now Rivne), Gassendorf was changed into Uliczne Małe, Ugartsberg became Wypuczko (Vypuchki), and Neudorf was changed into Polminowice (now Nove Selo).

Location and area

The Voivodeship's area was 28,402 square kilometres (10,966 sq mi). It was located in southeastern 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 the Czechoslovakian border, with numerous spas located there, such as Slawsko). Forest covered 23.3% of the Voivodeship area (January 1, 1937 statistics; with the national average of 22.2%).

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-eastern Poland and the third biggest city in the country (after Warsaw and Łódź), before Kraków (259,000). Other important centers in the voivodeship were: Przemyśl (in 1931 pop. 51,000), Borysław (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 Jagielloński (pop. 12,900).

Counties of the Lwów Voivodeship

Administrative division of Lwów Voivodeship, 1938

Railroads and industry

The 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, with two main centres - the city of Lwów itself and the rich in oil southern region of Borysław and Drohobycz.

Starting in the mid-1930s, the Polish government decided to start a massive public works project, known as Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy (COP). The project covered western counties of the Voivodeship, where several factories were constructed (a steel mill in newly created city of Stalowa Wola, an aircraft engine and artillery factory in Rzeszów, as well as an armament factory in Sanok). This was a huge boost for overpopulated rural areas, where unemployment was high. Unfortunately, the COP was never finished, because of Invasion of Poland in 1939.

Railroad network was well-developed only in the area of Lwów, as the city itself was an important hub with as many as eight lines coming from it. Apart from this, some counties (like Kolbuszowa, Brzozów or Jaworów) lacked rail connections, while other (Lesko, Lubaczów, Rudki, Stary Sambor) were greatly underdeveloped. Other rail hubs were: Rawa Ruska, Rzeszów, Rozwadów, Sambor, Drohobycz, Przeworsk, Chodorów and Przemyśl.

As for January 1, 1938, total length of railroads within Voivodeship's boundaries was 1,534 kilometers, which was 5.4 km. per 100 km².

Mother tongue in Poland, based on the 1931 Polish census (original)

Voivodes

September 1939 and its aftermath

Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and subsequent German and Soviet aggression against Poland, in late September 1939 Lwów Voivodeship was divided by the victors. The western part of the Voivodeship was annexed by Germany and added to the General Government. But the city of Lwów was occupied by the Soviets and, together with eastern part of the Voivodeship, was incorporated into Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. After July 1941, Lwów and the eastern part were occupied by Germany and also added to the General Government; the Polish underground administration existed there until August of 1944. 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—currently, the 1999-reorganized Subcarpathian Voivodeship.

The remaining eastern part became Ukraine's Lviv Oblast.

References

  1. ↑ "Województwo lwowskie. 1920-1939". KALENDARIUM. Grodek Jagiellonski. Retrieved April 15, 2012.

Coordinates: 49°50′05″N 24°01′41″E / 49.834834°N 24.027997°E / 49.834834; 24.027997

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