Bielsk County
Encyclopedia
Bielsk County is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat
) in Podlaskie Voivodeship
, north-eastern Poland
. It came into being on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Bielsk Podlaski
, which lies 39 kilometres (24 mi) south of the regional capital Białystok. The only other town in the county is Brańsk
, lying 25 km (16 mi) west of Bielsk Podlaski.
The county covers an area of 1385.2 square kilometres (534.8 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 60,047, out of which the population of Bielsk Podlaski is 26,876, that of Brańsk is 3,794, and the rural population is 29,377.
to the east, Siemiatycze County
to the south and Wysokie Mazowieckie County
to the west.
s (two urban and six rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.
from the Grand Duke of Lithuania
, Alexander Jagiellon
. It was the first city in Podlaskie to receive such a charter.
On 18 November 1495, Bielsk Podlaski received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights
from the Grand Duke of Lithuania
, Alexander Jagiellon
.
was signed between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
and the Kingdom of Poland
forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of the terms of the treaty transferred the Podlaskie Voivodeship
from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Polish Crown
.
assigned Bielsk County and most of Podlaskie to Prussia
were signed between Imperial Russia, the First French Empire
and Prussia
. The treaties repartitioned former Polish territory and assigned assigned Bielsk County and most of eastern Podlaskie from Prussia
to Imperial Russia.
It was, from 1796 to 1915, subdivided into 8 Volost
.
by the German
forces on the Eastern Front of World War I
caused Bielsk County to come under the control of the German Empire
.
On 5 November 1916, a declaration by the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, promised the creation of the Kingdom of Poland
in the areas of Poland controlled by the German Empire
, including Bielsk County.
On 3 March 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
was signed between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers
. Bielsk County was assigned to the Kingdom of Poland
On 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles
and the Little Treaty of Versailles
were signed establishing the Second Polish Republic
. Bielsk County was assigned to Poland
.
From 15 September 1939 to 23 September 1939 Bielsk County was occupied by German troops
From 23 September 1939 to 22 June 1941 occupation by the Red Army
.
Following the start of Operation Barbarossa
, 22 June 1941 to 30 July 1944, Bielsk County was occupied by the German Army.
On 30 July 1944 Bielsk County was re-occupied by the Red Army
.
On 5 February 1946, the Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945
was ratified by Poland
and the USSR. The agreement assigned Bielsk County to Poland
.
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
) in Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship to the south, the Belarusssian Voblasts of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian Counties of Alytus and...
, north-eastern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It came into being on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Bielsk Podlaski
Bielsk Podlaski
-Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko...
, which lies 39 kilometres (24 mi) south of the regional capital Białystok. The only other town in the county is Brańsk
Bransk
Brańsk is an Urban Gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located north-eastern Poland.-Etymology:The name of the town comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River.-Location:...
, lying 25 km (16 mi) west of Bielsk Podlaski.
The county covers an area of 1385.2 square kilometres (534.8 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 60,047, out of which the population of Bielsk Podlaski is 26,876, that of Brańsk is 3,794, and the rural population is 29,377.
Neighbouring counties
Bielsk County is bordered by Białystok County to the north, Hajnówka CountyHajnówka County
Hajnówka County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest...
to the east, Siemiatycze County
Siemiatycze County
Siemiatycze County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest...
to the south and Wysokie Mazowieckie County
Wysokie Mazowieckie County
Wysokie Mazowieckie County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Wysokie...
to the west.
Administrative division
The county is subdivided into eight gminaGmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
s (two urban and six rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.
| Number | Gmina | Type | Area (km²) |
Population (2007) |
Population (2006) |
Seat |
| 1 | Bielsk Podlaski Bielsk Podlaski -Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko... |
urban | 26.9 | 26,577 | 26,876 | |
| 2 | Gmina Bielsk Podlaski Gmina Bielsk Podlaski Gmina Bielsk Podlaski is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Rivers:Five rivers pass through the Gmina:* The Narew River, a tributary of the Bug River... |
rural | 430.1 | 7,286 | 7,396 | Bielsk Podlaski Bielsk Podlaski -Roads and Highways:Bielsk Podlaski is at the intersection of two National Road and a Voivodeship Road:* National Road 19 - Kuźnica Białystoka Border Crossing - Kuźnica - Białystok - Bielsk Podlaski - Siemiatycze - Międzyrzec Podlaski - Kock - Lubartów - Lublin - Kraśnik - Janów Lubelski - Nisko... * |
| 3 | Gmina Brańsk Gmina Bransk Gmina Brańsk is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Etymology:The name Brańsk comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River.-Geography:... |
rural | 227.3 | 6,370 | 6,476 | Brańsk Bransk Brańsk is an Urban Gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located north-eastern Poland.-Etymology:The name of the town comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River.-Location:... * |
| 4 | Gmina Boćki Gmina Bocki Gmina Boćki is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located north-eastern Poland.-Geography:... |
rural | 232.1 | 4,906 | 5,006 | Boćki Bocki Boćki is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Boćki. It lies approximately south-west of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok.... |
| 5 | Gmina Wyszki Gmina Wyszki Gmina Wyszki is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Geography:... |
rural | 206.5 | 4,914 | 4,962 | Wyszki Wyszki, Podlaskie Voivodeship Wyszki is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Wyszki. It lies approximately north-west of Bielsk Podlaski and south-west of the regional capital Białystok.-References:... |
| 6 | Brańsk Bransk Brańsk is an Urban Gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located north-eastern Poland.-Etymology:The name of the town comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River.-Location:... |
urban | 32.4 | 3,822 | 3,794 | |
| 7 | Gmina Orla Gmina Orla Gmina Orla is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Geography:... |
rural | 159.7 | 3,256 | 3,320 | Orla Orla, Podlaskie Voivodeship Orla is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Orla. It lies approximately south-east of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok.... |
| 8 | Gmina Rudka Gmina Rudka Gmina Rudka is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Geography:... |
rural | 70.2 | 2,170 | 2,217 | Rudka Rudka, Bielsk County Rudka is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Rudka. It lies approximately west of Bielsk Podlaski and south-west of the regional capital Białystok.... |
| * seat not part of the gmina | ||||||
15th century
On 18 January 1493, Brańsk received a city charter based on Magdeburg rightsMagdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...
from the Grand Duke of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
. It was the first city in Podlaskie to receive such a charter.
On 18 November 1495, Bielsk Podlaski received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...
from the Grand Duke of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander Jagiellon
Alexander of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagiellon...
.
16th century
On 1 July 1569, the Union of LublinUnion of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...
was signed between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
and the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of the terms of the treaty transferred the Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)
The Podlaskie Voivodeship was formed in 1513 by Sigismund I the Old as a voivodeship in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, from a split off part of the Trakai Voivodeship....
from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Polish Crown
Crown of the Polish Kingdom
The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland , or simply the Crown , is the name for the unit of administrative division, the territories under direct administration of Polish nobility from middle-ages to late 18th century...
.
18th century
On 24 October 1795, the Third Partition of PolandPartitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
assigned Bielsk County and most of Podlaskie to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
19th century
On 7–9 July 1807, the Treaties of TilsitTreaties of Tilsit
The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the town of Tilsit in July, 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon I of France, when they met on a raft in the middle of the Neman...
were signed between Imperial Russia, the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. The treaties repartitioned former Polish territory and assigned assigned Bielsk County and most of eastern Podlaskie from Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
to Imperial Russia.
It was, from 1796 to 1915, subdivided into 8 Volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
.
- włość oleksińska – OleksinOleksin, Podlaskie VoivodeshipOleksin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Brańsk, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Brańsk, west of Bielsk Podlaski, and south of the regional capital Białystok....
- włość dubiażyńska – DubiażynDubiazynDubiażyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bielsk Podlaski, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately south of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok.-References:...
- włość klejnicka – KlejnikiKlejnikiKlejniki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czyże, within Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north of Czyże, north-west of Hajnówka, and south-east of the regional capital Białystok....
- włość łosińska – Łosinka
- włość maleszewska – MaleszeMaleszeMalesze is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wyszki, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately west of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok....
- włość nowoberezowska – Nowe BerezowoNowe BerezowoNowe Berezowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Hajnówka, within Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately north-west of Hajnówka and south-east of the regional capital Białystok.The village has a...
- włość orleńska – OrlaOrla, Podlaskie VoivodeshipOrla is a village in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Orla. It lies approximately south-east of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok....
- włość pasynkowska – PasynkiPasynki, Bielsk CountyPasynki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bielsk Podlaski, within Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Bielsk Podlaski and south of the regional capital Białystok....
20th century
On 15 August 1915, the Gorlice-Tarnów OffensiveGorlice-Tarnów Offensive
The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...
by the German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
forces on the Eastern Front of World War I
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
caused Bielsk County to come under the control of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
On 5 November 1916, a declaration by the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, promised the creation of the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)
The Kingdom of Poland, also informally called the Regency Kingdom of Poland , was a proposed puppet state during World War I by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 after their conquest of the former Congress Poland from Russia...
in the areas of Poland controlled by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, including Bielsk County.
On 3 March 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
was signed between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
. Bielsk County was assigned to the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)
The Kingdom of Poland, also informally called the Regency Kingdom of Poland , was a proposed puppet state during World War I by Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916 after their conquest of the former Congress Poland from Russia...
On 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
and the Little Treaty of Versailles
Little Treaty of Versailles
Little Treaty of Versailles or the Polish Minority Treaty was one of the bilateral Minority Treaties signed between minor powers and the League of Nations in the aftermath of the First World War. The Polish treaty was signed on 28 June 1919, the same day as the main Treaty of Versailles was signed...
were signed establishing the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. Bielsk County was assigned to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
From 15 September 1939 to 23 September 1939 Bielsk County was occupied by German troops
From 23 September 1939 to 22 June 1941 occupation by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
Following the start of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, 22 June 1941 to 30 July 1944, Bielsk County was occupied by the German Army.
On 30 July 1944 Bielsk County was re-occupied by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
On 5 February 1946, the Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945
Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945
The Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945 refers to the ratification of borders between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Republic of Poland signed by the Provisional Government of National Unity formed by the Polish communists...
was ratified by Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the USSR. The agreement assigned Bielsk County to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.