The bilingual status of gminas (communes)

Gmina

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...

 in 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...

 is regulated by the Act of 6 January 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities and on the Regional Languages, which permits certain gminas with significant linguistic minorities to introduce a second, auxiliary language to be used in official contexts alongside Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

. So far 22 gminas have done this:

Polish/German

Polish/German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

bilingual gminas (Gemeinden) in Opole Voivodeship

Opole Voivodeship

- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...

 (part of Silesia

Silesia

Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

):

• Gmina Biała / Gemeinde Zülz (since 06.03.2006)
• Gmina Bierawa
  Gmina Bierawa
  Gmina Bierawa, German Gemeinde Birawa is a rural gmina in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Bierawa, which lies approximately south-east of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and south-east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of ,...
  
   / Gemeinde Birawa (since 23.04.2007)
• Gmina Chrząstowice
  Gmina Chrzastowice
  Gmina Chrząstowice / German: Gemeinde Chronstau is a rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Chrząstowice, which lies approximately east of the regional capital Opole....
  
   / Gemeinde Chronstau (since 25.01.2006)
• Gmina Cisek
  Gmina Cisek
  Gmina Cisek, German Gemeinde Czissek is a rural gmina in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Cisek , which lies approximately south of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and south-east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of...
  
   / Gemeinde Czissek (since 2007)
• Gmina Dobrodzień
  Gmina Dobrodzien
  Gmina Dobrodzień, German Gemeinde Guttentag is an urban-rural gmina in Olesno County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Guttentag (since 13.05.2009)
• Gmina Dobrzeń Wielki
  Gmina Dobrzen Wielki
  Gmina Dobrzeń Wielki, German Gemeinde Groß Döbern is a rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Dobrzeń Wielki, which lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
  
   / Gemeinde Groß Döbern (since 22.04.2009)
• Gmina Głogówek / Gemeinde Oberglogau (since 22.04.2009)
• Gmina Gogolin
  Gmina Gogolin
  Gmina Gogolin is an urban-rural gmina in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the town of Gogolin, which lies approximately north-east of Krapkowice and south of the regional capital Opole....
  
   / Gemeinde Gogolin (since 30.04.2010)
• Gmina Izbicko
  Gmina Izbicko
  Gmina Izbicko is a rural gmina in Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Izbicko, which lies approximately north-west of Strzelce Opolskie and south-east of the regional capital Opole....
  
   / Gemeinde Stubendorf (since 06.03.2006)
• Gmina Jemielnica
  Gmina Jemielnica
  Gmina Jemielnica, German Gemeinde Himmelwitz is a rural gmina in Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Jemielnica , which lies approximately north-east of Strzelce Opolskie and south-east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of...
  
   / Gemeinde Himmelwitz (since 28.08.2006)
• Gmina Kolonowskie
  Gmina Kolonowskie
  Gmina Kolonowskie, German Gemeinde Colonnowska is an urban-rural gmina in Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, in Upper Silesia in Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Colonnowska (since 22.09.2006)
• Gmina Komprachcice
  Gmina Komprachcice
  Gmina Komprachcice, German: Gemeinde Comprachtschütz is a rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Komprachcice , which lies approximately south-west of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
  
   / Gemeinde Comprachtschütz (since 04.06.2009)
• Gmina Krzanowice
  Gmina Krzanowice
  Gmina Krzanowice, German Gemeinde Kranowitz is an urban-rural gmina in Racibórz County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland, on the Czech border...
  
   / Gemeinde Kranowitz (since 2008)
• Gmina Lasowice Wielkie
  Gmina Lasowice Wielkie
  Gmina Lasowice Wielkie, German Gemeinde Gross Lassowitz is a rural gmina in Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Lasowice Wielkie, which lies approximately south of Kluczbork and north-east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area...
  
   / Gemeinde Gross Lassowitz (since 18.10.2006)
• Gmina Leśnica
  Gmina Lesnica
  Gmina Leśnica, German Gemeinde Leschnitz is an urban-rural gmina in Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, in Upper Silesia in Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Leschnitz (since 17.05.2006)
• Gmina Łubniany / Gemeinde Lugnian (since 30.4.2010)
• Gmina Murów
  Gmina Murów
  Gmina Murów, German Gemeinde Murow is a rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Murów , which lies approximately north of the regional capital Opole....
  
   / Gemeinde Murow (since 22.04.2009)
• Gmina Polska Cerekiew
  Gmina Polska Cerekiew
  Gmina Polska Cerekiew, German Gemeinde Groß Neukirch is a rural gmina in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Groß Neukirch (29.04.2011)
• Gmina Prószków
  Gmina Prószków
  Gmina Prószków, German Gemeinde Proskau is an urban-rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Proskau (since 11.07.2006)
• Gmina Radłów / Gemeinde Radlau (since 25.01.2006)
• Gmina Reńska Wieś
  Gmina Renska Wies
  Gmina Reńska Wieś, German Gemeinde Reinschdorf is a rural gmina in Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Reinschdorf (since 26.10.2006)
• Gmina Strzeleczki
  Gmina Strzeleczki
  Gmina Strzeleczki, German Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz is a rural gmina in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Strzeleczki , which lies approximately west of Krapkowice and south of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as...
  
   / Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz (since 17.05.2006)
• Gmina Tarnów Opolski
  Gmina Tarnów Opolski
  Gmina Tarnów Opolski, German Gemeinde Tarnau is a rural gmina in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Tarnów Opolski , which lies approximately south-east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
  
   / Gemeinde Tarnau (since 15.02.2007)
• Gmina Ujazd
  Gmina Ujazd, Opole Voivodeship
  Gmina Ujazd, German Gemeinde Ujest is an urban-rural gmina in Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
  
   / Gemeinde Ujest (since 28.08.2006)
• Gmina Walce
  Gmina Walce
  Gmina Walce, German Gemeinde Walzen is a rural gmina in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Walce , which lies approximately south of Krapkowice and south of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
  
   / Gemeinde Walzen (since 04.04.2006)
• Gmina Zębowice
  Gmina Zebowice
  Gmina Zębowice, German Gemeinde Zembowitz is a rural gmina in Olesno County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Zębowice , which lies approximately south of Olesno and east of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as of 2006 its total...
  
   / Gemeinde Zembowitz (since 23.10.2007)

Other gminas in Opole Voivodeship

Opole Voivodeship

- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...

 and Silesian Voivodeship

Silesian Voivodeship

Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...

 which are permitted by the Act to make German an auxiliary language are Olesno

Gmina Olesno

Gmina Olesno may refer to either of the following administrative districts in Poland:*Gmina Olesno, Lesser Poland Voivodeship*Gmina Olesno, Opole Voivodeship...

, Pawłowiczki. (An outdated map can be found on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration http://www2.mswia.gov.pl/ftp/pdf/mn_mapka_opolskie.pdf.)

Polish/Kashubian

Polish/Kashubian

Kashubian language

Kashubian or Cassubian is one of the Lechitic languages, a subgroup of the Slavic languages....

bilingual gminas in Pomeranian Voivodeship

Pomeranian Voivodeship

Pomeranian Voivodeship, or Pomerania Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in north-central Poland. It comprises most of Pomerelia , as well as an area east of the Vistula River...

:

• Gmina Parchowo
  Gmina Parchowo
  Gmina Parchowo is a rural gmina in Bytów County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the village of Parchowo, which lies approximately north-east of Bytów and west of the regional capital Gdańsk....
  
   (Gmina Parchòwò; since 16.08.2006)
• Gmina Sierakowice
  Gmina Sierakowice
  Gmina Sierakowice is a rural gmina in Kartuzy County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the village of Sierakowice, which lies approximately west of Kartuzy and west of the regional capital Gdańsk....
  
   (Gmina Serakòwice; since 23.10.2007)

Polish / Lithuanian

Polish/Lithuanian

Lithuanian language

Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...

bilingual gmina 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...

:

• Gmina Puńsk
  Gmina Punsk
  Gmina Puńsk is a rural gmina in Sejny County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, on the Lithuanian border. Its seat is the village of Puńsk, which lies approximately north-west of Sejny and north of the regional capital Białystok...
  
   (Punsko valsčius; since 25.05.2006)

Polish/Belarusian

Polish/Belarusian

Belarusian language

The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...

bilingual gmina 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...

:

• Gmina Czyże
  Gmina Czyze
  Gmina Czyże is a rural gmina in Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland. Its seat is the village of Czyże, which lies approximately north-west of Hajnówka and south-east of the regional capital Białystok....
  
   (Гміна Чыжы) on 8 February 2010
• Gmina Hajnówka
  Hajnówka
  Hajnówka is a town and a powiat seat in north-eastern Poland with 21,583 inhabitants . It is a notable centre of Belarusian culture in Poland and one of the centres of Orthodox faith. It is also notable for its proximity to the Białowieża Forest, the biggest primaeval forest in Europe. It is the...
  
   (Гайнаўка) on 3 December 2007
• Gmina Narewka
  Gmina Narewka
  Gmina Narewka is a rural gmina in Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, on the border with Belarus...
  
   (Гміна Нараўка) on 16 September 2009
• Gmina Orla
  Gmina Orla
  Gmina Orla is a rural gmina in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.-Geography:...
  
  (Гміна Орля) on 7 May 2009