Lwów Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Lwów Voivodeship was an administrative unit of interwar Poland (1918–1939). According to Nazis and Soviets it ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland (see: Polish September Campaign). The Polish underground administration existed till August 1944.
). 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 was 23.1%, which was the same as national average and, at the same time, the lowest percentage in Polish Eastern Borderlands
.
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). On January 1, 1937 forested was 23.3% of the Voivodeship (with the national average of 22.2%).
and Łódź). 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 Voivodeship:
and Drohobycz. But, other than this, the area was overpopulated, backward and marred by unemployment.
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 German and Soviet aggression 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.
, Lwów Voivodeship was divided by the two victorious sides. The city of Lwów was occupied by the Soviets and, together with eastern part of the Voivodeship, was incorporated into Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, since 1941 in General Gouvernment (the Polish underground administration existed there till August 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
.
| Województwo lwowskie | |
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| (Coat of Arms) |
Population
Its capital, biggest and most important city was Lwów (now: Lviv in UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). 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
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
(mainly in towns) - around 7%. Also, there were smaller communities of Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and other nationalities. In 1931, the illiteracy rate of the Voivodeship's population was 23.1%, which was the same as national average and, at the same time, the lowest percentage in Polish Eastern Borderlands
Kresy
The Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
.
Location and area
Voivodeship's area was 28 402 square kilometers. It was located in southeastern Poland, bordering CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
to the south, Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...
to the west, Lublin Voivodeship
Lublin Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas....
to the north and Volhynian Voivodeship, Stanisławów Voivodeship and Tarnopol Voivodeship
Tarnopol Voivodeship
Tarnopol Voivodeship was an administrative region of interwar Poland with an area of 16,500 km², 17 counties, and capital in Tarnopol...
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). On January 1, 1937 forested was 23.3% of the Voivodeship (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-east Poland and the third biggest city of the whole country (after WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Łódź). Other important centers in the voivodeship were: Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
(in 1931 pop. 51,000), Borysław (pop. 41,500), Drohobycz (pop. 32,300), Rzeszów
Rzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
(pop. 27,000), Jarosław (pop. 22,200), Sambor
Sambor
Sambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:...
(pop. 22,000), Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
(pop. 14,300) and Gródek Jagielloński (pop. 12,900).
Counties of the Voivodeship:
- BobrkaBibrkaBibrka is a town in western Ukraine, located in the Lviv Oblast about 29 km southeast of Lviv on PI29.The town has been ruled at various points by the Kingdom of Poland, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian empire, the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria,...
county (area 891 km² pop. 97 100), - BrzozówBrzozówBrzozów is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 7,677 inhabitants . It is situated in Subcarpathian Voivodeship and is the seat of both Brzozów County and the smaller administrative district of Gmina Brzozów...
county (area 684 km² pop. 83 200), - DobromilDobromilDobromil may refer to:*Dobromil , a Slavic origin given name*Dobromil, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Dobromil, Podlaskie Voivodeship...
county (area 994 km² pop. 94 000), - Drohobycz county (area 1,499 km² pop. 194 400),
- Gródek Jagielloński county (area 889 km² pop. 85 000),
- Jarosław county (area 1,337 km² pop. 148 000),
- JaworówJaworówJaworów may refer to:*Jaworów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Jaworów, Łódź Voivodeship *Jaworów, Lublin Voivodeship *the Polish name for the town of Yavoriv in Ukraine...
county (area 977 km² pop. 86 800), - KolbuszowaKolbuszowaKolbuszowa is a small town in south-eastern Poland, with 9,190 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship , it is the capital of Kolbuszowa County.-History:The name of the town comes from the land owner Kolbusz...
county (area 873 km² pop. 69 600), - KrosnoKrosnoKrosno is a town and county in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland with 47,455 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009.Notably Krosno is the site of the first oil well in the world....
county (area 934 km² pop. 113 400), - LeskoLeskoLesko ; is a town in south-eastern Poland with a population of 5,755 . situated in the Bieszczady mountains. It is located in the heartland of the Doły , and its average altitude is above sea level, although there are some hills located within the confines of the city...
county (area 1,832 km² pop. 111 600), - LubaczówLubaczówLubaczów is a town in southeastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine, with 12,405 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship , it is the capital of Lubaczów County and is located 50 kilometers northeast of Przemyśl....
county (area 1,146 km² 87 300), - city of Lwów county (powiat lwowski grodzki - area 67 km², pop. 312 200),
- Lwów county (area 1,276 km² pop. 142 800),
- Łańcut county (area 889 km² pop. 97 700),
- MościskaMosciskaMościska may refer to the following places:*Polish name of Mostyska in Ukraine*Mościska, district of the town of Orzesze in south Poland*Mościska, Chełm County in Lublin Voivodeship *Mościska, Parczew County in Lublin Voivodeship...
county (area 755 km² pop. 89 500), - NiskoNiskoNisko is a town in Nisko County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland on the San River, with a population of 15,534 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009...
county (area 973 km² pop. 64 200), - PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
county (area 1,002 km² pop. 162 500), - PrzeworskPrzeworskPrzeworsk Ukrainian: Переворськ, is a town in south-eastern Poland with 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Since 1999 it has been in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, and is the capital of Przeworsk County....
county (area 415 km² pop. 61 400), - Rawa Ruska county (area 1,401 km² pop. 122 100),
- RudkiRudkiRudki may refer to:*Rudki, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Rudki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Rudki, Tomaszów Lubelski County in Lublin Voivodeship...
county (area 670 km² pop. 79 200), - RzeszówRzeszówRzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
county (area 1,270 km² pop. 185 100), - SamborSamborSambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:...
county (area 1,133 km² pop. 133 800), - SanokSanokSanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
county (area 1,282 km² pop. 114 200), - SokalSokalSokal is a town located on the banks of the Bug River in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Sokal Raion , the city itself also ranks as a separate raion within the oblast.- History :...
county (area 1,324 km² pop. 109 100), - TarnobrzegTarnobrzegTarnobrzeg is a city in south-eastern Poland, on the east bank of the river Vistula, with 49,419 inhabitants, as of December 31, 2009. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship since 1999, it had previously been the capital of Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship...
county (area 949 km² pop. 72 200), - TurkaTurkaTurka may refer to:*Turka, Ukraine, a city in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine*Turka, Russia, a former urban-type settlement in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia; since 2006—a rural locality *Turka, Chełm County, in Lublin Voivodeship...
county (area 1,829 km² pop. 114 400), - Żółkiew county (area 1,111 km² pop. 95 500).
Railroads and industry
In general opinion, 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. Its industry was scarce, with virtually only two centers - the city of Lwów itself and rich in oil southern region of BoryslawBoryslaw
Borysław may refer to:* Boryslav, Ukraine, called Borysław in Polish*Borysław, Łódź Voivodeship...
and Drohobycz. But, other than this, the area was overpopulated, backward and marred by unemployment.
Starting in the mid-1930s, the Polish government decided to start a massive public works project, known as Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy
Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy
The Central Industrial District , is an industrial region in Poland. It was one of the biggest economic projects of the Second Polish Republic. The 5-year long project was initiated by a famous Polish economist, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Treasury, Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski...
(COP). The project covered western counties of the Voivodeship, where several factories were constructed (a steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
in newly created city of Stalowa Wola
Stalowa Wola
Stalowa Wola is the largest city and capital of Stalowa Wola County with a population of 64,353 inhabitants, as of June 2008. It is located in southeastern Poland in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship...
, an aircraft engine and artillery factory in Rzeszów, as well as an armament factory in Sanok
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
). This was a huge boost for overpopulated rural areas, where unemployment was high. Unfortunately, the COP was never finished, because of German and Soviet aggression 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
Kolbuszowa
Kolbuszowa is a small town in south-eastern Poland, with 9,190 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship , it is the capital of Kolbuszowa County.-History:The name of the town comes from the land owner Kolbusz...
, Brzozów
Brzozów
Brzozów is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 7,677 inhabitants . It is situated in Subcarpathian Voivodeship and is the seat of both Brzozów County and the smaller administrative district of Gmina Brzozów...
or Jaworów
Jaworów
Jaworów may refer to:*Jaworów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Jaworów, Łódź Voivodeship *Jaworów, Lublin Voivodeship *the Polish name for the town of Yavoriv in Ukraine...
) lacked rail connections, while other (Lesko, Lubaczów
Lubaczów
Lubaczów is a town in southeastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine, with 12,405 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship , it is the capital of Lubaczów County and is located 50 kilometers northeast of Przemyśl....
, Rudki
Rudki
Rudki may refer to:*Rudki, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Rudki, West Pomeranian Voivodeship *Rudki, Tomaszów Lubelski County in Lublin Voivodeship...
, Stary Sambor) were greatly underdeveloped. Other rail hubs were: Rawa Ruska, Rzeszów, Rozwadów
Rozwadów
Rozwadów is a suburb of Stalowa Wola, Poland. Founded as a town in 1690, it was incorporated into Stalowa Wola in 1973. The Rozwadów suburb of Stalowa Wola included a thriving Jewish shtetl prior to World War II, closely associated with the Jewish communities of Tarnobrzeg and other nearby...
, Sambor
Sambor
Sambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:...
, Drohobycz, Przeworsk
Przeworsk
Przeworsk Ukrainian: Переворськ, is a town in south-eastern Poland with 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Since 1999 it has been in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, and is the capital of Przeworsk County....
, Chodorów
Khodoriv
Khodoriv is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It has a population of 10,080.The city was first mentioned in 1394. In many historic documents it is referred to as Khodoriv-stav. In many documents it is named Khodoriv-stav. It is connected with a male name Fedir and the situation of the...
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.
Voivodes
- Kazimierz Grabowski 23 April 1921 – 30 June 1924
- Stanisław Zimny 10 March 1924 – 4 December 1924
- Paweł Garapich 30 December 1924 – 28 July 1927
- Piotr Dunin-Borkowski 28 July 1927 – 30 April 1928
- Wojciech Agenor Gołuchowski 9 July 1928 – 29 August 1930
- Bronisław Nakoniecznikoff-Klukowski 29 August 1930 – 6 July 1931
- Józef Rożniecki 22 July 1931 – 30 January 1933
- Władysław Belina-Prażmowski 31 January 1933 – 14 April 1937
- Alfred Biłyk 16 April 1937 – 17 September 1939
- Władysław Zych
- Adam Ostrowski 15 March 1944 – 1 August 1944
September 1939 and its aftermath
In late September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland and Molotov-Ribbentrop PactMolotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
, Lwów Voivodeship was divided by the two victorious sides. The city of Lwów was occupied by the Soviets and, together with eastern part of the Voivodeship, was incorporated into Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, since 1941 in General Gouvernment (the Polish underground administration existed there till August 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
Rzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
Voivodeship—currently, the 1999-reorganized Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...
.
The remaining eastern part became Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
's Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939...
.