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Wilno Voivodeship (1926–1939)

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This article is about the voivodship of Poland in the interwar period. For voivodship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, see Vilnius Voivodeship.
See also: Vilnius Region
Województwo wileńskie
Coat of Arms
(Coat of Arms)
Wilno Voivodeship

The Wilno Voivodeship (Polish: województwo wileńskie, Lithuanian: Vilniaus vaivadija, Belarusian: Віленскае вайводзтва) was one of Voivodeships in the Second Polish Republic. It was created in 1926 and populated predominantly by Poles with notable minorities of Belarusians, Jews, and Lithuanians. Following German and Soviet Invasion of Poland, at the insistence of Joseph Stalin at the Tehran Conference of 1943, Poland's borders were redrawn, Polish population forcibly resettled and Wilno Voivodeship was incorporated into the Lithuanian and Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republics. Since 1991, most of the former territory of the voivodeship has belonged to sovereign Lithuania.[1]

History

Wilno Voivodeship was created on 20 January 1926 from the territories of the Wilno Department (created in 1920) and the Republic of Central Lithuania (incorporated into Poland in 1922). From 6 April 1922 to 20 January 1926 it was known as the Wilno Land (ziemia wileńska). It was formed as the last of the Polish voivodeships in the interbellum (although the Sandomierz Voivodeship was to be created in late 1939).

Following the Soviet invasion in 1939, the Voivodeship was divided between the newly created Vileyka Voblast of the Belarusian SSR and independent Lithuania (from 1940 the Lithuanian SSR). This division wasn't internationally accepted. The Polish government-in-exile nominated Zygmunt Fedorowicz in 1942 as its representative for Wilno region. He was arrested by NKVD in 1944.

Currently the former territory of Wilno Voivodeship is divided between the Vinius and Utena counties in Lithuania and the Hrodna, Minsk and Vitsebsk voblasts of Belarus.

Area

Its area was 29,011 square kilometers (which made it the fourth biggest Polish Voivodeship) and population (according to the 1931 Polish Census) - 1,276,000.

Location

This Voivodeship was located in northeastern corner of the country, bordering Soviet Union to the east, Lithuania to the west, Latvia to the north, Nowogródek Voivodeship to the south and Bialystok Voivodeship to the south-west. Landscape was flat and hilly in parts, with several lakes (such as Narocz, the biggest lake of interwar Poland). On January 1, 1937, forested was 21.2% of the area (with national average of 22.2%)

Towns and administrative division

Map

Wilno Voivodeship was created after the territory of the puppet state Republic of Central Lithuania was merged with the so-called Wilno Area. In the years 1922–1939 it was divided into 9 powiats (counties):

  • Brasław county (area 4 217 km2 (84 sq mi), pop. 143,100),
  • Dzisna county (area 3 968 km2 (374 sq mi), pop. 159,900),
  • Mołodeczno county (area 1 898 km2 (347 sq mi), pop. 91,300),
  • Oszmiana county (area 2 362 km2 (140 sq mi), pop. 104,600),
  • Postawy county (area 3 050 km2 (19 sq mi), pop. 99,900),
  • Święciany county (area 4 017 km2 (7 sq mi), pop. 136,500),
  • Wilejka county (area 3 427 km2 (165 sq mi), pop. 131,100),
  • city of Wilno county (since 1930) (area 105 km2 (41 sq mi), pop. 195,100),
  • Wilno - Troki county (area 5 967 km2 (373 sq mi), pop. 214,500. This county was the biggest in the whole interwar Poland, bigger than the whole Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship).

In 1931, the biggest city of the Voivodeship (and the biggest in northeastern Poland) was Wilno, with 195 100 inhabitants. Apart from this city, Voivodeship was sparsely populated and lacked more urban centers. All other towns were very small, none of them reached the population larger than 10 000 (as for 1931).

Population

Mother tongue in Poland, based on 1931 census.
See also: Ethnic history of the Vilnius region

In 1931 the Voivodeship was inhabited by 1,276,000 people. Majority of population was Polish (59.7% claimed Polish as their native tongue). Among minorities there were: Belarusians (22.7%), Russians (3.4%), Jews (8.5%) and Lithuanians (5.5%). The population density was 44 persons per sq. km. (second lowest in Poland, after Polesie Voivodeship).

Railways and Industry

Wilno Voivodeship was located in the so-called Poland “B”, which meant that it was underdeveloped, with non-existing industry (apart from the city of Wilno)[citation needed]. Large part of population was poor, with high level of illiteracy (in 1931, 29.1% was illiterate, with the national average of 23.1%). Railway network was scarce, with only few junctions - the most important one at Wilno, also at Molodeczno, Krolewszczyzna and Nowa Wilejka. Total length of railroads within Voivodeship's boundaries was 1,097 kilometres, which was only 3.8 per 100 square kilometres.

Voivodes

Government delegates
Voivodes

See also

References

  1. ^ Piotr Eberhardt, Jan Owsinski (2003). Ethnic Groups and Population Changes in Twentieth-century Central-Eastern Europe: History, Data, Analysis. M.E. Sharpe.
  1. Template:Pl icon Zygmunt Gloger (1900). Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski. Kraków: Spółka Wydawnicza Polska. ISBN 83-214-0883-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Maly Rocznik Statystyczny, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).

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