Mazovia

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Mazovia
Mazowsze
Aerial view of Płock Old Town with the Cathedral Hill and pier
Baroque Nieborów Palace
Castle Square in Warsaw
Market Square in Pułtusk
UTC+2 (CEST)
Primary airportsWarsaw Chopin Airport
Warsaw Modlin Airport
Highways

Mazovia or Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centuries, Mazovia developed a separate sub-culture featuring diverse folk songs, architecture, dress and traditions different from those of other Poles.

Historical Mazovia existed from the

Catholicism
, to which their relatives from Mazovia still adhered.

The borders of contemporary

Mazovian Voivodeship (province), which was created in 1999, do not exactly reflect the original size of Mazovia, as they do not include the historically Mazovian cities of Łomża and Łowicz, but include the historically Lesser Polish cities of Radom and Siedlce
.

Geography

Historical lands of Mazovia

Mazovia has a landscape without hills (in contrast to

Bug. Forests (mainly coniferous) cover one-fifth of the region, with the large Kampinos Forest, Puszcza Biała and Puszcza Zielona
.

In the north Mazovia borders on the

Kujawy and Dobrzyń Land). The area of Mazovia is 33,500 km2. It has population of 5 million (3 million of them inhabit the metropolis of Warsaw
).

History

Inhabited by the various Lechitic West Slavic tribes, Vistula Veneti[2][3] and with other people who had settled here such as the Wielbark people.[4]

Castle of the Mazovian Dukes in Czersk, 1410
Mazovia (Mazowsze) and other historical lands of Poland against the background of modern administrative borders (names in Polish)

Middle Ages

The historical region of Mazovia (Mazowsze) in the beginning encompassed only the territories on the right bank of Vistula near

palatium. In the period 1037–1047 it was the capital of the independent, Mazovian state of Masław. Between 1079 and 1138 this city was de facto the capital of Poland. Since 1075 it has been the seat of the Diocese of Płock encompassing northern Mazovia; the south formed the archdeaconate of Czersk belonging to Poznań, and the Duchy of Łowicz was part of the Archdiocese of Gniezno (this division remained as long as until the Partitions of Poland
).

During the 9th century Mazovia was perhaps inhabited by the tribe of

Teutonic Knights in 1226 and granted them the Chełmno Land
as a fief.

After the reunification of the Polish state by

Władysław I in the early 14th century, Mazovia became its fief in 1351. In the second half of 15th century western Mazovia and in 1526/1529 the main part (with its capital in Warsaw) was incorporated into the Polish state. In the 15th century the eastern part of the region (Łomża) was settled, mainly by the yeomanry (drobna szlachta). Mazovia was considered underdeveloped in comparison with Greater Poland and Lesser Poland
, with the lowest urban population.

Janusz III of Masovia, Stanisław and Anna of Masovia, 1520
St. John's Archcathedral, Warsaw

Modern period

In the

Latin: districtus) and all three voivodeships formed part of the larger Greater Poland Province. The Polish-Lithuanian Union of Lublin (1569) established Mazovia as the central region of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with Warsaw rising to prominence as the seat of the state legislature (sejm). In 1596 King Sigismund III Vasa moved the Polish capital from Kraków to Warsaw
. During the 17th and 18th centuries Swedish, Transylvanian, Saxon, and Russian invasions wreaked havoc on the region.

In 1793 western Mazovia, and two years later the rest of the region were annexed by the

Congress Kingdom of Poland, which was dependent on Russia. In the 19th century Mazovia was the site of large Polish uprisings (November Uprising and January Uprising) against Russian rule. In that era pre-partition Mazovia was divided among Warsaw, Płock and Augustów (the last one replaced later by Łomża
).

Since 1918 Mazovia has been a part of the resurrected Poland, being roughly equivalent to the

Warsaw Voivodeship. In 1920, Mazovia was invaded by Soviet Russia, but Poland secured its freedom in the victorious Battle of Warsaw
.

World War II

Siege of Warsaw (1939)

During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, Mazovia was invaded by the German Army, and the Einsatzgruppen IV and V followed to commit various crimes against Poles.[5] The largest massacres were committed in Zambrów, Śladów and Zakroczym, in which over 200, over 300 and around 600 Polish prisoners of war and civilians were murdered, respectively.[6][7] On 25–29 September, the Germans handed over north-eastern Mazovia with Łomża and Zambrów to the Soviet Union in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.[8]

Under

looted. The Palmiry massacres carried out by Nazi Germany in the village of Palmiry near Warsaw, were one of the largest massacres of Poles committed during the Intelligenzaktion and AB-Aktion, whereas many Poles from north-eastern Mazovia were among the victims of the Soviet-perpetrated Katyn massacre. Despite such circumstances, the Polish resistance was organized and active in the region. Following the Operation Barbarossa
in 1941, Germany also occupied north-eastern Mazovia.

The

.

In the winter of 1942–1943, the Germans buried some 300 kidnapped Polish children from another region of occupied Poland in the Łąck forests, after the children froze to death in a freight train.[9] Since 1943, the Sicherheitspolizei also carried out deportations of Poles including teenage boys from Płock and Łomża to the Stutthof concentration camp.[10]

Expelled Poles from Warsaw in Pruszków following the Warsaw Uprising of 1944

Germany operated several prisoner-of-war camps, including Oflag 73, Stalag 319, Stalag 324, Stalag 333 and Stalag 368 with several subcamps, for Polish, Italian, Soviet and Romanian POWs in the region.[11]

The population of Warsaw decreased sharply as a result of executions, the extermination of the city's Jews, the deaths of some 200,000 inhabitants during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, and the deportation of the city's left-bank population following the uprising. Some 40,000–50,000 Poles were murdered in the Wola massacre alone, one of the largest massacres of Poles. Shortly after the uprising, Adolf Hitler ordered German troops to destroy the city.

In 1944–1945, the region was occupied by the Soviet

Fall of Communism
in the 1980s.

Recent history

The rebuilding of the Polish capital was the main task of the postwar period.[12]

The Polish resistance remained active, with one of the last Polish anti-communist partisans, Stanisław Marchewka [pl], killed by the communists in Jeziorko in 1957.[13] Particularly large anti-communist protest occurred in the region in 1976.

During and following the Korean War, in 1951–1959, Poland admitted 200 North Korean orphans in Gołotczyzna and Otwock in Mazovia.[14]

Those times

Mazovian Voivodeship was created as one of 16 administrative regions of Poland
.

Culture

Folk costumes from Łowicz sub-region

Mazovian dialect

The Mazovian language probably existed as a separate dialect until the 20th century.

Lesser Polish dialect
as well).

Local cuisine

There is no specific regional cuisine of Mazovia. Formerly, dairy foods dominated the peasant cuisine. Nobles used poultry, geese, chickens and ducks. The most separate Mazovian culinary regions are Kurpie and Łowicz, where traditional dishes survive to the present day. In Kurpie, traditional dishes are prepared with ingredients collected in the forest: berries, honey and mushrooms. There are several traditional Polish dishes like flaki (tripes), kluski (noodles and dumplings), which are prepared in different way than in other parts of Poland.[20][21]

Economy

fruits
(with their biggest Polish basin in the south of the region), and vegetables. Pigs are commonly bred, often also cows and chickens.

Tourism

Fryderyk Chopin in Żelazowa Wola

Pałac Kultury i Nauki
.

Masovia also boasts 11 Historic Monuments of Poland:

Historical monuments elsewhere include the manor house in

Czerwińsk, Wyszogród, Zakroczym, Szreńsk, Przasnysz, Ostrołęka, Łomża, Szczuczyn, Wizna, Brok, Zuzela, Rostkowo, and Boguszyce. Interesting folklore is found in the subregion of Kurpie; another skansen has been established in Sierpc.[25]

Main cities and towns

Warsaw Old Town
Płock Castle
Łomża Cathedral
Sokół Palace in Pruszków
Castle in Rawa Mazowiecka
Regional museum in Ostrołęka

The following table lists the cities in Mazovia with a population greater than 20,000 (2015):

City Population (2015)[26] Voivodeship in 1750 Voivodeship in 2016 Additional information
1. Warsaw 1 724 404 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Capital of Poland, former
royal city
of Poland.
2. Płock 122 815 Płock Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Historical capital of Masovia, former capital of Poland, former royal city of Poland.
3. Łomża 62 711 Masovian Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
4. Pruszków 59 570 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
5. Legionowo 54 231 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
6. Ostrołęka 52 917 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
7. Skierniewice 48 634 Rawa Voivodeship Łódź Voivodeship Former private bishop town of Poland.
8. Otwock 45 044 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
9. Piaseczno 44 869 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
10. Ciechanów 44 797 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
11. Żyrardów 41 096 Rawa Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship
12. Mińsk Mazowiecki 39 880 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
13. Wołomin 37 505 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
14. Sochaczew 37 480 Rawa Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
15. Ząbki 31 884 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
16. Mława 30 880 Płock Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
17. Grodzisk Mazowiecki 29 907 Rawa Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former private town of the Mokronoski family, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
18. Łowicz 29 420 Rawa Voivodeship Łódź Voivodeship Temporary de facto capital of Poland in years 1572–1573, former private bishop town.
19. Marki 29 032 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
20. Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki 28 287 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former private town, part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
21.
Wyszków
27 222 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former private bishop town of Poland.
22. Piastów 22 826 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.
23. Ostrów Mazowiecka 22 796 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
24. Płońsk 22 494 Płock Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
25. Zambrów 22 451 Masovian Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship Former royal city of Poland.
26. Grajewo 22 246 Masovian Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship Northernmost and easternmost town of Mazovia. It borders the regions of Podlachia and Masuria.
27. Kobyłka 20 855 Masovian Voivodeship Masovian Voivodeship Part of the Warsaw metropolitan area.

Sports

Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw

Successful sports teams in Masovia include association football teams Legia Warsaw, Polonia Warsaw and Wisła Płock, basketball teams Polonia Warsaw, Legia Warsaw and Znicz Pruszków, and handball teams Wisła Płock and KS Warszawianka.

Gallery

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ Mazowsze: Obraz Etnograficzny, Volume 1, by Wojciech Gerson and Oskar Kolberg, BiblioBazaar, 2009 – 372 pages
  2. .
  3. ^ J. Piontek et al. "Odontological analysis of central european populations from the Roman period and the Early Middle Ages". Humanbiologia Budapestinensis. 30. 2007. pp. 77–86. [1]
  4. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 54–55.
  5. ISSN 1641-9561
    .
  6. ^ Wardzyńska, p. 97
  7. ^ Boćkowski, Daniel (2005). Na zawsze razem. Białostocczyzna i Łomżyńskie w polityce radzieckiej w czasie II wojny światowej (IX 1939 – VIII 1944) (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Neriton, Instytut Historii PAN. p. 45.
  8. Biblioteka Jagiellońska
    . p. 78.
  9. ^ Drywa, Danuta (2020). "Germanizacja dzieci i młodzieży polskiej na Pomorzu Gdańskim z uwzględnieniem roli obozu koncentracyjnego Stutthof". In Kostkiewicz, Janina (ed.). Zbrodnia bez kary... Eksterminacja i cierpienie polskich dzieci pod okupacją niemiecką (1939–1945) (in Polish). Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Biblioteka Jagiellońska. p. 187.
  10. .
  11. ^ "Mazowieckie | province, Poland | Encyclopædia Britannica". britannica.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  12. ^ Grzegorz Makus. "Ostatni z Białostocczyzny. Ppor. Stanisław Marchewka "Ryba"". Muzeum Żołnierzy Wyklętych (in Polish). Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  13. ISSN 0080-3480
    .
  14. ^ "Full text of "Historya Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego: Srednie wieki i odrodzenie. Z wstepem o Uniwersytecie ..."". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  15. ^ Felicyan Antoni Kozłowski (1858). Dzieje Mazowsża za panowania książat. Warszawa: Nakł. i druk S. Orgelbranda. p. 504. jezyk mazowiecki.
  16. ^ Kopernikijana czyli materyaly do pism i zycia Mikolaja Kopernika. Gniezno, Drukiem J.B. Langiego. 1873.
  17. ^ Maciejowski, W.A. (1852). Piśmiennictwo polskie, od czasów najdawniejszych aż do roku 1830: z rękopisów i druków zebrawszy, w obrazie literatury polskiej historycznie skreślonym. Vol. 2. Nakładem i drukiem S. Orgelbranda. p. 327. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Mitteilungen : Literarische Gesellschaft Masovia : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  19. ^ Kuchnia Mazowsza i Kurpiów – Kuchnia Polska
  20. ^ Potrawy mazowieckie – Kuron.com.pl
  21. ^ "Mazowsze jest i będzie najbogatsze w Polsce – Analizy rynku – Forsal.pl – Giełda, Waluty, Finanse – forex, notowania NBP, surowce". forsal.pl. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  22. ^ Warsaw: Central Europe's Bourse to Beat – BusinessWeek
  23. ^ Warsaw makes bid to become Central Europe’s financial hub – Taipei Times
  24. ^ "Mazowieckie | province, Poland | Encyclopædia Britannica". britannica.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  25. ^ "Lista miast w Polsce (Spis miast, mapa miast, liczba ludności, powierzchnia, wyszukiwarka)".