Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939)
Pomeranian Voivodeship Województwo Pomorskie | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Voivodeship of Poland | |||||||||
1919–1939 | |||||||||
Location of the Pomeranian Voivodeship (so-called "Greater Pomerania") (red) within the Second Polish Republic (1938). | |||||||||
Capital | Toruń | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• 1921 | 16,386 km2 (6,327 sq mi) | ||||||||
• 1939 | 28,402 km2 (10,966 sq mi) | ||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• 1921 | 935,643 | ||||||||
• 1931 | 1,080,138 | ||||||||
Government | |||||||||
• Type | Voivodeship | ||||||||
Voivodes | |||||||||
• 1919–1920 | Stefan Łaszewski | ||||||||
• 1936–1939 | Władysław Raczkiewicz | ||||||||
Historical era | Interwar period | ||||||||
• Established | 12 August 1919 | ||||||||
1 April 1938 | |||||||||
September 1939 | |||||||||
Political subdivisions | powiats | ||||||||
|
The Pomeranian Voivodeship or Pomorskie Voivodeship (
Most of the territory of Pomeranian province became part of the current
The name Pomerania derives from the Slavic po more, meaning "by the sea" or "on the sea".[1]
History
This was a unit of administration and local government in the Republic of Poland (II Rzeczpospolita) established in 1919 after World War I from the majority of the Prussian province of
During World War II, it was occupied by Nazi Germany and unilaterally annexed as
Area and counties
Between April 1, 1938 and September 1, 1939, the Voivodeship's area was 25 683 km2, and its population - 1 884 400 (according to the 1931 census). It consisted of 28
Pomorskie Voivodeship was one of the richest and best developed in interwar Poland. With numerous cities and well-developed rail, it also provided the country with access to the Baltic Sea. Only 8.3% of population was illiterate, which was much lower than the national average of 23.1% (as for 1931). Poles made up majority of population (88%).
After World War I, the number of Germans was 117,251 in 1926 and 107,555 in 1934.
This is the list of the Pomorskie Voivodeship counties as of August 31, 1939:
- Brodnica county (area 913 km2, pop. 56 300),
- city of Bydgoszcz county (area 75 km2, pop. 117 200),
- Bydgoszcz county (area 1 334 km2, pop. 58 100),
- Chełmno county (area 738 km2, pop. 52 800),
- Chojnice county (area 1 854 km2, pop. 76 900),
- city of Gdynia county (area 66 km2, pop. 38 600),
- city of Grudziądz county (area 28 km2, pop. 54 000),
- Grudziądz county (area 758 km2, pop. 42 800),
- city of Inowrocław county (area 37 km2, pop. 34 400),
- Inowrocław county (area 1 267 km2, pop. 67 500),
- Kartuzy county (area 1 302 km2, pop. 68 700),
- Kościerzyna county (area 1 162 km2, pop. 51 700),
- Lipno county (area 1 535 km2, pop. 104 500),
- Lubawa county (area 833 km2, pop. 53 600),
- Nieszawa county (area 1 278 km2, pop. 117 900),
- Rypin county (area 1 188 km2, pop. 84 900),
- Sępólno Krajeńskie county (area 681 km2, pop. 31 600),
- Starogard Gdański county (area 1 127 km2, pop. 71 800),
- Szubin county (area 917 km2, pop. 47 800),
- Świecie county (area 1 533 km2, pop. 88 000),
- Tczew county (area 716 km2, pop. 67 400),
- city of Toruń county (area 59 km2, pop. 61 900),
- Toruń county (area 864 km2, pop. 52 300),
- Tuchola county (area 1 039 km2, pop. 41 200),
- Maritime County (area 673 km2, pop. 49 900),
- Wejherowo county (area 1 281 km2, pop. 79 900),
- Włocławek county (area 1 325 km2, pop. 147 800),
- Wyrzysk county (area 1 101 km2, pop. 64 900).
Main cities
Biggest cities of the Voivodeship were (data according to the 1931 Polish census):
- Bydgoszcz (pop. 117 200) - since 1938
- Toruń (pop. 61 900) - the capital
- Włocławek (pop. 56 000) - since 1938
- Grudziądz (pop. 54 000)
- Gdynia (pop. 38 600)
- Inowrocław (pop. 34 400) - since 1938
- Tczew (pop. 22 500)
- Chojnice (pop. 14 100)
German minority
According to Polish census figures, the German minority in 1921 counted 18.8% of the overall population (with 175 771 Germans still remaining in Polish areas), while in 1931 it counted 9.6% (104 992 Germans remaining).[3] Other more detailed estimates below:
County (German name in brackets)[4] |
ethnic German population (1926) | ethnic German population (1934) |
---|---|---|
Kościerzyna (Berent) | 6,884 | 5,974 |
Wąbrzeźno (Briesen) | 7,615 | 7,344 |
Chełmno (Culm) | 7,905 | 7,673 |
Tczew (Dirschau)/ Gniew (Mewe)/ Świecie (Schwetz) | 20,446 | 17,571 |
Grudziądz (Graudenz, town) | 3,542 | 3,875 |
Grudziądz (Graudenz, district) | 9,317 | 8,190 |
Kartuzy (Karthaus) | 4,800 | 3,927 |
Chojnice (Konitz) | 9,022 | 8,070 |
Lubawa (Löbau) | 2,078 | 1,689 |
Wejherowo (Neustadt)/ Puck (Putzig) | 6,556 | 6,305 |
Starogard Gdański (Pr. Stargard) | 2,909 | 3,418 |
Toruń (Thorn, town) | 2,255 | 2,057 |
Toruń (Thorn, district) | 7,107 | 6,738 |
Tuchola (Tuchel) | 3,170 | 2,861 |
Sępólno Krajeńskie (Zempelburg) | 10,866 | 11,130 |
Pomeranian Voivodship (total) | 117,251 | 107,555 |
Voivodes
- Stefan Łaszewski – 19 October 1919 – 2 July 1920
- Jan Brejski – 2 July 1920 – 24 March 1924
- Stanisław Wachowiak – 24 October 1924-August 1926
- Mieczysław Seydlitz – August 1926 – October 1926
- Kazimierz Młodzianowski – 12 October 1926 – 4 July 1928
- Wiktor Wrona-Lamot – 28 August 1928 – 18 November 1931
- Stefan Kirtiklis – 18 November 1931 – 14 July 1936
- Władysław Raczkiewicz – 16 July 1936 – 30 September 1939
Notes
- ^ Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie „Land am Meer“. (Pommersches Landesmuseum, German)
- ISBN 3-447-03997-3.
- ^ "Anna M".
- ISBN 3-447-03997-3.
References
- Maly rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakladem Glownego Urzedu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).