Silesian Voivodeship Województwo Śląskie | |
---|---|
autonomous province of Poland | |
July 15, 1920 – de facto October 8, 1939, de iure May 6, 1945 | |
Capital | Katowice |
Area | |
• 1929 | 5,100 km2 (2,000 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 1929 | 1,533,500 |
Government | |
• Type | autonomous voivodeship |
Voivode | |
• since 1922 | Józef Rymer |
• last, til 1939 | Michał Grażyński |
Legislature | Silesian Sejm |
History | |
• Established | 1921 |
• Disestablished | 1939 |
The Silesian Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo Śląskie[1], German: Woiwodschaft Schlesien) was an autonomous province of Poland created as the result of the popular Upper Silesia plebiscite in 1921, the treaty in Geneva, three Upper Silesian Uprisings, and the partition of Upper Silesia between Poland, Germany and Czechoslovakia.
The Voivodeship was disolved on October 8, 1939 as a result of the German invasion of Poland, and its territory was incorporated into the German Province of Silesia.
General description
The Silesian Voivodeship was the richest and best developed province in pre-war Poland. It owed its wealth to rich deposits of coal, which resulted in construction of numerous coal mines and steelworks. For this reason, this Voivodeship was crucial to Polish armaments production. However, its location on the border with Germany made it vulnerable. In mid-1930s, the Polish government decided to move some sectors of heavy industry to the nation's heartland, creating the Central Industrial Region. Due to effecient agricultural practices, the Silesian Voivodeship also was a major producer of food, in spite of its small size.
According to the 1931 Polish census, 92.3% of population stated Polish as their mother tongue. Germans made up 7% and Jews - only 0.5%. Poles lived mainly in the villages (95.6% of population there), while Germans and Jews preferred cities (12.9% of Polish Upper Silesian cities' population was German, especially Katowice).
Population density was the highest in the country at 299 persons per 1 km². On January 1, 1937, forested areas made up 27.9% of the province. Rail density was the highest in the country at 18.5 km. per 100 km². In 1931, the illiteracy rate was the lowest in the country at 1.5% of population.
History
After the First World War a dispute arouse aboute the future of Upper Silesia. This part of the Silesia region was the least affected by centuries of germanisation. The population was predominately Slavic, especially in rural areas. Many of them considered themselves Poles, and some Czechs. The rest did not feel any strong connections to either of those nations; according to Wojciech Korfanty's estimations, this last group represented up to a third of the total whole population of the region[2].
The Treaty of Versailles resolved that a plebiscite be conducted so that the local population could decide whether Upper Silesia should be assigned to Poland or to Germany. Before the plebiscite took place, two Silesian Uprisings supporting the Polish option broke out. There was a third uprising after the plebiscite, as well.
Based on the results of the plebescite, Upper Silesia was divided between Poland and Germany. The Polish part was incorporated as the Silesian Voivodeship.
The Voivodeship was one of the best economically developed parts of Poland, and was granted autonomy on July 15, 1920 by the Polish Sejm. This status was secure until the May Coup in 1926, after which there were various attempts to limit it in favor of a strong and centralised state.
Following the German invasion of Poland, the voivodeship was disolved on October 8, 1939, and its territory was incorporated into the German Province of Upper Silesia. The voivodeship was not recreated after the war as a result of a decision by the Polish Sejm on May 7, 1945[3].
Politics
The voivodeship possessed wide autonomy in domestic matters excluding foreign and military policy. It had its own Silesian Parliament with 48 MPs (24 since 1935) elected in democratic elections. Legislation, however, had to be consistent with the Polish constitution. The voivodeship also had its own national treasury - the Silesian Treasury (Polish: Skarb Śląski). Only around 10% of taxes were transferred to Polish national treasury. The head of the admistration was headed by a voivode appointed by the president of Poland to act as a representative of the central government.
Administrative divisions
Counties (powiaty)
In mid-1939 the population of the Voivodeship was 1,533,500 (together with Zaolzie, annexed in October 1938) and its area was 5 122 km2. The Voivodeship was divided into these counties:
Powiaty | Population | Area |
---|---|---|
Katowice county (powiat katowicki) | 357,300 | 213 km² |
Rybnik county (powiat rybnicki) | 212,900 | 890 km² |
Cieszyn county (powiat cieszyński) | 176,600 | 1 305 km² |
Pszczyna county (powiat pszczyński) | 151,500 | 1 046 km² |
Frysztat county (powiat frysztacki) | 143,000 | 262 km² |
City of Chorzów | 128,900 | 32 km² |
City of Katowice | 126,200 | 42 km² |
Tarnowskie Góry county (powiat tarnogórski) | 107 000 | 268 km² |
Bielsko county (powiat bielski) | 59,500 | 339 km² |
Lubliniec county (powiat lubliniecki) | 45,200 | 715 km² |
City of Bielsko | 25,400 | 10 km² |
Cities
Biggest cities of the Voivodeship within its 1939 boundaries were (population based on the 1931 census):
Cities | Population |
---|---|
Chorzów¹ | 128,900 |
Katowice | 126,200 |
Siemianowice Śląskie | 37,800 |
Cieszyn | 28,000 |
Bielsko | 25,400 |
Rybnik | 23 000 |
Mysłowice | 22,700 |
Karwina | 22,300 |
Tarnowskie Góry | 15,500 |
Mikołów | 11,900 |
Bogumin | 10,800 |
Orłowa | 10 000 |
- ¹ – in 1934 the town of Królewska Huta, the village of Maciejkowice, the commune of Nowe Hajduki and the village of Chorzów Stary were merged, creating the city of Chorzów. Additionally, on April 1, 1939, the commune of Wielkie Hajduki also became incorporated into the city of Chorzów.
Voivodes
- Józef Rymer 16 June 1922 – 5 December 1922
- Zygmunt Żurawski 15 December 1922 – 1 February 1923 (acting)
- Antoni Schultis 1 February 1923 – 3 March 1924
- Tadeusz Koncki 15 October 1923 – 2 May 1924 (acting till 3 March 1924)
- Mieczysław Bilski 6 May 1924 – 3 September 1926
- Michał Grażyński 6 September 1926 – 5 September 1939
See also
References
- ^ Ustawa Konstytucyjna z dnia 15 lipca 1920 r. zawierająca statut organiczny Województwa Śląskiego (Dz.U. 1920 nr 73 poz. 497)
- ^ Historia Śląska, page 395, Wrocław, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2002
- ^ http://isip.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU19200730497+1945%2405%2407&min=1%20Dz.U.%201920%20nr%2073%20poz.%20497
- "Mały rocznik statystyczny" nakładem Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego - 1939, (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).