Białystok Voivodeship (1919–1939)


See also: Białystok Voivodeship and Białystok Voivodeship
Białystok Voivodeship was an administrative unit of interwar Poland. The province's capital and its biggest city was Białystok with the population of over 91,000 people. Following the Nazi German and the Soviet invasion of Poland, the Voivodeship was occupied by both invading armies and divided according to Nazi-Soviet boundary treaty.

Area and location

In interwar Poland, Bialystok Voivodeship was located in mid-northern part of the country. It bordered Germany to north-west, Lithuania to north-east, Wilno Voivodeship and Nowogródek Voivodeship to the east, Polesie Voivodeship and Lublin Voivodeship to the south and Warsaw Voivodeship to the west. Its area was 26 036 km². Landscape was flat, with the mighty Bialowieza Forest located right in the middle.

Population

Inhabited mostly by Poles, it also had significant Belarusian and Jewish minorities. Interesting is the fact that in 1931, 2.8% claimed Russian as their native tongue. The population, according to the 1931 Polish census was 1 263 300.
According to Polish data from April 1939, the population of Białystok voivodship was divided as follows: 71,1% Poles, 13,5% Belarusians, 11,9% Jews, 2,2% Russians, 0,9% Lithuanians, 0,5% Germans.

History

From 10 July 1930 to the end of February 1934, Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski was the Voivode of Białystok. During this time, he streamlined administration, increased supervision of officials, and prioritized the development of sewers and streets in Bialystok. He also founded the Regional Committee for Unemployment, as well as had their share in the creation of the Agricultural Chamber of Białystok and ensuring the participation of entrepreneurs in the second Bialystok Fair Vilnius. He was also one of the founders of Jagiellonia Białystok Sports Club.
In November 1930, Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski once again became a member of Parliament.
In 1932, Zyndram-Kościałkowski remained at the disposal of the Head of the Department and the Ministry of Defense Corps.

Administrative divisions

1919–1938

After 1 April 1938, the Voivodeship consisted of ten counties:
The Voivodeship consisted of thirteen counties :
According to the 1931 census, the biggest cities were:
In the interwar period, Białystok Voivodeship was part of the so-called "Poland B". This meant that it was underdeveloped, with 23.1% of the population being illiterate. Railroad networks were scarce, and forested areas covered 24.4% of Voivodeship's area. The city of Białystok, was the Voivodeship's lone industrial center. Agriculture was at a low level.

''Voivodes''