Subdivisions of the Polish People's Republic


Subdivisions of Polish People's Republic changed several times from the Republic's inception in 1946 to the latest revision in 1999. The first subdivisions of the Republic involved those territories that were acquired in the western part of the state. They were subsequently reformed in 1946, 1950, 1957 and 1975. The 1975 division survived the fall of communism in 1990. The current administrative subdivisions were finalised in 1999. While they closely resemble the 1945-75 scheme, they have different names since the Communists tended to simply name the voivodeships after their capitals, whereas the current ones use more historical names. In some cases, there were border adjustments.
After World War II, Poland lost 77,000 km² of eastern regions, gaining instead the smaller but much more industrialized so-called "Regained Territories" east of the Oder-Neisse line. This annexation of German territory was agreed by the Allied Powers at the Potsdam Conference in 1945.
The Polish People's Republic was divided into several voivodeships. After World War II, the new administrative divisions were based on the pre-war ones. The areas in the East that were not annexed by the Soviet Union had their borders left almost unchanged. Newly acquired territories in the west and north were organised into the voivodeships of Szczecin, Wrocław, Olsztyn and partially joined to Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań voivodeships. Two cities were granted voivodeship status: Warsaw and Łódź.
In 1950 new voivodeships were created: Koszalin - previously part of Szczecin, Opole - previously part of Katowice, and Zielona Góra - previously part of Poznań, Wrocław and Szczecin voivodeships. In addition, three other cities were granted voivodeship status: Wrocław, Kraków and Poznań.
In 1973, Polish voivodeships were changed again. This reorganization of administrative division of Poland was mainly a result of local government reform acts of 1973 to 1975. A three-level administrative division was replaced with a two-level administrative division. The three smallest voivodeships: Warsaw, Kraków and Łódź had a special status of municipal voivodeship; the city president was also province governor.
The system of division remained in effect after the fall of the People's Republic, until 1999, when a system of larger voivodeships and powiats was again introduced.

Poland's voivodeships 1945-75 (14+2 voivodeships, then 17+5)

Polish People's Republic
After World War II, the new administrative division of the country was based on the prewar one. The areas in the east that had not been annexed by the Soviet Union had their borders left almost unchanged. The newly acquired territories in the west and north were organized into the voivodeships of Szczecin, Wrocław and Olsztyn, and partly joined to Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań voivodeships. Two cities were granted voivodeship status: Warsaw and Łódź.
In 1950, new voivodeships were created: Koszalin, Opole, and Zielona Góra. In addition, three more cities were granted voivodeship status: Wrocław, Kraków and Poznań.

Poland's voivodeships 1975-98 (49 voivodeships)


This reorganization of the administrative division of Poland was mainly a result of the local government reform acts of 1973-1975. In place of the three-level administrative division, a new two-level administrative division was introduced. The three smallest voivodeships – Warsaw, Kraków and Łódź – had the special status of municipal voivodeships; those cities' presidents were also their provincial governors.

AbbreviationVoivodeshipCapitalArea
km² 		Population
No. of citiesNo. of communes
bpBiała Podlaska VoivodeshipBiała Podlaska5348286 400635
bkBiałystok Voivodeship Białystok10 055641 1001749
bbBielsko-Biała VoivodeshipBielsko-Biała3 704829 9001847
byBydgoszcz VoivodeshipBydgoszcz10 3491 036 0002755
chChełm VoivodeshipChełm3 865230 900425
ciCiechanów VoivodeshipCiechanów6 362405 400945
czCzęstochowa VoivodeshipCzęstochowa6 182747 9001749
elElbląg VoivodeshipElbląg6 103441 5001537
gdGdańsk VoivodeshipGdańsk7 3941 333 8001943
goGorzów VoivodeshipGorzów Wielkopolski8 484455 4002138
jgJelenia Góra VoivodeshipJelenia Góra4 378492 6002428
klKalisz VoivodeshipKalisz6 512668 0002053
kaKatowice VoivodeshipKatowice6 6503 733 9004346
kiKielce VoivodeshipKielce9 2111 068 7001769
knKonin VoivodeshipKonin5 139441 2001843
koKoszalin VoivodeshipKoszalin8 470462 2001735
krKraków VoivodeshipKraków3 2541 167 5001038
ksKrosno VoivodeshipKrosno5 702448 2001237
lgLegnica VoivodeshipLegnica4 037458 9001131
leLeszno VoivodeshipLeszno4 254357 6001928
luLublin VoivodeshipLublin6 793935 2001662
loŁomża VoivodeshipŁomża6 684325 8001239
ldŁódź VoivodeshipŁódź1 5231 127 800811
nsNowy Sącz VoivodeshipNowy Sącz5 576628 8001441
olOlsztyn VoivodeshipOlsztyn12 327681 4002148
opOpole VoivodeshipOpole8 535975 0002961
osOstrołęka VoivodeshipOstrołęka6 498371 400938
piPiła VoivodeshipPiła8 205437 1002435
ptPiotrków VoivodeshipPiotrków Trybunalski6 266604 2001051
plPłock VoivodeshipPłock5 117496 100944
poPoznań VoivodeshipPoznań8 1511 237 8003357
prPrzemyśl VoivodeshipPrzemyśl4 437380 000935
rsRadom VoivodeshipRadom7 295702 3001561
rzRzeszów VoivodeshipRzeszów4 397648 9001341
seSiedlce VoivodeshipSiedlce8 499616 3001266
siSieradz VoivodeshipSieradz4 869392 300940
skSkierniewice VoivodeshipSkierniewice3 959396 900836
slSłupsk VoivodeshipSłupsk7 453369 8001131
suSuwałki VoivodeshipSuwałki10 490422 6001442
szSzczecin VoivodeshipSzczecin9 981897 9002950
tgTarnobrzeg VoivodeshipTarnobrzeg6 283556 3001446
taTarnów VoivodeshipTarnów4 151607 000941
toToruń VoivodeshipToruń5 348610 8001341
wbWałbrzych VoivodeshipWałbrzych4 168716 1003130
waWarsaw VoivodeshipWarsaw3 7882 319 1002732
wlWłocławek VoivodeshipWłocławek4 402413 4001430
wrWrocław VoivodeshipWrocław6 2871 076 2001633
zaZamość VoivodeshipZamość6 980472 100547
zgZielona Góra VoivodeshipZielona Góra8 868609 2002650