Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)
{{Short description|Former voivodeship of Poland}}
{{Infobox Former Subdivision
| native_name = Województwo kieleckie
| conventional_long_name = Kielce Voivodeship
| common_name = Kielce Voivodeship
| subdivision = Voivodeship
| image_coat = POL województwo kieleckie II RP COA.svg
| nation = Poland
| year_start = 1919
| year_end = 1939
| date_start = 14 August
| event1 = Territorial changes
| date_event1 = 1 April 1938
| event_end = Annexed by Germany
| date_end = September
| p1 = Radom Governorate
| flag_p1 = Coat of Arms of Radom gubernia (Russian empire).png
| p2 = Kielce Governorate
| flag_p2 = Coat of Arms of Kielce gubernia (Russian empire).svg
| s1 = Province of Upper Silesia
| flag_s1 = Flagge Preußen - Provinz Oberschlesien.svg
| s2 = General Government
| flag_s2 = Flag_of_German_Reich_(1935–1945).svg
| image_flag =
| image_map = Kielce Voivodeship in the Second Polish Republic (1938).png
| image_map_caption = Location of the Kielce Voivodeship (red)
within the Second Polish Republic, 1938.
| capital = Kielce
| government_type = Voivodeship
| title_deputy = Voivode
| deputy1 = Stanisław Franciszek Pękosławski
| year_deputy1 = 1919–1923
| deputy2 = Władysław Dziadosz
| year_deputy2 = 1934–1939
| stat_area1 = 25741
| stat_pop1 = 2535898
| stat_year1 = 1921
| stat_pop2 = 2935697
| stat_year2 = 1931
| stat_area3 = 22204
| stat_year3 = 1939
| political_subdiv = 18 powiats
}}
Kielce Voivodeship ({{langx|pl|województwo kieleckie}}) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Second Polish Republic during the years 1921–1939. At the time, it covered the northern counties of the historic province of Lesser Poland, including the cities of Radom, Częstochowa and Sosnowiec. On 1 April 1938, its borders changed (see: Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on 1 April 1938). Its capital city was Kielce.
Location and area
In early 1939, the Voivodeship's area was 22 204 square kilometers. It was located in central Poland, bordering Germany and Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship to the west, Łódź Voivodeship and Warsaw Voivodeship to the north, Lublin Voivodeship and Lwów Voivodeship to the east and Kraków Voivodeship to the south. Landscape was flat in the northern part and hilly in mid and south, with the Świętokrzyskie Mountains located in the heart of the area. Forests covered 21.2%, with the national average 22.2% (as for January 1, 1937).
Population
According to the 1931 Polish census, the population was 2,935,697.{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.kieleckie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:Woj.kieleckie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}{{Circular reference|date=February 2025}} Poles made 88.9% of population, Jews - 10.7%. The latter preferred to live in the cities and towns - in 1931 Jews made 28.7% of Voivodeship's cities inhabitants. Illiterate (in 1931) was 25.7%, higher than the national average of 23.1%.
Industry
Kielce Voivodeship was very divided in industrial terms. Its western part, with such cities as Częstochowa, Sosnowiec or Będzin was highly industrialized and urbanized, with numerous coalmines. Also Radom, located in the north, was a big industrial center, together with newly built or newly industrialized nearby towns Pionki and Starachowice. Eastern part, on the other hand, was backward, with little industry and underdeveloped agriculture. In mid-1930s Polish government started a huge public works program, called Centralny Okreg Przemyslowy, which was a great boost to overpopulated and poor central and eastern counties.
Cities and administrative divisions
Between April 1, 1938, and September 1, 1939, it consisted of 18 powiats (counties). These were:
- Będzin county (area 459 km2, pop. 231 300),
- Częstochowa county (area 1 855 km2, pop. 182 600),
- city of Częstochowa county (powiat czestochowski grodzki), (area 48 km2, pop. 117 200),
- Iłża county (area 1 835 km2, pop. 162 400),
- Jędrzejów county (area 1 277 km2, pop. 108 800),
- Kielce county (area 2 052 km2, pop. 244 100),
- Kozienice county (area 1 857 km2, pop. 143 100),
- Miechów county (area 1 353 km2, pop. 153 700),
- File:Wojewodztwo kieleckie (Kielce Voivodeship, II RP).pngOlkusz county (area 1 361 km2, pop. 151 300),
- Opatów county (area 1 639 km2, pop. 186 500),
- Pińczów county (area 1 148 km2, pop. 126 000),
- Radom county (area 2 095 km2, pop. 166 900),
- city of Radom county (powiat radomski grodzki) (area 25 km2, pop. 77 900),
- Sandomierz county (area 1 186 km2, pop. 124 400),
- city of Sosnowiec county (powiat sosnowiecki grodzki) (area 33 km2, pop. 109 000),
- Stopnica county (area 1 590 km2, pop. 153 200),
- Włoszczowa county (area 1 446 km2, pop. 101 600),
- Zawiercie county (area 945 km2, pop. 131 000).
According to the 1931 census, biggest cities in Kielce Voivodeship were:
- Częstochowa (pop. 117 200),
- Sosnowiec (pop. 109 000),
- Radom (pop. 77 900),
- Kielce (pop. 58 200),
- Będzin (pop. 47 600),
- Dąbrowa Górnicza (pop. 36 900),
- Zawiercie (pop. 32 900),
- Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski (pop. 25 900).
Voivodes
- Stanisław Franciszek Pękosławski 19 November 1919 – 31 May 1923
- Adam Kroebl 1 July 1923 – 31 August 1923 (acting)
- Mieczysław Bilski 1 September 1923 – 6 May 1924
- Ignacy Manteuffel 24 May 1924 – 17 August 1927
- Adam Kroebl 20 August 1927 – 20 October 1927 (acting)
- Władysław Korsak 21 October 1927 – 28 February 1930
- Jerzy Paciorkowski 18 February 1930 – 15 May 193
- Stanisław Jarecki 17 May 1934 – 9 July 1934 (acting)
- Władysław Dziadosz 9 July 1934 – September 1939
See also
- Poland's current Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
References
{{reflist}}
- Maly rocznik statystyczny 1939, Nakladem Glownego Urzedu Statystycznego, Warszawa 1939 (Concise Statistical Year-Book of Poland, Warsaw 1939).
{{Voivodeships of Poland 1919–1939}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kielce Voivodeship (1919-39)}}