Białystok Voivodeship (1945–75)

See also: Białystok Voivodeship (1919–39) and Białystok Voivodeship (1975–1998)

Białystok Voivodeship Województwo białostockie
Voivodeship of Poland
←   ← 1945–1975 →   →   →
Location of Białystok Voivodeship within the People's Republic of Poland (1950–1975).
Capital		Białystok 53°08′N 23°09′E / 53.133°N 23.150°ECoordinates: 53°08′N 23°09′E / 53.133°N 23.150°E
History
•	Established	1945
•	Disestablished	1975
Political subdivisions		24 counties (powiaty)

Białystok Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo białostockie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1945 to 1975, when its purview was separated into eastern Suwałki Voivodeship, Łomża Voivodeship and Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998). Its capital city was Białystok. The establishment of Podlaskie Voivodeship in 1999 was essentially a reunion of the areas of Białystok Voivodeship (1945-1975).

Area administrative region of 1950, amounted to 23 201 square kilometers, was later reduced to 23 153 square kilometers. The population was in 1946, approximately 941 000, in 1970 approximately 1 176 000 inhabitants.

History

In early 1944, when the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier before the war, the Bialystok Voivodeship was divided administratively by the German occupied areas incorporated into the Third Reich (Bezirk Bialystok) and the occupied territories of the USSR (Reich Commissariat East).

Over the next months, the front was moving into the pre-war Polish territory. However, according to the findings of the Tehran Conference of 1943 it was known that the pre-war Polish eastern territories will be incorporated into the Soviet Union and eastern territories of Germany will be incorporated into Polish (more precisely define these territorial changes occurred during the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference ). For this reason, the Polish territories occupied by the Red Army in early 1944 did not create the Polish administration. Only after crossing the line in July 1944 the Bug, which is the future eastern border of Polish, Polish authorities have been established in the form of the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PCNL) .

A month after the start of its operations PCNL issued Decree of the Polish Committee of National Liberation of August 21, 1944 on the Procedure for the appointment of general administration authorities and second instance,^[1] which came into force on 22 August 1944. In this decree (Article 11) abolished the administrative structure introduced by Germany and restored the Bialystok Voivodeship administrative divisions during the Second Polish Republic. At the time, ran on the front line of the Vistula and Narew, and the formal authority PKWN had was only part of the pre-war Bialystok Voivodeship.

29 September 1944, administration of 17 (of the 23) districts of Belastok Region (including the city of Białystok) and an additional three (Siemiatycze, Hajnówka and Kleszczele) of the Brest Region was passed to the Polish Committee of National Liberation from the BSSR.

31 December 1944 the Provisional Government of the Polish Republic replaced the Polish Committee of National Liberation.

14 March 1945 the Provisional Government of the Republic of Polish made the initial administrative division of the German lands included in the Polish (so-called Recovered Territories ), even before taking all of these areas, creating them four administrative districts do not have the status of regions: Region I (Opole Silesia), District II (Lower Silesia), District III (West Pomerania), District IV (Mazury).

The Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR of 16 August 1945 established the borders between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the Republic of Poland. It was signed by the Provisional Government of National Unity (Polish: Tymczasowy Rząd Jedności Narodowej).

August 18, 1945 transferred Lomza County from the Warsaw Voivodeship to the Białystok Voivodeship.^[2][3]

September 25, 1945 part of the counties of the Recovered Territories transmitted under the management of the Białystok Voivodeship (Gołdap, Ełk and Olecko) from District IV (Mazury). These districts have provisionally become parts of the Voivodeship, although de jure continue to form part of Recovered Territories (MP, 1945 No. 29, item. 77). On June 28, 1946, the areas of the Recovered Territories assigned to Białystok Voivodeship were formally transferred.^[4]

Some cities lost civic rights without joining larger neighboring cities: Dąbrowa Białostocka*, Kleszczele*, Krynki, Sokoły, Suchowola*, Tykocin* (1950)^[5]

1 July 1952 created Siemiatycze County.^[6]

1954 the following Counties were created: hajnowski,^[7] łapy,^[8] moniecki, zambrow ^[9]

Between 1954 and 1972, gromadas formed the lowest tier of local government in the voivodeship, taking over the role previously played by gminy. A gromada would generally consist of several villages, but they were smaller units than the gminy had been. In 1973 gminy were reintroduced and gromadas abolished.

1956 the following counties were created: dąbrowski (białostocki),^[10] sejneński ^[11]

Administrative divisions

Województwo białostockie (1946)

Powiat		Pow.(km²)	Ludność	Mieszk. /km²	Miasta	Gminy	Siedziba
Województwo białostockie
Augustowski		1641	42 178	26	1	7	Augustów
Białostocki		3350	137 250	41	8	15	Białystok
Bielski		4628	198 470	43	6	17	Bielsk Podlaski
Ełcki		1115	21 595	19	1	12	Ełk
Gołdapski		613	2 592	4	1	4	Gołdap
Łomżyński		2657	140 657	53	6	19	Łomża
Olecki		856	12 282	14	1	6	Olecko
Sokólski		2531	89 939	36	1	12	Sokółka
Suwalski		2204	79 354	36	2	16	Suwałki
Szczuczyński		1451	55 910	39	3	10	Grajewo
Wysokomazowiecki		1467	80 577	55	4	10	Wysokie Mazowieckie
m. Białystok		39	56 759	1456	1	0	Białystok

Województwo białostockie

Powiat	Siedziba powiatu	Liczba miast	Liczba gmin	Liczba gromad	Miasta (wytłuszczone) i gminy (z liczbą gromad w nawiasach)
Województwo białostockie – 1 VII 1952 r.
Augustowski	Augustów	1	7	172	miasto Augustów • Bargłów (22) • Dębowo (10) • Dowspuda (25) • Kolnica (17) • Lipsk (39) • Szczebro-Olszanka (31) • Sztabin (28)
Białostocki	Białystok	8	15	432	miasto Choroszcz • miasto Goniądz • miasto Knyszyn • miasto Starosielce • miasto Supraśl • miasto Suraż • miasto Wasilków • miasto Zabłudów • Bacieczki (21) • Barszczewo (32) • Czarna Wieś (18) • Dojlidy (16) • Goniądz (27) • Gródek (35) • Jaświły (28) • Juchnowiec (28) • Kalinówka (37) • Krypno (26) • Michałowo (33) • Obrubniki (26) • Trzcianne (28) • Zabłudów (45) • Zawyki (32)
Białystok miasto	Białystok	1	0	0	miasto Białystok
Bielski	Bielsk Podlaski	3	27	321	miasto Bielsk Podlaski • miasto Brańsk • miasto Hajnówka • Augustowo (10) • Białowieża (4) • Boćki (15) • Brańsk (14) • Chraboły (10) • Czeremcha (9) • Czyże (11) • Dobromil (10) • Domanowo (10) • Dubicze Cerkiewne (11) • Hajnówka (17) • Holonki (15) • Klejniki (10) • Kleszczele (11) • Łosinka (15) • Łubin Kościelny (11) • Narew (16) • Narewka (19) • Orla (15) • Pasynki (10) • Policzna (9) • Rudka (7) • Ryboły (8) • Śnieżki (13) • Topczewo (17) • Widowo (6) • Wyszki (18)
Ełcki	Ełk	1	12	153	miasto Ełk • Bajtkowo (11) • Ełk (11) • Golubie (13) • Kalinowo (18) • Klusy (9) • Nowa Wieś Ełcka (10) • Pisanica (15) • Prostki (16) • Stare Juchy (18) • Straduny (9) • Wiśniowo Ełckie (14) • Woszczele (9)
Gołdapski	Gołdap	1	4	50	miasto Gołdap • Dubeninki (15) • Górne (7) • Grabowo (17) • Jabłońskie (11)
Grajewski	Grajewo	3	8	167	miasto Grajewo • miasto Rajgród • miasto Szczuczyn • Bełda (26) • Białaszewo (23) • Bogusze (27) • Pruska (15) • Radziłów (19) • Ruda (10) • Szczuczyn (35) • Wąsosz (12)
Kolneński	Kolno	2	8	177	miasto Kolno • miasto Stawiski • Czerwone (21) • Gawrychy (20) • Grabowo (27) • Lachowo (23) • Łyse (17) • Mały Płock (20) • Stawiski (29) • Turośl (20)
Łomżyński	Łomża	4	16	463	miasto Jedwabne • miasto Łomża • miasto Nowogród • miasto Zambrów • Bożejewo (25) • Chlebiotki (26) • Długobórz (46) • Drozdowo (29) • Jedwabne (36) • Kołaki (25) • Kupiski (19) • Lubotyń (23) • Miastkowo (24) • Przytuły (41) • Puchały (29) • Rogienice (25) • Rutki (36) • Szczepankowo (32) • Szumowo (18) • Śniadowo (29)
Olecki	Olecko	1	6	91	miasto Olecko • Borawskie (16) • Mieruniszki (10) • Sokółki (17) • Świętajno (15) • Wieliczki (20) • Zalesie (13)
Siemiatycki (od 1 VII 1952)	Siemiatycze	3	18	222	miasto Ciechanowiec • miasto Drohiczyn • miasto Siemiatycze • Baciki Średnie (9) • Boratyniec Ruski (12) • Czartajew (16) • Dołubowo (10) • Drohiczyn (18) • Dziadkowice (16) • Grodzisk (16) • Klukowicze (14) • Kosiorki (10) • Krupice (10) • Mielnik (7) • Milejczyce (12) • Nurzec (12) • Ostrożany (13) • Perlejewo (13) • Pobikry (13) • Śledzianów (10) • Winna Chroły (11)
Sokólski	Sokółka	1	12	360	miasto Sokółka • Babiki (18) • Dąbrowa (45) • Janów (32) • Korycin (43) • Krynki (19) • Kuźnica (21) • Nowy Dwór (15) • Sidra (21) • Sokółka (51) • Suchowola (47) • Szudziałowo (35) • Zalesie (13)
Suwalski	Suwałki	2	16	441	miasto Sejny • miasto Suwałki • Berżniki (26) • Filipów (22) • Giby (33) • Huta (26) • Jeleniewo (30) • Kadaryszki (35) • Koniecbór (15) • Krasnopol (31) • Krasnowo (22) • Kuków (36) • Pawłówka (21) • Przerośl (17) • Puńsk (33) • Szypliszki (41) • Wiżajny (27) • Wólka (26)
Wysokomazowiecki	Wysokie Mazowieckie	2	10	412	miasto Łapy • miasto Wysokie Mazowieckie • Czyżew (36) • Klukowo (43) • Kobylin (41) • Kowalewszczyzna (21) • Piekuty (42) • Poświętne (44) • Sokoły (45) • Szepietowo (64) • Tykocin (22) • Wysokie Mazowieckie (54)

List of Counties in 1967:

• City Counties: Białystok. (1)
• Land Counties: Augustów, Białystok, Bielsk Podlaski, Dąbrowa Białostocka, Ełk, Gołdap, Grajewo, Hajnówka, Kolno, Łapy, Łomża, Mońki, Olecko, Sejny, Siemiatycze, Sokółka, Suwałki, Wysokie Mazowieckie, Zambrów. (19)

Adjacent voivodeships

The Voivodeship shares a border on the east with the Olsztyn Voivodeship, the southwest with the Warsaw Voivodeship, the south with the Lublin Voivodeship, the north with the RSFSR's Kaliningrad Oblast, the northeast with the Lithuanian SSR and the east with the Byelorussian SSR.

References

1. (({{{title}}}, Dz. U. z 1944 r. Nr 5, poz. 22 ) Coll. Laws of 1944, No. 2, item. 8 )
2. {{{title}}}, Dz. U. z 1945 r. Nr 27, poz. 168
3. {{{title}}}, Dz. U. z 1945 r. Nr 27, poz. 167
4. ( Council of Ministers of 29 May 1946 on the provisional administrative division of the Recovered Territories., Coll. Laws of 1946 No. 28, item. 177 {{{title}}}, Dz. U. z 1946 r. Nr 28, poz. 177 )
5. Miasta oznaczone gwiazdką odzyskały prawa miejskie w późniejszych latach.
6. ({{{title}}}, Dz. U. z 1952 r. Nr 17, poz. 102 Dz. U. z 1952 r. Nr 17, poz. 102)
7. (Dz. U. z 1953 r. Nr 41, poz. 192)
8. (Dz. U. z 1954 r. Nr 49, poz. 232)
9. (Dz. U. z 1954 r. Nr 49, poz. 233 )
10. (Dz. U. z 1954 r. Nr 6, poz. 15)
11. (Dz. U. z 1955 r. Nr 44, poz. 290)