Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship or Warmia-Masuria Province or Warmia-Mazury Province (in pl, Województwo warmińsko-mazurskie, is a
voivodeship
A voivodeship is the area administered by a voivode (Governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in western medieval ...
(
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
) in northeastern
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. Its capital and largest city is
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
. The voivodeship has an area of and a population of 1,425,967 (as of 2019).
The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999, from the entire
Olsztyn Voivodeship
Olsztyn Voivodeship () was an administrative division and unit of local government in Poland in the years 1945–75, and a new territorial division between 1975–1998, superseded by Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Olsztyn.
...
, the western half of
Suwałki Voivodeship
Suwałki Voivodeship () was an administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998. In 1999 the Voidvodeship was divided in half and reassigned to two other Voivodeships – the eastern half to Podlaskie Voivodeship and the we ...
and part of
Elbląg Voivodeship
Elbląg Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by the Pomeranian Voivodeship and the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Elbląg.
Major cities and towns ( ...
, pursuant to the
Polish local government reforms
The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into ''voivodeships'' (provinces); these are further divided into ''powiats'' (counties or districts), and these i ...
adopted in 1998. The province's name derives from two historic regions,
Warmia
Warmia ( pl, Warmia; Latin: ''Varmia'', ''Warmia''; ; Warmian: ''Warńija''; lt, Varmė; Old Prussian: ''Wārmi'') is both a historical and an ethnographic region in northern Poland, forming part of historical Prussia. Its historic capitals ...
and
Masuria
Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...
.
The province borders the
Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship or Podlasie Province ( pl, Województwo podlaskie, ) is a voivodeship (province) in northeastern Poland. The name of the province and its territory correspond to the historic region of Podlachia. The capital and largest cit ...
to the east, the
Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, with its capital located in the city of Warsaw, which also serves as the capital of the country. The ...
to the south, the
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie, or Kujawy-Pomerania Province ( pl, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divide ...
to the south-west, the
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
to the west, the
Vistula Lagoon
The Vistula Lagoon ( pl, Zalew Wiślany; russian: Калининградский залив, transliterated: ''Kaliningradskiy Zaliv''; german: Frisches Haff; lt, Aistmarės) is a brackish water lagoon on the Baltic Sea roughly 56 miles (90  ...
to the northwest, and the
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast (russian: Калинингра́дская о́бласть, translit=Kaliningradskaya oblast') is the westernmost federal subject of Russia. It is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea. The largest city and administr ...
(an
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of Russia) to the north. Its borders largely overlap with the southern two-thirds of former
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
, which was assigned to Poland after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
History
The region was originally inhabited by the
Old Prussian
Old Prussian was a Western Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages, which was once spoken by the Old Prussians, the Baltic peoples of the Prussian region. The language is called Old Prussian to avoid con ...
clan of the
Warmians
Warmians (also ''Warmi'') were a Prussian tribe that lived in Warmia ( pl, Warmia, la, Varmia, german: Ermland, lt, Varmė), a territory which now mostly forms part of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland, with a small northern portion l ...
from whom the name Warmia originated. During the northern Crusade, the
Old Prussians
Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians or simply Prussians (Old Prussian: ''prūsai''; german: Pruzzen or ''Prußen''; la, Pruteni; lv, prūši; lt, prūsai; pl, Prusowie; csb, Prësowié) were an indigenous tribe among the Baltic peoples that in ...
were conquered by the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
and their land was granted to the order by the pope and the region became part of the
State of the Teutonic Order
The State of the Teutonic Order (german: Staat des Deutschen Ordens, ; la, Civitas Ordinis Theutonici; lt, Vokiečių ordino valstybė; pl, Państwo zakonu krzyżackiego), also called () or (), was a medieval Crusader state, located in Centr ...
. The Order encouraged the colonization by German settlers in Warmia (
Ostsiedlung
(, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had al ...
) and
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
colonists from the region of
Masovia
Mazovia or Masovia ( pl, Mazowsze) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the unofficial capital and largest city. Throughout the centurie ...
, called
Masurians
The Masurians or Mazurs ( pl, Mazurzy; german: Masuren; Masurian: ''Mazurÿ''), historically also known as Prussian Masurians (Polish: ''Mazurzy pruscy''), is an ethnographic group of Polish people, that originate from the region of Masuria, ...
(''Mazurzy''), hence the name
Masuria
Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...
. The Old Prussians became assimilated into the newcomers and thus became extinct.
![Jan Matejko, Bitwa pod Grunwaldem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Jan_Matejko%2C_Bitwa_pod_Grunwaldem.jpg)
During the Teutonic rule, the region experienced a process of urbanization and economic boost due to the expansion of the
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
into the region. The Order later attacked their former ally
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and conquered the region of
Pomerelia
Pomerelia,, la, Pomerellia, Pomerania, pl, Pomerelia (rarely used) also known as Eastern Pomerania,, csb, Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô Vistula Pomerania, prior to World War II also known as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pome ...
, thus entered a long-lasting conflict with Poland, which subsequently entered an alliance with
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. In Masuria, the Poles and Lithuanians defeated the Order at the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
. The wars finally resulted in a rebellion of the urban population of Pomerelia and Warmia, who were affected by the Teuton's numerous wars; upon their request the region was incorporated to Poland by King
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV (in full Casimir IV Andrew Jagiellon; pl, Kazimierz IV Andrzej Jagiellończyk ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the ...
, and after the
Thirteen Years' War it remained under Polish suzerainty, but was divided into two parts:
Elbląg
Elbląg (; german: Elbing, Old Prussian: ''Elbings'') is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 117,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg County.
...
and
Warmia
Warmia ( pl, Warmia; Latin: ''Varmia'', ''Warmia''; ; Warmian: ''Warńija''; lt, Varmė; Old Prussian: ''Wārmi'') is both a historical and an ethnographic region in northern Poland, forming part of historical Prussia. Its historic capitals ...
were incorporated directly into the Kingdom of Poland,
Masuria
Masuria (, german: Masuren, Masurian: ''Mazurÿ'') is a ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the ...
became a Polish
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
under the control of the Teutonic Order.
![Elbląg- miedzioryt z XVIII wieku](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Elbl%C4%85g-_miedzioryt_z_XVIII_wieku.jpg)
The state of the Teutonic Order ceased to exist in 1525 when Grandmaster
Albert Hohenzollern introduced secularisation, proclaimed the
Duchy of Prussia
The Duchy of Prussia (german: Herzogtum Preußen, pl, Księstwo Pruskie, lt, Prūsijos kunigaikštystė) or Ducal Prussia (german: Herzogliches Preußen, link=no; pl, Prusy Książęce, link=no) was a duchy in the Prussia (region), region of P ...
and became a vassal of
Sigismund I of Poland
Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...
. The Prussian line of Hohenzollern was extinct by 1618 with the death of Albert Frederick and the Duchy was inherited by the Brandenburgian line; Prussia simultaneously entered a
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
with the electorate of Brandenburg known as
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia (german: Brandenburg-Preußen; ) is the historiographic denomination for the early modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenz ...
, remaining under Polish suzerainty until the
Treaty of Oliva
The Treaty or Peace of Oliva of 23 April (OS)/3 May (NS) 1660Evans (2008), p.55 ( pl, Pokój Oliwski, sv, Freden i Oliva, german: Vertrag von Oliva) was one of the peace treaties ending the Second Northern War (1655-1660).Frost (2000), p.183 ...
in 1660. The throne was inherited by Frederick I of Prussia who wanted to unite the Duchy with Brandenburg and also wanted to proclaim himself king of Prussia and therefore participated in the Russian-initiated
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 12 ...
in which Warmia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, and henceforth became part of the newly established province of
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
until 1945. Together with the rest of the Kingdom, the region became part of the North German Confederation, the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
, the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
, and
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. After the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, both the German as well as the Slavic Masurian population were expelled by the Polish government. In 1914, the province turned into a battlefield, seeing notable battles such as the
Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 26 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russi ...
as part of the
Eastern Front of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Amongst the most visited sights is the
Masurian Lake District
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland ( pl, Pojezierze Mazurskie; german: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masuri ...
, which contains more than 2,000 lakes, including the largest lakes of Poland,
Śniardwy
Śniardwy () is a lake in the Masurian Lake District of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland.
At , Śniardwy is the largest lake in Poland. It was also the largest lake in Prussia, when Warmia-Masuria was under German rule. It is long and w ...
and
Mamry. Other recognizable landmarks are the Warmian castles (
Lidzbark Warmiński Castle
The Lidzbark Castle ( pl, Zamek w Lidzbarku, german: Burg Heilsberg), officially known as Lidzbark Bishops' Castle, is a fortified castle and palace from the 14th century located in the town of Lidzbark Warmiński, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in ...
, Pieniężno Castle,
Olsztyn Castle
The Olsztyn Castle, officially the Castle of Warmian Cathedral Chapter in Olsztyn ( pl, Zamek Kapituły Warmińskiej w Olsztynie), is a Brick Gothic castle located in the heart of Olsztyn (Allenstein), in northern Poland. Built in the 14th centu ...
) and the
Cathedral Hill in
Frombork
Frombork (; german: Frauenburg ) is a town in northern Poland, situated on the Vistula Lagoon in Braniewo County, within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 2,260.
The town was first mentioned in a 13th-centur ...
, where Polish astronomer
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
lived and worked. The Lidzbark Warmiński Castle was later the residence of
Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Błażej Franciszek Krasicki (3 February 173514 March 1801), from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia (in German, ''Ermland'') and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno (thus, Primate of Poland), was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet"Ignacy Krasic ...
, nicknamed ''the Prince of Polish Poets''. The
Grunwald battlefield in Masuria is site of the annual reenactment of one of the largest battles of Medieval Europe.
Święta Lipka
Święta Lipka (; german: Heiligelinde; "Holy Linden") is a small village in the administrative district of Gmina Reszel, within Kętrzyn County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northeastern Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Reszel, ...
in Masuria and
Gietrzwałd
Gietrzwałd (; (german: Dietrichswalde) is a village in northeastern Poland located in Warmia, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, near Olsztyn. Gietrzwałd is the capital of Gmina Gietrzwałd. Gietrzwałd is a popular Roman Catholic pilgrimag ...
in Warmia are popular pilgrimage sites.
The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship has the largest number of ethnic
Ukrainians living in Poland due to forced relocations (such as
Operation Vistula
Operation Vistula ( pl, Akcja Wisła; uk, Опера́ція «Ві́сла») was a codename for the 1947 forced resettlement of 150,000 Ukrainians (Boykos and Lemkos) from the south-eastern provinces of post-war Poland, to the Recovered Terri ...
) carried out by the Soviet and
Polish Communist
Communism in Poland can trace its origins to the late 19th century: the Marxist First Proletariat party was founded in 1882. Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919) of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (''Socjaldemokracja Królest ...
authorities.
Ethnic and religious structure
In year 1824, shortly before its
merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
with
West Prussia
The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...
, the population of East Prussia was 1,080,000 people. Of that number, according to
Karl Andree, Germans were slightly more than half, while 280,000 (~26%) were
ethnically Polish and 200,000 (~19%) were
ethnically Lithuanian.
As of year 1819 there were also 20,000 strong ethnic
Kursenieki
The Kursenieki ( lv, kursenieki, kāpenieki, german: Kuren – 'Curonians'; lt, kuršiai; pl, Kuronowie pruscy – 'Prussian Curonians') are a nearly extinct Baltic ethnic group living along the Curonian Spit. "Kuršiai" refers only to inhabi ...
and Latvian minorities as well as 2,400 Jews, according to Georg Hassel. Similar numbers are given by
August von Haxthausen
August Franz Ludwig Maria, Baron von Haxthausen-Abbenburg (February 3, 1792, in Bökendorf, Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn – December 31, 1866, in Hanover) was a German agricultural scientist, economist, lawyer, writer, and collector of folk song ...
in his 1839 book, with a breakdown by county.
However, the majority of East Prussian Polish and Lithuanian inhabitants were
Lutherans
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
, not
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
like their ethnic kinsmen across the border in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. Only in Southern
Warmia
Warmia ( pl, Warmia; Latin: ''Varmia'', ''Warmia''; ; Warmian: ''Warńija''; lt, Varmė; Old Prussian: ''Wārmi'') is both a historical and an ethnographic region in northern Poland, forming part of historical Prussia. Its historic capitals ...
(German: Ermland)
Catholic Poles – so called
Warmiak
Warmians are a Polish ethnic group from Warmia. Most of them are Roman Catholic and speak in Warmian subdialect of Polish language or German language.Łukasz Ruch: Moja i ich gwara', in: ''Variart'', March 2016. p. 4-5.
History
Between the 1 ...
s (not to be confused with predominantly
Protestant Masurians) – comprised the majority of population, numbering 26,067 people (~81%) in
county Allenstein (Polish:
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
) in 1837.
Another minority in 19th-century East Prussia, were ethnically Russian Old Believers, also known as
Philipponnen – their main town was Eckersdorf (
Wojnowo).
In year 1817, East Prussia had 796,204
Evangelical Christians
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...
, 120,123
Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, 864
Mennonites
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
and 2,389 Jews.
Cities and towns
![POL Mikolajki 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/POL_Mikolajki_13.jpg)
The Voivodeship contains 3 cities and 47 towns. These are listed below in descending order of population (according to official figures for 2019):
Administrative division
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is divided into 21 counties (
powiat
A ''powiat'' (pronounced ; Polish plural: ''powiaty'') is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture ( LAU-1, formerly NUTS-4) in other countries. The term "''powia ...
y): 2 city counties and 19 land counties. These are further divided into 116
gmina
The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 4 ...
s.
The counties are listed in the following table (ordering within categories is by decreasing population).
Tourism
Palaces and
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
castles, former seats of the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
, seats of
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...
s and bishops provide a number of attractions for tourists. Gothic churches such as the
Archcathedral of Frombork and the collegiate church in
Dobre Miasto
Dobre Miasto (; german: Guttstadt ; literally Good City) is a town in Poland, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship with 9,857 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated in the northwestern part of the Masurian Lake District in the heart of th ...
, as well as churches in
Orneta
Orneta (german: Wormditt, Prussian: ''Wurmedītin'') is a town in northern Poland, with a total population of 8,951 (2016). It is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship and within the historical region of Warmia.
History
Wormditt, a vil ...
and
Kętrzyn
Kętrzyn (, until 1946 ''Rastembork''; german: link=yes, Rastenburg ) is a town in northeastern Poland with 27,478 inhabitants (2019). Situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (since 1999), Kętrzyn was previously in Olsztyn Voivodeship (197 ...
delight visitors with the uniqueness of their architectonic details. In collections of the Warmia and Mazury Museum in
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
, visitors can find numerous tokens from the time when
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
lived in Warmia.
Protected areas
Protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
s in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship include eight areas designated as
Landscape Parks, as listed below:
*
Brodnica Landscape Park
Brodnica Landscape Park (''Brodnicki Park Krajobrazowy'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in north-central Poland, established in 1985, covering an area of .
The Park is shared between two voivodeships: Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and ...
(partly in
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie, or Kujawy-Pomerania Province ( pl, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divide ...
)
*
Dylewo Hills Landscape Park
Dylewo Hills Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Wzgórz Dylewskich'') is a protected area (Landscape Park (Poland), Landscape Park) in northern Poland, established in 1994, covering an area of .
The Park lies within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship ...
*
Elbląg Upland Landscape Park
Elbląg Upland Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Wysoczyzny Elbląskiej'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in northern Poland, established in 1985, covering an area of .
The Park lies within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship: in Braniewo Cou ...
*
Górzno-Lidzbark Landscape Park (partly in Kuyavian-Pomeranian and
Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, with its capital located in the city of Warsaw, which also serves as the capital of the country. The ...
s)
*
Iława Lake District Landscape Park
Iława Lake District Landscape Park or Iława Lakeland Scenic Park ( pl, Park Krajobrazowy Pojezierza Iławskiego) is a protected area ( landscape park) in northern Poland. Established in 1993, the park is part of the geographic region called Poje ...
(partly in
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
)
*
Masurian Landscape Park
Masurian Landscape Park ( pl, Mazurski Park Krajobrazowy) is a designated Polish Landscape Park protected area within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is one of the largest landscape parks in Poland.
It was established in 1977 ...
*
Puszcza Romincka Landscape Park
Puszcza Romincka Landscape Park (''Park Krajobrazowy Puszczy Rominckiej'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in northern Poland, established in 1998, covering an area of . It takes its name from the Puszcza Romincka or Romincka Forest.
The ...
*
Wel Landscape Park
Wel Landscape Park (''Welski Park Krajobrazowy'') is a protected area ( Landscape Park) in northern Poland, established in 1995, covering an area of . It takes its name from the Wel river.
The Park lies within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in Dz ...
The
Łuknajno Lake
Łuknajno (german: Lucknainer See) is a lake in the Masurian Lake District of north-eastern Poland, in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It lies approximately east of the town of Mikołajki, close to the north-western corner of Poland's largest lake ...
nature reserve (part of Masurian Landscape Park) is a protected wetland site under the
Ramsar convention
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
, as well as being designated by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
.
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is
twinned with:
*
Podolsk
Podolsk ( rus, Подольск, p=pɐˈdolʲsk) is an industrial city, center of Podolsk Urban Okrug, Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pakhra River (a tributary of the Moskva River).
History
The first mentions of the village of Podol, w ...
, Russia
Gallery
Image:647372 Olsztyn zespół zamku 05.JPG, Olsztyn Castle
The Olsztyn Castle, officially the Castle of Warmian Cathedral Chapter in Olsztyn ( pl, Zamek Kapituły Warmińskiej w Olsztynie), is a Brick Gothic castle located in the heart of Olsztyn (Allenstein), in northern Poland. Built in the 14th centu ...
Image:Frombork 019a.jpg, Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...
fortified Frombork Cathedral, cathedral in Frombork
Frombork (; german: Frauenburg ) is a town in northern Poland, situated on the Vistula Lagoon in Braniewo County, within Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 2,260.
The town was first mentioned in a 13th-centur ...
, burial place of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
Image:Olsztyn Katedra noc.jpg, St. James' Cathedral in Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
Image:Reszel. 018.JPG, Reszel historic city center
Image:Święta Lipka Kościół Pielgrzymkowy 072.jpg, Sanctuary of Saint Mary in Święta Lipka
Święta Lipka (; german: Heiligelinde; "Holy Linden") is a small village in the administrative district of Gmina Reszel, within Kętrzyn County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northeastern Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Reszel, ...
Image:Smolajny4.JPG, Palace in Smolajny, former summer residence of Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Błażej Franciszek Krasicki (3 February 173514 March 1801), from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia (in German, ''Ermland'') and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno (thus, Primate of Poland), was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet"Ignacy Krasic ...
Image:Oberländischer Kanal2.jpg, Elbląg Canal
Image:Barczewo muzeum Feliksa Nowowiejskiego.jpg, Birthplace of composer Feliks Nowowiejski in Barczewo
Image:Kanal Giżycki i most obrotowy.jpg, Łuczański Canal and the swing bridge in Giżycko
Image:Grunwald - pomnik.JPG, Grunwald battlefield
Emoji flag
Unicode consortium defined a way for software vendors to encode regional flags in their Emoji#5.0, Emoji 5.0 standard in 2017. Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship flag would be represented as
Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs, U+1F3F4,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E0070,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E006C,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E0032,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E0038,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E007F, i.e. 🏴, somewhat based on the PL-28 ISO 3166-2:PL code. Between the standard publication in 2017 and ISO 3166-2:PL update in 2018 the code was PL-WN, therefore the corresponding flag sequence would be
Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs, U+1F3F4,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E0070,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E006C,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E0077,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E006E,
Tags (Unicode block), U+E007F, i.e. 🏴.
See also
* Masurian dialect
References
External links
Official website of Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
{{Authority control
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship,
States and territories established in 1999