Sieradz Voivodeship (, ) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the

Crown of the Kingdom of Poland The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (; ) was a political and legal concept formed in the 14th century in the Kingdom of Poland, assuming unity, indivisibility and continuity of the state. Under this idea, the state was no longer seen as the Pat ...

and the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

, from 1339 to the

second partition of Poland The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of partitions of Poland, three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition (politics), partition occurred i ...

in 1793. It was a part of the Greater Poland Province. The seat of the

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

was in Sieradz, while local sejmiks took place in Szadek.

History

The history of Sieradz Voivodeship dates back to the year 1138, when following the Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty, Poland was divided into several smaller duchies. One of them was the Duchy of Sieradz, which until the 1260s was part of the Duchy of Łęczyca. In 1290–1300, and after 1306, Sieradz was ruled by Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek, who incorporated it back into the Kingdom of Poland. In 1339, Wladyslaw Lokietek created Sieradz Voivodeship out of the former Duchy. In the west, it bordered Kalisz Voivodeship and the Duchies of Silesia; in the north, along the Ner river, it bordered Łęczyca Voivodeship; in the east it bordered Sandomierz Voivodeship along the Pilica river from Koniecpol to Białobrzegi; and in the south it bordered Kraków Voivodeship, partly along the Liswarta river. The voivodeship had the area of 161.84 old-Polish sq. miles (= ) (1 old-Polish mile: 7,5-8.5 km), with four ' (counties). When in 1396 the

Wieluń Land Wieluń Land (; Latin: ''Terra Velumensis''), originally known as Ruda Land (Polish language, Polish: ''ziemia rudzka''; Latin: ''terra Rudensis'', ''territorium Rudense''), was a Land (administrative unit of Poland), land of the Kingdom of Polan ...

returned to Poland, it became part of Sieradz Voivodeship, which increased the area to 212.25 old-Polish sq. miles (), and the number of counties to six. In the mid-16th century, the voivodeship (without the

) had 127 Roman Catholic parishes, 29 towns and 938 villages, while the Land of Wieluń had 67 parishes, 13 towns and 182 villages. Sieradz Voivodeship had five senators: the

Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

of Sieradz, the

Castellan A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

of Sieradz, and the Castellans of Rozprza, Spycimierz and Konary. Main starostas resided in Sieradz and

Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski (; also known by #Etymology, alternative names), often simplified to Piotrków, is a city in central Poland with 71,252 inhabitants (2021). It is the capital of Piotrków County and the second-largest city in the Łódź Voi ...

, there also were starostas at Radomsko, Szadek, Tuszyn, Klonowa, Warta and other locations. The sejmiks at Szadek elected four deputies to the

Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...

, and two deputies to the Greater Poland Tribunal in Piotrków Trybunalski.

, with the area of 50.41 old-Polish sq. miles, had its own administrative system and a senator, who was the Castellan of Wieluń. It also had its own starostas, residing at Wieluń, Ostrzeszów, Grabów nad Prosną, and

Bolesławiec Bolesławiec (pronounced , ) is a historic city situated on the Bóbr River in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Bolesławiec County, and of Gmina Bolesławiec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Gm ...

, and elected two deputies to the Sejm, at the separate sejmiks in Wieluń. Furthermore, the Voivode of Sieradz named his deputy, who ruled the Wieluń Land.

Administration

Governor seat: * Sieradz Voivodes: * Kasper Doenhoff (1634–1645) Piotrkow in 1657

Administrative division: * Sieradz County, *

County, * Radomsko County, * Szadek County *

, divided into: ** Wieluń County, ** Ostrzeszów County Regional council seats: * Szadek * Wieluń Crown tribunal seat: *

Cities and towns

Piotrków County

* Grocholice * Piotrków * Rozprza * Rzgów * Sulejów * Tuszyn * Wolbórz

Ostrzeszów County

* Baranów * Grabów nad Prosną * Kobyla Góra * Mikstat * Ostrzeszów * Wodziczna

Radomsko County

* Kamieńsk * Koniecpol * Nowa Brzeźnica * Pajęczno * Pławno * Radomsko * Żytno

Sieradz County

* Błaszki * Burzenin * Dobra * Sieradz * Staw * Szczerców * Turek * Warta * Widawa * Złoczew

Szadek County

* Buczek, Łask County * Lutomiersk * Łask * Pabianice * Szadek * Uniejów

Wieluń County

* Działoszyn * Kamion * Lututów * Osjaków * Toporów * Wieluń *

Wieruszów Wieruszów () is a town in south-central Poland with 8,446 inhabitants (2020). Situated in the southwestern part of Łódź Voivodeship, it is the seat of the Gmina Wieruszów and Wieruszów County. Wieruszów is located in the historical Wieluń ...

Neighbouring voivodeships

* Kalisz Voivodeship * Łęczyca Voivodeship * Sandomierz Voivodeship * Kraków Voivodeship *

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

References

Sources

Sieradz Voivodeship, description by Zygmunt Gloger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sieradz Voivodeship (1339-1793) Voivodeships of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1339 establishments in Europe 14th-century establishments in Poland 1793 disestablishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth pt:Voivodia de Sieradz