Warsaw Voivodeship () was a

voivodeship A voivodeship ( ) or voivodate 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 ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

in the years 1919–1939. Its capital and biggest city was

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Location and area

In the years 1919–1939, Warsaw Voivodeship covered north-central part of Poland, bordering

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

to the north, Pomorze Voivodeship and

Łódź Voivodeship Łódź Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province is named after its capital and largest city, Łódź, pronounced . Łódź Voivodeship is bordered by six other voivodeships: Masovian Voivodeship ...

to the west, Kielce Voivodeship to the south and both

Lublin Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland, located in the southeastern part of the country, with its capital being the city of Lublin. The region is named after its largest city and regional capital, Lu ...

and Białystok Voivodeship to the east. Its area, after April 1, 1938, was 31 656 km² (see: Territorial changes of Polish Voivodeships on 1 April 1938). The landscape was flat. Forests covered only 11.4% of the area, compared to the national average of 22.2%, as of January 1, 1937.

Population

According to the 1931 Polish census, the population was 2 460 900. Poles made up 88.3% of population,

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

- 9.7% and

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

- 1.6%. The Jews and the Germans preferred to live in the cities and towns, especially in Warsaw itself. In Warsaw, in 1931, only 70.7% of population was Polish, with 28.3% Jews. In the whole Voivodeship, 21.8% of the population was illiterate as of 1931.

Industry

The Voivodeship's biggest industrial center was the city of Warsaw, together with towns in its suburbs ( Żyrardów,

Pruszków Pruszków is a city in east-central Poland, capital of Pruszków County in the Masovian Voivodeship. Pruszków is located along the western edge of the Warsaw metropolitan area. Pruszków is the largest city in the Warsaw metropolitan area outs ...

, Piaseczno). Warsaw was one of key centers of Polish industry, with numerous factories of various kinds. It was also the biggest city of the country. The Voivodeship's railroad density was 5.2 km. per 100 km² (with total length of railroads 1 548 km.)l

Cities and administrative divisions

Warsaw Voivodeship in mid-1939 consisted of 22 powiats (counties), 53 cities and towns and 293 villages. The counties were: * Błonie county (area 1,074 km², pop. 143,900), * Ciechanów county (area 1,209 km², pop. 78,800), * Działdowo county (area 842 km², pop. 42,700), * Garwolin county (area 2,044 km², pop. 175,700), * Gostynin county (area 1,147 km², pop. 81,600), * Grójec county (area 1,699 km², pop. 132,400), *

Łomża Łomża () is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the se ...

county (area 2,657 km², pop. 168,200), * Maków Mazowiecki county (area 1,136 km², pop. 65,600), * Mińsk Mazowiecki county (area 1,228 km², pop. 111,100), * Mława county (area 1,486 km², pop. 103,100), * Ostrołęka county (area 2,281 km², pop. 112,600), * Ostrów Mazowiecka county (area 1,467 km², pop. 99,800), * Płock county (area 1,485 km², pop. 128,100), * Płońsk county (area 1,289 km², pop. 81,400), *

Przasnysz Przasnysz () is a town in north-central Poland. Located in the Masovian Voivodship, about north of Warsaw and about south of Olsztyn, it is the capital of Przasnysz County. It has 18,093 inhabitants (2004). It was one of the most important towns ...

county (area 1,410 km², pop. 69,100), * Pułtusk county (area 1,527 km², pop. 118,100), * Radzymin county (area 1,076 km², pop. 97,500), * Sierpc county (area 1,204 km², pop. 84,900), *

Sochaczew Sochaczew () is a town in central Poland, with 33,456 inhabitants (as of 2023). In the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), formerly in Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Sochaczew County and is located approximately west ...

county (area 1,052 km², pop. 75,200), * Sokołów Podlaski county (area 1,276 km², pop. 83,900), *

county (area 1,766 km², pop. 318,500), * Węgrów county (area 1,301 km², pop. 88,800). The city of Warsaw, with the area of 141 km² (134 km² of built-up area plus 7 km² of the Vistula river) and population of 1 179 500 (as of 1931) was considered a separate unit, just like any other Voivodeship. It was divided into 4 counties. These were: * South Warsaw county (area 50 km², pop. 307,100), * North Warsaw county (area 31 km², pop. 478,200), * Warsaw-Praga county (area 43 km², pop. 176,100), * Central Warsaw county (area 10 km², pop. 218,100). It was the smallest and the most densely populated county in Poland in the 1930s. Population density there was 22 415 persons per km². The biggest cities of the Voivodeship were (population according to the 1931 Polish census): * Warsaw (pop. 1,179,500), * Płock (pop. 33,000), * Żyrardów (pop. 25,100), * Łomża (pop. 25,000), * Pruszków (pop. 23,700), * Mława (pop. 19,600), * Ostrów Mazowiecka (pop. 17,600), * Pułtusk (pop. 16,800), * Grodzisk Mazowiecki (pop. 15,700), * Otwock (pop. 15,100), * Ostrołęka (pop. 14,100), * Wolomin (pop. 14,100), * Ciechanów (pop. 13,900).

Voivodes

* Władysław Sołtan 19 November 1919 – 24 November 1927 * Stanisław Twardo 28 November 1927 – 3 July 1934 * Bronisław Nakoniecznikow-Klukowski 3 July 1934 – 5 February 1938 * Jerzy Paciorkowski 22 January 1938 – September 1939 (acting till 5 February 1938)

References