Polish voivodeships since 1999

Map of Vojvodina

Voi(e)vod(e)ship, or palatinatum, is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administrated by, a voi(e)vod(e) in several European countries. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia.

In a modern context, the word normally refers to one of the provinces (województwa) of Poland, of which there are currently 16.

Terminology[link]

A voi(e)vod(e) (literally, "leader of warriors" or "war leader", equivalent to the Latin "Dux Exercituum" and the German "Herzog") was originally a military commander who stood, in a state's structure, next to the ruler. Later the word came to denote an administrative official.

Words for "voivodeship" in various languages include the Polish: województwo; the Romanian: voievodat; the Serbian: vojvodina (војводина), vojvodstvo (војводство) or vojvodovina (војводовина); the Hungarian: vajdaság; the Belarusian: вайводства (vajvodstva); the Lithuanian: vaivadija. Some of these words, or variants of them, may also be used in English.

Named for the word for "voivodeship" is the autonomous Serbian province of Vojvodina.

Though the word "voivodeship" (other spellings are "voievodship" and "voivodship") appears in English dictionaries such as the OED and Webster's, it is not in common general usage, and voivodeships in Poland and elsewhere are frequently referred to as "provinces".^[1] Depending on context, historic voivodeships may also be referred to as "duchies", "palatinates" (the Latin word "palatinatus" was used for a voivodeship in Poland), "administrative districts" or "regions".

Current Polish voivodeships[link]

Since 1999, Poland has been divided into the following 16 voivodeships or provinces (for more information see Administrative divisions of Poland and Voivodeships of Poland):

• Greater Poland Voivodeship (województwo wielkopolskie)
• Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (województwo kujawsko-pomorskie)
• Lesser Poland Voivodeship (województwo małopolskie)
• Łódź Voivodeship (województwo łódzkie)
• Lower Silesian Voivodeship (województwo dolnośląskie)
• Lublin Voivodeship (województwo lubelskie)
• Lubusz Voivodeship (województwo lubuskie)
• Masovian Voivodeship (województwo mazowieckie)
• Opole Voivodeship (województwo opolskie)
• Podlaskie Voivodeship (województwo podlaskie)
• Pomeranian Voivodeship (województwo pomorskie)
• Silesian Voivodeship (województwo śląskie)
• Subcarpathian Voivodeship (województwo podkarpackie)
• Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (województwo świętokrzyskie)
• Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (województwo warmińsko-mazurskie)
• West Pomeranian Voivodeship (województwo zachodniopomorskie)

Historical voivodeships[link]

Outside Poland[link]

Serbian Voivodina (1848-1849)

Voivodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat (1849-1860)

In the territory of modern Romania and Moldova, the regions of Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania were formerly voivodeships.

Historical voivodeships in the territory of modern Serbia include the Voivodeship of Salan (9th–10th century), Voivodeship of Sermon (11th century) and Voivodeship of Syrmia of Radoslav Čelnik (1527–1530). A voivodeship called Serbian Vojvodina was established in 1848–1849; this was transformed into the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar, a land within the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1849 to 1860. This is the origin of the name of the present-day Serbian autonomous province of Vojvodina.

Historical voivodeships in the territory of modern Romania and Serbia include the Voivodeship of Glad (9th–10th century) and the Voivodeship of Ahtum (11th century).

In Poland and its territories[link]

For more information about the divisions of Polish lands in particular periods, see Administrative divisions of Poland ("Historical").

Voivodeships in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795):

• In the Polish Crown Lands:
  • Poznań Voivodeship
  • Kalisz Voivodeship
  • Gniezno Voivodeship
  • Sieradz Voivodeship
  • Łęczyca Voivodeship
  • Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship
  • Inowrocław Voivodeship
  • Chełmno Voivodeship
  • Malbork Voivodeship
  • Pomeranian Voivodeship
  • Płock Voivodeship
  • Rawa Voivodeship
  • Masovian Voivodeship
  • Kraków Voivodeship
  • Sandomierz Voivodeship
  • Lublin Voivodeship
  • Podlasie Voivodeship
  • Ruthenian Voivodeship
  • Bełz Voivodeship
  • Wolhynia Voivodeship
  • Podole Voivodeship
  • Bracław Voivodeship
  • Kijów Voivodeship
  • Czernihów Voivodeship
• In the historical Grand Duchy of Lithuania:
  • Vilnius Voivodeship
  • Trakai Voivodeship
  • Nowogródek Voivodeship
  • Brest-Litovsk Voivodeship
  • Minsk Voivodeship
  • Mścisław Voivodeship
  • Smolensk Voivodeship
  • Vitebsk Voivodeship
  • Połock Voivodeship
• In the historical Duchy of Livonia:
  • Wenden Voivodship (1598–1620)
  • Dorpat Voivodship (1598–1620)
  • Parnava Voivodship (1598–1620)
  • Livonian Voivodship (from the 1620s)

Voivodeships of Poland, 1921–1939

Voivodeships of Poland, 1921–1939:

• Silesian Voivodeship
• Białystok Voivodeship
• Kielce Voivodeship
• Kraków Voivodeship
• Łódź Voivodeship
• Lublin Voivodeship
• Lwów Voivodeship
• Nowogródek Voivodeship
• Polesie Voivodeship
• Pomeranian Voivodeship
• Poznań Voivodeship
• Stanisławów Voivodeship
• Tarnopol Voivodeship
• Warsaw Voivodeship
• Wilno Voivodeship
• Volhynian Voivodeship

Voivodeships of Poland, 1945–1975:

• Białystok Voivodeship
• Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
• Gdańsk Voivodeship
• Katowice Voivodeship
• Kielce Voivodeship
• Koszalin Voivodeship
• Kraków Voivodeship
• Łódź Voivodeship
• Lublin Voivodeship
• Olsztyn Voivodeship
• Opole Voivodeship
• Poznań Voivodeship
• Rzeszów Voivodeship
• Szczecin Voivodeship
• Warsaw Voivodeship
• Wrocław Voivodeship
• Zielona Góra Voivodeship

Voivodeships of Poland, 1975–1998:

• Biała Podlaska Voivodeship
• Białystok Voivodeship
• Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship
• Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
• Chełm Voivodeship
• Ciechanów Voivodeship
• Częstochowa Voivodeship
• Elbląg Voivodeship
• Gdańsk Voivodeship
• Gorzów Voivodeship
• Jelenia Góra Voivodeship
• Kalisz Voivodeship
• Katowice Voivodeship
• Kielce Voivodeship
• Konin Voivodeship
• Koszalin Voivodeship
• Kraków Voivodeship
• Krosno Voivodeship
• Legnica Voivodeship
• Leszno Voivodeship
• Łódź Voivodeship
• Łomża Voivodeship
• Lublin Voivodeship
• Nowy Sacz Voivodeship
• Olsztyn Voivodeship
• Opole Voivodeship
• Ostrołęka Voivodeship
• Piotrków Voivodeship
• Piła Voivodeship
• Poznań Voivodeship
• Przemyśl Voivodeship
• Płock Voivodeship
• Radom Voivodeship
• Rzeszów Voivodeship
• Siedlce Voivodeship
• Sieradz Voivodeship
• Skierniewice Voivodeship
• Suwałki Voivodeship
• Szczecin Voivodeship
• Słupsk Voivodeship
• Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship
• Tarnów Voivodeship
• Toruń Voivodeship
• Warsaw Voivodeship
• Wałbrzych Voivodeship
• Wrocław Voivodeship
• Włocławek Voivodeship
• Zamość Voivodeship
• Zielona Góra Voivodeship

References[link]

1. ^ "Jednostki podziału administracyjnego Polski tłumaczymy tak: województwo—province..." ("Polish administrative units are translated as follows: województwo—province..."). Arkadiusz Belczyk,"Tłumaczenie polskich nazw geograficznych na język angielski" ("Translation of Polish Geographical Names into English"), 2002-2006. For examples see New Provinces of Poland (1998); Map of Poland; English names of Polish provinces.

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