Administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

The territory of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795) consisted of the territory of the Polish crown, divided into the provinces of Greater Poland and Lesser Poland, each far more than the former duchy of the same name included, from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was approximately the area the present states of Lithuania and Belarus met, and since 1582 Livonia, which formed a kind of condominium of the two parts of the empire. Not integrated into the Republic were the feudal territories Kurland, Ducal Prussia and the Pomeranian countryside Lauenburg and Buetow. Only a few years before the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the Krakow bishops belonging Silesian Duchy Siewierz connected formally.

Under this classification, the major provinces, latin Palatinatus, which in turn were divided into powiaty (about counties ) were.

The term Duchy, Polish Księstwo, latin Ducatus, is used on the one hand for the large dominions, had disintegrated into Poland in the High Middle Ages, and the duke Polish kings since then resulted in their full titles, on the other hand for small areas on the same level as the voivodships stood.

The name of the country, Polish Ziemia, Latin Terra, was in part only to powiaty with independent past, in the vast province of Ruthenia to Lviv was against an intermediate level above the powiaty.

List

Greater Poland Province

The Greater Poland ( Wielkopolska Prowincja ) province covered the area of the duchies of Greater Poland and Masovia and Royal Prussia.

Voivodships in the Duchy of Greater Poland ( with Kuyavian )

  • Province of Posen, based in Posen (Polish Poznań) ( WojewĂłdztwo Poznańskie ) with the country Wschowa, dt Fraustadt
  • Voivodeship Kalisz, based in Kalisz ( WojewĂłdztwo kaliskie )
  • Gniezno Voivodeship, based in Gniezno (Polish Gniezno ) ( WojewĂłdztwo gnieźnieńskie ), 1768-1793
  • Province Sieradz, based in Sieradz ( WojewĂłdztwo sieradzkie ), with the country Wieluń
  • Province Łęczyca, based in Łęczyca ( WojewĂłdztwo łęczyckie )
  • Province Brześć Kujawski, based in Brześć Kujawski (ie Kujawisches Brest) ( WojewĂłdztwo brzeskokujawskie )
  • Province Inowrocław, based in Inowroclaw ( WojewĂłdztwo inowrocławskie ) with the Dobrzyńska country

Voivodships in the Duchy of Masovia

  • Rawa Voivodeship, based in Rawa Mazowiecka ( WojewĂłdztwo rawskie )
  • Płock Voivodeship, seat ( płockie WojewĂłdztwo ) in Płock
  • Masovian Voivodeship, based in Warsaw ( WojewĂłdztwo mazowieckie )

Voivodships in Royal Prussia

  • Province Kulm, based in Kulm (Polish Chelmno ) ( WojewĂłdztwo chełmińskie )
  • Malbork Voivodeship, based in Marienburg ( Malbork Pol. ) ( WojewĂłdztwo Malborskie )
  • Pomeranian Voivodeship, established since 1613 in Schoeneck (Polish Skarszewy ), ( WojewĂłdztwo Pomeranian )
  • Prince-Bishopric of Warmia (Polish: Warmia ), based in Heilenberg (Polish Lidzbark Warmiński ) ( Księstwo Warmińskie )

Lesser Poland Province

The Little Poland ( Malopolska Prowincja ) province included except the Duchy of Lesser Poland also Ruthenian territories of Poland, namely Galicia, Podolia, Volhynia, and large parts of Ukraine. Had a majority of these areas (partly in the form of vassal states ). Since 14-15 Century belongs to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and were only left with the Union of Lublin in the Polish part of the empire.

Voivodships in the Duchy of Lesser Poland

  • Cracow Province, based in Kraków (Polish: Kraków ) ( WojewĂłdztwo krakowskie ) included except the Powiaten yet the deposit area Zips ( pl. Spisz, slvk. Spis, Hungarian Szepes ), formally legally a part of the Kingdom of Hungary
  • The Duchy of Auschwitz ( Oświęcim, Księstwo Oświęcimskie )
  • The Duchy of Zator ( Księstwo Zatorskie )
  • Country Bielsko ( Ziemia Bielsko )
  • Country Drohiczyn ( Ziemia drohicka )
  • Country Mielnik ( Ziemia mielnicka )

Voivodships in Ruthenia

  • Province Ruthenia, based in Lviv, ( WojewĂłdztwo ruskie ), divided into: Country Lwów ( Lviv dt, Ukr Lviv, Ziemia Lwowska )
  • Country Przemysl ( Ziemia Przemyska )
  • Country Sanok ( Ziemia Sanocka )
  • Country Halych ( Ziemia Halicka )
  • Country Chelm ( Ziemia Chełmska )

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Nine provinces and a duchy:

  • Province of Vilna, based in Vilnius ( Lithuanian: Vilnius, Polish: Wilno ) ( WojewĂłdztwo wileńskie )
  • Province Troki, based in Trakai (Polish Troki ) ( WojewĂłdztwo trockie )
  • Province Nowogródek, based in Nawahradak ( weißruss., poln Nowogródek ) ( WojewĂłdztwo nowogródzkie )
  • Province Brześć Litewski, based in Brest- Litovsk (ie Lithuanian Brest, poln hist Brześć Litewski, nowadays white soot. Brest only ) ( WojewĂłdztwo brzeskolitewskie )
  • Province of Minsk, based in Minsk ( WojewĂłdztwo mińskie )
  • Province Mścisław, based in Mszislau ( weißruss. Мсьціслаў, poln Mścisław ( WojewĂłdztwo mścisławskie ) )
  • Province of Vitebsk, based in Vitebsk ( weißruss., Vitebsk Pol. ) ( WojewĂłdztwo witebskie )
  • Province Polock, based in Polotsk ( weißruss., Polock Pol. ) ( WojewĂłdztwo połockie )
  • Smolensk Province, based in Smolensk ( WojewĂłdztwo smoleńskie ) 1611-1667
  • Duchy of Polotsk ( lit. Žemaitija ) ( dt and low Lithuania, pl. Żmudź ) ( Księstwo żmudzkie )

Livonia

Pl Inflanty, since 1598 three provinces:

  • Province Wenden, based in Wenden, lett Cesis ( WojewĂłdztwo wendeńskie ), with pen Pilten ( lett Piltene ) in Courland.
  • Dorpat Voivodeship, based in Tartu, Tartu lett ( WojewĂłdztwo dorpackie )
  • Province Pärnu, based in Pärnu ( estn Pärnu, pl. Parnawa ) ( WojewĂłdztwo parnawskie )

After 1620 only a

  • Province of Livonia, lettgallisches residual area of the Voivodeship Consult, based in Dvinsk ( Daugavpils lett, pl. Dyneburg ) ( WojewĂłdztwo inflanckie )
Dobrzyń Land Duchy of Oświęcim Bielsk Podlaski Volhynian Voivodeship (1569–1795) Podolian Voivodeship Kiev Voivodeship Duchy of Samogitia Wenden Voivodeship History of Poland
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