The topic of Polish historical regions is one that has generated a lot of interest in recent years. With the increasing attention paid to it in the media and in society at large, it is evident that Polish historical regions is playing an important role in our daily lives. Furthermore, the importance of Polish historical regions has been recognized globally, and its impact extends to a wide range of fields and disciplines. In this article, we will explore in detail what makes Polish historical regions so relevant and significant, examining its influence on different aspects of our lives and providing in-depth insight into the topic.
Regions that were related to a former Polish state
Polish historic regions are regions that were related to a former Polish state, or are within present-day Poland, with or without being identified in its administrative divisions.
There are several historic and cultural regions in Poland that are called ethnographic regions. Their exact borders cannot be drawn, as the regions are not official political or administrative units. They are delimited by culture, such as country traditions, traditional lifestyle, songs, tales, etc. To some extent, the regions correspond to the zones of Polish language dialects. The correspondence, however, is by no means strict.
Historical regions within the current Polish state
The following historic regions within Poland's modern borders belonged to the Polish state during most of its existence, inhabited by a majority or a sizeable Polish- or Cashubian-speaking population, thus forming the core Polish territory:
Łęczyca-Sieradz Land (Polish: Ziemia łęczycko-sieradzka), during the Partitions of Poland renamed together with Kuyavia, Łęczyca-Sieradz Land and northern part of Mazovia as South Prussia, later made a part of the Napoleonic Duchy of Warsaw, after its dissolution part of Congress Poland, later Vistula Land, a historical region of Russia
Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze, Latin: Mazovia), during the Partitions of Poland the northern part renamed together with Greater Poland, Kuyavia, and Łęczyca-Sieradz Land as South Prussia, while the southern part was a part of Russia, the entire region later made a part of the Napoleonic Duchy of Warsaw, after its dissolution part of Congress Poland, later Vistula Land, a historical region of Russia
Polesia (Polish: Polesie, Latin: Polesia, also a historical region of Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Russia, only minor part remains in modern Poland)
Cherven Cities (Polish: Grody Czerwieńskie, Ukrainian: Червенські городи), also a historical region of Ukraine, only partially in modern Poland), also known as Red Ruthenia (Polish: Ruś Czerwona, Latin: Ruthenia Rubra), also known as Halychyna, Halych Ruthenia or Halych Rus’, also a historical region of Ukraine and Hungary; during the Partitions of Poland partially in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, a historical region of Austria and Hungary, while the northern part was in Congress Poland, later renamed Vistula Land, a historical region of Russia
notably without the Lwów Land and its capital city of Lwów, currently entirely in Ukraine, before World War II a city with absolute Polish-majority population, and one of the principal administrative, economic, educational, scientific, cultural and religious hubs of Poland; earlier, the nucleus and principal center of Polish national movement struggling to regain the independence of the country after the Partitions
Tuchola Forest (Polish: Bory Tucholskie, German: Tucheler Heide, part of it known also as Polish: Kosznajderia, German: Koschneiderei)
Chełmno Land (Polish: Ziemia Chełmińska, German: Culmerland, Latin: Terra Culmensis
Podlachia (Polish: Podlasie or Podlasze, Latin: Podlachia, mostly in modern Poland, also a Belarusian and Lithuanian historical region), during the Partitions of Poland part of Russia
Suwałki Region (Polish: Suwalszczyzna, Lithuanian: Suvalkija, Latin: Sudovia - the latter term may, however, also refer to the earlier Yotvingia, only part in modern Poland, also a Lithuanian historical region)
Another group of territories constituted (either directly or as a fief) a part of the Polish state for varying amounts of time, ranging from an episode in the Middle Ages (e.g. Kłodzko Land, Lusatia) to several hundreds of years in the case of some, like Silesia and Warmia. Among them, only Warmia, Powiśle, southern Masuria, as well as Upper, Cieszyn and Eastern Lower Silesia retained sizeable Polish-speaking populations into the beginning of 20th century.
Lithuania Minor (Polish: Litwa Mniejsza, Lithuanian: Mažoji Lietuva, German: Kleinlitauen, Russian: Máлая Литвá) or Prussian Lithuania (Polish: Litwa Pruska, Lithuanian: Prūsų Lietuva, German: Preußisch-Litauen), the southern outskirts of Lithuania Minor overlap northern Masuria; also a historical Lithuanian land and a German historical region, its bulk is currently located in the Kaliningrad Oblast)
Powiśle (Polish: Powiśle, roughly English: Lower Vistula Plains), with its northern part forming the Malbork Land (Polish: Ziemia malborska) otherwise known as the Vistula fens (Polish: Żuławy Wiślane); two whole region otherwise referred to as Upper Prussia (Polish: Prusy Górne, German: Oberland), part of the province of East Prussia (Polish: Prusy Wschodnie, German: Ostpreußen, a German historical region)
Lubusz Land (Polish: Ziemia lubuska, German: Land Lebus), only partially in modern Poland - during the high Middle Ages absorbed into the region of New March (Polish: Nowa Marchia, German: Neumark), also a Czech and German historical region
Lusatia (Polish: Łużyce, German: Lausitz, Latin: Lusatia, only partially in modern Poland, also a Czech, Austrian, and German historical region)
Upper Lusatia (Polish: Łużyce Górne, German: Oberlausitz, Latin: Lusatia Superioris, also a Czech, Austrian and German historical region)
Lower Lusatia (Polish: Łużyce Dolne, German: Niederlausitz, Latin: Lusatia Inferioris, also a Czech, Austrian and German historical region)
Pomerania understood as excluding Pomerelia (Polish: Pomorze Zachodnie, German: Pommern, Latin: Pomerania), mostly in modern Poland, also a Danish, Swedish and German historical region)
Farther Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze Tylne, German: Hinterpommern, see Pomerania, also a German historical region)
Western Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze Przednie, German: Vorpommern, see Pomerania, also a Swedish, Danish and German historical region, only partially in modern Poland)
Silesia (Polish: Śląsk, Silesian: Ślōnsk, German: Schlesien, Czech: Slezsko, Latin: Silesia), mostly in Poland, also a Czech, Austrian and German historical region
Upper Silesia (Polish: Górny Śląsk, German: Oberschlesien, Latin: Silesia Superioris, also a Czech, Austrian, and German historical region)
Cieszyn Silesia (Polish: Śląsk Cieszyński, Czech: Těšínské Slezsko, German: Teschener Schlesien, also a Czech and Austrian historical region; only partially in modern Poland, the other part called Trans-Olza (Polish: Zaolzie) is in the Czech Republic
Lower Silesia (Polish: Dolny Śląsk, German: Niederschlesien, Latin: Silesia Inferioris, also a Czech, Austrian and German historical region)
Kłodzko Land (Polish: Ziemia kłodzka, Czech: Kladsko, German: Glatzer Land, also a Czech, Austrian and German historical region)
Historical regions of former Polish states, currently entirely outside current Polish borders
Outside Poland are several historic regions which were once part of medieval Poland, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth or the Second Polish Republic. While these regions are important for Polish history, calling them Polish is in some cases controversial, as most of them, with the exceptions of Vilnius Region (Polish: Wileńszczyzna) in Dzūkija, as well as Grodno Region (Polish: Grodzieńszczyzna) in Dzūkija or Black Ruthenia, were either never or centuries ago predominantly populated by ethnic Poles and now lie beyond the borders of Poland. They are:
White Ruthenia (Polish: Ruś Biała, Latin: Ruthenia Alba), present-day central, northern and eastern Belarus, and western outskirts of modern Russia with Smolensk, during Partitions of Poland a part of Russia, also a historical region of Lithuania
Podolia, Ukraine (Polish: Podole, Latin: Podolia), during the Partitions of Poland western portion was also a part of Galicia, also a historical region of Hungary, Austria, Turkey and Mongolia
Volhynia, Ukraine (Polish: Wołyń, Latin: Volhynia), also known as Lodomeria, also a historical region of Hungary, Austria and Mongolia
^Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I (in Polish). Warszawa. 1880. p. 193.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)