Administrative division of Congress Poland

Administrative division of Congress Poland in 1830. This map represents the period 1816-1837 and is mostly valid for the period of up to 1844.

Administrative division of Congress Poland, 1907. This map represents the period 1893-1912, and is mostly valid for the most part for 1867-1914.

Historical map showing the administrative division of Congress Poland, 1831.

Historical map showing the Western governorates of the Russian Empire, 1902 (including those of Congress Poland).

The administrative division of Congress Poland changed several times. Immediately after its creation, 1815-1816, the Congress Kingdom of Poland was divided into departments, a relic from the times of the French-dominated Duchy of Warsaw. In 1816 the administrative divisions were reformed into the more traditionally Polish voivodeships, obwóds and powiats. In 1837, in the aftermath of the November Uprising earlier that decade, the administrative division was reformed once again, bringing Congress Poland closer to the structure of the Russian Empire, with the introduction of guberniyas (governorate, Polish spelling gubernia), gradually transforming Congress Poland into the "Vistulan Country". Over the next several decades, various smaller reforms were carried out, either changing the smaller administrative units or merging/splitting various guberniyas.

1816

On January 16, 1816 the administrative division was reformed from the departments of the Duchy of Warsaw into the more traditionally Polish voivodeships, obwóds and powiats.

There were 8 voivodeships:

• Augustów Voivodeship (capital in Suwałki)
• Kalisz Voivodeship
• Kraków Voivodeship (despite the name of this province, the city of Kraków was not included; Kraków was a free city until the Kraków Uprising of 1846, after which it was annexed by Austria; the capital was first Miechów, then Kielce).
• Lublin Voivodeship
• Mazowsze Voivodeship (capital in Warsaw)
• Płock Voivodeship
• Podlasie Voivodeship (capital in Siedlce)
• Sandomierz Voivodeship (capital in Radom)

1837

On 7 March 1837 the Congress Poland voivodeships were renamed as 8 guberniyas (governorates):

• Augustów Governorate (with capital in Łomża)
• Kalish Governorate (with capital in Kalisz)
• Krakov Governorate (with capital in Kielce)
• Lublin Governorate (with capital in Lublin)
• Masovia Governorate (with capital in Warsaw)
• Plotsk Governorate (with capital in Płock)
• Podlyase Governorate (with capital in Siedlce)
• Sandomir Governorate (with capital in Radom)

1842

In 1842 powiats were renamed okręgs, and obwóds were renamed powiats.

1844

In 1844 several governorates were merged with others, and some others renamed. 5 governorates remained:

1867

The 1867 reform, initiated after the failure of the January Uprising, was designed to tie the Congress Kingdom (now de facto the Vistulan Country) more tightly to the administration structure of the Russian Empire. It divided larger governorates into smaller ones. A new lower level entity, gmina, was introduced. This time 10 governorates were formed:

1893

A minor reform of 1893 transferred some territory from the Plotsk and Lomzha Governorates to Warsaw Governorate.

1912

Chełm Governorate (pink)

The 1912 reform created a new governorate - Kholm Governorate - from parts of the Sedlets and Lublin Governorates. However this was split off from the Vistulan Country and made part of the Southwestern Krai of the Russian Empire.

External links

• What is the history of the gubernias of Poland?
• (Polish) Zygmunt Gloger, Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski, Rodział 15: W wieku XIX

Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Poland (Congress Poland)
1816–1837	Augustów Voivodeship Kalisz Voivodeship Kraków Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship Masovia Voivodeship Płock Voivodeship Podlaskie Voivodeship Sandomierz Voivodeship
1837–1844	Augustów Governorate Kalisz Governorate Kraków Governorate Lublin Governorate Masovia Governorate Płock Governorate Podlasie Governorate Sandomierz Governorate
1844–1867	Augustów Governorate Lublin Governorate Płock Governorate Radom Governorate Warsaw Governorate
1867–1914	Kalisz Governorate Kielce Governorate Lublin Governorate Łomża Governorate Piotrków Governorate Płock Governorate Radom Governorate Siedlce Governorate Suwałki Governorate Warsaw Governorate