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58-449: When powiats were re-introduced in the Polish local government reforms of 1999, the present Gołdap and Olecko Counties made up a single entity (called powiat olecko-gołdapski or Olecko-Gołdap County). This was divided into two in 2002. The county covers an area of 873.83 square kilometres (337.4 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 34,215, out of which the population of Olecko

116-545: A series of wars (1002–1005, 1007–1013, 1015–1018). Poland took control of the Lusatia region in the south-west, and briefly Miśnia . From 1003 to 1004 Bolesław intervened militarily in Czech dynastic conflicts. After his forces were removed from Bohemia in 1018, Bolesław retained Moravia . In 1013, the marriage between Bolesław's son Mieszko and Richeza of Lotharingia , the niece of Emperor Otto III and future mother of Casimir I

174-522: A long-lasting dispute between Poland and the Teutonic Order over the control of Gdańsk Pomerania . It resulted in a series of Polish–Teutonic Wars throughout 14th and 15th centuries. 14th-century papal verdicts ordered the restoration of the area to Poland, however, the Teutonic Knights did not comply and continued to occupy the region. In the early 14th century, Poland lost northern Spisz with

232-717: A nucleus between the Oder and Vistula rivers on the North-Central European Plain , Poland has at its largest extent expanded as far as the Baltic , the Dnieper and the Carpathians , while in periods of weakness it has shrunk drastically or even ceased to exist. In 1492, the territory of Poland-Lithuania – not counting the fiefs of Mazovia , Moldavia , and Prussia – covered 1,115,000 km (431,000 sq mi), making it

290-468: A series of acts passed by the Polish parliament in 1998, and came into effect on 1 January 1999. Between 1975 and 1998 there had been 49 smaller "voivodeships" and no powiats (see subdivisions of the Polish People's Republic ). The reform created 16 larger voivodeships (largely based on and named after historical regions) and reintroduced powiats. The boundaries of the voivodeships do not always reflect

348-458: A series of military campaigns between 1340 and 1366 Casimir had retook the previously lost Czerwień Cities and further annexed Red Ruthenia , western Volhynia with Włodzimierz , and western Podolia with Kamieniec Podolski . The city of Lwów quickly developed to become a main town of this new region. Allied with Denmark and the Duchy of Pomerania , Casimir was able to impose some corrections on

406-493: A short time he held some of its southern areas. In the west he regained eastern Lower Lusatia with the towns of Gubin and Lubsko by 1211. He became the duke of Kraków ( Polonia Minor ) in 1232, which gave him the title of senior duke of Poland (see Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty ), and came into possession of most of Greater Poland in 1234. Henry failed in his attempt to achieve the Polish crown. His activity in this field

464-634: A vassal principality of Poland. In 1402, Poland and Bohemia reached an agreement, by which Poland was to buy and re-incorporate the previously lost territories of north-western Greater Poland, northern Lubusz Land and parts of Pomerania, which were since ruled as the New March , from 1373 within the Bohemian Crown Lands, but eventually the Bohemian rulers sold the area to the Teutonic Order . The area

522-523: Is 16,169 and the rural population is 18,046. Olecko County is bordered by Gołdap County to the north, Suwałki County to the east, Ełk County to the south and Giżycko County to the west. The county is subdivided into four gminas (one urban-rural and three rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population. Polish local government reforms The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland

580-641: Is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine , Belarus , and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast , a Russian exclave , to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the ninth largest in Europe . From

638-568: Is a member of the European Union , NATO , and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Poland currently has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and one of the most populous members of the European Union . In the period following the emergence of Poland in the 10th century, the Polish nation

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696-455: Is called the marszałek . Each voivodeship is divided into a number of smaller entities known as powiats (counties), which are legally "II tier units" ( jednostki II stopnia ). The number of powiats per voivodeship ranges from 12 (Opole Voivodeship) to 42 (Masovian Voivodeship). They include two types of administrative divisions: The "III tier units" ( jednostki III stopnia ) are 2477 gminas (also called commune or municipality ). A powiat

754-481: Is currently divided into 16 provinces known as voivodeships ( Polish : województwa , singular województwo ). Legally they are called "I tier units" ( jednostki I stopnia ). Administrative authority at voivodeship level is shared between a central government-appointed governor, called the voivode (usually a political appointee), an elected assembly called the sejmik , and an executive board ( zarząd województwa ) chosen by that assembly. The leader of that executive

812-412: Is divided into voivodeships (provinces); these are further divided into powiats (counties or districts), and these in turn are divided into gminas (communes or municipalities). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 380 powiats (including 66 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas. The current system was introduced pursuant to

870-547: Is typically divided into a number of gminas (between 3 and 19), although the city counties constitute single gminas. A gmina has an elected council as well as a directly elected mayor (known as prezydent in large towns, burmistrz in most urban and urban-rural gminas, and wójt in rural gminas). A gmina may be classed as: Gminas are generally sub-divided into smaller units, called osiedle or dzielnica in towns, and sołectwo in rural areas. However, these units are of lesser importance and are subordinate in status to

928-683: The Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights , Albert of Hohenzollern , secularized the order's Prussian territory, becoming Albert, Duke of Prussia. The Duchy of Prussia , which had its capital in Königsberg ( Polish : Królewiec ), was established as a fief of the Kingdom of Poland. In the 1560s, Poland has expanded its Baltic dominion during the Livonian War , when it captured most of Livonia , with

986-841: The Jagiellon dynasty (1385–1569) ruled the Polish–Lithuanian union . The Lublin Union of 1569 established the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as an influential player in European politics and a vital cultural entity. Territorial changes before and during the Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385) , ending with the Union of Krewo . Mieszko I of Poland was the first historical ruler of the first independent Polish state ever recorded- Duchy of Poland . He

1044-492: The Kłodzko Land passed to the Duchy of Wrocław of fragmented Poland, and in c.  1290 it passed to Bohemia . In 1295, Przemysł II of Greater Poland became the first, since Bolesław II, Piast duke crowned as King of Poland, but he ruled over only a part of the territory of Poland (including from 1294 Gdańsk Pomerania ) and was assassinated soon after his coronation. A more extensive unification of Polish lands

1102-483: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , starting with the Union of Lublin and ending with the Third Partition of Poland . Polish-Lithuanian forces recaptured the towns of Połock in 1579 and Wieliż , Uświat and Newel in 1580, previously annexed by Russia from Lithuania in 1562–1566. The restoration of Połock and Wieliż was confirmed in 1582, but Newel was lost again to Russia. In 1581, Poland also demanded

1160-731: The Rędowa River , i.e. further west than today. In 981 he lost the Czerwień Cities in the south-east, tribal territory of the Lendians , to the Kyivan Rus' . The last of his conquests were Silesia and south-western Lesser Poland that were incorporated some time before 990. During the reign of Bolesław the Brave , relations between Poland and the Holy Roman Empire deteriorated, resulting in

1218-671: The Soviet Union . Poland lost over six million citizens in World War II, emerging several years later as the socialist People's Republic of Poland within the Eastern Bloc , under strong Soviet influence. During the Revolutions of 1989 , communist rule was overthrown and Poland became what is constitutionally known as the "Third Polish Republic." Poland is a unitary state made up of sixteen voivodeships ( Polish : województwo ). Poland

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1276-631: The Kingdom of Poland, to which the King agreed and signed an act of incorporation in Kraków in March 1454. Various cities, towns, nobles and officials from the region immediately recognized Polish rule and pledged allegiance to Poland, recognizing the previous Teutonic rule as unlawful. This sparked the Thirteen Years' War , during which Poland for the most part retained control of the regained Pomeranian territories with

1334-580: The Restorer , took place. The conflicts with Germany ended in 1018 with the Peace of Bautzen accord, on favorable terms for Bolesław, retaining control of Lusatia. In the context of the 1018 Kiev expedition , Bolesław retook the Czerwień Cities. In 1019, Poland lost Brześć to the Kyivan Rus' , but retook it the following year. In 1025, shortly before his death, Bolesław I the Brave finally succeeded in obtaining

1392-610: The Silesia province. This was formalized in the Treaty of Trencin and Congress of Visegrád (1335) , ratified in 1339 and later confirmed in the 1348 Treaty of Namysłów . King Casimir, being deprived of historically and ethnically Polish lands of Silesia and Pomerelia sought a compensation of this loses in the east, though in 1341–1356 he regained control of the towns of Byczyna , Kluczbork , Namysłów and Wołczyn in Lower Silesia. Through

1450-512: The Teutonic Order as a fief and protectorate of Poland, also considered an integral part of "one and indivisible" Kingdom of Poland. Poland regained free access to the Baltic Sea . In the meantime, in 1462, the city of Caffa in Crimea recognized Polish suzerainty. In 1494, the Kingdom of Poland bought and regained the Duchy of Zator . In 1525, during the Protestant Reformation ,

1508-452: The adoption of Christianity by Mieszko I in 966 CE (see Baptism of Poland ), when the state covered territory similar to that of present-day Poland. In 1025 CE, Poland became a kingdom . In 1569, Poland cemented a long association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin , forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of

1566-539: The coronation, Władysław's right to the crown was disputed by successors of Wenceslaus III (a king of both Bohemia and Poland) on the Bohemian throne. In 1327 John of Bohemia invaded. After the intervention of King Charles I of Hungary he left Polonia Minor , but on his way back he enforced his supremacy over the Upper Silesian Piasts. In 1319, Duchy of Jawor , the southwesternmost duchy of fragmented Poland, expanded its western border to Lusatia , reaching

1624-733: The degree of tolerance varied over time. In the late 18th century, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth began to collapse. Its neighbouring states were able to slowly dismember the Commonwealth. In 1795, Poland's territory was completely partitioned among the Kingdom of Prussia , the Russian Empire , and Austria . Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic in 1918 after World War I, but lost it in World War II through occupation by Nazi Germany and

1682-417: The east of Odra river . As a result, a wide piece of land was annexed from Poland and Pomerania that together with Lubusz Land formed the newly established Brandenburgian province of Neumark . Brandenburg further expanded by gradual annexation of north-western Greater Poland , including Wałcz , Drezdenko and Kalisz Pomorski in 1296, Międzyrzecz in 1297 and Czaplinek by c.  1300 . In 1278,

1740-413: The gmina. Polish territory has been subject to significant changes over the course of Polish history . Therefore, the modern Polish administrative division, while on some levels similar to some historical ones, is quite different from others. Historical Polish administrative divisions can be divided into the following periods: Cultural and economic: Territorial changes of Poland Poland

1798-693: The historical borders of Polish regions. Around half of the Silesian Voivodeship belongs to the historical province of Lesser Poland . Similarly, the area around Radom , which historically is part of Lesser Poland, is located in the Masovian Voivodeship . Also, the Pomeranian Voivodeship includes only the eastern extreme of historical Pomerania , as the western part is in Germany and the eastern border has shifted again and again. Poland

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1856-448: The largest and most populous countries in 16th- and 17th-century Europe. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had many characteristics that made it unique among states of that era. The Commonwealth's political system , often called the Noble's Democracy or Golden Freedom , was characterized by the sovereign's power being reduced by laws and the legislature ( Sejm ), which was controlled by

1914-416: The largest territory in Europe; by 1793, it had fallen to 215,000 km (83,000 sq mi), the same size as Great Britain , and in 1795, it disappeared completely. The first 20th-century incarnation of Poland, the Second Polish Republic , occupied 389,720 km (150,470 sq mi), while, since 1945, a more westerly Poland covered 312,677 km (120,725 sq mi). The Poles are

1972-575: The major port city of Riga (Polish: Ryga ). In 1561, the Livonian Confederation was dismantled and the Livonian Order , an order of German knights, was disbanded. On the basis of the Treaty of Vilnius , territories of modern Latvia and southern Estonia were ceded to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and formed into the Duchy of Livonia . Poland also claimed northern Estonia with the city of Tallinn (Polish: Rewal ) as incorporated per

2030-598: The most numerous of the West Slavs and occupy what some believe to be the original homeland of the Slavic peoples . While other groups migrated, the Polanie remained in situ along the Vistula , from the river's sources to its estuary at the Baltic Sea . There is no other European nation centred to such an extent on one river. The establishment of a Polish state is often identified with

2088-438: The nobility ( szlachta ). This system was a precursor to the modern concepts of broader democracy and constitutional monarchy . The two comprising states of the Commonwealth were formally equal, although in reality Poland was a dominant partner in the union. Its population was hallmarked by a high level of ethnic and confessional diversity, and the state was noted for having religious tolerance unusual for its age, although

2146-465: The papal permission to crown himself, and became the first king of Poland . The first Piast monarchy collapsed after the death of Bolesław's son – king Mieszko II in 1034. Deprived of a government, Poland was ravaged by an anti-feudal and pagan rebellion , and in 1039 by the forces of King Bretislav of Bohemia . The country suffered territorial losses, and the functioning of the Gniezno archdiocese

2204-450: The port city of Gdańsk, whereas control over the Prussian territories varied, with Poland retaining control of Elbląg for the entire time, but losing Królewiec back to the Teutonic Knights in 1455. In the peace treaty of 1466, Gdańsk Pomerania, Chełmno Land, Elbląg, Malbork and Warmia were recognized as reincorporated to Poland, whereas the remainder of historic Prussia remained with

2262-579: The recaptured Czernihów and Smolensk regions as part of Poland, and the regaining of the towns of Siebież and Newel . In 1634, the town of Sierpiejsk passed from Poland to Russia . Sweden , weakened by involvement in the Thirty Years' War , agreed to sign the Armistice of Stuhmsdorf (also known as Treaty of Sztumska Wieś or Treaty of Stuhmsdorf) in 1635, favourable to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in terms of territorial concessions. In 1644,

2320-594: The region at various times, but not permanently, except for the Międzyrzecz castellany which was decisively restored to the Kingdom of Poland. In 1329 Władysław I the Elbow-high fought with the Teutonic Order . The Order was supported by John of Bohemia who dominated the dukes of Masovia and Lower Silesia . In 1335 John of Bohemia renounced his claim in favour of Casimir III the Great , who in return renounced his claims to

2378-600: The region was initiated in earnest, an effort crowned by the establishment of the Pomeranian Diocese of Wolin after Bolesław's death in 1140. The Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty was a political act by the Piast duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland , in which he established rules for governance of the Polish kingdom by his four surviving sons after his death. By issuing it, Bolesław planned to guarantee that his heirs would not fight among themselves, and would preserve

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2436-552: The restoration of Siebież , but to no avail, and regained Siebież and Newel only in 1617–1618. During the war, Poland also temporarily controlled the more northern towns of Velikiye Luki , Opochka and Ostrov . During the Polish–Russian War (1609–1618) , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth controlled Moscow for two years, from 29 September 1610 to 6 November 1612. The Truce of Deulino of 1619 confirmed

2494-571: The rule of duke Władysław I the Elbow-high . However at this points, various foreign states were staking their claims on some parts of Poland. Margraviate of Brandenburg invaded Pomerelia in 1308, leading Władysław I the Elbow-high to request assistance from the Teutonic Knights , who evicted the Brandenburgers but took the area for themselves, annexed and incorporated it into the Teutonic Order state in 1309 ( Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Treaty of Soldin / Myślibórz ). This event caused

2552-467: The town of Podoliniec to the Kingdom of Hungary . During this time, all Silesian dukes accepted Władysław's claims for sovereignty over other Piasts. After acquiring papal consent for his coronation, all nine dukes of Silesia declared twice (in 1319 before and in 1320 after the coronation) that their realms lay inside the borders of the Polish Kingdom . However, despite formal papal consent for

2610-609: The towns of Zgorzelec , Zły Komorów , Żytawa , Ostrowiec and Rychbach . After the 1319 extinction of Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg, the previously lost Lubusz Land and New March were the subject of rivalry between the Piasts (dukes of Jawor, Żagań and King Władysław I the Elbow-high ), Griffins of Pomerania, the Ascanians of Saxe-Wittenberg and the Wittelsbachs of Bavaria until 1326, with Polish dukes capturing portions of

2668-512: The treaty, and demanded the surrender of the territory conquered by Sweden , but Sweden refused. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a vassal state of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom from 1569 to 1726, and incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1726. Lajs (now Laiuse, Estonia) was the seat of the northernmost starostwo of the history of Poland. Territorial changes during

2726-508: The unity of his lands under the House of Piast . However, he failed; soon after his death his sons fought each other, and Poland entered a period of fragmentation lasting about 200 years. In the first half of the 13th century Silesian duke Henry I the Bearded , reunited much of the divided Kingdom of Poland ( Regnum Poloniae ). His expeditions led him as far north as the Duchy of Pomerania , where for

2784-602: The western border as well. In 1365 Drezdenko and Santok became Poland's fiefs , while Wałcz , Człopa , Tuczno and Czaplinek were in 1368 recovered outright, severing the land connection between Brandenburg and the Teutonic state and connecting Poland with Farther Pomerania . Territorial changes during the Kingdom of Poland , starting with the Union of Krewo and ending with the Union of Lublin . In 1387, Petru II of Moldavia paid homage to Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło and Queen Jadwiga of Poland making Moldavia

2842-505: Was accomplished by a foreign ruler, Wenceslaus II of Bohemia of the Přemyslid dynasty , who married Przemysł's daughter and became King of Poland in 1300. Václav's heavy-handed policies soon caused him to lose whatever support he had earlier in his reign; he died in 1305. After the death of Wenceslaus III of Bohemia – son of Wenceslaus II – in 1306, most of the Polish Lands came under

2900-493: Was aided by the recent adversaries of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and Kievan Rus , both of whom disliked the chaos in Poland. Casimir's son Bolesław II the Generous managed to restore most of the country's strength and influence and was able to crown himself king in 1076. By 1076 Bolesław II recaptured Brześć. In 1079 there was an anti-Bolesław conspiracy or conflict that involved the Bishop of Kraków. Bolesław had Bishop Stanislaus of Szczepanów executed; subsequently Bolesław

2958-514: Was briefly partially recaptured by the Poles during the Polish–Teutonic War of 1431–1435 . During the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War , in 1410, the bulk of Gdańsk Pomerania with Gdańsk returned to Poland, but it fell back to the Teutonic Knights in 1411. In 1412, 16 towns of Spisz were regained from Hungary to Poland. In February 1454, the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation asked Casimir IV Jagiellon to reincorporate Gdańsk Pomerania and Chełmno Land , and also incorporate Prussia , into

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3016-407: Was continued by his son and successor Henry II the Pious , until his sudden death in 1241 ( Battle of Legnica ). His successors were not able to maintain their holdings outside of Silesia, which were lost to other Piast dukes. Polish historians refer to territories acquired by Silesian dukes in this period as Monarchia Henryków śląskich ("The monarchy of the Silesian Henries"). In those days Wrocław

3074-415: Was disrupted. According to various sources, either in 1042 or 1044 Poland lost Brześć to the Kyivan Rus'. After returning from exile in 1039, Duke Casimir I (1016–1058), properly known as the Restorer, rebuilt the Polish monarchy and the country's territorial integrity through several military campaigns: in 1047, Masovia was taken back from Miecław , and in 1050 Silesia from the Czechs. Casimir

3132-420: Was forced to abdicate the Polish throne because of the pressure from the Catholic Church and the pro-imperial faction of the nobility. The rule over Poland passed into the hands of his younger brother Władysław Herman . After a power struggle, Bolesław III the Wry-mouthed (son of Władysław Herman, ruled 1102–1138) became the Duke of Poland by defeating his half-brother in 1106–1107. Bolesław's major achievement

3190-425: Was led by a series of rulers of the Piast dynasty , who converted the Poles to Christianity , created a sizeable Central European state, and integrated Poland into European culture . Formidable foreign enemies and internal fragmentation eroded this initial structure in the 13th century, but consolidation in the 14th century laid the base for the Polish Kingdom. Beginning with the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila ,

3248-413: Was responsible for the introduction and subsequent spread of Christianity in Poland . During his long reign most of the territories inhabited by Polish tribes were added to his territory into a single Polish state. By c.  967 he included Pomerania up to the Oder estuary and Wolin island in the west. The 10th-century western border of Poland in the Pomeranian section was probably based on

3306-446: Was the political center of the divided Kingdom of Poland . Few years after the death of Henry II the Pious his son – Bolesław II the Bald – sold the northwest part of his duchy – the Lubusz Land – to Magdeburg's Archbishop Wilbrand von Käfernburg and the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg . This had far reaching negative consequences for the integrity of the western border, leading to an expansion of Brandenburg possessions into

3364-421: Was the reconquest of all of Mieszko I's Pomerania , a task begun by his father and completed by Bolesław around 1123. Szczecin was subdued in a bloody takeover and Western Pomerania up to Rügen (Polish: Rugia ), except for the directly incorporated southern part, became Bolesław's fief , to be ruled locally by Wartislaw I , the first duke of the Griffin dynasty . At this time, Christianization of

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