Kuyavia Kujawy | |
|---|---|
 Location on the map of Poland | |
| Coordinates:52°42′N18°33′E / 52.700°N 18.550°E /52.700; 18.550 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Largest city | Bydgoszcz |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,989 km2 (2,312 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 950,000 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Primary airport | Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport |
| Highways |    |
Kuyavia (Polish:Kujawy;Latin:Cuiavia), also referred to asCujavia, is a historical region in north-centralPoland, situated on the left bank ofVistula, as well as east fromNoteć River and LakeGopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with the capital inBydgoszcz, ethnographically distinct[citation needed]), central (the capital inInowrocław orKruszwica), and south-eastern (the capital inWłocławek orBrześć Kujawski).
The name Kuyavia first appeared in written sources in the 1136Bull of Gniezno (Polish:Bulla Gnieźnieńska, Latin:Ex commisso nobis) issued byPope Innocent II, and was then mentioned in many documents from medieval times. It is also mentioned in the chronicles ofWincenty Kadłubek.[2]
In the north, Kuyavia borders with the historic regions ofGdańsk Pomerania (Pomerelia) andChełmno Land, in the west with proper (exact)Greater Poland, in the south withŁęczyca Land and in the east withMasovia andDobrzyń Land. The borders of Kuyavia stretch out on the left bank of Vistula River: from the mouth ofSkrwa Lewa in the south-east, almost to the mouth of theWda River to the north. The borders of Kuyavia spread out to the west fromKoronowo andNakło to the Noteć River where they turn south-west, crossTrląg Lake, and on to Strzelneński Forest, reaching Skulski Lake and the upper Noteć River. The borders also encloseBrdowski Lake,Przedecz andLubień Kujawski through the Skrwa Lewa, ending at theVistula River.[3]
Also the southern part ofToruń (Podgórz) lies in the historical region.[4] Some ethnographers and historians, for exampleOskar Kolberg andZygmunt Gloger, count the lands ofDobrzyń andChełmno north-east of the Vistula as parts of the Kuyavia region.[citation needed]
The Kuyavian lowlands have an average elevation of 100–130 meters above sea level. It is post-glacial landscape, slightly undulating, in some places there are moraine hills and sandy gravel embankments. In deep dykes and depressions there are approximately 600 lakes larger than 1 km2. Under the glacial formations there are layers of rock-salt and potassium, and underTertiary Period sediments there is lignite and ceramic clay. In Kuyavia there are black fertile soils, thanks to which Kuyavia is called "the granary of Poland".[5]
Kuyavia has been historically a rich, densely populated and decentralised region of the Polish state, one of the smaller yet distinct provinces of Poland.Kruszwica was the political centre of the early Goplan tribe, identified with the peoples of Kuyavia. In this area,Kruszwica was also the earliestepiscopal see, created on territory split off fromarchdiocese of Gniezno and as a replacement for the dissolveddiocese of Kołobrzeg. In the middle of the 12th century, its seat was moved toWłocławek.This diocese governed the lands of both Kuyavia andPomerania (in 1243, theDioecese of Chełmno was founded for TeutonicChełmno Land). So would remain up until Polish partitions, when episcopate borders were changed and Kuyavia was divided between dioceses of Gniezno (for the Prussian part) and of Włocławek (for the Russian part).[6] Today in Kuyavia both Włocławek and Bydgoszcz have their ownbishoprics.
The first independentDuchy of Kuyavia was created in 1230 with the capital inInowrocław. It would be defragmented often into smaller principalities with its seats also inBydgoszcz (with Wyszogród),Gniewkowo andBrześć Kujawski. In the late 14th century, the administrative division of the unified Polish kingdom was introduced; in Kuyavia, the residency of theVoivode governors was both Inowrocław andBrześć Kujawski, withRadziejów serving as the seat of the shared regionalSejmik council of the twovoivodeships.
Bydgoszcz has been the main economic centre of Kuyavia since thePolish Golden Age. First it was a strategic point as a defensive castle near the Polish border with the hostileTeutonic Order. Soon it became the largest urban centre of Kuyavia[7][8] and a significant trade hub, specifically serving as anintermediary in trade withGdańsk, whose importance extended beyond the Kuyavian region. Its economic role involved linking the Baltic port with the hinterlands of theBrda andNoteć rivers as well as sections ofVistula andWarta.[7][8]
In 1772, Bydgoszcz became the administrative capital of the newly createdNetze District inPrussia, encompassing western Kuyavia andKrajna. In the times ofDuchy of Warsaw, theBydgoszcz Department was created and it included the whole Kuyavian area with most ofChełmno Land and valley of the riverNoteć in the east. Afterwards, western Kuyavia belonged toBydgoszcz district in theGrand Duchy of Poznań, while eastern Kuyavia was integrated withMazovian administrative unit inCongress Poland.
TheLinear Pottery culture existed in the area.[9] The earliest solid evidence ofcheese-making, dating to5,500 BC, was found in Kuyavia.[10][11] Enormous tombs, megalithic structuresKuyavian Pyramids fromYounger Stone Age.
The beginnings of the state in Kuyavia are connected with the tribal state of the West SlavicGoplans. The Goplans, which some researchers identify with the Mazowszanie-Kłobianie or simply with the Kuyavians, had created a country with the main centers in Kruszwica on the northern shore of LakeGopło. During the 10th century, their territory was conquered by another West Slavic tribe, thePolans settling in the adjacent Greater Polish land aroundPoznań andGniezno and upon the death of DukeMieszko I of Poland in 992, the Kuyavia lands were part of the earlyDuchy of Poland, mentioned asCivitas Schinesghe as circumscribed in theDagome iudex papal regesta.
According to Andrzej Bańkowski, the Polans had moved into the region of Greater Poland after they had to leave together with the Morawianie, their formerPannonian territories, conquered by theAvars. According to some sources, during the war with the Goplans, the Polans were supported by aGreat Moravian army. As a result of occupation of the Goplans' territory, the lands of Kuyavia were under the strong influence of the Pannonian culture and they lost their primary Masovian spirit.
When the nameCuiavia arose for the first time in the 1136 Bull of Gniezno, it referred to the lands east of Greater Poland around Kruszwica and Włocławek, bordering with the Vistula river. The bull confirmed the position of theBishopric of Kuyavia at Włocławek as asuffragan diocese of theArchdiocese of Gniezno.
In the times of the Polish fragmentation upon the 1138Testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty, Kuyavia at first became part of theDuchy of Masovia underBolesław IV the Curly and his sonLeszek; it was claimed by the Polish High DukeCasimir II the Just in 1186, contested by his elder brotherMieszko III the Old and his sonBolesław. Casimir's son DukeKonrad I of Masovia in 1233 created the Duchy of Kuyavia for his second sonCasimir I. When Casimir's elder brother DukeBolesław I of Masovia died in 1248, he took the occasion and took Dobrzyń Land east of the Vistula River from the heritage of his younger brotherSiemowit I. Upon Casimir's death 1267, the Duchy of Kuyavia was divided by his sonsLeszek II the Black (d. 1288),Ziemomysł (d. 1287) andWładysław I the Elbow-high into the two separate duchies of Inowrocław and Brześć Kujawski.[12]
In 1306 Ziemomysł's sonCasimir II swore allegiance to his uncle Władysław I, who began to re-unite theLands of the Polish Crown under his rule. The duchy was devastated during thePolish–Teutonic War of 1326–32, culminating in the 1331Battle of Płowce, but was finally restored to Poland by theTeutonic Knights in the 1343Treaty of Kalisz. With the death of Casimir's sonWładysław the White in 1388, the Kuyavian line of thePiast dynasty became extinct.
At the peak of its fragmentation, the Kuyavian territories were divided in the early 14th century intoDuchy of Bydgoszcz and Wyszogród,Duchy of Inowrocław,Duchy of Gniewkowo andDuchy of Brześć Kujawski. They have been fully reintegrated during the reign ofCasimir III the Great.
After the reunification of Polish lands in the late 14th century, the division into provinces and counties was introduced. That division finalized in the 15th century and existed until the dissolution of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. Kuyavia was divided into the two administrative divisions ofBrześć Kujawski Voivodeship andInowrocław Voivodeship.
The Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship was further divided into fivepowiats (counties): Brześć,Kowal,Kruszwica,Przedecz andRadziejów, while the Inowrocław Voivodeship was divided into the Bydgoszcz and Inowrocław powiats and Dobrzyń Land east of the Vistula.[13] Both voivodeships formed part of the largerGreater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland and thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. TheBattle of Koronowo of thePolish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War was fought in the region on 10 October 1410, and ended in a Polish victory.
The long period of prosperity ended in the late 17th century duringNorthern Wars with the Swedish troops destroying and plundering many cities, including Bydgoszcz,[14] Inowrocław,[15] and Włocławek.[16]
As a result of theFirst Partition of Poland in 1772 theKingdom of Prussia took a considerable part of Inowrocław Voivodeship and the western part of Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship, and included it within its newly formedNetze District with the capital inBydgoszcz. After theSecond Partition of 1793 the whole of Kuyavia was taken by Prussia and incorporated into the newly formed province ofSouth Prussia. Upon the 1807Treaties of Tilsit, it was part of the NapoleonicDuchy of Warsaw and administered within theBydgoszcz Department.
In 1815 under the provisions of theCongress of Vienna, Kuyavia was divided between theKingdom of Poland (Congress Poland remaining in apersonal union with theRussian Empire, from 1831 direct part of Russian Empire) and the Kingdom of Prussia. While the Brześć Kujawski province (counties: Aleksandrów, Radziejów and Włocławek) remained with theMasovia Governorate of Congress Poland in Russian Empire, Inowrocław (Hohensalza) and Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) was incorporated into the PrussianGrand Duchy of Posen. The Polish populationresisted anti-Polish policies, which included forcedGermanisation andRussification, and took part in several uprisings incl. theGreater Poland uprising of 1848 andJanuary Uprising of 1863–1864. That division outlasted the 1871unification of Germany until the end ofWorld War I.[17]
FollowingWorld War I, Poland regained independence and control of the region. Within theSecond Polish Republic, from 1918, the western part of Kuyavia belonged toPoznań Voivodeship, and the eastern part belonged to theWarsaw Voivodeship. In 1938 almost all Kuyavia became a part ofPomeranian Voivodeship. In 1934 the Muzeum Nadgoplańskie in Kruszwica was built. It was opened in 1939, and it had valuable collection of ethnographical objects, inter alia: furniture and clothing.
Following the joint German-Sovietinvasion of Poland, which startedWorld War II in September 1939, it was occupied byNazi Germany. During theoccupation, almost all of Kuyavia was annexed into the newly formed province ofReichsgau Wartheland,[18] except the northwestern part with the city of Bydgoszcz that was annexed to the newly formed province ofReichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. ThePolish population was subjected tovarious crimes, such as mass arrests, imprisonment,slave labor,expulsions,kidnapping of children, deportations toNazi concentration camps and extermination, incl. theIntelligenzaktion. Major sites of massacres of Poles in the region includedGniewkowo,Fordon,Otorowo,Buszkowo,Tryszczyn,Odolion andBorówno.[19] The Germans also operated subcamps of thePotulice andStutthof concentration camps in Bydgoszcz, and the largeStalag XX-Aprisoner-of-war camp for Polish, British, French, Australian and Soviet POWs in southernToruń.[20] In 1945, the German occupation ended and the region was restored to Poland.
In the years 1945-1975 Kuyavia was in the borders ofBydgoszcz Voivodeship. TheWłocławek Voivodeship was created in 1975, and the western part of Kuyavia remained in the Bydgoszcz Voivodeship. In 1999 almost the whole of Kuyavia was joined to the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Furthermore, small parts of the region were included in the borders of theMasovian Voivodeship (regions between the border of the province and Skrwa Lewa River) andGreater Poland Voivodeship (Przedecz,Wierzbinek).
| City | Population (2023)[21] | Voivodeship in the Kingdom of Poland | Voivodeship today | City rights | Additional information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Bydgoszcz | 328,370 |  Inowrocław |  Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1346 | Formerroyal city of Poland,[22] part of theBydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area. |
| 2. |  Włocławek | 101,450 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1255 | Historical capital of Kuyavia. |
| 3. |  Inowrocław | 67,745 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1237/38 | Spa town, formervoivodeship capital, formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 4. |  Solec Kujawski | 15,290 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1325 | Part of the Bydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area, formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 5. |  Aleksandrów Kujawski | 11,470 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1919 | Part of the Bydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area. |
| 6. |  Koronowo | 10,754 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1370 | |
| 7. |  Ciechocinek | 10,214 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1916 | Spa town. |
| 8. |  Kruszwica | 9,131 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1422 | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 9. |  Janikowo | 8,186 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1962 | |
| 10. |  Gniewkowo | 6,685 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1268 | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 11. |  Strzelno | 5,240 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1231 | |
| 12. |  Pakość | 5,152 | Inowrocław | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1359 | Formerprivate town.[22] |
| 13. |  Radziejów | 5,081 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1252 | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 14. |  Brześć Kujawski | 4,544 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | Formervoivodeship capital, formerroyal city of Poland.[22] | |
| 15. |  Piotrków Kujawski | 4,217 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | ||
| 16. |  Sompolno | 3,341 | Brześć Kujawski |  Greater Poland | 1477[23] | |
| 17. |  Kowal | 3,288 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] | |
| 18. |  Lubraniec | 2,716 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1509[24] | Formerprivate town.[22] |
| 19. |  Izbica Kujawska | 2,456 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1394[25] | Formerprivate town.[22] |
| 20. |  Nieszawa | 1,743 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1460 | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 21. |  Chodecz | 1,712 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | 1442[26] | Formerprivate town.[22] |
| 22. |  Przedecz | 1,516 | Brześć Kujawski | Greater Poland | 1365 | Formerroyal city of Poland.[22] |
| 23. |  Lubień Kujawski | 1,332 | Brześć Kujawski | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | Formerprivate town.[22] |
The most successful and popular sports clubs in the region includemotorcycle speedway teamPolonia Bydgoszcz,basketball teamsAnwil Włocławek,Astoria Bydgoszcz (men) andBasket 25 Bydgoszcz (women) andvolleyball teamsChemik Bydgoszcz (men) andPałac Bydgoszcz (women).
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