People's Republic of Poland

The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZPR). The Communists were in effective control of the Polish government from 1944 onwards, but the new name was not adopted until the 1952 constitution came into effect.

Geography and demographics

Poland borders shifted drastically after the Second World War.

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People's Republic of Poland was divided into several voivodships (Polish unit of administrative division). After the World War II the new administrative division was based on pre-war one. The areas in the East that were not annexed by the Soviet Union had their borders left almost unchanged. Newly acquired territories in the west and north were organised into the voivodships of Szczecin, Wroc?aw, Olsztyn and partially joined to Gda?sk, Katowice and Pozna? voivodships. Two cities were granted voivodship status: Warsaw and ?ód?.

Related Topics:
Voivodship - Annexed by the Soviet Union - Newly acquired territories - Szczecin - Wroc?aw - Olsztyn - Gda?sk - Katowice - Pozna? - Warsaw - ?ód?

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In 1950 new voivodships were created: Koszalin - previously part of Szczecin, Opole - previously part of Katowice, and Zielona Góra - previously part of Pozna?, Wroc?aw and Szczecin voivodships. In addition, three other cities were granted the voivodship status: Wroc?aw, Kraków and Pozna?.

Related Topics:
Koszalin - Szczecin - Opole - Katowice - Zielona Góra - Pozna? - Wroc?aw - Wroc?aw - Kraków - Pozna?

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In 1973 Poland voivodships were changed again. This reorganization of administrative division of Poland was mainly a result of local government reform acts of 1973 to 1975. In place of three level administrative division (voivodship, county, commune), new two-level administrative division was introduced (49 small voidships and communes). The three smallest voivodships: Warsaw, Kraków and ?ód? had a special status of municipal voivodship; the city president (mayor) was also province governor.

Related Topics:
Warsaw - Kraków - ?ód?

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Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of Poland:

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Image:PolishAdministrativeDivision1946.gif|Polish voivodships after 1945)

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Image:Poland administrative division 1957 literki.PNG|Polish voivodships after 1957)

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Image:Poland administrative division 1975 literki.png|Polish voivodships after 1975)

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