Kuyavia
Kuyavia (sometimes spelt
Cuyavia or
Kuiavia Polish Kujawy) is a historical region of
Poland. It is the northernmost part of Greater Poland, west of
Masovia and east of
Pomerania, and lies between the rivers
Vistula to the east and
Noteć to the west and between Noteć and Krówka river to the south.
Initially, in early
Middle Ages the region was limited mostly to the Land of
Kruszwica and politically it was a part of
Greater Poland. With time, in
12th century the political influence of local dukes was extended to large parts of
Masovia. Because of fertile lands and plentiful rivers the region was developing rapidly and the population also grew.
The political history of Kuyavia is as complicated as the one of nearby
Masovia. In
11th century there was a bishopry established in
Kruszwica. It was soon abolished, but was reintroduced in
1123 or
1124 and the capital of the region was moved to
Włocławek.
In
1186 the area was conquered by
Mieszko III the Old, who established there a duchy for one of his sons, Bolesław. After the latter's death in
1195 it was again incorporated to Masovia. Around
1231 Duke
Konrad I of Masovia re-established the duchy as a property of his son
Kazimierz I of Masovia. After his death in
1267 the duchy was further divided onto two separate lands ruled by his successors, with capitals in
Inowrocław and
Brześć Kujawski.
Initially a part of the
Masovian
domain, between
1248 and
1352 it was also attached to the Land of
Dobrzyń, which was lost to the
Teutonic Order. In
1287 Kuyavia became a separate duchy of its own domain. In
1332 the area of Kuyavia was conquered by the Teutons who controlled it until
1343. However, their control over these lands was found unlawful by the papal court and until
1364 the area was gradually reconquered by
Poland.
As part of
Poland, the area retained its traditional division onto two separate parts, that was sanctioned by the administrative division onto
Inowrocław Voivodship and
Brześć Kujawski Voivodship, that shared the same
Sejmik in
Radziejów. Following the first
partition of Poland in
1772, the northern part of Kuyavia was annexed by
Prussia. The annexation of the rest of the region followed in
1793, after which it was directly incorporated into a Prussian province of "New East Prussia".
Between
1807 and
1815 the area was a part of the
Duchy of Warsaw, but after the fall of
Napoleon Bonaparte it got again under foreign domination. Most of the area with the biggest cities of
Bydgoszcz,
Inowrocław and
Kruszwica was again annexed by Prussia, while the easternmost part with Radziejów and
Włocławek was annexed by
Russia and passed to the
Kingdom of Poland. Since
1918 the area is yet again a part of Poland. Since
1999 most of the area belongs to the
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship.
