Kuyavia

Kuyavia ( _pl. Kujawy; _de. Kujawien), also spelled Cuyavia or Kuiavia, 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 Vistula River to the east, the Noteć River to the west, and the Noteć and Krówka Rivers to the south.

History

In the early Middle Ages the region was limited mostly to the territory of Kruszwica and politically was a part of Greater Poland. In the 11th century a bishopric was established in Kruszwica. It was soon dissolved, but was reintroduced in 1123 or 1124 and the capital of the region was moved to Włocławek. In the 12th century the political influence of local dukes was extended to large parts of Masovia. Because of fertile lands and plentiful rivers the region developed rapidly and its population grew.

In 1186 the area was conquered by Duke Mieszko III of Greater Poland, who established there a duchy for one of his sons, Bolesław. After the latter's death in 1195 it was again incorporated into Masovia. Around 1231 Duke Konrad I of Masovia re-established the duchy as a property of his son Casimir I of Masovia. After his death in 1267 the duchy was further divided into two separate lands ruled by his successors, with capitals in Inowrocław and Brześć Kujawski.

Between 1248 and 1352 Kuyavia was connected with Dobrzyń Land, which was later lost to the Teutonic Knights. In 1287 Kuyavia became a separate duchy of its own domain. In 1332 the area of Kuyavia was conquered by the Knights who controlled it until the Treaty of Kalisz of 1343.

As part of the Kingdom of Poland, the area retained its traditional division into two separate parts. The Inowrocław and Brześć Kujawski Voivodeships shared the same Sejmik in Radziejów. During the 17th century, Dutch and Frisian colonists, collectively known as Hollanders, founded numerous towns with individualistic architecture in Kuyavia; some of the buildings remain today. They developed independent village communities and brought their agricultural knowledge to the region. The Hollanders specialized in the cultivation of lakes and rivers, especially in moorland and fallow land.

Following the First Partition of Poland in 1772, the northern part of Kuyavia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The annexation of the rest of the region followed in the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, after which it was directly incorporated into the Prussian Province of New East Prussia.

Between 1807 and 1815 Kuyavia was a part of the Duchy of Warsaw. After the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, it was split between Prussia and the Russian Empire. The western 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 Congress Poland.

Kuyavia became part of the Second Polish Republic in 1918 after World War I. It was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1939 during World War II, but was restored to Poland in 1945. Since 1999 most of the area is included within the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.