!!!Galizien

Galicia (Poland): Until 1918 the region north of the Carpathian 
Mountains was a crown land of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. G. was 
the largest province of the western half of the Empire, with an area 
of 78,492 km%%sup 2/% and a population of 7.3 millions 
(1910; 54.75 % Polish; 42.2 % Ruthenians; 2.91 % 
Germans). Main livelihoods: agriculture and forestry; salt mining and 
petroleum extraction were also important.

\\
When Poland was first partitioned in 1772, the region was annexed by 
Austria and made a distinct political unit ("Kingdom of Galicia and 
Lodomeria"). The Austrian administration organised and promoted the 
settling of many German-speaking people, which resulted in 
modernisation of the region: foundation of Lemberg University (now 
Lvív), 1784; primary schools, religious tolerance. After the 
3%%sup rd/%  partition of Poland, G. saw a great expansion 1795-1809; 
in 1846 the Republic of Cracow was added. After 1867 the Polish living 
in the western half of the Empire gained significant influence and 
were granted autonomy at the expense of the Ukrainians. Large parts of 
the Jewish population (11 % of the total population) started to 
emigrate to Vienna. Numerous units of the Imperial Army were 
permanently stationed in G. (1900: 70,800 people engaged in military 
service). During World War I G. was an important theatre of 
operations; in 1914 large portions of the region were conquered by the 
Russian Army, but came under Austrian rule again in 1915. In 1918 G. 
was ceded to the new Polish State.

!Literature
K. H. Mack (ed.), Galizien um die Jahrhundertwende, 
1990.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Galizien|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]