Trakai Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship , was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
from 1413 until 1795.
was established by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great
in 1413 according to the Union of Horodło. Vytautas copied Polish system of administrative division in order to centralize and strengthen the government. Trakai Voivodeship replaced the former Duchy of Trakai
, which was ruled directly by the Grand Duke or his close relative (brother or son). The Duke of Trakai was replaced by appointed officials – voivodes and his deputy castellan
.
The voivodeship was divided into four powiat
s: Hrodna
, Kaunas
, Trakai
(ruled directly by the voivode), and Upytė
. The biggest cities in the voivodeship were Kaunas
, Hrodna
and Trakai
.
The western portion of the voivodeship was split off in 1513 by Sigismund I the Old
and transferred to the Polish Crown
. It was organized as the Podlaskie Voivodeship
.
After the Union of Lublin
the voivodeship, together with whole Grand Duchy of Lithuania, became part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until the partitions of the Commonwealth
in 1795. Most of the territory became part of the Russian Empire
, while territories west of the Neman River
– part of the Province of East Prussia
.
for power and prestige. Voivodes were the ex officio members of the Lithuanian Council of Lords
. Voivodes had their residence in Trakai
city, near Galvė Lake, north of the Trakai Peninsula Castle
.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
from 1413 until 1795.
History
Trakai Voivodeship together with Vilnius VoivodeshipVilnius Voivodeship
The Vilnius Voivodeship was one of voivodeships in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, created in 1413, from the Duchy of Lithuania and neighbouring lands.- Geography and administrative division :...
was established by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
in 1413 according to the Union of Horodło. Vytautas copied Polish system of administrative division in order to centralize and strengthen the government. Trakai Voivodeship replaced the former Duchy of Trakai
Duchy of Trakai
Duchy of Trakai was a subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 14th and early 15th centuries. The Duke of Trakai was an important position held either by the Grand Duke of Lithuania himself or his second-in-command.-History:...
, which was ruled directly by the Grand Duke or his close relative (brother or son). The Duke of Trakai was replaced by appointed officials – voivodes and his deputy castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
.
The voivodeship was divided into four powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
s: Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
, Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
(ruled directly by the voivode), and Upytė
Upyte
Upytė is a small village in Panevėžys district municipality in northern Lithuania. It is situated some 12 km southwest of Panevėžys on the banks of Vešeta Creek. It is now the capital of an elderate. In 1987 it had 580 residents...
. The biggest cities in the voivodeship were Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
and Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
.
The western portion of the voivodeship was split off in 1513 by Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
and transferred to the Polish Crown
Crown of the Polish Kingdom
The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland , or simply the Crown , is the name for the unit of administrative division, the territories under direct administration of Polish nobility from middle-ages to late 18th century...
. It was organized as the Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship (1513–1795)
The Podlaskie Voivodeship was formed in 1513 by Sigismund I the Old as a voivodeship in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, from a split off part of the Trakai Voivodeship....
.
After the Union of Lublin
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...
the voivodeship, together with whole Grand Duchy of Lithuania, became part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until the partitions of the Commonwealth
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
in 1795. Most of the territory became part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, while territories west of the Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
– part of the Province of East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....
.
Voivodes
The Voivode of Trakai was one of the most important state offices in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They were appointed from prominent magnate families and competed only with voivode of Vilnius and Grand ChancellorsKanclerz
Kanclerz was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. A respective office also existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 16th...
for power and prestige. Voivodes were the ex officio members of the Lithuanian Council of Lords
Lithuanian Council of Lords
The Lithuanian Council of Lords was the main permanent institution of central government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania active in its capital city of Vilnius....
. Voivodes had their residence in Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
city, near Galvė Lake, north of the Trakai Peninsula Castle
Trakai Peninsula Castle
Trakai Peninsula Castle is one of the castles in Trakai, Lithuania. It is located on a peninsula between southern Lake Galvė and Lake Luka. Built around 1350–1377 by Kęstutis, Duke of Trakai, it was an important defensive structure protecting Trakai and Vilnius, capital of the Grand Duchy of...
.
List of voivodes
- Jonas GoštautasJonas GoštautasJonas Gostautas or Goštautas was a Lithuanian nobleman from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the Goštautai noble family, a politician and skillful land owner...
(1440) - Iwaszko Moniwidowicz (1443–1458)
- Radvila AstikasRadvila AstikasRadvila Astikas was a Lithuanian magnate, a member of the Astikai family of Vilnius. He was one of the most influential people in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was a member of the Lithuanian Council of Lords and was even credited as a pretender to its throne instead of Casimir Jagiellon.He was...
(1466–1477) - Martynas Goštautas (1480–1483)
- Jan ZabrzezińskiJan ZabrzezińskiJan Jurjewicz Zabrzeziński or Zaberezhsky was a noble of Leliwa coat of arms from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who achieved height of his influence during the reign of Alexander Jagiellon...
(1498–1505) - Albrecht GoštautasAlbrecht GoštautasAlbertas Goštautas, , ) was a Lithuanian noble of the Goštautai family from ethnic Lithuanian lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Voivode of Navahrudak since 1508, Voivode of Polotsk since 1514, Voivode of Trakai since 1519 and Voivode of Vilnius since 1522. In 1522 he became Grand Chancellor...
(1519–1522) - Konstanty OstrogskiKonstanty OstrogskiKonstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski was a Lithuanian duke of slavonic origin and a Grand Hetman of Lithuania since September 11, 1497, until his death. As a speaker of the Ruthenian language he is considered to be one of the precursors of the Belarusian language and a national hero in Belarus.He...
(1522–1530) - Stanislovas GoštautasStanislovas GoštautasStanislovas Goštautas was a notable member of the Lithuanian nobility and a high-ranking member of the Lithuanian administration...
(1542) - Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł (1590–1604)
- Janusz Skumin TyszkiewiczJanusz Skumin TyszkiewiczJanusz Skumin Tyszkiewicz was a noble of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a politician, a sponsor of Baroque music and a writer...
(1626–1640) - Piotr PacPiotr PacPiotr Pac was a Polish-Lithuanian noble, Lithuanian Court Chorąży from 1613, Lithuanian Court Treasurer from 1635, Voivode of Trakai ....
(X 1640–VII 1642) - Mikołaj Abramowicz (1647–1651?)
- Marcjan Ogiński (since 1670)
- Tadeusz Franciszek OgińskiTadeusz Franciszek OginskiPrince Tadeusz Franciszek Andrzej Ogiński was a szlachcic from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.He was Grand Clerk of Lithuania since 1737, castellan of Trakai since 1744, voivode of Trakai since 1770, starost oszmiański, wierzbowski and przewalski....
(1770–1783) - Józef Mikołaj Radziwiłł (since 1788)