What and where is Galicia? – A definition

Good! – You don’t confuse the Polish/ Ukrainian territory Galicia with the Spanish province located in northern Spain? Then it seems that you are on the right track.

The “Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria” including the Grand Duchy of Krakow and the Duchies Auschwitz and Zator was located north of the Carpathian Mountains, between the 20th and 26th degree eastern longitude and the 48th and 50th degree northern latitude. Its geographical position was closely linked to European historical development in the middle of the 18th century. Galicia stretched over more than 500 km (approx. 320 mi) along the northeast slopes of the Beskids and Carpathians Mountains. It was bordered to the South by the Carpathians against Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine and in the West the border towns of Bielitz (Bielsko-Biala) and Myslowitz (Mysolowice) abutted Prussian Silesia and Austria. In the East the Zbrucz River formed a natural border with Russia (Volhynia). North of Galicia, ranging from West to East, are the Holy Cross Mountains and the Lublin area (i.e. Congress Poland, later on governed by Russia).

Galicia was the easternmost crown land of the Habsburg monarchy as well as the largest. Its capital was "Lemberg" (L’viv).

After World War I the name “Galicia” disappeared from the maps. In 1918 West Galicia became part of Poland, followed by East Galicia in 1921 although the latter addition lasted only until the end of World War II. Poland named this territory collectively “Little Poland” (Malopolska). It was administered through 4 voivodeship (Krakow, L’viv, Stanislau and Tarnopol). Today, the east part of former Galicia up to the so called “Curzon-line” is part of the Ukraine, while the western part belongs to Poland.

 

Historical issues about Galicia,  how Galicia was formed

The Galician Myth  (in German only)

A Galician sphinx or still a daw only?  (in German only)

 

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Coat of arms of the kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria

The 3

 crowns

represent


Galicia,

Lodomeria

and

Bukovina

The name "Galicia" was derived from the original Slavic denomination "Halych" respect. "Galych". The Name Galych incorporates the radical of the slavic word for daw, which is "Galka". This explains the daw in the coat of arms. Galicia means "land of the daws". 

Lodomeria is the latinised version of the name of the former princedom "Vladimir" in Volhynia. "Vladimir" means  "Rule the World".