Gromada
Encyclopedia
Gromada g is a Polish
word meaning "gathering", "group", or "assembly". In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, the term referred to a village
organization which embraced all the inhabitants of a village and acted as a local authority, as well as overseeing tax
payments. In this sense the gromada developed between the 16th and 18th centuries, and continued to function in Congress Poland
. Their chiefs took the title of sołtys and were elected by the local population.
The gromada continued to function in interwar Poland, as a subdivision of a gmina
.
In communist Poland between 1954 and 1972, gromadas consitituted the lowest tier of local government, taking over the role previously played by gminas. A gromada would generally consist of several villages, but they were smaller units than the gminas had been. In 1973 gminas were reintroduced and gromadas abolished. At present the smallest unit of local government in rural Poland (subordinate to the gmina) is the sołectwo.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
word meaning "gathering", "group", or "assembly". In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
, the term referred to a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
organization which embraced all the inhabitants of a village and acted as a local authority, as well as overseeing tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
payments. In this sense the gromada developed between the 16th and 18th centuries, and continued to function in Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
. Their chiefs took the title of sołtys and were elected by the local population.
The gromada continued to function in interwar Poland, as a subdivision of a gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
.
In communist Poland between 1954 and 1972, gromadas consitituted the lowest tier of local government, taking over the role previously played by gminas. A gromada would generally consist of several villages, but they were smaller units than the gminas had been. In 1973 gminas were reintroduced and gromadas abolished. At present the smallest unit of local government in rural Poland (subordinate to the gmina) is the sołectwo.