Translation Biłgoraj i okolice w latach 1918-1939

BIŁGORAJ AND THE SURROUNDING AREA IN 1918-1939

When Poland regained its independence, Lublin voivodship was established in 1919 with Biłgoraj as one of its nineteen counties. In 1923, its original territory was modified and so Frampol and Goraj boroughs were incorporated, whereas Majdan Sopocki borough became part of Tomaszów county. Biłgoraj administrative unit comprised 15 boroughs and one town, which gave 315 localities altogether. In 1931, over 116 000 people occupied 1720 square kilometres.

Interwar period abounded in infrastructure investments: county hospital, town power plant, and 108 schools were built. They included private co-educational grammar school and agricultural school for girls in Teodorówka. Educational organisation called Polska Macierz Szkolna was quite active in the region. Fire brigade units were established in different boroughs of the county. Moreover, political parties played significant part in the public life at that time. One of them was the Radical Peasant Party with Jan Dziduch, MP as its head. Others included the Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government, Polish Socialist Party, Communist Party of Poland and a number of Jewish and Polish societies, trade unions and co-ops.

Majority of people inhabited villages and settlements such as Krzeszów, Józefów and Tarnogród, constituting 93% of the people living in Biłgoraj county. Most of the inhabitants dealt with farming.