The Silesian Voivodeship between German, Austrian and Polish Law - An analysis of a ‘legal interspace’
The reorganisation of Europe after the First World War – with the re-establishment or formation of states on the former territory of the empires Austria-Hungary, Prussia and Russia – confronted the young republics with challenging difficulties of legal particularism. From a legal point of view, the resurrected Poland in particular disintegrated into several legal systems and was only able to fully unify some areas of law in the short interwar period. Within the Second Polish Republic, the Silesian Voivodeship held a special position. It was the only autonomous voivodeship in the polish state. The constitutional act of 15th July 1920 (Dziennik Ustaw Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej No. 73, poz. 497) granted autonomy to the Silesian Voivodeship, it provided for the establishment of a separate legislative body (Silesian Sejm) for the Silesian Voivodeship. Consequently, depending on the subject matter, the legislative competences belonged either to the regular polish Parliament