Commemoration of marshal Józef Piłsudski in the Tarnopol voivodeship (1935–1938)

<jats:p>The purpose of the article is to present the results of a study on the history of commemorating Marshal Józef Piłsudski in the Tarnopol Voivodeship in 1935–1938. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity, and objectivity; the study employs historical-genetic, historical-typological, and historical-systemic methods, as well as methods of source criticism and historiographical analysis. The scientific novelty of the research lies in examining commemorative activities dedicated to Marshal J. Piłsudski in the Tarnopol Voivodeship during the interwar period. The article analyzes the institutional and organizational aspects of the activities of the Voivodeship Committee for the Commemoration of Marshal Piłsudski in Tarnopol. Archival documents from 1935–1938 from Collection No. 192, «Tarnopol Voivodeship Committee for the Commemoration of Piłsudski», preserved in the State Archive of Ternopil Region, are introduced into scholarly circulation. Conclusions. Between 1935 and 1938, commemorative events dedicated to J. Piłsudski took place in the Tarnopol Voivodeship. The Polish authorities of the region, headed by the Tarnopol Voivode and the Mayor of the city of Tarnopol, established a Public Council and the Voivodeship Committee for the Commemoration of Marshal Piłsudski, which included representatives of civil and military administrations, local public and professional organizations, educational institutions, and others. In their activities, these bodies were subordinated to the Supreme Committee in Warsaw, established in 1935 following the death of the head of the Polish state. Various initiatives of the Polish authorities were aimed at affirming the decisive role of Marshal J. Piłsudski in the history of state-building of the Second Polish Republic. Based on archival documents, the article examines the content and directions of the activities of the Voivodeship Committee for the Commemoration of Marshal Piłsudski in the territory of the Tarnopol Voivodeship and summarizes its contribution to the creation of memorial sites honoring J. Piłsudski. Keywords: commemoration, Second Polish Republic, committee, memory, Tarnopol Voivodeship, Tarnopol Voivodeship Administration, Józef Piłsudski.</jats:p>