Autonomists of Galicia – Polish politicians in Galicia campaigning for the region’s autonomy in the years 1860–1873 and demanding the transformation of Austria into a federal state. The foundation of the dualist monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867 aroused strong opposition in other countries. Most Galician autonomists (A. Gołuchowski, F. Ziemiałkowski, K. Grocholski) supported the dual character of the monarchy, while the liberal-bourgeois faction (F. Smolka) continued to opt for federation. The 1868 “resolution” adopted by the National Sejm demanded for Galicia to be granted a status similar to that of Hungary. While the resolution was not accepted in Vienna, the central government did expand the scope of the Galician autonomy.
The entry was written on the basis of source materials of the PWN printing house.