Galicia was a region in eastern Europe that extended about 600 km across what today is eastern Poland and western Ukraine north of the Carpathian Mountains. In 1772 the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria was established as part of the Hapsburg Monarchy. In 1804 it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in 1867 part of the Austrian half of the dual monarchy of Austria and Hungary.
Ethnically western Galicia was primarily Polish and eastern Galicia primarily Ukrainian but the land was predominantly owned by Polish aristocracy. Following the end of the first world war Galicia was partitioned with the western and eastern halves of Galicia becoming part of Poland and Ukraine respectively. Lviv, which today is a major city in western Ukraine, was the capital of Galicia.
The Kondratiuk family and Martin Bobowsky both came to Canada from Galicia at the beginning of the 20th century when it was still part of Austria. The Kondratiuk family came from the region of Sokal about 85 km north of Lviv close to what today is the border with Poland. Martin Bobowsky came from the region of Ternopil about 125 km south east of Lviv. Bobowsky is a Polish name and Martin was the son of a Polish landowner.