Żarnowiec, Silesian Voivodeship
Żarnowiec | ||
---|---|---|
Village | ||
Country ![]() | ||
Voivodeship | Silesian | |
County | Zawiercie | |
Gmina | Żarnowiec | |
Population | 830 |
Żarnowiec [ʐarˈnɔvjɛt͡s] is a village in Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Żarnowiec.[1] It lies in historic Lesser Poland, approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Zawiercie and 67 km (42 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice. Even though the village now belongs to Silesian Voivodeship, it has never been part of Silesia. Until 1975, it was administratively tied with Lesser Poland's cities of Kraków and Kielce.
Location
Żarnowiec lies in northeastern corner of Silesian Voivodeship, on the Pilica River, among the hills of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. The distance to Zawiercie is 30 km, to Kraków 50 km, and to Katowice - 70 km. The village belongs to Lesser Poland.
History
The village was first mentioned in the Chronicle of Gallus Anonymus, who wrote that near Żarnowiec, Prince Władysław I Herman met with his sons Zbigniew of Poland and Bolesław III Wrymouth. Most probably this meeting took place in 1098. Originally, Żarnowiec was located in the area of today's village of Łany Wielkie. Some time between 1326 and 1340, the town was moved 3 kilometers north along the Pilica River, where it has remained. The previous location of Żarnowiec was in 1388 renamed as Old Żarnowiec. In 1388 the name was changed to Łany, and in 1529 to Łany Wielkie.
Żarnowiec was granted town rights by King
In the 14th century Żarnowiec emerged as a center of local administration. King
But, like most towns of Lesser Poland, Żarnowiec was destroyed by the Swedes in the Deluge (1655 - 1660) related to its invasion of the area. The town population was decimated by the war. The great fire of 1697 destroyed what was left after the wars. In 1756 there were 129 houses at Żarnowiec, of which 78 were empty. In 1775, Żarnowiec castle burned.
In 1795, the town was annexed by the Habsburg monarchy/Austrian Empire. The population did not start to grow until this period, due mostly to an increase in Jewish settlers from other parts of the empire. They made up more than 50% of town's population by the 1850s.
The American writer and diplomat
After 1815, Żarnowiec became part of the Russian-controlled
In 1925, the Jewish Community, including some residents from small nearby villages, consisted of a total of 1,780 people; some 118 families were chosen to pay the community fees. Other families were exempted because of poverty. Some Jews were emigrating to the United States, joining family who had gone before. About 1930 the Jewish community owned a brick synagogue in Warszawska Street, which had a rabbi's prayer room and
In 1930, the population of Żarnowiec alone was 2,127 people, including 920 Jews. Some emigrated to other countries or migrated to cities for work. By 1938 the Jewish population had declined to 574.
Points of interest
- Market square, established in the 14th century
- 14th-century Parish church
- Tadeusz Kościuszko Mound (1918)
- 19th-century bell tower, with a bell from 1551
- Monument dedicated to Joel Barlow, US Minister to France
References
- ^ "Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal)" (in Polish). 2008-06-01.
- ^ Sommers, William. "American Writers Who Were Diplomats: Joel Barlow". American Diplomacy. American Diplomacy Publishers.
- ^ a b "Żarnowiec", Virtual Shtetl, Museum of the History of Polish Jews
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Jewish Community in Żarnowiec, Virtual Shtetl