Biłgoraj
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Biłgoraj
Etymology
The name of the town probably comes from a hill called Biely Goraj, on which Biłgoraj was founded in the 16th century.[5]
Geography
Biłgoraj lies in northern part of
History
From the 16th century until 1918
The area of current Biłgoraj was covered by dense forests and swamps, where establishment of human settlements was difficult. In the first half of the 16th century, local noble family of Gorajski built first settlements in this sparsely populated corner of Lesser Poland. At that time, the villages of Gromada, Dąbrowica and Olendrów were founded.
The town of Biłgoraj was officially established in 1570 by Adam Gorajski, and incorporated by King
Biłgoraj was an important center of the
In 1806 following the
1918 to 1939
In 1918 Biłgoraj returned to newly created Second Polish Republic. Its population in 1921 reached 5,600. In 1928, electrification reached the town, but Biłgoraj nevertheless remained poor and underdeveloped, where most houses were constructed of wood. Historically, the town was a center of a large Jewish community, whose population in 1931 reached 4,596.[7]
WWII and The Holocaust
On September 11, 1939, a unit of German-minority
During the German occupation, Biłgoraj was an important center of the resistance. Local units of the
There was also Jewish partisan resistance in the Bilgoraj area. On August 17 and August 26, 1943, two other clashes are recorded: one in the village of Podgranicznik, 30 km. northwest of Krasnystaw, in which two Jews were killed; and another in the village of Poreba, 26 km. east of Bilgoraj, between a large partisan unit and the Nazi German Truppenzpolizei.[8]
Six transports to
Most of Biłgoraj's Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.[10] Only around 50 Jews survived the war. The Germans left Biłgoraj on July 24, 1944. During the war, 80% of the town was destroyed, and it lost 50% of its population.
Post-war
After 1945 Biłgoraj was rebuilt, becoming by 1975 a regional industrial center. The town was a part of the Lublin Voivodeship from 1945 to 1975, Zamość Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998, and once again in Lublin Voivodeship since 1999.
Districts
Biłgoraj is divided into twelve districts:
- I. Śródmieście
- 1. Dist. Przemysłowa
- II. Nadstawna
- III. Roztocze
- 2. Dist. Łąkowa I
- 3. Dist. Łąkowa II
- IV. Bojary
- 4. Dist. Bojary
- V. Rapy
- VI. Sitarska - Kępy
- 5. Dist. Sitarska I
- 6. Dist. Sitarska II
- 7. Dist. Sportowa
- 8. Dist. Kępy
- VII. Ogrody
- VIII. Piaski
- 9. Dist. Prusa
- 10. Dist. Leśnik
- IX. Puszcza Solska
- 11. Dist. Sienkiewicza
- 12. Dist. Krzeszowska
- 13. Dist. Południe
- X. Rożnówka
- 14. Dist. Wioska Dziecięca
- XI. Bagienna
- 15. Dist. Bagienna
- XII. Batorego
Historic places and buildings
- Stanisław Nowakowski's Park – an old park in the town affectionately nicknamed Małpi Gaj (English: Monkey Marsh). It is a last relic of a Nowakowski's palace. The park was designed as a garden in the 17th century. The original gate to the town still stands there. The old garden keeper's cottage also survives to this day. The same cannot be said about the small villa which stood deep in the park, but now has been completely vandalised.
- Polish Baroque Church of the Assumption of Maryfrom the early 17th century. The building is located on Trzeciego Maja Street, next to Plac Wolności (Market Square).
- Church of the St. George on Tadeusz Kościuszko Street, not very large building from the 19th century, former Eastern Orthodox church.
- Mary Magdalene church in Puszcza Solska district. Built in the beginning of the 1920s, surrounded by monumental objects of franciscan monastery, small bell tower and Mary Magdalene Chapel (all from the 17th century).
- Zagroda Sitarska museum – open-air museum on Nadstawna Street, built in the beginning of the 19th century. The main building is wooden home, with exhibition of traditional making sieves industry. All objects of museum are surrounded by neighbouring multi-family buildings.
Transport
Biłgoraj is located away from main Polish roads. It is a junction of two
Industry
In Biłgoraj are located a headquarter and main factories of Black Red White, leading furniture manufacturer in Poland. The town is also known as a center of wine industry (Ambra company bottling plants are located in village Wola Duża, 4 kilometres (2 miles) east of the city), knitting (mainly thanks to Mewa factory) and production of cardboard packaging, wooden doors and windows.
Local folklore
Biłgoraj is an important center of local folklore, with highly developed folk art, regional clothes and customs. This is due to the town's location, among forests, where communication with other communities was limited. There are several “Biłgoraj-style” houses, and in the area numerous wayside shrines can be found. Biłgoraj's folklore was used by Grzegorz Ciechowski in his songs written as Grzegorz z Ciechowa. Until the 19th century, famous green Biłgoraj beer was produced in the town. Furthermore, for centuries Biłgoraj was a major national center of sieve makers. The town has a Regional Museum and an Open-air museum Zagroda Sitarska. Due to its proximity to Roztocze National Park, it is visited by a number of tourists. It also has a Baroque church of Holy Trinity (17th century) and 12 different monuments.
International relations
Twin towns - sister cities
Biłgoraj is
- Afula in Israel
- Bílina in Czech Republic
- Crailsheim in Germany
- Kelmė in Lithuania
- Stropkov in Slovakia
- Novovolynsk in Ukraine
Former twin towns:
- Kruhlaye in Belarus
Cooperation with Kruhlaye was ended due to Belarusian involvement in the
Notable residents
- Shmuel Atzmon-Wircer (born 1929), creator of Yiddishpiel Theatre in Israel
- Konrad Bartoszewski (1914–1987), writer, commander of a partisan unit during World War II
- Isaac Bashevis Singer (1903–1991), Jewish-American novelist and Nobel Prize winner who lived in Biłgoraj as a child. Biłgoraj and the surrounding villages are featured in many of his stories and novels
- Israel Joshua Singer (1893–1944), Polish-Jewish novelist and brother of Isaac Bashevis Singer
- 3000 meters steeplechaseworld record holder
- Shmuel Ben-Artzi (1914–2011), Israeli writer, poet and educator, and the father in-law of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- Michał Chodara (born 1986), handball player
- Edward Drescher (1912–1977), physician, surgeon
- Joanna Kaczor (born 1984), volleyball player
- Marzena Karpińska (born 1988), weightlifter
- Harry Keitel, father of actor Harvey Keitel
- Stefan Knapp (1921–1996), painter
- Janusz Palikot (born 1964), politician and businessman
- Mordechai Rokeach (1902–1949), known as Mordechai of Bilgoray, Rav of Biłgoraj before World War II
- Maria Śliwka (1935–1997), volleyball player
- Roman Tokarczyk (born 1942), lawyer, philosopher
- Kazimierz Węgrzyn (born 1967), footballer
See also
- Biłgoraj pierogi - regional dish from Biłgoraj
References
- ^ "Burmistrz Miasta". bilgoraj.pl (in Polish). Miasto Biłgoraj. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Local Data Bank". bdl.stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Category K1, group G441, subgroup P1410. Data for territorial unit 0602011.
- ^ a b "Local Data Bank". bdl.stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Category K3, group G7, subgroup P1336. Data for territorial unit 0602011.
- ^ "Local Data Bank". bdl.stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Category K3, group G7, subgroup P2425. Data for territorial unit 0602011.
- ^ a b c "Local history". Biłgoraj. Virtual Shtetl. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Dzieje Biłgoraja (History of Biłgoraj). Ustrój i gospodarka finansowa". Strona miasta. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
- ^ JewishGen.org
- ^ "Jewish Revolts and Uprisings in the Lublin District". chelm.freeyellow.com. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
- ^ "Bilgoraj". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
- ^ "Bilgoraj, Poland (Pages 321–348)". www.jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
External links
- Official website (in Polish)
- Jewish community of Biłgoraj on Virtual Shtetl
- Biłgoraj at JewishGen
- Biłgoraj at Jewish Virtual Library