Przemyśl

Coordinates: 49°47′N 22°46′E / 49.783°N 22.767°E / 49.783; 22.767
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Przemysl
)
Przemyśl
Przemyśl Cathedral
with the city in the background
Car plates
RP
Websitewww.przemysl.pl
Map

Przemyśl (Polish:

Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship
.

Przemyśl owes its long and rich history to the advantages of its geographic location. The city lies in an area connecting mountains and lowlands known as the Przemyśl Gate (Brama Przemyska), with open lines of transport, and fertile soil. It also lies on the navigable

San River. Important trade routes that connect Central Europe from Przemyśl ensure the city's importance. The Old Town of Przemyśl is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland.[2]

Names

Different names in various languages have identified the city throughout its history. Selected languages include:

Yiddish
: פּשעמישל (Pshemishl).

History

Origins

tserkva
built in the 12th century.

Przemyśl is the second-oldest city (after Kraków) in southeastern Poland, dating back to the 8th century.[4] It was the site of a fortified gord belonging to the Ledzianie (Lendians),[5] a West Slavic tribe. In the 9th century, the fortified settlement and the surrounding region became part of Great Moravia. Most likely, the city's name dates back to the Moravian period.[citation needed] Also, archeological remains testify to the presence of a Christian monastic settlement as early as the 9th century.[citation needed]

Upon the invasion of the

Kievan Rus and Hungary beginning in at least the 9th century, with Przemyśl along with other Cherven Grods, falling under the control of the Polans (Polanie), who would in the 10th century under the rule of Mieszko I
establish the Polish state. When Mieszko I annexed the tribal area of Lendians in 970–980, Przemyśl became an important local centre on the eastern frontier of
Piast's realm.[6][7]

The city was mentioned by

Bolesław II the Generous retook the town and temporarily made it his residence. In 1085, the town became the capital of a semi-independence Principality of Peremyshl under the lordship of Kievan Rus'
.

The

Orthodox eparchy was founded in the city.[11]
Przemyśl later became part of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, from 1246 under Mongol suzerainty.

Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Przemyśl Castle built by king Casimir III the Great of Poland in 1340

In 1340, Przemyśl was retaken by the king

Jesuit college was founded in the city in 1617.[11]

Early 17th century graphic depicting Przemyśl during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth era.

The prosperity came to an end in the middle of the 17th century, caused by the invading Swedish army during the Deluge, and a general decline of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The city decline lasted for over a hundred years, and only at the end of the 18th century did it recover its former levels of population. In 1754, the Latin Catholic bishop founded Przemyśl's first public library, which was only the second public library in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with Warsaw's Załuski Library founded 7 years earlier. Przemyśl's importance at that time was such that when Austria annexed eastern Galicia in 1772 the Austrians considered making Przemyśl their provincial capital, before deciding on Lwów.[11] In the mid-18th century, Jews constituted 55.6% (1,692) of the population, Latin Catholic Poles 39.5% (1,202), and Greek Catholic Ruthenians 4.8% (147).[12]

Part of Austrian Poland

In 1772, as a consequence of the

Latin Catholic, 2,298 Jews and 1,508 were members of the Greek Catholic Church, a significantly larger number of Ruthenians than in most Galician cities.[11] In 1804, a Ruthenian library was established in Przemyśl. By 1822, its collection had over 33,000 books and its importance for Ruthenians was comparable to that held by the Ossolineum library in Lwów for Poles. Przemyśl also became the centre of the revival of Byzantine choral music in the Greek Catholic Church. Until eclipsed by Lviv in the 1830s, Przemyśl was the most important city in the Ruthenian cultural awakening in the nineteenth century.[11]
As the majority of Przemyśl's inhabitants were Poles, the city also became a centre for the development of Polish culture and science, and Polish independence organisations also operated in Przemyśl. The greatest heyday of Polishness in Przemyśl dates back to 1860-1918, due to the granting of autonomy to Galicia.

Crowds outside the Old Synagogue in Przemyśl

In 1861, the Galician Railway of Archduke Charles Louis built a connecting line from Przemyśl to Kraków, and east to Lwów. In the middle of the 19th century, due to the growing conflict between Austria and Russia over the Balkans, Austria grew more mindful of Przemyśl's strategic location near the border with the Russian Empire. During the Crimean War, when tensions mounted between Russia and Austria, a series of massive fortresses, 15 km (9 mi) in circumference, were built around the city by the Austrian military.

In 1909, the Polish "Museum of the Przemyśl Land" was established in Przemyśl. It was an extremely important facility for the Polish population.

The census of 1910, showed that the city had 54,078 residents. Latin Catholics were the most numerous 25,306 (46.8%), followed by Jews 16,062 (29.7%) and Greek Catholics 12,018 (22.2%). 87% of the city's inhabitants spoke Polish. All Poles spoke Polish, and most Jews were bilingual and communicated in Yiddish and Polish, but owing to the inability to declare Yiddish, almost all Jews declared the Polish language.[13]

World War I (Przemyśl Fortress)

With technological progress in

fortress, the third-largest in Europe out of about 200 that were built in this period. Around the city, in a circle of circumference 45 km (28 mi), 44 forts of various sizes were built. The older fortifications were modernised to provide the fortress with an internal defence ring. The fortress was designed to accommodate 85,000 soldiers and 956 cannons of all sorts, although eventually 120,000 soldiers were garrisoned there.[14]

In August 1914, at the beginning of the

Galicia. The Przemyśl fortress fulfilled its mission very effectively, helping to stop a 300,000-strong Russian army advancing upon the Carpathian Passes and Kraków, the Lesser Poland regional capital. The first siege was lifted by a temporary Austro-Hungarian advance. However, the Russian army resumed its advance and initiated a second siege of the fortress of Przemyśl in October 1914. This time relief attempts were unsuccessful. Due to lack of food and exhaustion of its defenders, the fortress surrendered on 22 March 1915. The Russians captured 126,000 prisoners and 700 big guns. Before the surrender, the complete destruction of all fortifications was carried out. The Russians did not linger in Przemyśl. A renewed offensive by the Central Powers recaptured the destroyed fortress on 3 June 1915. During the fighting around Przemyśl, both sides lost up to 115,000 killed, wounded, and missing.[14]

Second Polish Republic

Population of Przemyśl, 1931

Latin Catholics (Poles) 39 430 (63,3%)
Jews 18 376 (29,5%)
Greek Catholics (Ukrainians) 4 391 (7,0%)
Other denominations 85 (0,2%)
Total 62 272
Source: 1931 Polish census
Monument to the Przemyśl Eaglets first erected in 1938

At the end of World War I, Przemyśl became disputed between renascent Poland and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. On 1 November 1918, a local provisional government was formed with representatives of Polish, Jewish, and Ruthenian inhabitants of the area. However, on 3 November, a Ukrainian military unit overthrew the government, arrested its leader and captured the eastern part of the city. The Ukrainian army was checked by a small Polish self-defence unit formed of World War I veterans. Also, numerous young Polish volunteers from Przemyśl's high schools, later to be known as Przemyśl Orlęta, The Eaglets of Przemyśl (in a similar manner to more famous Lwów Eaglets), joined the host. The battlefront divided the city along the river San, with the western borough of Zasanie held in Polish hands and the Old Town controlled by the Ukrainians. Neither Poles nor Ukrainians could effectively cross the San river, so both opposing parties decided to wait for a relief force from the outside. That race was won by the Polish reinforcements and the volunteer expeditionary unit formed in Kraków arrived in Przemyśl on 10 November 1918. When the subsequent Polish ultimatum to the Ukrainians remained unanswered, on 11–12 November the Polish forces crossed the San and forced out the outnumbered Ukrainians from the city in what became known as the 1918 Battle of Przemyśl.

After the end of the

Polish Army
— a staff unit charged with organizing the defence of roughly 10% of the territory of pre-war Poland. As of 1931, Przemyśl had a population of 62,272 and was the biggest city in southeatern Poland between Kraków and Lwów.

World War II

On 11–14 September 1939, during the

San River into the portion of Poland that was occupied by the Soviet Union.[16]

The border between the two invaders ran through the middle of the city along the San River until June 1941.

The town's population increased due to a large influx of Jewish refugees from the

Nazi ghetto was established for all Jewish inhabitants of Przemyśl and its vicinity – some 22,000 people altogether. Local Jews were given 24 hours to enter the ghetto. Jewish communal buildings, including the Tempel Synagogue and the Old Synagogue were destroyed; the New Synagogue, Zasanie Synagogue, and all commercial and residential real estate belonging to Jews were expropriated.[24]

The ghetto in Przemyśl was sealed off from the outside on 14 July 1942. By that time, there may have been as many as 24,000 Jews in the ghetto. On 27 July the

Polish rescuers there, were the Banasiewicz, Kurpiel,[27] Kuszek, Lewandowski, and Podgórski families.[citation needed
]

The Red Army retook the town from German forces on 27 July 1944. On 16 August 1945, a border agreement between the government of the Soviet Union and the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, installed by the Soviets, was signed in Moscow. According to the so-called Curzon Line, the postwar eastern border of Poland was established several kilometres to the east of Przemyśl.

Post-war communism to present

Aerial view of the Przemyśl Cathedral in 2012

In the postwar period, the border ran only 15 kilometres to the east of the city, cutting it off from much of its economic hinterland. Due to the killing of Jews in the

Holocaust and the postwar expulsion of Ukrainians (in the Operation Vistula or akcja Wisła), the city's population fell to 36,000,[citation needed] almost entirely Polish. However, the city welcomed thousands of Polish migrants from Kresy
(Eastern Borderlands) who were expelled by the Soviets — their numbers restored the population of the city to its prewar level. On 11 July 2022,

Climate

The climate is warm-summer humid continental (Köppen: Dfb). Despite its location in southeastern Poland, its winters may be colder than at higher latitudes, especially in the north-west of the country due to continentality.[29]

Climate data for Przemyśl (1971–2000 normals, extremes 1954–2001)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9)
18.5
(65.3)
24.0
(75.2)
29.4
(84.9)
31.5
(88.7)
33.2
(91.8)
34.0
(93.2)
33.8
(92.8)
30.7
(87.3)
27.0
(80.6)
21.8
(71.2)
17.9
(64.2)
34.0
(93.2)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 8.7
(47.7)
10.1
(50.2)
17.1
(62.8)
21.9
(71.4)
26.0
(78.8)
28.3
(82.9)
29.6
(85.3)
29.5
(85.1)
25.9
(78.6)
21.8
(71.2)
14.8
(58.6)
9.7
(49.5)
30.5
(86.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.3
(32.5)
1.8
(35.2)
6.8
(44.2)
12.9
(55.2)
18.6
(65.5)
21.3
(70.3)
22.9
(73.2)
22.6
(72.7)
18.1
(64.6)
12.5
(54.5)
5.6
(42.1)
1.7
(35.1)
12.1
(53.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −2.5
(27.5)
−1.4
(29.5)
2.7
(36.9)
8.1
(46.6)
13.5
(56.3)
16.3
(61.3)
18.0
(64.4)
17.4
(63.3)
13.3
(55.9)
8.3
(46.9)
2.6
(36.7)
−0.8
(30.6)
7.9
(46.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −5.1
(22.8)
−4.0
(24.8)
−0.7
(30.7)
3.8
(38.8)
8.5
(47.3)
11.6
(52.9)
13.3
(55.9)
12.6
(54.7)
9.4
(48.9)
4.9
(40.8)
0.1
(32.2)
−3.2
(26.2)
4.2
(39.6)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −15.6
(3.9)
−13.2
(8.2)
−8.4
(16.9)
−2.3
(27.9)
1.7
(35.1)
6.2
(43.2)
8.9
(48.0)
7.1
(44.8)
2.7
(36.9)
−2.6
(27.3)
−7.6
(18.3)
−14.3
(6.3)
−19.0
(−2.2)
Record low °C (°F) −30.0
(−22.0)
−30.4
(−22.7)
−26.1
(−15.0)
−5.7
(21.7)
−2.4
(27.7)
1.4
(34.5)
5.0
(41.0)
2.3
(36.1)
−3.2
(26.2)
−6.9
(19.6)
−21.0
(−5.8)
−25.6
(−14.1)
−30.4
(−22.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 26.8
(1.06)
27.6
(1.09)
31.3
(1.23)
51.9
(2.04)
75.6
(2.98)
88.8
(3.50)
94.9
(3.74)
68.9
(2.71)
68.3
(2.69)
50.9
(2.00)
38.3
(1.51)
38.9
(1.53)
658.8
(25.94)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 14.9 14.0 14.2 13.3 14.2 15.2 13.8 12.3 12.6 13.7 15.0 17.0 170.1
Average
relative humidity
(%)
82.3 82.3 77.0 72.8 75.3 76.5 76.6 78.1 80.2 81.4 83.1 84.4 79.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 49.2 64.8 107.9 143.7 210.5 214.7 233.2 220.6 138.5 96.0 51.3 36.4 1,558.6
Source: Meteomodel.pl (humidity 1961-1990)[30]
Climate data for Przemyśl (Podwinie), elevation: 279 m or 915 ft, 1961–1990 normals and extremes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.6
(56.5)
18.5
(65.3)
24.0
(75.2)
29.4
(84.9)
30.2
(86.4)
33.2
(91.8)
33.2
(91.8)
33.5
(92.3)
30.0
(86.0)
27.0
(80.6)
21.8
(71.2)
17.9
(64.2)
33.5
(92.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −0.6
(30.9)
1.2
(34.2)
6.3
(43.3)
13.1
(55.6)
18.5
(65.3)
21.2
(70.2)
22.7
(72.9)
22.4
(72.3)
18.5
(65.3)
13.2
(55.8)
6.4
(43.5)
1.5
(34.7)
12.0
(53.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.5
(25.7)
−2.0
(28.4)
2.2
(36.0)
8.1
(46.6)
13.3
(55.9)
16.3
(61.3)
17.6
(63.7)
17.0
(62.6)
13.5
(56.3)
8.7
(47.7)
3.5
(38.3)
−1.0
(30.2)
7.8
(46.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6.4
(20.5)
−4.8
(23.4)
−1.1
(30.0)
3.7
(38.7)
8.3
(46.9)
11.4
(52.5)
13.0
(55.4)
12.4
(54.3)
9.4
(48.9)
5.0
(41.0)
0.8
(33.4)
−3.5
(25.7)
4.0
(39.2)
Record low °C (°F) −30.0
(−22.0)
−30.4
(−22.7)
−26.1
(−15.0)
−5.7
(21.7)
−2.4
(27.7)
1.4
(34.5)
5.0
(41.0)
2.3
(36.1)
−3.2
(26.2)
−6.8
(19.8)
−21.0
(−5.8)
−25.5
(−13.9)
−30.4
(−22.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 29
(1.1)
29
(1.1)
34
(1.3)
48
(1.9)
76
(3.0)
97
(3.8)
100
(3.9)
77
(3.0)
55
(2.2)
42
(1.7)
40
(1.6)
40
(1.6)
667
(26.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.2 6.8 7.1 8.2 10.7 11.2 11.2 9.4 8.1 7.1 8.3 8.4 103.7
Source: NOAA[31]

Transport

Brama Przemyska Bridge

The main Przemyśl railway station is called Przemyśl Główny, and is located in the city center. About 40 trains depart every day, including trains to many cities in Poland, as well as in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

The main road connection to the rest of Poland is provided by the A4 motorway that passes about 15 km north of the city center.

The closest international airport is Rzeszów–Jasionka, about 90 km away by road.

Main sights

Due to the long and rich history of the city, there are many sights in and around Przemyśl, of special interest to tourists, including the Old Town, which is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland,[2] with the Rynek, the main market square.

Among the historic buildings and museums, opened to visitors, are:

  • Old Town Market Square
  • The Great Przemyśl Cathedral
  • Muzeum Diecezjalne (the diocesan museum)
  • Casimir III the Great
    in the 14th century
  • Carmelite Church
    , 17th century late-Renaissance church
  • Ukrainian Greek Catholic
    cathedral
  • Reformed Franciscan church and monastery, founded in 1627
  • Franciscan Church, from mid-18th-century in a baroque style
  • Lubomirski Palace, an eclectic style palace of the
    Lubomirski family
    constructed in 1885
  • Przemyśl Główny train station built in 1895
  • Zasanie Synagogue
  • New Synagogue (Przemyśl), built in 1918
  • Salesians Church, built 1912-23 in
    Gothic Revival
    style
  • Muzeum Narodowe (the National Museum), contains a collection of icons, second only to the one in Sanok in size
  • Muzeum Dzwonów i Fajek (the Museum of Bells and Pipes)
  • Kopiec Tatarski, a mound to the south of the city where a 16th-century
    Tatar khan was supposedly buried. The Tatarska Góra TV tower
    is built on the mound.
  • Przemyśl Fortress
  • World War I cemeteries (Cmentarz Wojskowy)
  • Civil Defense Shelter – Schron Kierowania Obroną Cywilną[32]
  • Railway bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel[33]

Education

  • Wyższa Szkoła Administracji i Zarządzania
    • Wydział zamiejscowy w Rzeszowie
  • Wyższa Szkoła Gospodarcza
  • Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki i Zarządzania
  • Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych
  • Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języka Polskiego

Sport

Politics

Krosno/Przemyśl constituency (2023 elections)

Members of Sejm elected from Krosno/Przemyśl constituency

Law and Justice

Civic Coalition

Third Way

Confederation

  • Andrzej Zapałowski

Twin towns

Przemyśl is

twinned
with:

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 18 August 2022. Data for territorial unit 1862000.
  2. ^ a b Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 10 grudnia 2018 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Przemyśl - zespół staromiejski", Dz. U. z 2018 r. poz. 2419
  3. ^ Przemysław Wiszewski. Domus Bolezlai: Values and Social Identity in Dynastic Traditions of Medieval Poland (c. 966–1138). BRILL. 2010. p. 445.
  4. ^ "Przemyśl". StayPoland.com. Retrieved 18 June 2022. Przemysl is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in Poland, and the second oldest in southern Poland. Its history dates back to the 8th century when, according to legend, the city was founded by a hunter after bagging a huge bear (thus the bear in the emblem of the city).
  5. . But before long, in 981, the western reaches of Little Poland occupied by the Lendzi (with their principal strongholds at Przemysl and Czerwien) were conquered by Kievan prince Vladimir the Great.
  6. .
  7. ^ Buko, Andrzej (2002). "From Great Poland to the Little Poland: the ruling Piast dynasty and the processes of creating the regions". In Helmig, G.; Scholkmann, B.; Untermann, M. (eds.). Centre-Region-Periphery, Vol. 1. Hertingen: Wesselkamp. p. 471.
  8. ^ Under 981, the Primary Chronicle reports on Volodymyr's campaign against the Poles, which resulted in the capture of "their towns" Peremyshl and Cherven. As the chronicler notes, they remained under Rus' control until his own time. In: S. Plokhy. "The origins of the Slavic nations: premodern identities in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus". Cambridge University Press, 2006. p. 57.
  9. ^ A. Buko. "The archaeology of early medieval Poland". Brill. 2008. pp. 307–308
  10. ^ Przemysław Wiszewski. Domus Bolezlai: Values and Social Identity in Dynastic Traditions of Medieval Poland (c. 966–1138). BRILL. 2010. p. 445.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Stanislaw Stepien. (2005). Borderland City: Przemyśl and the Ruthenian National Awakening in Galicia. In Paul Robert Magocsi (Ed.). Galicia: A Multicultured Land. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 52–67
  12. ^ J. Motylkiewicz. "Ethnic Communities in the Towns of the Polish-Ukrainian Borderland in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Centuries". C. M. Hann, P. R. Magocsi ed. Galicia: A Multicultured Land. University of Toronto Press. 2005. p. 37.
  13. ^ Juraj Buzalka. Nation and Religion: The Politics of Commemorations in South-East Poland. LIT Verlag Münster. 2008. p. 34
  14. ^ a b Tom Idzikowski. "The History of the Construction of the Fortress of Przemyśl". Engagements and Battles. Austro-Hungarian-army.co.uk. Archived from the original on July 6, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  15. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 58–59.
  16. ^ a b Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team, Przemysl, http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/ghettos/przemysl.html
  17. ^ Wardzyńska, p. 238
  18. ^ Wardzyńska, p. 59
  19. ^ a b Wardzyńska, p. 258
  20. .
  21. ^ Voytovych, L. Drohobych Oblast. "Lviv Gazette". 18 July 2013
  22. ^ Koval, M. Unknown Ukraine: 20th century history of fortifications. Myths and reality.
  23. ^ Encyclopedia of the Ghettos (2016). "סמבּוֹר (Sambor) המכון הבין-לאומי לחקר השואה – יד ושם". The International Institute for Holocaust Research. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ^ Virtual Shtetl (2016). "Jewish history of Przemyśl. The Holocaust". POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14.
  25. ISBN 9783892449003. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help
    )
  26. ^ Rejestr faktów represji na obywatelach polskich za pomoc ludności żydowskiej w okresie II wojny światowej (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. 2014. p. 388.
  27. ^ Rejestr faktów represji na obywatelach polskich za pomoc ludności żydowskiej w okresie II wojny światowej, p. 396
  28. ^ "Zelensky submits bill to grant Poles special legal status in Ukraine". Notes from Poland. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  29. ^ "Przemyśl climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Przemyśl weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  30. ^ "Średnie i sumy miesięczne" (in Polish). Meteomodel.pl. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  31. ^ "Przemyśl (12695) – WMO Weather Station". NOAA. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  32. ^ "Schron Kierowania Obroną Cywilną – Visit Przemyśl". visit.przemysl.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  33. ^ "Most kolejowy Eiffela w Przemyślu zostaje! Kolejarze nie będą go wyburzać". 10 March 2020.

External links