Przeworsk

Przeworsk
Market Town
Town Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Przeworsk
Coordinates:50°4′N22°30′E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Subcarpathian
County	Przeworsk
Gmina	Przeworsk(urban gmina)
Established	10th-11th century
First mentioned	1280
Town rights	1393
Government
• Mayor	Leszek Kisiel
Area
• Total	21.98 km2(8.49 sq mi)
Elevation	200 m (700 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	15,747
• Density	720/km2(1,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	37–200
Car plates	RPZ
Website	www.przeworsk.um.gov.pl

Przeworsk(Polish:[ˈpʂɛvɔrsk];Ukrainian:Переворськ,romanized:Perevors'k;Yiddish:פּרשעוואָרסק,romanized:Prshevorsk) is a town in south-easternPolandwith 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009.Since 1999 it has been in theSubcarpathian Voivodeship,and is the capital ofPrzeworsk County.The ancientPrzeworsk culturewas named after the town.

Przeworsk was a settlement since the 10th century, though evidence of human settlement in the general area is even older. It is first mentioned in historical records from the 13th century, and was granted its town charter in 1394. From 1772 the town was part of theHabsburg monarchywhere it remained until 1918 when an independent Poland returned. Przeworsk is located onEuropean route E40.It also is an important railway junction, with trains going in three directions – east (towardsPrzemyśl), west (towardsRzeszów) and north (towardsStalowa Wola).

Przeworsk has some 60 historic buildings, including two fortified Gothic abbeys, a town hall, the Lubomirski Palace inclassicalstyle, abaroquemonastery, and an open-air museum (skansen). The town covers an area of 22 square kilometres (8.5 square miles).

History

Name variations

In 13th centuryRutheniandocuments, Przeworsk was speltPereworesk.In the 14th and 15th centuries, its name was subject to variation. It was calledPreworsko,Przeworsko,Przeworszko,Przeworscho,Przeiworsko,PrzyworskoandPrziborsko.Since the 15th century, the namePrzeworskowas most often used.

Recorded history

In the earlyMiddle Ages,a defensivegordexisted there. The area was included in the emerging Polish state by its first historic rulerMieszko Iin the 10th century. In 981 it was annexed from Poland by theKievan Rus',and afterwards, in theHigh Middle Ages,it changed owners several times betweenPolandand the Rus', and even fell to theMongol Empirein the mid-13th century. It was first mentioned in documents from 1280, when, after the Battle of Gozlice (23 February 1280) between Lesser Polish and Ruthenian-Tatar forces, DukeLeszek II the Blackraided theKingdom of Galicia–Volhynia,then vassal of theGolden Horde,capturing and setting alight the city of "Perevoresk"

"Въ лѣт̑ 6789 (1281) Иде Льстько на Лва и взѧ оу него городъ Переворескъ и исъсѣче и люди в нем̑ вси ѿ мала и до велика и город̑ зажьже и поиде назадъ во своӕси"

In the year 6789, (1281) Leszek attackedLeo I of Galicia,and took his city of Perevoresk and killed all in it, sparing neither young or old and having burnt the town to the ground he left.

Monument of Polish KingWładysław II Jagiełłowho vested Przeworsk with town rights in 1393

After theGalicia–Volhynia Warsin mid-14th century, this territory of theKingdom of Galicia–Volhynia,was reincorporated to theKingdom of Polandby KingCasimir III the Greatand afterwards transformed into theRuthenian Voivodeshipwithin the largerLesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown.Soon Polish settlers came to the deserted border areas, and in November 1387, KingWładysław II Jagiełłoceded Przeworsk to the Voivode ofSandomierz,Jan of Tarnow,Leliwa coat of arms.Przeworsk grew fast, and on 25 February 1393, Jagiełło granted it a town charter.

Until the 18th century, Przeworsk was aprivate townof severalPolish noblefamilies, as it passed throughTarnowski,OstrogskiandLubomirskiownership. Since 1470, it was the seat of theLand courtfor the western territory ofPrzemyśl Landin the Ruthenian Voivodeship. Przeworsk became the second largest town in the area afterPrzemyśl,prospering in the period known as, thePolish Golden Age.It was situated on a round hill, 212 metres (696 feet)above sea level.Its center was protected by a rampart with a moat. The town hall was built in the 15th century.

SinceCrimean Tatarsoften raided the southeasternPoland,and sometimes even reached its south-central parts, in 1510 the construction oframpartswas started. The defences of Przeworsk consisted of three main elements: a fortified Bernardine monastery in the east, a fortifiedOrder of the Holy Sepulchremonastery in the west, and the town with its three gates in the middle. These fortifications turned out to be inadequate, as both in 1612 and 1624, Przeworsk was captured by the Tatars. Later, the town was captured by the Cossacks (1672, 1677), Swedes (1702) and Russians during theGreat Northern War.On 22/23 March 1656,Charles X Gustav of Swedenspent one night here, during his failed raid on south-central Poland. Przeworsk suffered in several successive fires (1712, 1717, 1739, 1740, 1759). All these events contributed to the town's steep decline.

Sugar factory in the early 20th century

InFirst Partition of Poland,in 1772, Przeworsk was annexed by theHabsburg Empire,remaining in AustrianGaliciauntil November 1918. In the late 18th century, the Austrian authorities pulled down the obsolete late-medieval ramparts and gates. The town remained in decline until the late 19th century, when it became a railway junction, and a center of sugar production, with the Przeworsk Sugar Refinery (1895). In 1859, Przeworsk was connected by rail withKrakówby theGalician Railway of Archduke Charles Louis.In 1902 it had a new railroad toRozwadów,and in 1904, a narrow gauge line toDynówwas completed. The population began to grow, new housing was built, together with a monument dedicated to KingWładysław II Jagiełło(1910), butWorld War Ibrought destruction to the town.

In 1918 Poland regained independence, and in theSecond Polish RepublicPrzeworsk was part ofLwów Voivodeship.In 1929, it became of a county seat and in 1930, several buildings burned down in a fire.

During the joint German-Sovietinvasion of Poland,which startedWorld War II,Germany conducted air raids on 3, 5 and 6 September 1939, in which several people were killed and many were wounded.Przeworsk was captured by theWehrmachton 9 September 1939, and then theEinsatzgruppe Ientered the town to commit variousatrocities against Poles.TheGerman occupationlasted until 27 July 1944. During theIntelligenzaktion,on November 3, 1939, the Germans deceitfully gathered the local Polishintelligentsiafor a formal meeting, then arrested 58 people and imprisoned them inRzeszów.TheJewishcommunity was decimated inGerman extermination camps.

ThePshevorskHasidicdynasty, which originated in Przeworsk, is now mainly located inAntwerp,Belgium.

Tourist attractions

Sights of Przeworsk

Lubomirski Palace

Basilica of the Holy Spirit

Daughters of Charitymonastery

Defensive town walls

Bernardine Church

Open-air museum

• Basilica of the Holy Spirit, built in the 15th century with a unique chapel – Tomb of Jesus Christ (the same as inJerusalem)
• GothicChurch of the Bernardine Order
• Palace and park ofLubomirskifamily
• BaroqueDaughters of Charitymonastery and Our Lady of the Snow church
• Gothic defensive town walls
• Monument of Polish KingWładysław II Jagiełłoat theRynek(Market Square)
• The only truly "vivid"open-air museumin Poland, with wooden houses from Przeworsk and the surrounding region.
• The Wąskotorówka Train (narrow gauge railway) going from Przeworsk to Dynów.
• Firefighting Museum

Sport

The localfootballteam isOrzeł Przeworsk.It competes in the lower leagues.

People associated with Przeworsk

• Piotr Aigner– architect of the Lubomirski Palace
• Fryderyk Bauman– architect, sculptor and designer of the Lubomirski Palace interiors
• Andrzej Ćwierz– Member of theSejm
• Antoni Lubomirski– founder with his wife,Zofia Lubomirska,of theSisters of St. Vincent de Paulconvent and church
• Zofia Lubomirska– founder of the vast textile and silk factories
• Izabela Maria Lubomirska– princess
• Henryk Ludwik Lubomirski– prince
• Paweł Miesiąc–Motorcycle speedwayrider
• Zygmunt Mycielski– composer andmusicologist
• Tadeusz Rut– athlete
• Andrzej Sztolf–Olympicski-jumper
• Stanisław Żuk – creator of theSkansenMuseum and shepherd

International relations

See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Twin towns – Sister cities

Przeworsk istwinnedwith:

Berehove,Ukraine Moravský Krumlov,Czech Republic Humenné,Slovakia

References

Notes

External links

• Official website(in Polish)