We leave tomorrow for Poland. Our first stop will be Rzeszow. Here is a history of Rzeszow that I found on the Internet. I have shortened it. LJ
Some Rzeszow History
by Dr. Henry Y. Wachtel of New York
The history of Poland begins in the 10th century with the legendary dynasty of Mieszko Piast, the king descended from peasants who embraced Christianity. Boleslaw Chrobry (992-1025) solidified the independence of Poland. The writings of Roman Wlodzimit Halicz (1206), for the first time contain documents recording "Rex Galiciae et lodomaeriae". We also find documents mentioning Stefan II, the King of Galicia (1124).
Galicia was established as a political and geographic entity by Austria between the years 1772-1918. The name Galicia is the Latinized form of the name of the Polish Halicz dukes. The area is approximately 78,497 square kilometers.
According to statistics dating from 1910, there were 8,025,675 inhabitants of Galicia, consisting of: 3,731,569 Roman Catholics; 3,379,613 Greek Catholics, 871,895 Jews, and 34,144 Lutherans.
In historical Poland, Galicia was divided into four wojiwoda (provinces): Krakow, Stanislawow, Lvov, and Tarnopol. Rzeszow is located almost exactly in the center of southern Galicia, midway between Krakow and Lvov, in a plain reaching south the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. It was originally settled on the left bank of the Wislok River, which joins the river San on the northeast. To the west, the territory of the plain embraces the watershed of the Wislok and the Dunajec, which flows into the Wisla (Vistula) river.
The Wisla and its tributary the San form the northern boundary of the southwestern area of Galicia.
Geological evidence of human settlement prior to 2,500 years ago can be found near Rzeszow. Earthenware shards and stone axes that can be found in excavations near the city testify that people lived there already in the distant Stone Age. The residents of the area are primarily farmers, who raise sheep and cattle. Deciduous and coniferous forests cover approximately 25% of the region that is between the Dunajec and the San.
Rings that were discovered in 1953 prove that the Roman influence reached Rzeszow, Zmigrod, Boguchwala, Grabownici, Przemysl, and Pilzno.
Rzeszow was founded in approximately 1365. It was known as Reishov in 1390. Rzeszow was one of the prettiest cities in Galicia, and third in strategic importance. During the days of Austrian rule, a rail line was built that joined Rzeszow to Vienna via Krakow. This line extended eastward to Lvov.
There were two marketplaces and seven public gardens in Rzeszow. The "Rathaus" (town council building) was in the main square. The older and most beautiful part of Rzeszow was built on a hill, with the Farni Church and the tower from the 17th century on top. Primarily gentiles originally settled this part of the city. Panska street, whose name was changed in 1896 to the Street of the 3rd of May, was lined with shady trees, and led to the Bernardine Church, which was built in the 17th century, as well as to the civic garden (a public garden).
On the Street of the 3rd of May, near the old the Gymnasia, stood the Pierrist Church, which was built in the 17th century and turned into the library of the civic archives during the days of Kaiser Josef II. The "Rathaus" was rebuilt in the 19th century. On the Street of the 3rd of May, beside the Pierrist Church, stood the building of the city treasury; behind "Pod Kastanami" was the old palace from the 17th century that was built by Prince Mikolaj Ligenza. This building was fortified on a hill, surrounded by a protective moat filled with water and traversed by a bridge, and faced the Wislok River. It was renovated during the days of Jerzy Lubomirski in the middle of the 18th century. The Austrian government purchased the palace at the beginning of the 19th century for 65,000 zloty and turned it into a courthouse and jail.
The oldest document that mentions Rzeszow is the privilege issued by King Kazimierz the Great on January 19, 1351. He grants Rzeszow and its environs, an area covering 30 square miles, to Jan Pakoslaw De Strozysk, in return from his service to the king as an emissary to the Tatars.
In the vicinity of Rzeszow, cattle, wheat, sugar beets, and rye were grown. Alcohol, bricks, earthenware vessels and textiles were manufactured. Rzeszow also developed due to the discovery of oil nearby, as pits of petroleum were discovered in Gorlice and Limanow. Jewish merchants and bankers assisted in the development of the first oil refinery, which was build in 1853. The petroleum industry assisted in the development and expansion of tile and brick manufacturing, as well as wood engraving, trades which occupied people in Kolbuszow which was nearby to Rzeszow (according to Ribak Ludmir, "Rzeszow", 1954).
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