Lelów ( yi, לעלוב - ''Lelov'') is a
village in
Częstochowa County
__NOTOC__
Częstochowa County ( pl, powiat częstochowski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local gover ...
,
Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the
gmina (administrative district) called
Gmina Lelów
__NOTOC__
Gmina Lelów is a rural gmina (administrative district) in Częstochowa County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Lelów, which lies approximately east of Częstochowa and north-east of the regional ca ...
.
It lies on the Białka river, approximately east of
Częstochowa
Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (admin ...
and north-east of the regional capital
Katowice. In the
Kingdom of Poland, Lelów was an important urban center of
Lesser Poland, as a capital of a county which belonged to
Kraków Voivodeship. The village has a population of 2,127.
History
In the early days of the
Kingdom of Poland, a
gord was established on the ''Białka'' river bank, in a swampy area, which gave protection from invaders. First documented mention about Lelów appeared in the year 1193, in a document issued by
Pope Celestine III. In 1246, during the period known as Fragmentation of Poland (see
Feudal fragmentation
Feudal fragmentation being a stage in the development of certain feudal states, in which it is split into smaller regional state structures, each characterized by significant autonomy if not outright independence and ruled by a high-ranking noble s ...
), Prince
Konrad I of Masovia initiated construction of the town, in the location of the ancient gord. In the early 14th century Lelów, which by then was property of Bishops of Kraków, was captured by knights of
Władysław I the Elbow-high. The town was manned by German and Czech troops, loyal to Bishop
Jan Muskata Jan Muskata (1250 – 7 February 1320) was bishop of Kraków from 1294 to 1309.
Muskata was born in Wrocław, Silesia. He was the son of a German spice trader. The name Muskata is derived from Latin, for nutmeg. He had brother named Stefan (fl ...
(see also
Rebellion of wójt Albert
Mayor Albert's Rebellion ( pl, bunt wójta Alberta) was a 1311–12 rebellion by the burghers of the Polish city of Kraków against Duke Władysław I the Elbow-high. The rebellion was led by Albert, the '' wójt'' ( la, advocatus), who under Mag ...
).
In the 14th century Lelów prospered, due to royal protection and privileges. Its population reached 1,200, and King
Casimir III the Great
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He ...
built here a castle, and surrounded the town with a
defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
. Lelów was located near the border with
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech ...
-ruled
Silesia, and as such, played an important role in the system of defence of Poland. In 1341 Lelów received
Magdeburg rights from King Casimir, and became a county town in
Kraków Voivodeship. In July 1345, during the Polish-Bohemian War, Czech units were defeated by the Poles and their Hungarian allies near Lelów. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Lelów remained one of the most important towns of
Lesser Poland. It frequently burned, but managed to recover, and local cloth makers were famous across the country. In 1638 Lelów almost completely burned in a great fire, and further destruction was brought by the
Swedish-Polish war, after which the town never recovered. Lelów was once again destroyed in the
Great Northern War, after which its defensive wall was pulled down.
After the
Partitions of Poland, Lelów briefly belonged to
Kingdom of Prussia’s province of
New Silesia
New Silesia (german: Neuschlesien or ''Neu-Schlesien'') was a small province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1795 to 1807, created after the Third Partition of Poland. It was located northwest of Kraków and southeast of Częstochowa, in the lands ...
(1793-1806). Since 1815, it was part of Russian-controlled
Congress Poland
Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
, and its decline continued. Lelów County ceased to exist in 1837, and the area of the town was one of centers of
January Uprising
The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
. In 1827, Lelów had the population of 785, and in 1825, the ancient
Saint Francis Monastery was destroyed. In 1869 Russian government reduced Lelów to the status of a village.
World War I did not cause any significant damage, and in the
Second Polish Republic, Lelów belonged to
Kielce Voivodeship
Kielce Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kieleckie) is a former unit of administrative division and the local government in Poland. It was originally formed during Poland's return to independence in the aftermath of World War One, and recreated within ...
. On September 4, 1939, during the
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, the
Wehrmacht invaded and burned the 14th-century St. Martin's church, together with most of the village. Further destruction took place in January 1945, when retreating German soldiers fought the advancing
Red Army. The church was rebuilt after the war, but without several valuable items and ornaments.
Attractions
The village's main attractions include:
* Catholic St. Martin's church from the 14th century, remodelled in 1638, with a sculpture of crucified Jesus saved from fire in 1939 and a Chapel of Mother of God,
* Grave of
Hasidic Tzadik
Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. Th ...
Dovid Biderman
Grand Rabbi Dovid Biderman (1746-1814) of Lelów was the founder of the Lelov Hassidic dynasty. He is commonly referred to as "''Reb Dovid Lelover''".
Biography
Rabbi Dovid of Lelov was a disciple of the Seer of Lublin, a disciple of Rabbi Elim ...
, visited each January by Hasidic pilgrims from all over the world,
Chasydzi modlą się na grobie cadyka
at '' Rzeczpospolita'', 23 January 2010
* A market square unique in Europe, with two streets joining the square in each corner,
* A culinary attraction known as ''ciulim'' (a non-translatable Polish word). Ciulim is cooked for special family occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) and major holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.). It is related to the traditional Jewish dish, cholent
Cholent and other Sabbath stews ( yi, טשאָלנט, tsholnt ''or'' tshulnt) are traditional Jewish stews. It is usually simmered overnight for 10–12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Shabbat stews were develo ...
,
* in the past Lelów had a Gothic castle, founded by King Casimir III the Great
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He ...
. The castle fell into a ruin in the 17th century, and was demolished in 1804–1805. Lelów also had a 1,000 meter long defensive wall made of stone, built in the 14th century, with several gates. The wall was gradually pulled down in 1848–1870. The Franciscan Monastery, built in 1357, was demolished in 1825.
Roads
The main roads passing Lelów are:
*National 46 ( Kudowa– Jędrzejów)
*Road No. 794 (Koniecpol
Koniecpol is a town in Częstochowa County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 5,910 inhabitants (2019). In the times of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth it was the seat of the Koniecpolski magnate
The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magn ...
– Cracow)
*Road No. 789 (Lelów-Żarki
Żarki (german: Zarki) is a town in Myszków County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,556 inhabitants (2019). The history of Żarki dates back to the early 14th century, as the village was first mentioned in documents from the 1320s. For ...
)
Sister city
* Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them:
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...
, Pennsylvania, county seat of Lehigh County
References
External links
Official site of Lelów municipality
Official site of St. Martin's Parish
Jewish Community in Lelów
on Virtual Shtetl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lelow
Villages in Częstochowa County
Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)
Kielce Governorate
Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)
Nazi war crimes in Poland