The siege and second sack of

Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Provi ...

took place in 1259-1260 during the

second Mongol invasion of Poland The second Mongol invasion of Poland was carried out by general Boroldai (Burundai) in 1259–1260. During this invasion the cities of Sandomierz, Kraków, Lublin, Zawichost, and Bytom were sacked by Mongols for the second time. History The in ...

. The city was razed and residents massacred.Stanisław Krakowski, ''Polska w walce z najazdami tatarskimi w XIII wieku'', MON, 1956, pp. 181-201 Sandomierz, the most important city of southeastern medieval

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

, and the second largest city of

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

, was captured by the invaders on February 2, 1260. The Mongol and

Ruthenia Ruthenia or , uk, Рутенія, translit=Rutenia or uk, Русь, translit=Rus, label=none, pl, Ruś, be, Рутэнія, Русь, russian: Рутения, Русь is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin as one of several terms ...

n armies completely destroyed the city, murdering almost all residents, including 49 Dominican friars with their abbot Sadok, who hid in the St. Jacob church (see

Sadok and 48 Dominican martyrs from Sandomierz Sadok and 48 Dominican martyrs from Sandomierz were Roman Catholic, Dominican martyrs killed by Mongols (Golden Horde) during the Second Mongol invasion of Poland in 1260. As homage to the deaths of these martyrs, Polish Dominican friars were gi ...

). As a result, old Sandomierz, located on the Staromiejskie Hill, ceased to exist. According to a legend, before the sack the Mongols sent a Ruthenian envoy to Sandomierz, promising

Castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

Piotr Krepa that the city would be spared if its residents gave away their valuables. Krepa decided to negotiate with the invaders, and entered the Mongol camp, where he was murdered. The sack itself was described in the

Galician–Volhynian Chronicle The ''Galician–Volhynian Chronicle'' ( uk, Галицько-Волинський літопис), called "Halicz-Wolyn Chronicle" in Polish historiography, is a prominent benchmark of the Old Ruthenian literature and historiographyKotlyar, M. G ...

Aftermath

In 1286, High Duke of Poland

Leszek II the Black Leszek II the Black (c. 1241 – 30 September 1288), was a Polish prince of the House of Piast, Duke of Sieradz since 1261, Duke of Łęczyca since 1267, Duke of Inowrocław in the years 1273-1278, Duke of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland from ...

decided to rebuild Sandomierz in a new location, more convenient for defence. The city once again received its

Magdeburg rights Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within ...

(the original document still exists), and its first '' wojt'' was a nobleman named Witkon. Duke Leszek also invited Dominican friars from other locations, giving them a plot of land within city limits. Meczennicy Sandomierscy

In the 1950s and 1960s, Polish

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

s found mass graves with human bones, located near the St. Jacob church. After extensive research, it was concluded that they were victims of the 1260 invasion. The bones are now kept in the cellar of the church.

References

Online

Battles of the Mongol invasions of Poland, Sandomierz (1259-1260) 1260 in Europe 13th-century massacres Massacres in Poland 1260 in the Mongol Empire 1259 in the Mongol Empire Conflicts in 1259 Conflicts in 1260 1259 in Europe Looting {{Poland-battle-stub