Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in

Lviv Oblast Lviv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast in western Ukraine. The capital city, capital of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is History Name The region is named ...

, western

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, located near the border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the

Bug River The Bug or Western Bug is a major river in Central Europe that flows through Belarus (border), Poland, and Ukraine, with a total length of .Belz urban hromada Belz urban hromada () is a hromada in Ukraine, in Sheptytskyi Raion of Lviv Oblast. The administrative center is the city of Belz. Settlements The hromada consists of 2 city (Belz, Uhniv Uhniv ( ) is a city in Sheptytskyi Raion, Lviv Obl ...

, one of the

hromada In Ukraine, a hromada () is the main type of municipality and the third level Administrative divisions of Ukraine, local self-government in Ukraine. The current hromadas were established by the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine, Government of Uk ...

s of Ukraine. Its population is approximately

Origin of name

There are a few theories as to the origin of the name: *

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

– ''belz'' (water) or ''pelz'' (stream), *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

– ' (fur, furry) *

Old Slavic Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic ( ) is the first Slavic literary language and the oldest extant written Slavonic language attested in literary sources. It belongs to the South Slavic subgroup of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-Europea ...

and the

Boyko dialect Boyko dialect (), also known as North Carpathian Dialect () is a dialect spoken by Boyko people who live in the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine. It is usually classified among Southwestern dialects of the Ukrainian language. The Boyko dial ...

– «белз» or «бевз» (muddy place), *

Old East Slavic Old East Slavic (traditionally also Old Russian) was a language (or a group of dialects) used by the East Slavs from the 7th or 8th century to the 13th or 14th century, until it diverged into the Russian language, Russian and Ruthenian language ...

– «бълизь» (white place, a glade in the midst of dark woods). The name occurs only in two other places, the first being a Celtic area in antiquity, and the second one being derived from its Romanian name: * ''

Belz Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine, located near the border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz urban hromada, one of ...

'' (department

Morbihan The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, France * ''

Bălți Bălți () is a city in Moldova. It is the second-largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city holds the status of municipiu. Sometimes called "the northern capital", it is a major industrial, cu ...

'' (/''Beljcy'', also known in Yiddish as ''Beltz''),

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

(Bessarabia)

History

Early history

Belz is situated in a fertile plain which tribes of

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

origin settled in ancient times: Celtic

Lugii The Lugii (or ''Lugi'', ''Lygii'', ''Ligii'', ''Lugiones'', ''Lygians'', ''Ligians'', ''Lugians'', or ''Lougoi'') were a group of tribes mentioned by Roman authors living in ca. 100 BC–300 AD in Central Europe, north of the Sudetes moun ...

, next (2nd-5th century) Germanic

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

, slavized

Sarmatians The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

(

White Croats The White Croats (; ; ; ), also known simply as Croats, were a group of Early Slavs, Early Slavic tribes that lived between East Slavs, East Slavic and West Slavs, West Slavic tribes in the historical region of Galicia (Eastern Europe), Galicia n ...

), and at last Slavic

Dulebes The Dulebes, Dulebs, Dudlebi or Dulibyh () were one of the tribal unions of Early Slavs between the 6th and the 10th centuries. According to medieval sources they lived in Western Volhynia, as well as southern parts of the Duchy of Bohemia and th ...

(later

Buzhans The Buzhans were a tribal union of Early Slavs, which supposedly formed the East Slavs in southern Russia and the Volga region. They are mentioned as ''Buzhane'' in the ''Primary Chronicle''. Several localities in Russia are claimed to be connected ...

), who eventually become part of the

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

in 907, when Dulebs took part in

Oleg Oleg (), Oleh (), or Aleh () is an East Slavic given name. The name is very common in Russia, Ukraine, and Belаrus. Origins ''Oleg'' derives from the Old Norse ''Helgi'' ( Helge), meaning "holy", "sacred", or "blessed". The feminine equival ...

military campaign A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...

against Czargrad (

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

). Mainly рolish historiography located here also

Lendians The Lendians () were a Lechitic tribe who lived in the area of East Lesser Poland and Cherven Cities between the 7th and 11th centuries. Since they were documented primarily by foreign authors whose knowledge of Central and East Europe geogra ...

tribe whо also paid tribute to Kievan Rus'. The town has existed at least since the 10th century as one of the

Cherven Cities The Cherven Cities (), Czerwień Cities or Cherven Gords ( Ukrainian: Червенські Городи), often literally translated as Red Cities, Red Forts or Red Boroughs, was a point of dispute between the Kingdom of Poland and Kievan Rus' a ...

which were under

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

rule in the 970s. In 981 Belz was incorporated into

. In 1170, the town became the seat of a

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important differe ...

. In 1234 it was incorporated into the Duchy of Galicia–Volhynia, which would control Belz until 1340 when it came under

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n rule. Belz was under Polish rule from 1366 to 1772, first as a fief, and since 1462 as the capital of a

voivodeship A voivodeship ( ) or voivodate is the area administered by a voivode (governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in ...

. On October 5, 1377, the town was granted rights under the

Magdeburg law Magdeburg rights (, , ; 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 cities and villages gr ...

Władysław Opolczyk Vladislaus II of Opole (, , , ; ca. 1332 – 18 May 1401), nicknamed Naderspan, was Duke of Opole from 1356, Count palatine of Hungary (1367–1372), Duke of Wieluń (1370–1392), Governor of Ruthenia (1372–1378), Count palatine of Poland ...

, the governor of

Red Ruthenia Red Ruthenia, also called Red Rus or Red Russia, is a term used since the Middle Ages for the south-western principalities of Kievan Rus', namely the Principality of Peremyshl and the Duchy of Belz, Principality of Belz. It is closely related to ...

. A charter dated November 10, 1509 once again granted Belz privileges under the Magdeburg rights. In 1772, Belz was incorporated into the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

(later

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

and

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

) where it was a part of the

Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, also known as Austrian Galicia or colloquially Austrian Poland, was a constituent possession of the Habsburg monarchy in the historical region of Galicia (Eastern Europe), Galicia in Eastern Europe. The Cr ...

. Belz received a railway connection in 1884 with the opening of the railway line Jarosław–Kowel.

Modern history

With the collapse of Austria-Hungary following World War I in November 1918, Belz was included in the

Western Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...

. It came under Polish control in 1919 during the Polish-Ukrainian War. In April 1920, the Second Polish Republic, represented by Józef Piłsudski, and the Ukrainian People's Republic, represented by Symon Petlura signed the Treaty of Warsaw, in which they agreed that the Polish-Ukrainian border in Western Ukraine would follow the

Zbruch River The Zbruch (; ) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч

Eastern Galicia Eastern Galicia (; ; ) is a geographical region in Western Ukraine (present day oblasts of Lviv Oblast, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblast, Ternopil), having also essential historic importance in Poland. Galicia ( ...

in the Polish Republic.Richard K Debo, ''Survival and Consolidation: The Foreign Policy of Soviet Russia, 1918–1921''
pp. 210-211
McGill-Queen's Press, 1992, . From 1919 to 1939 Belz was annexed to the Lviv Voivodeship,

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

. From 1939 to 1944 Belz was occupied by Germany as a part of the

General Government The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...

. Belz is situated on left, north waterside of the Solokiya river (affluent of the Bug river), which was the German-Soviet border in 1939–1941. During the war, the delegation of the Hrubeshiv Ukrainian Relief Committee operated in the city. After the war Belz reverted to Poland (where it was again within the

Lublin Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland, located in the southeastern part of the country, with its capital being the city of Lublin. The region is named after its largest city and regional capital, Lu ...

) until 1951 when, after a border readjustment, it passed to the Soviet Union (

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

). (See:

1951 Polish–Soviet territorial exchange The 1951 Polish-Soviet territorial exchange, also known as the Polish-Soviet border adjustment treaty of 1951, was a border agreement signed in Moscow between the Republic of Poland and the Soviet Union. It involved approximately of land along ...

) Since 1991 it has been part of independent Ukraine. Until 18 July 2020, Belz belonged to

Sokal Raion Sokal Raion (, ''Sokal’s’kyi raion'') was a raion (district) of Lviv Oblast (region) in western Ukraine. Its administrative center was the city of Sokal. It had a population of 98,123 in the 2001 Ukrainian Census. The raion was abolished on 18 ...

. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Lviv Oblast to seven. The area of Sokal Raion was merged into Chervonohrad Raion (modern Sheptytskyi Raion).

Jewish history

The

Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

community in Belz was established circa 14th century. In 1665, the Jews in Belz received equal rights and duties. The town became home to a

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

dynasty in the early 19th century. The

Rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

of Belz,

Shalom Rokeach Sholom Rokeach (1781 – September 10, 1855), also known as the ''Sar Sholom'' (, "Angel of Peace"), was the first rebbe (hereditary hasidic leader) of the Belz dynasty . Belzer Hasidim call him "Der Ershter Rov" (the first rabbi); in the city of ...

(1779–1855), also known as the ''Sar Shalom'', joined the

movement by studying with the

Maggid A maggid (), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a ''Darshan (Judaism), darshan'' (). The title of ''m ...

of Lutzk, and established the community and become the first ''Belzer

Rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

'', thereby establishing the Belz Hasidic dynasty. When Rebbe Shalom died in 1855, his youngest son, Rebbe Yehoshua Rokeach (1855–1894), became the next Rebbe. Belzer Hasidism grew in size during the tenure of Rebbe Yehoshua's son and successor, Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach (third Belzer Rebbe)(1894–1926). Rebbe Yissachar Dov's son and successor, Rebbe Aharon Rokeach (1880 to 1957), escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe to Israel in 1944, re-establishing the Hasidut first in Tel Aviv and then in Jerusalem. For recent history see . At the beginning of World War I, Belz had 6100 inhabitants, including 3600 Jews, 1600 Ukrainians, and 900 Poles. During the German and Soviet invasion of Poland (September 1939), most of the Jews of Belz fled to the Soviet Union in Autumn 1939 (the German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation). However, by May 1942, there were over 1,540 local Jewish residents and refugees in Belz. On June 2, 1942, 1,000 Jews were deported to

Hrubieszów Hrubieszów (; ; , or ) is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of around 18,212 (2016). It is the capital of Hrubieszów County within the Lublin Voivodeship. Throughout history, the town's culture and architecture was strongly shaped ...

and from there to

Sobibor extermination camp Sobibor ( ; ) was an extermination camp built and operated by Nazi Germany as part of Operation Reinhard. It was located in the forest near the village of Żłobek Duży in the General Government region of Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), ...

. Another 504 were brought to

in September of that year, after they were no longer needed to work on the farms in the area.

Cultural trivia

The Yiddish song ''“Beltz, Mayn Shtetele”'' is a moving evocation of a happy childhood spent in a

shtetl or ( ; , ; Grammatical number#Overview, pl. ''shtetelekh'') is a Yiddish term for small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Jewish populations which Eastern European Jewry, existed in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. The t ...

. Originally this song was composed for a town which bears a similar-sounding name in

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

(''belts''), called

in Moldovan/

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

, and is located in

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

(presently the

Republic). Later interpretations may have had ''Belz'' in mind, though. The song has special significance in

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

history, as a 16-year-old playing the song was overheard by an SS guard at

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

extermination camp, who then forced the child to play it repeatedly to ease the moods of Jews being herded into the

gas chambers A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History Gener ...

. Belz is also a very important place for Ukrainian Catholics and Polish Catholics as a place where the

Black Madonna of Częstochowa The Black Madonna of Częstochowa (; ), also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa () is a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. Pope Clement XI issued a Pontifical decree of canon ...

(this icon was believed to have been painted by St.

Luke the Evangelist Luke the Evangelist was one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Prominent figu ...

) had resided for several centuries until 1382, when

, duke of

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

, took the icon home to his principality after ending his service as the Royal emissary for

Halychyna Galicia ( ;"Galicia"
''

Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great (; ; ) or Louis the Hungarian (; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370. He was the first child of Charles I of Hungary and his wife, Elizabeth of ...

.The Black Madonna
Literature –

Belles-lettres () is a category of writing, originally meaning beautiful or fine writing. In the modern narrow sense, it is a label for literary works that do not fall into the major categories such as fiction, poetry, or drama. The phrase is sometimes used pej ...

: a poem ''Maria: A Tale of the Ukraine'' written by

Antoni Malczewski Antoni Malczewski (3 June 1793 – 2 May 1826) was a Polish romantic poet, known for his only work, "a narrative poem of dire pessimism", ''Maria'' (1825). At the times, prominent and scandalizing was his autodestructive romance with a married ...

, and a novel ''Starościna Bełska: opowiadanie historyczne 1770–1774'' by

Józef Ignacy Kraszewski Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (28 July 1812 – 19 March 1887) was a Polish novelist, journalist, historian, publisher, painter, and musician. Born in Warsaw into a noble family, he spent much of his youth with his maternal grandparents in Romanów ...

Notable people

Vsevolod Mstislavich of Volhynia Vsevolod Mstislavich was a son of Mstislav II of Kiev and Agnes, the daughter of King Boleslaus III of Poland. Vsevolod was Prince of Belz and Prince of Volhynia. He died in 1196.Vasilko Romanovich Vasylko Romanovych (1199 or 1203–1269 or 1271) was Prince of Belz (1207–1269), Prince of Berestia (1231–1269), and Prince of Volhynia (1231–1269). He was the son of Roman the Great and Anna-Euphrosyne, and the younger brother of Daniel of ...

, prince of Belz (1207–1211) * Alexander Vsevolodovich, prince of Belz (1212–1234) *

Daniel of Galicia Daniel Romanovich (1201–1264) was Prince of Galicia (1205–1207; 1211–1212; 1230–1232; 1233–1234; 1238–1264), Prince of Volhynia, Volhynia (1205–1208; 1215–1238), Grand Prince of Kiev (1240), and King of Ruthenia (1253–1264). B ...

, prince of Belz (1234–1245) *

Lev I of Galicia Leo I of Galicia (; – c. 1301) was King of Ruthenia, Prince of Belz (1245–1264), Przemyśl, Galicia (1264–1269), and Kiev (1271–1301). He was a son of King Daniel of Galicia and his first wife, Anna Mstislavna Smolenskaia (daughter o ...

, prince of Belz (1245–1264) *

Yuri I of Galicia Yuri I of Galicia (, 24 April 1252 (1257/1262) – 18 March 1308/1315) was King of Ruthenia and Prince of Volhynia. Reign In 1264–1301, Yuri ruled as Prince of Belz. Initially a ruler of Kholm and Podlachia, after his father's death he unit ...

, prince of Belz (1264–1301) *

Andrew of Galicia Andrew () (unknown – 1323) was the last king of Ruthenia in 1308–1323 (according to other sources since 1315). He was the son of Yurii I (1252–1308) whom he succeeded on the throne of Galicia. His mother was Euphemia of Kuyavia. Afte ...

, prince of Belz (1308–1323) *

Boleslaw-Yuri II of Galicia Yuri II Boleslav (; ; c. 1305/1310 – April 7, 1340), was King of Ruthenia and ''Dominus'' of the Galicia–Volhynian lands (1325–1340). A foreigner and a Catholic by birth, he was the son of Trojden I, Duke of Masovia and a member of the Po ...

, Polish–Lithuanian-Ruthenian prince of Belz (1323–1340) *

Yuri Narimuntovich Yuri may refer to: People Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. *Yuri (Japanese name), feminine Japanese given names, including a list o ...

( Jurgis Narimantaitis), Lithuanian, prince of Belz (1340–1377) *

, Silesian duke, Hungarian governor (1377–1378) * Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia, prince of Belz (1388–1426) * Jaśko Mazowita, prefect of Belz (14th–15th centuries) * Casimir II of Belz, prince of Belz (1434–1442) * Jan Kamieniecki (1463–1513), starost of Belz * Mikołaj Sieniawski (c. 1489–1569), voivode of Belz * Jan Firlej (c. 1521–1574), voivode of Belz * Jan Zamoyski (1542–1605), starost of Belz * Yoel Sirkis (1561–1640), the Bach, later rabbi of Kraków, Krakow, one of the Acharonim * Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636), Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636), voivode of Belz * Jakub Sobieski (1580–1646), voivode of Belz * Dymitr Jerzy Wiśniowiecki (1631–1682), voivode of Belz * Marcin Zamoyski (c.1637–1689), starost of Belz * Stefan Aleksander Potocki, voivode of Belz * Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski (1666–1726), voivode of Belz * Stanisław Mateusz Rzewuski (1642–1728), voivode of Belz * Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki (1753–1805), starost of Belz * Sholom Rokeach (1779–1855), the first

of Belz * Malka Rokeach (1780–1853), the first ''rebbetzin'' of Belz * Yehoshua Rokeach (1825–1894), the second

of Belz * Yissachar Dov Rokeach (third Belzer rebbe), Yissachar Dov Rokeach (1854–1926), the third

of Belz * Aharon Rokeach (1877–1957), the fourth

of Belz * Mordechai Rokeach (1902–1949), rabbi of Biłgoraj, Bilgoraj, son of the Yissachar Dov Rokeach (third Belzer rebbe), third Belzer Rebbe, half-brother and Spokesperson, spokesman for the Aharon Rokeach, fourth Rebbe and father of the Yissachar Dov Rokeach (fifth Belzer rebbe), fifth Rebbe

References

External links

*
Bełz
(Belz) in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland (1880)
Google location

Blog for people who are researching ancestors in Belz
* {{Authority control Belz, Cities in Lviv Oblast Cities of district significance in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine Historic Jewish communities in Ukraine Capitals of former nations