Przedbórz is a town in
Radomsko County
__NOTOC__
Radomsko County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland. It came into being on 1 January 1999 as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its a ...
,
Łódź Voivodeship
Łódź Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province is named after its capital and largest city, Łódź, pronounced .
Łódź Voivodeship is bordered by six other voivodeships: Masovian Voivodeship ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, with 3,458 inhabitants (2020).
Przedbórz is situated on the
Pilica River in the northwestern corner of the historic province of
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name ''Małopolska'' (; ), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate cult ...
. From its foundation until the
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
, it belonged to Lesser Poland’s
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship (, ) was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Poland region and the Lesser Poland Province. Originally Sandomier ...
.
Etymology
The origins of the name of the town are not known. There are two explanations - it either comes from its location ''przed borem'' - in front of the wilderness, because in the Middle Ages Przedbórz was surrounded by the vast forests of the Pilica Wilderness and Holy Mountains Wilderness; or from an ancient Slavic first name ''Przedbor'', which was popular in the early Middle Ages (a person named Przedbor might have founded a settlement here).
History
Przedbórz (known in the past as ''Predbor, Predbrij, Pridborz, Przedborzs, Przedborze'') is first mentioned in documents dating from 1145 as being under the jurisdiction of the
Trzemeszno Monastery. King
Kazimierz Wielki granted it the status of a city in 1370. He also built a castle, and frequently visited the town during his hunting trips. The Polish king
Władysław Jagiełło Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to:
People Mononym
* Włodzis ...
also visited Przedbórz on several occasions. Przedbórz was a
royal town of the Kingdom of Poland, administratively located in the Chęciny County in the
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship (, ) was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Lesser Poland region and the Lesser Poland Province. Originally Sandomier ...
in the
Lesser Poland Province In 1512, Przedbórz had a school and a large brewery. In 1638, a fire destroyed the town and it was completely destroyed again by the Swedes in 1655 during the
Deluge
A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood.
The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the biblical book of Genesis.
Deluge or Le Déluge may also refer to:
History
*Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-L ...
. The 2nd Polish National Cavalry Brigade was stationed in Przedbórz in 1793.
During the
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
Przedbórz was a border town for a short period of time when the Austrian - Prussian border was established along the Pilica river in 1795. In 1807 Przedbórz was regained by the Poles and included within the short-lived
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
, and after its dissolution, it passed to
Russian-controlled Congress Poland
Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of 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 was established w ...
in 1815. In the 19th century Przedbórz emerged as a local center of industry. In 1823, a cloth factory was opened by Wojciech Lange and a town hall was built in 1838–1840. During the
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...
a battle between the insurgents and the Russians took place here (June 27, 1863). In the
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 ...
, Przedbórz, as part of
Końskie
Końskie () is a town in south-central Poland with 20,328 inhabitants (2008), situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. Historically, Końskie belongs to the province of Lesser Poland, and since its foundation, until 1795 (see Partitions of P ...
County was a part of the
Kielce Voivodeship. On the other side of the Pilica river the suburban community of Widoma had 340 residents in 1862. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the area of Przedbórz was a center of resistance where units of Major
Henryk Dobrzański were active. On Feb. 10, 1944, the
Home Army
The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...
attacked Przedbórz, destroying several facilities.
A Jewish community is documented as being established in Przedbórz by 1570. At the beginning of the Second World War, the town was 60% Jewish.
["Berkeley Congregation Plans to Re-Create 17th Century Temple," Margie Mason, Los Angeles Times, January 26, 200]
/ref>
In the interwar Przedbórz, the Jewish community was considered large. This meant that the commune included the town of Przedbórz, the suburb of Widoma and a number of suburban settlements: Majowa Góra, Chałupki Trzecie, Chałupki Drugie, Miejskie Pola Dzień and Miejskie Pola Drugie. The commune management board was located at 36 Mostowa Street. The commune management board was elected for a 4-year term in general, equal, secret, direct and proportional elections. There are 12 people on the commune's management board. Among them were, among others: Szaja Grynblat, Aron Cukier, Zalcman Szpiro, Szmul Dawid Gotesman, Szyja Niepomieniny, Szlama Rubin, Abram Hersz Landau, Emanuel Woliński, Jankiel Mały, Jakub Szlama. The community owned two synagogues165, two school buildings, two steam baths and a cemetery. In the Second Polish Republic in Przedbórz, the rabbi was Nusyn Dawid Grynbaum, and the cantor was Moszek Halper.
Before the Second World War, tourists would travel to Przedbórz to visit the architecturally notable Przedbórz Synagogue.
In January 1940, the Germans established a ghetto where they gathered 4,600 Jews. In 1942, the Germans liquidated the ghetto
A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...
and all Jews were murdered at Treblinka extermination camp
Treblinka () was the second-deadliest extermination camp to be built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Mas ...
. After the war, in 1945, 9 Jews returned to Przedbórz, they were later attacked by antisemitic members of the NSZ. The Jews were tied and taken away in a lorry to a forest in Radoszyce, where they were shot. It is not known if there were other survivors.
A different picture of the crime emerged in a book by Dominik Flisiak published in 2024. The anti-Jewish crime in Przedbórz took place on the night of May 27–28, 1945. The person who directly participated in this attack was Kazimierz Jezierski. In committing the crime, Jezierski was most likely supported by Mieczysław Król, Stefan Hoffman and Jan Marciński. It should be emphasized that some of the perpetrators of the crime had a history of serving in the National Armed Forces. Among these people were: Feliks Sokołowski, Józef Sokołowski and Jan Maciński.
The attackers' motive was anti-Semitism. Their primary goal was to murder Jews who managed to survive World War II. The victims were pre-war inhabitants of this region, i.e. Przedbórz and the immediate vicinity of this town. The victims were not related to supporters of the changes taking place in post-war Poland. These were people who were victims/witnesses of the Holocaust, which was carried out by the Third Reich.
According to the testimony of Dr. Hampel, which is in the resources of Yad-Vashem, shows that 7 Jews were killed in Przedbórz. The victims were: Josel Maszlak, Lejzor Lizband, Becalel Wyszyński, Sara Litwin, Chil Sholem the Immemorial, Izrael Blumenzon, Szlomo Szwarc and Pincze Miedziński. Some of the stolen property was distributed among the gang members. The victims' small possessions consisted mainly of clothes, two old hat making machines, bedding and a bicycle.[Dominik Flisiak, Antyżydowska zbrodnia w Przedborzu. Pytania, źródła, odpowiedzi, Stara Szuflada, Chrzan, 2024, p. 195]
Przedbórz gives its name to the nearby protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
known as Przedbórz Landscape Park
Przedbórz Landscape Park (''Przedborski Park Krajobrazowy'') is a protected area (Landscape Park (Poland), landscape park) in central Poland, established in 1988, covering an area of .
The Park is shared between two voivodeships of Poland, voi ...
.
Points of Interest
* Church of Saint Alex (1278), rebuilt in 1341 and 1659.
* Tenement houses from the 18th and 19th centuries.
* Ruins of a 14th-century castle, which was burned in 1655, and abandoned in 1765.
Notable People
* Rabbi Moshe Biderman of Lelov (1776-1851), Rabbi of Przedbórz from 1843 until 1850
* Meyer Ryshpan (1898-1985), Canadian painter
References
External links
Information at www.jewishgen.org
An old map
* ttp://www.przedborz.com.pl/index.php Przedbórz website
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Łódź Voivodeship
Radomsko County
Historic Jewish communities in Poland
Holocaust locations in Poland