Radomyśl Wielki () is a town in the
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in the southeastern corner of Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów. Along with the Marshal, it is governed by the Subcarpathian Regional As ...
, (
Mielec County
__NOTOC__
Mielec County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland. Its administrative seat and largest town is Mielec, which lies north-west of the regional capital ...
),
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 a population of 3,231 inhabitants
(30.06.2019). The town lies on a local road nr. 984, running between
Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east– ...
and
Mielec
Mielec () is the largest city and County seat, seat of Mielec County. Mielec is located in south-eastern Poland (Lesser Poland), in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Województwo Podkarpackie). The population of Mielec in December 2021 was 59,509.
...
and within the historic borders 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 ...
(not to be confused with the modern
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in the southeastern corner of Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów. Along with the Marshal, it is governed by the Subcarpathian Regional As ...
, within whose boundaries it also lies).
History
On January 31, 1581, King
Stefan Batory allowed Mikołaj Firlej, the
starosta
Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands.
The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...
of
Biecz
Biecz () () is a town and municipality in southeastern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Gorlice County. It is in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Doły Jasielsko-Sanockie, by the Ropa (river), Ropa River. Due to its rich history, it is often ...
, to grant
Magdeburg rights
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 ...
to the town of Radomyśl, located on the territory of villages Dulcza and Ruda. The area of Radomyśl had since the 14th century belonged to the Ligęza noble family (
Półkozic coat of arms). After the wedding of Elżbieta Ligęza with Mikołaj Firlej, Radomyśl passed as a
dowry
A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage.
Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...
into the hands of the
Firlej family
Firlej (plural: Firlejowie) was a Polish szlachta (nobility) family. Magnates in the 15th and 17th century.
History
According to Kasper Niesiecki, Ostafi of Lewart coat of arms came from Franconia, Germany, to Poland, in 1317, to serve Polish kin ...
. In the late 16th century, the town had a parish church, which burned in 1646. New church was funded by the Firlejs, but it was not completed until 1740. Radomyśl also had a hospital and a parish school, and 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 ...
(province).
The town was burned and looted in the
Swedish invasion of Poland
The Deluge was a series of mid-17th-century military campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In a wider sense, it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667, comprising the Pol ...
(Deluge), and it never recovered from the destruction of 1655–60. In the 18th century, first Jews settled here, and after 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 ...
, Radomyśl found itself in the Austrian province of
Galicia (1772–1918). In the mid-19th century, local peasants took part in the
Galician slaughter, and 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 ...
, residents of the town supported Polish rebels fighting in 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 the 19th century Radomyśl, located close to the Austrian - Russian border, further declined. Its population shrank, there was no industry and no prospects for the residents. The town burned several times, and the situation did not begin to slowly improve until the early 20th century. In 1907, the name of the town was changed to Radomyśl Wielki, to distinguish it from
Radomyśl nad Sanem.
In September 1914, during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Russian troops seized Radomyśl and their occupation lasted until May 1915, when they were pushed back by the Austrians. 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 ...
(1918–1939), Radomyśl belonged to
Kraków Voivodeship. The town was a local center of commerce, with several stores and businesses. Radomyśl did not take advantage of the
Central Industrial Region (Poland) in the late 1930s. No factories were built here, nevertheless, many residents moved to Dębica and Mielec in search of work. In 1934 Radomyśl regained the town charter, which it had lost in 1919.
During
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 ...
, Germans murdered most of town’s Jewish residents. Radomyśl Wielki had its own, local
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 ...
unit, which in August 1944 took part in
Operation Tempest
file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right
Operation Tempest or Operation Burza (, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home Arm ...
. As a result of the war, the population of the town was reduced from approximately 3,000 (in 1939), to 1,156 (1945). Since 90% of houses were destroyed during the war, Radomyśl does not feature many historic buildings, except for the parish church. Also, in the market square there is the only existing prototype of
PZL M-2, Polish trainer aircraft designed in
PZL Mielec.
People
*
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
(1915–2005) – father born in Radomyśl.
*
Sam Salz (1894–1981), art dealer, born in Radomyśl Wielki.
References
External links
Official town webpage
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Mielec County
Holocaust locations in Poland