Bia?ystok : Poland
Bia?ystok (pronounce: [b?a:wist?k]) (Belarusian: ????????, Lithuanian: Balstog?) is the largest city (pop. 291,300 in 2004) in north-eastern Poland and the capital of Podlasie Voivodship since 1999, previously of Bialystok Voivodship (1921-1998). Bia?ystok is located in north-eastern Poland near the border with Belarus; it is the largest city and the historical capital of the Podlasie region.
History
According to legend, Bialystok was given its name by the Lithuanian prince Gediminas in about 1320. The first mention of the place in historical sources dates from 1437 when the land around the Bialka river was given by King Kazimierz Jagiello?czyk of Poland to Raczko Tabutowicz, then in 1547 it passed to the Wiesio?owski family. They built a brick castle and a church here. In 1645 after the death of Krzysztof Wiesio?owski, the last of the clan, Bia?ystok became the property of the Commonwealth. In 1661 it was given to Stefan Czarniecki as a reward for his service in the victory over the Swedes. Four years later, as a dowry of his daughter Alexandra, it passed to the Branicki family.
In the second half of the 18th century Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki, a commander in chief, became the heir of the Bia?ystok area. It was he who transformed the previously existing abode into the magnificent residence of a great noble. Several artists and scientists came to Bia?ystok to take advantage of Branicki’s patronage. Bialystok received its city charter in 1749.
After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795 it first belonged to the Prussian Kingdom, then after the Peace of Tilsit signed in 1807 it passed to Russia. During the 19th century the city became a major centre of textile industry. Due to an industrial boom the population grew from 13,787 in 1857, and 56,629 in 1889, to 65,781 in 1901. In this period the majority of the city’s population was Jewish.
After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, first heavy bombing of the town took place on 20 April 1915. On 13 August 1915 German soldiers appeared in Bia?ystok. The city was included to Ober Ost occupational region, in July of 1918 it was made part of Lithuanian Province and became capital of the Southern Lithuania government precinct. On February 19, 1919 the city was taken by Poland. During 1920, when overrun by Soviet forces during the Polish-Soviet War, it briefly served as headquarters of the Polish Revolutionary Committee headed by Julian Marchlewski, which attempted to declare the Polish Soviet Socialist Republic.
In the years 1920-1939 the city was again part of independent Poland. In September 1939, Bia?ystok was occupied by the German army, then by the Red Army. On June 27, 1941, Bia?ystok again fell into German hands, as a result of the invasion of the Soviet Union. From the very beginning, the Germans pursued a ruthless policy of pillage and extermination of the non-German population. The numerous Jewish population, some 50-60 thousand, were confined in a Ghetto, which during August 1941 was exterminated. On 24 July 1941 German troops locked over 3,000 Jews within the Great Synagogue (the largest wooden synagogue in Eastern Europe) and burned it down.
A number of anti-fascist groups came into existence in Bia?ystok during the first weeks of the occupation. In the following years, there developed a well-organized resistance movement.
In the last year of the occupation, a clandestine upper Commercial School came into existence. The pupils of the school also took part in the underground resistance movement. As a result, some of them were jailed, some killed and others deported to concentration camps.
Famous people
Birthplace for
Boris Kaufman
Dziga Vertov (Kaufman) – A Soviet documentary film and newsreel director.
Maxim Litvinov (Wallach-Finkelstein)
Meyer Meisler – The second fastest paperhanger in New York.
Albert Sabin – Polio Vaccine.
Izabella Scorupco (Skorupko) – Actress.
L. L. Zamenhof – The creator of Esperanto.
Politics
Bialystok constituency
Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Bialystok constituency
Edmund Borawski, PSL
W?odzimierz Cimoszewicz, SLD-UP
Ciruk Barbara, SLD-UP
Czerniawski Mieczys?aw, SLD-UP
Czu? Aleksander, SLD-UP
Czykwin Eugeniusz, SLD-UP
Fedorowicz Andrzej, LPR
Jurgiel Krzysztof, PiS
Kami?ski Micha?, PiS
Krutul Piotr, LPR
Laskowski Jzef, Samoobrona
Mioduszewski Jzef, PSL
Wi?niowska Genowefa, Samoobrona
Zagrski Marek, PO
Zaworski Jan, SLD-UP
Zieli?ski Jaros?aw, PiS
