Europe Travel Guide

Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 27,000 inhabitants (1995).

Situated in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodship (1975-1998). It is the capital of Sandomierz County (since 1999).

Old town in Sandomierz is one of most well known among Polish cities.

History
Sandomierz is one of the oldest and historically most significant cities in Poland. Archeological finds around the city indicate that humans inhabited the area since neolithic times. The city came into existence in the early Middle Ages, taking advantage of an excellent location at the junction of Vistula and San rivers, and on the path of important trade routes. The first known historical mention of the city comes from the early 12th century, when the chronicler Gallus Anonymus ranked it together with Krakow and Wroclaw as one of the main cities of Poland. In the testament of Boleslaw Krzywousty, in which he divided Poland among his sons, Sandomierz was designated as a capital of one of the resulting principalities.

In the course of the 13th century the city suffered grievous damage during raids by Mongols. The old wooden buildings of the town were completely destroyed. As a result, in 1286 the city was effectively refounded by Leszek Czarny, under Magdeburg Law. The founding document is still preserved in the city archives.

After Polish lands were reunified in the 14th century, the former principality became the Sandomierz Voivodship, incorporating large areas of southeastern Poland. At this time Sandomierz had about 3000 inhabitants and was one of the larger Polish cities. In the middle of the 14th century the city was burned again during a raid by the Lithuanians. It was rebuilt during the rule of king Casimir the Great. The layout of the city has survived practically unchanged since that time until the present day.

Sanok (in full The Royal Free City of Sanok, Polish: Krlewskie Wolne Miasto Sanok) is a town in south-eastern Poland with 41,400 inhabitants (1995).

Sanok contains an open air museum in the Biala Gora district, where specimens of every kind of country building from all the region’s main ethnic groups (Bojkowie, Lemkowie, Dolinianie and Pogorzanie) have been moved here and carefully reassembled in a skansen evoking rural everyday life in the 1800s.

Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Krosno Voivodship (1975-1998).

Sejny (Lithuanian Seinai) is a town in north-eastern Poland, in Podlasie Voivodship, close to the border with Lithuania and Belarus. It is located in the eastern part of the Suwa?ki Lake Area (Pojezierze suwalskie), on the Marycha river, being a tributary of Czarna Ha?cza. As of 1999 it had almost 6.500 permanent inhabitants, with many more inhabitating the area in the tourist season, and was the capital of a separate powiat.

History

Early history
In the early Middle Ages the area of modern Sejny was inhabitated by the Yotvingians, one of the Baltic Tribes that had arived to the area in the 1st millenium. After the internal struggles of 13th century their areas were subject to expansion from both Masovia and Lithuania. In the effect of the expansion of the Teutonic Order, the area was almost entirely depopulated and only small remnants of the Yotvingian settlements remained to our times. In 14th century the area was a scene of constant struggles between the Lithuanians and the Teutons and indeed the first written mention of the area where the town now lies dates back to 1385 and mentions an armed raid of the German knights from Merecz to Gi?ycko.

After the Teutonic-Lithuanian border was established in 1422, the forests in the area started to be gradually repopulated. New roads were paved an one of them, leading from Ber?niki through what is now Sejny to Merecz, became a notable trade route. In 1510 Micha? Pac became the governor of the area and founded the settlement of Ber?niki. This started a period of fast settlement of post-Yotvingian lands. According to a legend, the town of Sejny was started by three of the old knights of king W?adys?aw Jagie??o, who after the Battle of Grunwald was to grant them with a land parcel in what is now Sejny. The three were very old and named the settlement accordingly Seni, which is Latin word for Old Men. The name was then allegedly transfered into Sejny. However, there are no archaeological findings or documents that would back this legend up.

Siedlce (pronounce: [??edl??]) is a town in eastern Poland with 76,943 inhabitants (2004). Situated in the Masovian Voivodship (since 1999), previously capital of Siedlce Voivodship (1975-1998).

Siemianowice ?l?skie is a town in south Poland with 78,100 inhabitants (1995).

Situated in the Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Katowice Voivodship (1975-1998).

Famous people:
Wojciech Korfanty

Siemiatycze is a town in north-eastern Poland. Situated in the Podlasie Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Bialystok Voivodship (1975-1998).

Sieniawa is a town in south-eastern Poland with 2,200 inhabitants (1998).

Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship (since 1999).

Sieradz is a town on Warta river in central Poland with 44,700 inhabitants (1995). It is situated in the Lodz Voivodship (since 1999), and was previously the capital of Sieradz Voivodship (1975-1998).

Sierakw (English: Sierakow German: Zirke) is a town in western Poland with 6022 inhabitants (1998). Located by the Warta River, situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Poznan Voivodship (1975-1998).

Major corporations
Glass Work Majchrzak
WartaGlass
Meat Plant “BARTEK

Siewierz is a city in Poland.

In the past Siewierz has been a part of Silesia and in 1445 it was bought by the bishop of Cracow. In 1795, Siewierz became a part of New Silesia (German Neuschlesien).