Mińsk Mazowiecki
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Mińsk Mazowiecki ([[,miɲsk mazɔ'vi̯eʦki]][Media help?]·[i]) is a town in central Poland with 36,791 inhabitants (as of 2003). Situated in the Masovian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Siedlce Voivodship (1975-1998). It is the capital of Mińsk County.
History
The history of Mińsk Mazowiecki dates back to over 600 years. It is one of the oldest cities of eastern Mazovia. Since 14th century Mińsk had been a market settlement and it was then known as Mieńsk, Mensko or Mińsk, the name probably deriving from The River Mienia. It is assumed that the name of the river (Mienia deriving from the Polish verb "mienić" meaning "shimmer") is connected with its shimmering and silvery waters owing their colour to iron ore deposits found in the neighbouring areas. On 29th May 1421 Mińsk was granted both foundation and city charter by Janusz I Starszy, the Prince of Mazovia. It was one of the first foundations of a private city in Mazovia by virtue of which Jan of Gościeńczyce, a knight bearing Prus Trzeci coat of arms was granted a permission to establish a town according to the Chełm Law.In the middle Ages the city developed on the left bank of the Srebrna River and grew into an important centre of the Czersk land with significant educational, trade and craft centres. A rectangular town market (The Old Market) with the streets radiating at its corners is the only relic of those times. On the northern side of the market a parish building was erected at the wooden church by the first owner of the town in 1422.
The town of the Mińscy Family, "Mińscy" being the name assumed by the owners of the town, enjoyed its moments of glory in the 16th century. It was then that the city of Sendomierz was founded on the right bank of the Srebrna River in 1549, which, with time, became part of Mińsk. Two separate town units survived, which can be divided into two markets: the medieval market of Mińsk (the Old Market), and the renaissance market of Sendomierz (Kiliński Square).
In the 17th and 18th centuries the city experiences economic crisis. Its ownership is transferred to a lot of noble families. From the hands of the Mińscy family, for whom the greatest building of the city - a classical and baroque palace was erected, the city ad all the family estate pass on to the hands of the Hlebowicze family bearing the Leliwa coat of arms (thus the leliwa id the city's coat of arms), the Opalińscy family bearing the Łodzia coat of arms and the Borzęccy family bearing the Półkozic coat of arms. After Poland had lost its independence, Mińsk became part of the Austrian annexed territory and in 1815 - a part of the Russian annexed territory. In 1868 the authorities of the annexed territories change the city' name from Mińsk to Nowomińsk. In the period of national upbringings the city and surrounding areas witness a lot of skirmishes, battles and marches of insurgent and Russian troops (1830-31 and 1863-64). It is worth mentioning here the tragic plot of insurgents of Marcin Borelowski's unit fighting in the January Upbringing of 1863, who were hung by the Russians on the trees along Siennicka street.
In 19th century due to the rebuilding of the Brześć Route and the construction of Warsaw - Terespol railway line the city experiences an economic boom. It is then that in the southern part of the city the branch of Warsaw Company - Joint Stock Association of Machine and Cast Plant, K. Rudzki was established. The company gained international fame owing to the construction of the first welded road bridges in Europe. Michał Elwiro Andriolli, a graphic artist and painter, whose life and works are connected with the history of the city, lived and created works of art around the 2nd half of the 19th century. In 1870 the last family to own the Miński family estate is the Dernałowicz family bearing the Lubicz coat of arms (until 1944). In 1916 the city is given the official name of Mińsk Mazowiecki.
On 11th of November 1918 Mińsk is freed by the Polish Army Organization. Two years later the city witnessed the last episode of the Warsaw Battle in the period of Polish and Soviet War. The battle, which took place on 17th August 1920 and led to the liberation of the city, is referred to as "A Miracle on the Vistula River". it was then that the city was the host to General Józef Haller Józef Piłsudski, Commander in Chief.
In the interwar period of the 20s of the 20th century the city undergoes development. Mińsk undergoes electrification. Education is developed and many cultural institutions are established. The city expands.
On 13th September 1939 the areas close to Mińsk Mazowiecki witness the battle fought by The Operational Group of General Władysław Anders's cavalry. Under the German occupation in 1939-1945 the city and its neighbouring areas were the place of underground activity conducted both by civilians and soldiers (ZWZ/AK underground organizations code-named "Mewa-Jamnik-Kamień"). Mińsk did not sustain many material losses. However, it is the local population which sustained heavy losses especially due to the extermination of the Jews. The city was liberated by AK (the National Polish Army) soldiers as part of operation code-named "Burza" ("Storm") on 30th July 1944.
After the Second World War the city was developed and modernised and it became a significant administrative, industrial, trade, culture and education centre. Pursuant to administrative reform as of 1stJanuary 1999 Mińsk Mazowiecki was again, after 24 years' interval, the seat of Mińsk county authorities and a part of Mazovia province. Today Minsk is a dynamically developing city with still growing population. In Mińsk one can find the whole spectrum of attractions - from numerous relics of the past to modern things. Since 1936 the city's coat of arms has been the Leliwa with an eight-pointed star which can be seen on the red and blue flag of the city. Since the 90s of the 20th century John the Baptist has been the patron saint of the city.
Twin city
- Krnov, Bruntál District, North Moravian Region, Czech Republic
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