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Lublin
Lublin (pop. approx. 350,000) is the capital of the Lublin voivodship. It is situated at the junction of two plateaus (Nałęcz and Świdnik) on the Bystrzyca river and its tributaries: the Czechówka and Czerniejówka rivers.
Worth seeing:
- The Royal Castle, built by Kazimierz the Great, with a dungeon dating back to the thirteenth century and a chapel from the fourteenth century (featuring a wall-painting from 1418);
- The Old Town;
- Cathedral of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist dating back to 1592-1604, which was designed by J. M. Bernardoni, with a facade by A. Corazzi from 1819 (especially unusual is the acoustic room of the sacristy);
- The Dominican monastery with the late Gothic church of St. Stanislaw the Bishop (reconstructed in the seventeenth century);
- The Old Town Hall, which from 1579 was the seat of the Crown Tribunal; it was reconstructed in 1781 by D. Merlini, which currently houses the Wedding Palace;
- Buildings from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries;
- The classical New Town Hall. Built during the years 1827-1828, the seat of municipal government;
- City gates: the Kraków and Grodzka gates.
Brief history
The first settlements in this area existed as early as the sixth and seventh centuries. In the tenth and eleventh centuries there was a trading settlement. From the twelfth century onwards, there was an important defensive stronghold here protecting Polish lands from the east. The name Lublin comes from the make name Lubel, and was first mentioned in a document from 1198 in a letter of donors of the order of the Holy Sepulcher of Miechów, indicating that a church headed by an archdeacon existed in Lublin as early as the twelfth century. During the thirteenth century, Lublin was attacked many times by the Tatars, Jaćwings and Rus'. The city's oldest churches date back to this period as well: St. Michael's, the Dominican church and St. Nicholas's in Czwartek.
Lublin was granted its town charter in 1317. In 1341, the Tatars completely destroyed the town. At that time, king Kazimierz the Great built the city's walls and other defensive fortifications, of which the Krakow and Grodzka gates have survived. The growth of trade with Rus' and customs privileges contributed to the city's quick development. The existence of a City Council was first mentioned in 1377; soon thereafter the office of mayor was established.
Lublin became an economic, political and cultural center and the main center for trade between the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. King Władysław Jagiełło granted Lublin a privilege consisting of the right to store goods with an eight-day limit as well as a sixteen-day fair. Kazimierz III Jagiellon allowed the number of fairs to be increased to four a year, which had a significant impact on the city's further development and wealth. They became so famous that traders from both east and west flocked to them, and they even became the subject of literary texts (such as that of author Sebastian Fabian Klonowic). In 1447, the town was raised to the rank of voivodship capital. Poles, Jews, Armenians, Hungarians, Germans, Scots and Italians lived there. The town was ravaged by fire several times, which destroyed most of its Gothic buildings.
In 1569 a real union was concluded between the Crown and Lithuania linking the Polish and Lithuanian nations. An obelisk commemorating this event was erected in 1826, thanks to the efforts of Stanisław Staszic.
In 1528, the Warsaw general Sejm established the Crown Tribunal and the Main Ordinary Court for the nobles (szlachta), whose seat in Małopolska was Lublin. In 1579, the town was destroyed by a great fire. During the Reformation, various Protestants gathered in Lublin and built their churches there, including Lutherans, Calvinists and Arians.
The seventeenth century wars with the Cossacks, Russians and Swedes caused an economic decline, which led to the impoverishment of the society as a whole and a fall in the population, which also affected Lublin.
When the Polish state collapsed as a result of the Partitions, Lublin came under Austrian rule, then became part of the Duchy of Warsaw, and later was under the Russian partition, which was known as the Kingdom of Poland. In the nineteenth century, the town recovered slowly as industry and cultural life developed. Numerous social, cultural and scholarly societies were founded, as well as periodicals and a theater. When news of the November Rising came, the residents of Lublin openly supported it, which ended with repressions by the partitioning powers, the imposition of high contributions, confiscations, and exile to Siberia of the most ardent patriots. Lublin became the seat of the guberniia, and was governed by a military leader named General Józef Hurko.
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During the 1860s, political life revived once again when patriotic demonstrations were organized in Lublin, following Warsaw's example. Signs of national mourning were worn and underground organizations were founded. No uprising broke out, however: a strong Russian garrison was stationed in the town and insurgents were recruited mainly from among high school students. They took part in the fighting near Lubartów. After the uprising failed, the city was subjected to various repressions and Russification. Some leaders of the uprising were executed and many were imprisoned at the Castle, while many others were exiled far into Russia's interior. Catholic monasteries and cultural institutions were liquidated and it was decreed that an Orthodox church be built on Plac Litewski (Lithuanian Square).
The establishment of a rail line linking Lublin, Warsaw and Kowel brought about an upturn in the economy. Though there was no single most important industry in the town, agricultural products processing and the manufacturing of agricultural equipment dominated. The Land Credit Society played an important role in this respect.
The Revolution of 1905-1907 made clear Polish intentions about independence. Poles regained their statehood only after the First World War ended, however: on 3 November 1918, Lublin returned to Polish hands. During those turbulent days, Lublin became the seat of the Temporary Popular Government of the Polish Republic headed by Ignacy Daszyński.
Kowalska street. Photo: A.Olej&K. Kobus:
During the interwar period the city had a variety of political, economic and cultural institutions. The Catholic University of Lublin, the Jesuit college "Bobulanum" and the Wise Men of Lublin College were founded. These institutions of higher learning all helped shape the town's new identity. The press and publishing activities also developed. In 1932, the Writers' Union and in 1937 the Lublin Union of Cultural Work were founded. In addition, a Friends of Science Society and Music Society also existed. One new thing from an economic point of view was the Plage-Laśkiewicz airplane factory, which was nationalized and reorganized in 1936. It was renamed the Lublin Airplane Factory and was the largest industrial plant in the town at that time. It was completely destroyed by the bombing in 1939. In 1936, Lublin was made part of the central Industrial District.
The first German bombs fell on the city on 2 September 1939. At first, Lublin became the headquarters of ministries that had been evacuated from Warsaw. After fierce fighting, the Germans occupied the city on 18 September 1939. The castle became a Gestapo prison through which over 40,000 people would pass. It was one of the largest in the Generalgouvernement. In September 1941, the Germans opened the Majdanek concentration camp, which was the second largest in the Polish lands after Auschwitz. The resistance was active in Lublin conducting intelligence activities, running an underground press, smuggling weapons, and illegally producing grenades. Home Army detachments began the battle for the city on 22 July 1944. on 25 July 1944, an attack by the Soviet army led to the city's liberation. Despite being liberated from the Germans, Lublin did not regain full freedom. The Soviet NKVD took over the prison at the Castle and used it for Home Army soldiers, members of resistance organizations and those accused of crimes against the new government. By 1954, approximately 35,000 people passed through its cells.
The two governments coexisted until the last days of July 1944, when the District Delegation of the Polish Government in exile in London was ousted. The Soviet and Polish government security apparatuses liquidated the Home Army, whose soldiers were forced to give up their arms, were arrested and imprisoned. The government was taken over by PKWN, the Polish Committee for National Liberation, much had been formed in Moscow and was under its control. Lublin served as the capital of areas that had been liberated from German occupation. PKWN was transformed into a Provisional Government and moved to Warsaw.
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