Będzin | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Civitas Regi Bendzinensis | |
  Będzin  Będzin | |
| Coordinates:50°20′N19°7′E / 50.333°N 19.117°E /50.333; 19.117 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Silesian |
| County | Będzin |
| Gmina | Będzin(urban gmina) |
| Established | 9th century |
| City rights | 1358 |
| Government | |
| • City mayor | Łukasz Komoniewski (L) |
| Area | |
• Total | 37.37 km2 (14.43 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 260 m (850 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 382 m (1,253 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 55,183 |
| • Density | 1,477/km2 (3,830/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 42-500 |
| Area code | +48 32 |
| Primary airport | Katowice Airport |
| Car plates | SBE |
| National roads |   |
| Voivodeship roads |  |
| Website | http://www.bedzin.pl |
Będzin (Polish:[ˈbɛɲd͡ʑin]ⓘ; also seen spelledBendzin;Yiddish:בענדין,romanized: Bendin) is acity in theDąbrowa Basin, in southernPoland. It lies in theSilesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza River (a tributary of theVistula). Even though part ofSilesian Voivodeship, Będzin belongs to historicLesser Poland, and it is one of the oldest towns of this region. Będzin is regarded as the capital of industrial Dąbrowa Basin.
It has been situated in theSilesian Voivodeship since its formation in 1999. Before 1999, it was located in theKatowice Voivodeship. Będzin is one of the cities of the 2.7 million conurbation -Katowice urban area and within a greaterKatowice-Ostrava metropolitan area populated by about 5,294,000 people.[5] The population of the city itself as of December 2021 is 55,183.[3]
Będzin is located 12 km (7 mi) fromKatowice and 4 km (2 mi) from the center ofSosnowiec. Together with Sosnowiec,Dąbrowa Górnicza,Czeladź,Wojkowice,Sławków andSiewierz it is a part ofZagłębie Dąbrowskie, a highly industrialized and densely populated part of western Lesser Poland. Będzin borders the cities of Sosnowiec, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Czeladź,Siemianowice Śląskie, and Wojkowice, as well as the village ofPsary. The highest point of the town is St. Dorothy Mountain 382 m (1,253 ft)above sea level, and the area of Będzin is 37.37 km2 (14.43 sq mi).[2]
Będzin is divided into eight districts:Grodziec in 1951–1975 was a separate town,Gzichów is part of Będzin since 1915,Ksawera is part of Będzin since 1923,Łagisza in 1967–1973 was a separate town,Małobądz is part of Będzin since 1915,Śródmieście is the historic center,Warpie is part of Będzin since 1923.
The name Będzin most probably comes from ancient Polishgiven nameBeda orBedzan. In the past, the town was also called Banden, Bandin, Bandzien, Bondin, Bandzen, Bandzin, Badzin, Bendzin, and Bendsburg (1939–1945).
First mention of the village of Będzin comes from 1301, but a settlement (or agrod) had existed here since the 9th century, guarding ancient trade route fromKyiv to Western Europe. In the 1340s, a town was founded here, with KingCasimir III the Great building a stone strongpoint. On August 5, 1358, Będzin wasincorporated as a town, and became aroyal city of Poland, administratively located in theKraków Voivodeship in theLesser Poland Province.
In the Jagiellonian period Będzin, located on the border between Lesser Poland and Silesia, was a major trade center. In 1565 KingSigismund II Augustus allowed the town to have five markets a week, and in 1589, atBędzin Castle, Polish–Austrian negotiations took place. At that time, aJewish community already existed here. In 1655, duringThe Deluge, both town and castle were destroyed by the Swedes, and Będzin did not recover from the destruction for many years. Following theThird Partition of Poland, in 1795 the town was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia, and was included within the newly established province ofNew Silesia. In 1807 it was regained by Poles and included in the short-livedDuchy of Warsaw and in 1815 it became part ofRussian-controlledCongress Poland.
In the late 18th century rich deposits of coal were found in the area. In the 19th century, Będzin and its vicinity enjoyed a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. New settlements and towns were founded, and the region of Zagłębie Dąbrowskie was established in southwestern corner of Congress Poland. In 1858, Będzin got its first rail connection, due to construction of theWarsaw–Vienna railway. The town increased in population and size, when town limits were expanded by including neighboring settlements. During theJanuary Uprising, in February 1863, Będzin was captured by Polish insurgents after their victory in theBattle of Sosnowiec nearby.[6]
TheBędzin Power Station was opened in 1913.
Będzin was eventually restored to Poland, when the country regained independence in 1918, afterWorld War I. In theSecond Polish Republic Będzin was an important center of local administration and industry. New rail station, waterworks, schools and offices were built.
During the Germaninvasion of Poland, which startedWorld War II, theWehrmacht entered Będzin on September 4, 1939, and in the following days the Germans committed the firstatrocities in the city. On September 6, the Germans murdered 20Poles, and on September 9, they murdered 100Jews,[7] set fire to the synagogue and Jewish houses, and then in attempt to blame the Poles they arrested and executed 42 Poles.[8] Local Polish parish priestWincenty Mieczysław Zawadzki [pl]rescued a group of Jews who escaped the German massacre by opening the gates of the Holy Trinity church to them and giving them shelter.[8] The German police carried out mass searches of Polish houses.[9] Inhabitants of Będzin were also among Poles murdered inCeliny in June 1940.[10] TheBędzin Ghetto was established by the German occupational authority in July 1940. During theoccupation, the city's name was changed to a German form,Bendsburg, and it was part ofUpper Silesia Province, as the capital ofLandkreis Bendsburg.
During the war the city was the base for a working party (E716) of British and Commonwealthprisoners of war, under the administration ofStalag VIII-B/344 atŁambinowice (then known asLamsdorf). In January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced from the east, the prisoners were marched westward in the so-called Long March or Death March. Many of them died from the bitter cold and exhaustion. The lucky ones got far enough to the west to be liberated by the allied armies after some four months of travelling on foot in appalling conditions. Their sufferings, though severe, pale by comparison to those of the Jews of Będzin (see below).[11] In 1943–1944, the Germans also operated a subcamp of theAuschwitz concentration camp in the present-day district of Łagisza, in which they held and brutalized from 300 to over 700 prisoners asforced labourers.[12]
In August 1943, as the Germans attempted to round up the last Jews still in Będzin, Jewish resistance fighters staged an armed revolt that lasted several days. One of the leaders was a woman,Frumka Plotnicka, who had earlier been a fighter in Warsaw in the ghetto revolt there.[13] All the resistance fighters were killed in the action. More than 1000 Będzin Jews survived the war, several given help by local Poles.[citation needed]
On January 27, 1945, the town was captured by theRed Army. Subsequently, the castle was rebuilt, now housing theMuseum of Zagłębie. New districts with blocks of flats were built and new factories were opened, including theŁagisza Power Station.[citation needed]
Until World War II, Będzin had avibrant Jewish community. Bedzin was known as "Yerushalayim de Zeglembie" ("Jerusalem of Zagłębie).[14] According to theRussian census of 1897, out of the total population of 21,200, Jews constituted 10,800 (around 51% percent).[15] According to thePolish census of 1921 the town had a Jewish community consisting of 17,298 people, or 62.1 percent of its total population.[16] In September 1939, the German Army (Wehrmacht) overran this area, followed by the SS death squads (Einsatzgruppen), who burned the Będzin synagogue and murdered 200 Jewish inhabitants.[17] ABędzin Ghetto was created in 1942. Eventually, in the summer of 1943, most of the Jews in Będzin were deported toAuschwitz concentration camp. After World War II, the Mizrachi synagogue was used as a storage room by residents of the building until its discovery by a member of the city council who became interested in preserving the city's Jewish heritage. The synagogue has since been renovated and is open to visitors who register in advance. Close by is another synagogue, Brama Cukerman (Cukerman's Gate), which had been turned into a residential apartment and has also been restored.[18]
Będzin is conveniently located at the intersection of two national roads - the 94th (Zgorzelec -Kraków), and the 86th (Katowice -Warsaw).Katowice International Airport is located 23 km (14 mi) away, at Pyrzowice. The town also is a rail hub, where two connections meet. Będzin has three rail stations (Będzin-Miasto,Będzin andBędzin-Ksawera), and convenient bus and tram connections to neighboring cities. The first tram line was opened there in 1928[citation needed]. At that time theBlack Przemsza River which runs through the city was also an important transport hub. The "Black" Przemsza is so named because the river bed as it flows through Będzin exposes a coal seam, making the water above it appear black[citation needed].
The city's most notable sports club isvolleyball teamMKS Będzin, which competes in thePlusLiga (Poland's top division). Other clubs includeassociation football teamsSarmacja Będzin [pl] andRKS Grodziec [pl], which compete in the lower leagues, andAmerican football teamZagłębie Steelers.
Basse-Ham, France
Kaišiadorys, Lithuania
Tatabánya, HungaryFormer twin towns:
Izhevsk, RussiaIn March 2022, Będzin terminated its partnership with the Russian city of Izhevsk as a response to the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[20]
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