Nur | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Church of Saint John the Apostle | |
  Nur | |
| Coordinates:52°40′N22°18′E / 52.667°N 22.300°E /52.667; 22.300 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Masovian |
| County | Ostrów Mazowiecka |
| Gmina | Nur |
| Population | |
• Total | 760 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | WOR |
| Website | http://www.gminanur.pl |
Nur[nur] is a village inOstrów Mazowiecka County,Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland.[1] It is the seat of thegmina (administrative district) calledGmina Nur.
In 2006, the village had a population of 760.
Nur has a long and rich history. In theKingdom of Poland, it was one of main administrative centers of the province ofMazovia, and the seat of a separate administrative district (ziemia). In the earlyMiddle Ages, Nur was a trade center, with a Roman Catholic parish established here probably in the 12th century.
Nur received its town charter either in 1410, or 1425. A localvogt was established, with town council. Until 1526, Nur was part of theDuchy of Mazovia, which was a Polishvassal. After annexation of Mazovia into Poland, and creation ofMasovian Voivodeship, theLand of Nur consisted of threecounties:Kamieniec Mazowiecki, Ostrów Mazowiecka, and Nur, which also was the seat of astarosta,Sejmik, and land court for the three counties.
The Land of Nur had been established in 1377, during a meeting of Mazovian dukes inSochaczew. Its total area was 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi): KamieniecCastellany, later renamed into Kamieniec County, had the area of 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi), Nur County 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), and Ostrów County 500 km2 (190 sq mi). Boundaries of the Land of Nur remained unchanged for over 400 years, until thePartitions of Poland.
In the 16th century, during thePolish Golden Age, Nur prospered. The town had 263 houses, a number of craftsmen and merchants, a brewery, afolwark, eightwatermills and four fairs a year. Due to its convenient location along theBug river waterway, Nur was an important trade center, with goods sent along the Bug and theVistula to theBaltic Sea port ofGdańsk.
In December 1640, KingWładysław IV Vasa announced that thesejmiks be moved from Nur to Ostrów Mazowiecka, but in 1647, theSejm inWarsaw decided to move them back to Nur. In 1648, during theKhmelnytsky Uprising, the Land of Nur equipped 100 cavalrymen, sending them south to fight the enemy.
TheSwedish invasion of Poland (1655–1660) was a disaster for the town. It was completely destroyed, and has never regained its prominence. The parish church was not rebuilt until 1693, and by 1777, the number of houses was only 63. The last starosta of Nur, Karol Wodzyński, participated inKościuszko Uprising (1794).
Since 1815, Nur belonged toRussian-controlledCongress Poland. In 1827, its population was 514, with 75 houses. The town continued its decline: in 1853, the church was dismantled, and replaced with a wooden chapel. By 1860, the population grew to 813, including 299 Jews. In 1869, followingJanuary Uprising, Nur lost its town charter. FollowingWorld War I, Poland regained independence and control of Nur.
During theGerman occupation of Poland (World War II), on 4 August 1944, German troops committed a massacre of some 120 Poles, and even animals were killed (see alsoNazi crimes against the Polish nation).[2]
