Miechów | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Miechów | |
| Coordinates:50°21′28″N20°1′57″E / 50.35778°N 20.03250°E /50.35778; 20.03250 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Lesser Poland |
| County | Miechów |
| Gmina | Miechów |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dariusz Marczewski |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.49 km2 (5.98 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 11,497 |
| • Density | 742.2/km2 (1,922/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 32–200 |
| Car plates | KMI |
| Website | https://www.miechow.eu/ |
Miechów[ˈmʲɛxuf] is a town in southernPoland, inLesser Poland Voivodeship, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north ofKraków.[1] It is the capital ofMiechów County. Population is 11,852 (2004). Miechów lies on the Miechówka river, alongEuropean route E77. The area of the town is 15 square kilometres (6 sq mi), and it has a rail station, located on the main railroad which connects Kraków withWarsaw.
In the early years of the Polish state, the area of Miechów belonged to the medieval tribe of theVistulans. In the late 10th century, the region was taken over by thePolans. The beginning of Miechów dates back to the year 1163, when a PolishDuke of Pomerania Jaksa of theHouse of Griffins, who owned the village, invited monks of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre. Apart from Miechów, prince Jaksa handed two other villages to the order.
The new church with a monastery was blessed by the Bishop of Kraków Gędka in 1170. Miechów took advantage of the presence of the order. The settlement expanded together with the abbey, and in 1290 princePrzemysł II granted it the town charter based onMagdeburg rights. Despite convenient location along merchant routes, Miechów grew very slowly, due to numerous wars and conflicts. In the early 14th century, the town was burned down byPrince of Masovia Bolesław, who supportedWładysław Łokietek. This incident took place during theRebellion of wójt Albert, in which the town and the abbey supported the rebels. As a result, the monks were forced to leave Poland for a few years. After their return, King Łokietek banned Germans from the post of the abbot of the monastery. In the second half of the 15th century Miechów burned several times, and in the early 16th century, it had 70 houses. In 1525 the abbey was expanded, when Chapel of Tomb of Christ was built. Pilgrims from all over Poland began to come here. Miechów had a wooden town hall in the market square.
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In 1790, the population of Miechów was 1,300. The town was annexed byAustria inThird Partition of Poland in 1795. After the Polish victory in theAustro-Polish War of 1809, it became part of the short-livedDuchy of Warsaw, and after the duchy's dissolution in 1815, it fell to theRussian-controlledCongress Poland. It was the seat of a county in Kraków Voivodeship, and on January 16, 1816, Miechów became the capital of the voivodeship, as the city of Kraków itself did not belong to theRussian Empire. A few months later, on August 6, 1816, the capital of the province was moved toKielce. In 1830, a modern road was completed fromWarsaw to Kraków; furthermore, small enterprises were opened in Miechów. During theJanuary Uprising (Feb. 17, 1863), Polish rebels tried to seize the town, but failed. In retribution, Russian soldiers set Miechów on fire, after which its population was reduced by 50%. In 1885 Miechów received a rail connection withDąbrowa Górnicza and Kielce, due to a station at a nearby village ofCharsznica.
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On August 8, 1914, soldiers of theFirst Cadre Company entered Miechów, on their way to Kielce. The town remained under Austrian occupation until November 1918, when Poland regained independence. In the interwar period, it was a county seat in theKielce Voivodeship. In 1934, the government of theSecond Polish Republic completed the rail line from Kraków toTunel, which provided direct connection between Kraków and Warsaw. As a result, Miechów finally received its own train station.
DuringWorld War II, firstWehrmacht units entered Miechów on September 6, 1939. UnderGerman occupation the town belonged to Kraków District of theGeneral Government. Miechów was an important center of theHome Army. From the beginning of its occupation, Germans terrorized the Jewish population, robbing them of their possessions, kidnapping them forforced labour, and one night in April 1940, breaking into homes, attacking men and raping women, and then forcing the Jews to burn holy books in a bonfire and to sing and dance around it. In March 1941, Jews were forced into aghetto which also included Jews from some surrounding villages. They could take only what they could carry into their new residences. In August 1942, 600 sick and elderly Jews were taken toSłomniki where they were held without food and water for several days and then some were shot on the spot and dumped into open pits. Some were sent to labor camps. Others were sent to theBelzec extermination camp where they were murdered immediately. In September 1942, German police units surrounded the ghetto and forced Jews to a field near the train station. Jews from other nearby towns were also taken there. From the thousands assembled, 800 or so men were sent to labor camps. The rest were sent to Belzec in trains coated with lime. These actions were typical of the fate of Jews in towns and villages throughout Poland during theHolocaust. Only a few Miechów Jews survived of the 2500 who lived there at the beginning of the war.[2]
Germans retreated on January 16, 1945 so quickly, that the town was not destroyed. After the war, Miechów was transferred fromKielce Voivodeship toKraków Voivodeship. It was the seat of a large county, with such towns, asProszowice,Słomniki andKsiąż Wielki.
LocalNature reserves include: “Lipny Dół” in vicinity of Książ Wielki, “Biała Góra” in Tunel, and “Złota Góra” in Jaksice village. Near the Old Market Square there is a zero-category historic monument – the basilica and monastery of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Order, founded in 1163. The monastery introduced the cult of the Holy Sepulchre in Poland. St. Vit Modest and Crescence Church in Nasiechowice and a wooden temple of Mother of Church in Przesławice are also notable.[3]
The Jewishsynagogue, located at 10 Adama Mickiewicza Street was built in the early 20th century. However, during theGerman occupation of Poland the synagogue was devastated by theNazis and after World War II became municipal property, no longer serving its religious purpose. At present, the completely rebuilt synagogue houses a popular café.
An important local personality wasMaciej of Miechów,Polish Renaissance scholar,doctor of medicine, canon, astrologist, historian, who was elected eight times asRector of theAcademy of Kraków. He's the author of the "Tractatus de duabus Sarmatiis" (Treatise on the Two Sarmatias),[4] considered the first accurate geographical andethnographical description ofEastern Europe. Among other people from Miechów there isEmanuel Tanay. The Polish diplomat and juristMieczysław Maneli was born in and grew up in Miechów.
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