Wlodawa
Encyclopedia
Włodawa w is a town in eastern Poland
on the Bug River
, close to the borders with Belarus
and Ukraine
. It has 14,800 inhabitants (2001). Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship
(since 1999). It is the capital
of Włodawa County.
Włodawa is first mentioned in historical records in 1242.
We have the first written mention of the town in an Old Slavonic chronicle which speaks about Prince Daniel staying there, escaping from the Tartars in 1241. In 1446-1447 the surrounding territories were annexed into the Duchy of Lithuania and the river Włodawka marked the border between the Duchy and the Polish Crown. In 1475 Michał i Aleksander Sanguszko received the town in exchange with the Polish King Kasimir Jagiellończyk. For the next 100 years the town became the home for the Sanguszko family. They built their castle here and developed the town's prosperity. The Sanguszko profited from the border crossing which was bringing good income. In 1534 the town obtained the Magdeburg's city rights. At that time the influx of the Jewish population started, which promoted commerce and artisanship.
The existence of a Jewish community in Włodawa is first recorded in connection with the Lublin fair of 1531. By 1623 Włodawa had a representative in the Council of the Four Lands. The community's prosperity is due to the granting of a city charter in 1534. For much of the early modern period, a time when the Polish-speaking community of the regin was predominately engaged in agriculture, Jews appear to have composed much of the population of the city, engaged in all forms of craft production and trade. The community was devastated by the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648, but afterwards re-established and rebuilt. By 1765 the town has 630 Jews. In 1693, the town had 197 dwellings, 89 owned by Jewish families. The census of 1773 records Jewish physicians, butchers, millers, barbers, goldsmiths, tailors, furriers, merchants, and carters, in addition to one Jew in each of the trades of coppersmith, cobbler, glazier, chandler, and wheelwright. There were also 8 schoolmasters, 2 educators, a cantor, a bass player and a cymbal player. There were 2,236 Jews in 1827 and 6,706 in 1907.
In the late 19th century Włodawa had a Jewish-owned steam-powered flour mill, tannery and soap factory. Of the 184 stores in the town, 177 were owned by Jews. Włodawa's first Zionist organization was formed in 1898, the town also had Bund, Agudath Israel and Poalei Zion organizations. There was a Beis Yaakov school for girls.
Although no Jews are known to live in the town today, Włodawa was over 70% Jewish before WWII and the Holocaust. Situated next to the Sobibór Concentration and Death Camp
, Włodawa's Jews were mostly rounded up and killed by German Nazis in Sobibor or one of its arbeitslagers (workcamps) such as Adampol. On the road to Włodawa there is a memorial to the Jews from Włodawa who were killed at Adampol. The handsome, Baroque
, Wlodawa Synagogue
survives.
The Jewish cemetery was demolished by the Germans who used the headstones as road building material. They used the synagogue buildings for military storage. A Włodawa landsmenschafte (society) was founded in America for survivors and descendants of Włodawa's Jewish Community and has members scattered throughout the US, Canada, Australia, England, Israel and elsewhere. London had a Wlodawa Synagogue (London).
• Saint Ludwik church and baroque monastery founded by Pauline Monks in 18th century.
• Czworobok built in 18th century in the shape of a rectangle. It was used by merchants to sell their goods.
• Wlodawa Synagogue
of 1764 that is currently used to host exhibitions about Włodawa Jews as well as local folklore.
• Russian Orthodox church that was erected in 19th century and it used by local Russian orthodox community.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
, close to the borders with Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. It has 14,800 inhabitants (2001). Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship
Lublin Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas....
(since 1999). It is the capital
of Włodawa County.
Włodawa is first mentioned in historical records in 1242.
We have the first written mention of the town in an Old Slavonic chronicle which speaks about Prince Daniel staying there, escaping from the Tartars in 1241. In 1446-1447 the surrounding territories were annexed into the Duchy of Lithuania and the river Włodawka marked the border between the Duchy and the Polish Crown. In 1475 Michał i Aleksander Sanguszko received the town in exchange with the Polish King Kasimir Jagiellończyk. For the next 100 years the town became the home for the Sanguszko family. They built their castle here and developed the town's prosperity. The Sanguszko profited from the border crossing which was bringing good income. In 1534 the town obtained the Magdeburg's city rights. At that time the influx of the Jewish population started, which promoted commerce and artisanship.
The existence of a Jewish community in Włodawa is first recorded in connection with the Lublin fair of 1531. By 1623 Włodawa had a representative in the Council of the Four Lands. The community's prosperity is due to the granting of a city charter in 1534. For much of the early modern period, a time when the Polish-speaking community of the regin was predominately engaged in agriculture, Jews appear to have composed much of the population of the city, engaged in all forms of craft production and trade. The community was devastated by the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648, but afterwards re-established and rebuilt. By 1765 the town has 630 Jews. In 1693, the town had 197 dwellings, 89 owned by Jewish families. The census of 1773 records Jewish physicians, butchers, millers, barbers, goldsmiths, tailors, furriers, merchants, and carters, in addition to one Jew in each of the trades of coppersmith, cobbler, glazier, chandler, and wheelwright. There were also 8 schoolmasters, 2 educators, a cantor, a bass player and a cymbal player. There were 2,236 Jews in 1827 and 6,706 in 1907.
In the late 19th century Włodawa had a Jewish-owned steam-powered flour mill, tannery and soap factory. Of the 184 stores in the town, 177 were owned by Jews. Włodawa's first Zionist organization was formed in 1898, the town also had Bund, Agudath Israel and Poalei Zion organizations. There was a Beis Yaakov school for girls.
Although no Jews are known to live in the town today, Włodawa was over 70% Jewish before WWII and the Holocaust. Situated next to the Sobibór Concentration and Death Camp
Sobibór extermination camp
Sobibor was a Nazi German extermination camp located on the outskirts of the town of Sobibór, Lublin Voivodeship of occupied Poland as part of Operation Reinhard; the official German name was SS-Sonderkommando Sobibor...
, Włodawa's Jews were mostly rounded up and killed by German Nazis in Sobibor or one of its arbeitslagers (workcamps) such as Adampol. On the road to Włodawa there is a memorial to the Jews from Włodawa who were killed at Adampol. The handsome, Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
, Wlodawa Synagogue
Wlodawa Synagogue
The Włodawa Synagogue in Włodawa, Poland is an architectural complex consisting of two historic synagogues and a Jewish administrative building, now preserved as a museum. The complex includes the Włodawa Great Synagogue of 1764–74, the late 18th century Small Synagogue, and the 1928 community...
survives.
The Jewish cemetery was demolished by the Germans who used the headstones as road building material. They used the synagogue buildings for military storage. A Włodawa landsmenschafte (society) was founded in America for survivors and descendants of Włodawa's Jewish Community and has members scattered throughout the US, Canada, Australia, England, Israel and elsewhere. London had a Wlodawa Synagogue (London).
Attractions
There are several monuments and tourist attractions worth seeing in Włodawa:• Saint Ludwik church and baroque monastery founded by Pauline Monks in 18th century.
• Czworobok built in 18th century in the shape of a rectangle. It was used by merchants to sell their goods.
• Wlodawa Synagogue
Wlodawa Synagogue
The Włodawa Synagogue in Włodawa, Poland is an architectural complex consisting of two historic synagogues and a Jewish administrative building, now preserved as a museum. The complex includes the Włodawa Great Synagogue of 1764–74, the late 18th century Small Synagogue, and the 1928 community...
of 1764 that is currently used to host exhibitions about Włodawa Jews as well as local folklore.
• Russian Orthodox church that was erected in 19th century and it used by local Russian orthodox community.
External links
- http://www.wlodawa.pl/
- http://www.wlodawa.com.pl/