English version - The history of Płońsk

Although the town of Płońsk has celebrated over 600 years of existence, archaeological finds near Kawałowski’s Mount show people living in the area since the 6th-7th century. Płońsk gained it’s civic status from Mazovian Duke Semiowit sometime between 1399 and 1412. While the original foundation charter has not been preserved, written documentation from King Sigismund I confirm the civic rights, crest and seal of Płońsk as a seat of castellany in 1527, and that the town had functioned as a poviat since the 14th century.

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The oldest buildings in Płońsk are situated in the centre of town, in Płocka St. The Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the Public Offices located in the former monastery buildings, next door, are a focal point in the town. Having started life in 1417 as the chapel and monastery of the Friars of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (the Calced Carmelites), to original wooden structures – funded by Mazovian Duke Semiowit IV and his wife Alexandra, the sister of King Wladislav Jagiello – were replaced with brick buildings in 1462. The current shape of church dates to the mid-16th century and it has functioned as a Catholic parish church since 1779. The church is home to several remarkable pieces, including a late 19th century, neo-Renaissance high altar, which retains elements of the earlier 17th century one Baroque style side altars. But, it is the 15th century figure of the Crucified Christ which attracts most attention from visitors. If one looks closely at the front façade of the church one will notice several scars, the lasting evidence of damage caused by cannon fire during the Swedish invasion (the Swedish Flood). During the 18th century the church was surrounded by a cemetery, on the site of which now stands the architecturally impressive neo-Gothic belfry. The former monastery housed the Calced Carmelites, the first monastical order to reside in Mazovia. The present shape of the building dates back to the 17th century and now houses several public offices, including the Historical Documentation Unit.

The Good and the Bad Times.

Although the town grew significantly during the 16th century, it was badly affected by the fires and other calamities that afflicted much of Poland. As a result Płońsk lost it’s importance in the area. By the 17th century, after the Swedish Flood, the town suffered an economic recession. Of the 130 houses it had contained, only 21 remained.

Jewish Płońsk

For the majority of the town’s history Płońsk had a strong and vibrant Jewish community. It is recorded as far back as 1525 that land was purchased from King Sigismund I by the Jewish community to create a cemetery – the location of which is now unknown. But it was after the Swedish invasion that the importance of the Jewish community increased. In 1670 King Michał iśhioiecki gave privilege to the Jews, allowing them to build houses, synagogues and to brew beer. Living and working side-by-side, Polish and Jewish residents changed Płońsk beyond recognition. Today, several tenement houses are all that remain of this community. In 1942 the Jewish Cemetery in Waszawska St, which had been in existence since 1670, was destroyed by Nazi forces. It wasn’t until 1983 that the Lapidarium, a monument designed by Anna Szalast to commemorate the Jewish residents killed in World War II, was unveiled on the cemetery’s site.

20th Century Płońsk

The ‘old’ cemetery on Kopernika St hides many clues to the town’s involvement in the fight to regain independence in 1918 and a large collective grave honours those residents who perished in the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War. Here you can also see the resting places of those soldiers, independent underground fighters and other casualties of the Nazi occupation during World War II. Płońsk residents were very active in the underground movements; the Home Army (AK),the Secret Polish Army, the National Armed Forces (NSZ) and the National Military Unit (NZW) all operated in the town and surrounding area. The success of this is shown by the regular bulletins and radio broadcasts made by both the AK and NSZ as well as the training and numerous sabotage missions that regularly upset the functioning of the Nazi administration in the area. In 1944 the NSZ united with other groups to form the AK and openly fight the Nazi occupation. However, at this time, in the occupied region, the People’s Committee of the Interior and the UB Secret Police began taking away hundreds of people to Soviet labour camps.

Famous Residents

Surely the most recognisable person to come from Płońsk is David Ben Gurion (1886-1973). Born in Płońsk, David Ben Gurion would go on to become one of the founders and the first Prime Minister of the state of Israel. The house in which he was raised still stands and is now home to the restaurant ‘Kaprys’ and a small memorial room dedicated to the life of David Ben Gurion. Unfortunately, the house in which David Ben Gurion was born has no survived, however the site now plays host to the ‘Tree of Remembrance’. Here, ‘leaves of remembrance’ are placed by all Israeli delegations visiting Płońsk, as well as other visitors.

Jan Walery Jędrzejewicz (1835-1887), the father of Polish spectroscopy, resided in Płońsk for much of his life. From 1872 he managed both a meteorological station and an astronomical observatory. His work brought international recognition and he is famous as the author of the cosmography handbook. Jędrzewicz, who is celebrated with a plaque on his former house and bust placed in front of the Municipal Cultural Centre, is buried in the ‘old’ cemetery.

Dr Leon Rutkowski, was to take over the work of Jędrzejewicz. A noted physician and scientist, he conducted scientific research into anthropology in co-operation with the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences.

If one takes time to look around the ‘old’ cemetery one will come across the historical vault of the Weyher family. It was as a tutor, in the years 1865-1866, that the Nobel-prize winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) came to Płońsk. Here, at the tender age of 19 he wrote “Na Marne” (In Vain). The Secondary School of General Education No.1 bears his name and in 1963 a commemorative plaque was placed on the country manor he resided in. The manor currently belongs to ‘Pośviętne’ the Mazovian Centre for Agricultural Counselling, established in 1923.

Recent History

In February 1996, Płońsk signed a declaration of ‘contracting an alliance of twin towns’ with Ramat Negev District in Israel, where David Ben Gurion spent the last years of his life. It was during this visit that a black and white film was presented to the town. The documentary, which shows Płońsk during the late 19th century, had been discovered by employees at the David Ben Gurion Institute in Israel. The twinning began a process of co-operation that continues to this day. Płońsk is very proud of it’s international relations, having signed twinning agreements with towns such as Crepy en Valois, Bachczysaraj, Windschoten, Ćakovec, Soleczniki, Notaresco and Wołgograd. With Polish entry into the European Union, Płońsk has begun a revival. It’s favourable location together with presence of a skilled workforce make the town very attractive to businesses of all sizes, whilst the land prices and direct access to Warsaw have lead to a boom in residential developments suited for both families and young professionals wishing to enjoy a higher standard of living compared to the capital. Recent investment in the road infrastructure means that it is only a 45 minute drive to Warsaw.

The Future

On the signing the twinning agreement with Ramat Negev District a new project was born – to create a Museum dedicated to David Ben Gurion on the site of his birthplace. While the plans exist, building work has yet to commenced. It is hoped that funding can be secured to ensure this project can finally be realised. In tandem with this project there are plans to create a local museum to celebrate the town’s rich history, with hopes of bringing ‘home’ finds from the 1975-1980 archaeological digs at Kawałowski’s Mount. Whilst the Historical Documentation Unit continues it’s work of collecting an collating official documents, along with testimonies and memories from residents and the surrounding area.

(With thanks to www.plonsk.pl & www.sztetl.org.pl for historical dates and Łukasz Tobolski for corrections to historical facts. If I have failed to credit anyone, please contact me via www.polishurenglish.weeblys.com .)

©Copyright Lynn Tobolska, 2010

Free for use in publications and media, subject to conditions; these include, but are not limited to contacting the author prior to use and fully crediting the author of the text. Must not be used for profit unless specific permission given

From Plonz to Płońsk...	2007-09-07 09:07:44

In medieval written sources, Płońsk occurs as Plonz, Plonsko, Plonysko, in Plonszko, Ploń, in Ploniska, and in Plonsk.
» więcej

Archiwum aktualności: :

[1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

» Płońsk

Wrzesień - 2010

Pn	Wt	Śr	Cz	Pt	So	Nd
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

» Zarejestruj się

» Zapomniałeś hasło? Kliknij tutaj.

Login:
Hasło: