Wojnicz ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjɲitʂ] ) is an ancient historic town in Tarnów County , Lesser Poland Voivodeship . In the early medieval period of the Polish state, it became one of the most important centres in the province of Lesser Poland , as part of the system of Dunajec river castles . It became the seat of a Castellan and prospered from the 13th century to the first half of the 17th century, being on an international trade route bordering Hungary and the Ottoman Empire . It had town and market rights, its church was raised to collegiate status with links to the Jagiellonian University in Kraków 64 km away.
33-515: It was the scene of the Battle of Wojnicz on 3 October 1655, against Swedish invaders. Wojnicz was burned down around eight times in the course of its thousand-year history. In trade terms it lost out from the 17th century to its junior neighbour 12 km to the East, the city of Tarnów . It was further disadvantaged during Habsburg rule when the new Kraków–Tarnów railway was positioned 10 km to
66-623: A votum for victory in the Battle of Nakło . In the 12th century, Wojnicz became a castellany , part of the Dunajec river fortification system and received Market rights . Between the late 12th-century and 1794, 67 noblemen held the office of Castellan of Wojnicz . In 1239, after Princess Kinga of Poland was engaged to Bolesław V the Chaste in Wojnicz, the settlement was granted town rights , although no documents are extant to confirm this. It
99-536: A 10,000-strong Stefan Czarniecki 's mounted army, supported by Aleksander Hilary Połubiński [ pl ] 's Lithuanians and Austrian allies. Simultaneously, Jerzy Lubomirski 's forces organized a revenge invasion of Transylvania, with widespread looting and destruction of Rákóczi's realm. On 8 July 1657 in Lancut, Polish leaders decided to split their forces. Stefan Czarniecki was to follow Rákóczi, while Jerzy Lubomirski and Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki were to cut
132-618: A three-day siege, Rákóczi and Stenbock captured Warsaw. Swedish forces remained in Warsaw only for a few days, as on 22 June they left the city for Stettin , to join the war against Denmark. Since Rákóczi was well aware of the real quality of his army, he decided to abandon Warsaw as well, and head southeast. Following an order of the Polish King John II Casimir Vasa , the Transylvanians were followed by
165-599: The Polish People's Republic . Wojnicz remained in the Kraków Voivodeship until 1975 when it passed to the newly formed Tarnów Voivodeship until 1999. It did not recover its Town rights until January 1, 2007. As in many towns across Poland, Jewish settlement was severely restricted since the Middle Ages, which translated as a ban, unless they converted to Christianity. The leading argument for this
198-575: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth commanded by Field Crown Hetman Stanisław Lanckoroński and Great Crown Hetman Stanisław Rewera Potocki on one side, and on the other, the invading Swedish forces commanded by King Charles X Gustav . The battle ended in a Swedish victory. In the early stages of the Siege of Kraków , the Polish royal units of Hetman Lanckoronski decided to abandon
231-611: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the third part of the Second Northern War (1655–1660), also known as the Deluge . In late January 1657, Rákóczi's 25,000-strong army crossed the Carpathian Mountains near Krosno . The Transylvanians headed towards Medyka , where 10,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks under Anton Zdanovich joined them. The Transylvanian-Cossack army approached Lwów , but failed to capture
264-600: The Sandomierz Basin and the Western Carpathians . The Dunajec , a major tributary of the Vistula River , flows 2 km east of the present town centre. The decline of Wojnicz deprived it of a rail link when a railway line was planned in the 1850s. It is however located at the intersection of European route E40 , and local route number 975 from Dąbrowa Tarnowska to Nowy Sącz . In 1217,
297-699: The Swedish invasion of Poland . On 3 October 1655, it was the scene of the Battle of Wojnicz . On 19 March 1657 the town was sacked and burned by troops of George II Rakoczi of Hungary. During the Great Northern War , Swedish invaders once again destroyed the town in 1702. After that devastation, Wojnicz never really regained its civic importance. In 1772, Wojnicz was annexed by the Habsburg Empire (see Partitions of Poland ). The 19th century
330-423: The 8th or 9th century, and Wojnicz emerged as a gród of the local warrior clan. According to legend, some time in the late 10th century, warriors (Polish: wojowie ) of Mieszko I or his son Bolesław I Chrobry built a military stronghold and named it Wojnicz in their honour. In 1109, the original parish church dedicated to Saint Lawrence was erected, probably on initiative of Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth , as
363-593: The Austrian army up to the Dunajec river and remained stationed outside Wojnicz throughout 1914 and 1915 until the Russians abandoned nearby Tarnów. The devastation in the province was immense in terms of the human toll and heritage looting. The fallen Austro-Hungarians and Italians in local battles are buried and commemorated in two cemeteries, no. 282 and no. 285 in Wojnicz. Fallen Wojnicz conscripts are commemorated on
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#1732771958846396-568: The Poles, leaving Arvid Wittenberg with 8,000 soldiers in Krakow. Charles Gustav had app. 5,000 soldiers, mostly infantry, while the Polish units were more numerous, including the hussars under Aleksander Koniecpolski . The Poles were camped in the hills above Wojnicz, on the Dunajec river. Due to poor visibility, the Swedes sent two cavalry regiments for reconnaissance. The regiments clashed with
429-403: The Polish cavalry, which had been sent on a similar mission. The skirmish turned into a full-scale battle, which took place inside the Polish camp, among its tents. Charles Gustav quickly sent reinforcements, attacking the wings of the Polish cavalry. Under pressure from disciplined Swedish musketeers and their firepower, the hussars, who were an elite force of the Polish army, had to retreat beyond
462-622: The Transylvanians and Cossacks from crossing the border and escaping Poland. On 11 July Czarniecki partly destroyed the Transylvanian army in the Battle of Magierów . On 16 July, the Polish armies united and on 20 July Rákóczi was defeated in the Battle of Czarny Ostrów . After the defeat and subsequent retreat of his Cossack allies, Rákóczi withdrew towards the Podolian town of Miedzyboz, where he capitulated to Jerzy Lubomirski (23 July), promising to break his alliance with Sweden, abandon
495-644: The Wojnicz community being rounded up in 1942 and taken to the Zakliczyn Ghetto from where they were transported to Belzec extermination camp . The Wojnicz synagogue was burnt down by the Germans. A notable survivor of the community was rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth . Battle of Wojnicz The Battle of Wojnicz was fought around the medieval town of Wojnicz in Lesser Poland as part of the Second Northern War on October 3, 1655 between forces of
528-659: The beginning of 1649, with the Cossack hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky , and the hospodars of Moldavia and Wallachia , ( Vasile Lupu and Matei Basarab ), but took no action for several years. On 6 December 1656, by the Treaty of Radnot , he also allied with King Charles X Gustav of Sweden against King John II Casimir of Poland . Rákóczi was to seize the provinces of Lesser Poland and Mazovia , together with rich salt deposits in Wieliczka and Bochnia . In 1657, he invaded
561-477: The cities of Kraków and Brest Litovsk, and pay a contribution in the total amount of over 4 million złotys . Polish commanders allowed his forces to march towards Transylvania, but on 26 July, Rákóczi was attacked by the Crimean Tatars , who at that time were Poland–Lithuania's allies. Rákóczi abandoned his army, leaving it in the hands of János Kemény . The Transylvanian camp, located near Trembowla ,
594-434: The city, as the situation of the defenders was hopeless. Together with king Jan Kazimierz , the Poles headed eastwards, to the city of Tarnów . The king with the royal court had then turned southwards, towards Nowy Wiśnicz and Nowy Sącz , leaving the army of Lanckoroński to join units under Hetman Potocki by the ancient market town of Wojnicz. Swedish king Charles Gustav, who commanded the siege of Kraków, decided to chase
627-461: The fortified city. Then it headed westwards, to Kraków . The army's march was marked by atrocities, destruction, and looting. Rákóczi captured and destroyed Dukla , Lesko , and Sanok , but failed to seize Przemyśl , Krosno , and Łańcut . On 21 March 1657, Rákóczi entered Tarnów , and seven days later reached Kraków, which was already under Swedish control. Kraków's Swedish garrison was reinforced by 2,500 Transylvanians under János Bethlen , while
660-489: The never-ending wars in the east. A. Lanckoroński - 2,600 Cossack ( pancerni ) cavalry B. Wisniowiecki - 400 hussars and C. Koniecpolski - 2,600 Cossack cavalry D. Denhoff - 460 dismounted dragoons in a fortified camp Polish Hussars - Cossack Cavalry - Dragoons - 49°58′00″N 20°50′00″E / 49.966667°N 20.833333°E / 49.966667; 20.833333 George II Rakoczi George II Rákóczi (30 January 1621 – 7 June 1660),
693-569: The north. It remained a backwater throughout the Second Republic of Poland in the inter-war years and was stripped of its town rights. Wojnicz regained its Town rights , after 70 years, in 2007. The Coat of arms of Wojnicz consists of an escutcheon bearing the figure of Roman martyr , St. Lawrence against a gridiron, symbolising his gruesome death by roasting. Wojnicz lies on the boundary of two distinct geographical regions in Poland:
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#1732771958846726-643: The rest under Rákóczi headed northwards. The Swedish garrison of Kraków was reinforced by 2,500 Transylvanians under János Bethlen , while Rákóczi headed northwards. On 12 April, near Ćmielów , the Transylvanians joined the Swedish army under Charles X Gustav . The combined forces crossed the Vistula at Zawichost , on 19 April capturing Lublin . On 8 May the Swedish-Transylvanian army besieged Brest Litovsk , capturing it two days later. After
759-488: The river Dunajec. Stanislaw Lanckoronski narrowly escaped death. The battle was another Polish failure and resonated profoundly across the Commonwealth. In nearby Tarnów, where the Polish forces had fled, thousands of soldiers switched sides and joined Charles Gustav. Among them were Dymitr Wisniowiecki , Aleksander Koniecpolski and Jan Sobieski , the future Polish king, who hoped that the Swedes would help Poland in
792-519: The siege, Rákóczi's soldiers plundered and looted intensely. The Transylvanians burned Biała Podlaska and Brańsk to the ground among other towns. On 20 May, news of the Dano-Swedish War reached Charles X Gustav and the king decided to march towards Swedish Pomerania , leaving Gustaf Otto Stenbock in charge. The army then marched towards Warsaw , burning the towns of Mielnik , Drohiczyn , Nur , Brok , and Pniewo . On 17 June, after
825-416: The town was called Woynicze . In 1224, another spelling was Woyniz , and in 1239, Woynicz . Polish language specialists Kazimierz Rymut and Stanisław Rospond believe that the name Wojnicz comes from the surname Wojno , which was then changed to Wojnice , Wojnic , and finally – Wojnicz. Wojnicz is one of the oldest urban settlements in southern Lesser Poland . The original Slavic settlers appeared in
858-463: The war monument in the market square. Wojnicz had remained part of the Austrian Empire until 1918, when it returned to the newly independent Second Polish Republic . In 1928, it was visited by President Ignacy Mościcki , but seven years later Wojnicz was stripped of its town privileges and reduced to the status of a village. After the war, it became a backwater throughout the duration of
891-455: Was protectionism of Polish trade guilds and merchants. They could however get round the restrictions by settling outside a city, as in the case of Kazimierz outside the walls of Kraków . By the 17th century there were established Jewish settlements near Wojnicz in Brzesko , Tarnów and Zakliczyn . An early instance of a Jewish convert living in Wojnicz in the first half of the 18th century
924-530: Was Michał Kędzierski, administrator of the Crown lands on behalf of Starosta , Jakub Karwowski. Their combined abuse of state funds is the subject of a recent historical study. During Habsburg rule some restrictions on Jewish settlement were lifted so that by 1880, there were 200 Jews living in Wojnicz and there was a synagogue. In 1939 during the Second Republic of Poland there were 35 Jewish families in Wojnicz. The German invasion of Poland led to most members of
957-548: Was a Hungarian nobleman, Prince of Transylvania (1648-1660), the eldest son of George I and Zsuzsanna Lorántffy . He was elected Prince of Transylvania during his father's lifetime (19 February 1642). On 3 February 1643, he married Sophia Báthory , a granddaughter of Stephen Báthory IX . Their son was Francis I Rákóczi . On ascending the throne (October 1648), his first thought was to realize his father's ambitions in Poland . With this object in view, he allied himself, in
990-687: Was captured by the Tatars on 31 July. Some 500 were killed, and about 11,000 Transylvanians were captured and taken to the Crimea. As a result, Rákóczi's army ceased to exist. On 3 November 1657, at the command of the Ottoman Empire (to which Transylvania was tributary), the Diet deposed him for undertaking an unauthorized war and replaced him by Francis Rhédey . But in January 1658 he was reinstated by
1023-490: Was first recorded as a town, with a defensive wall in 1278. In 1379, the town was badly affected by a fire. In 1381, by order of King Louis I of Hungary Wojnicz became a Powiat , county town, in Sandomierz Voivodeship . It remained one of major urban centres of Lesser Poland, and on 13 September 1394 Queen Jadwiga of Poland came on a visit. In 1465, a collegiate school was opened, and the parish church
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1056-663: Was not kind to the town: the Austrians kept Wojnicz County until 1867. However, in 1831 and 1895 further fires destroyed large parts of Wojnicz, including the historic town hall. In 1856, the Galician Railway of Archduke Charles Louis bypassed the town, laying its route some ten kilometers to the north. With the outbreak of World War I , the Russian Empire conducted a Blitzkrieg that overwhelmed much of Galicia right up to Kraków, but were repulsed eastwards by
1089-518: Was rebuilt in Gothic style. Twenty years later, the town was once again affected by fire. During Poland's Golden Age , Wojnicz developed and prospered. In 1527, a bridge over the Dunajec river was built. In 1530, the first Craft guild was founded. In 1575 the town was recorded as having a town hall with a bell and clock-tower. Like other places in Lesser Poland, Wojnicz suffered greatly during
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