Mińsk Mazowiecki

Mińsk Mazowiecki
Palace of Doria Dernałowicz Family
Flag Coat of arms
Mińsk Mazowiecki
Coordinates: 52°11′N 21°34′E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	Mińsk
Gmina	Mińsk Mazowiecki (urban gmina)
Established	14th century
Town rights	1421, may 29
Government
• Mayor	Zbigniew Grzesiak
Area
• Total	13.12 km2 (5.1 sq mi)
Elevation	147 m (482 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	37,808
• Density	2,881.7/km2 (7,463.6/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	05-300, 301, 303
Area code(s)	+48 025
Car plates	WM
Website	http://www.minsk-maz.pl

Mińsk Mazowiecki [ˈmiɲsk mazɔˈvjɛt​͡ski] ( listen) is a town in central Poland with 38 181 inhabitants (2008). It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Siedlce Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Mińsk County.

Facts:

• high urban density (in some areas very high)
• part of Warsaw Subregion
• history
  • long history as a town (since 1421)
  • 2 large buildings from 17th century and many others which survived Second World War (all are original)
• transport
  • one of main European routes inside
  • one of main European railroads inside

Name

The source of the name Mińsk is the River Mienia, whose name in turn derives from mienić, which means ‘shine’. The postnominal adjective Mazowiecki shows the historical connection to Mazovia and distinguishes Mińsk Mazowiecki from the Belarusian capital of Minsk.

Location

Mińsk Mazowiecki is located geographically in South Podlasie, historically in East Mazovia and administratively in East Masovian Voivodeship.

More precisely, the city lies 40 km east from Warsaw's Center.

History

• XIV - settlement (commercial function)
• 1421, May 29 - official city of Mińsk
• 1422 - first wooden church (not saved)
• 1549 - found of second city: Sendomierz
• 1629–present church opened
• 1695 - Sendomierz joined to Mińsk
• XVIII - gradual fall of Mińsk connected with gradual fall of the Commonwealth
• 1795-1809 - in Austria
• 1809-1815 - in Duchy of Warsaw
• 1815-1916 - in Congress Poland
• 1866 - first train arrived
• 1867 - name's change (Mińsk > Novominsk)
• 1870 - Dernałowicz Family became last owners of city (to Second World War)
• 1886 - first bookstore in east Mazovia
• end of XIX - found of famous manufacture
• 1912 (or 1910) - start of Maria Grochowska's School, today this is Polska Macierz Szkolna's High School
• 1914 - old church opened after conversion
• 1915–present hospital opened
• 1915 to 1918, November 11 - German occupation
• 1916 - name's change (Novominsk > Mińsk Mazowiecki)
• 1920 - episode of Polish-Soviet War
• 1920-1939 - great development
  • 1937 - first electric train arrived
• 1939-1944 - second German occupation
  • 1939, September 12 - German entry
  • 1939, September 13 - battle for Mińsk Mazowiecki (Władysław Anders)
  • 1942, July 21 - elimination of Jews (one of first episodes of Holocaust)
  • 1944, July 30 - liberation by Armia Krajowa (prelude to Warsaw Uprising)
• 1944, July 30–31 - soviet liberation
• 1945, march 2-3 - Soviet killed Mińsk's elite (with Mayor Hipolit Konopka)
• 1952 - trains manufacture
• 1957 - military garrison
• 1979 - new train station
• 1985 - Solidarity events
• 1990 - first Mayor elected in free elections (since elections before Second World War): Zbigniew Grzesiak
• 1999 - Mińsk County established

Jewish

Mińsk's stone in Treblinka extermination camp

Until 1768 it was illegal for Jewish people to settle in Mińsk.^{[citation needed]} But from 19th century to 1930s it was very popular. So, there were thousands of Jews before Second World War. They had a general synagogue and some smaller temples.

Early after war began, Germans created the Mińsk Ghetto. It was closed in 1942, July 21. Most of the Jews were killed in Treblinka extermination camp (thousands of people), and the rest were killed in Mińsk in 1943, January 10 (500 people) and June 5 (last 150 Jews).

The Polish Home Army managed to kill 2 German officers after this.

Monuments

Old Church

• layout of medieval settlement and later city
• Palace of Doria Dernałowicz Family - built probably in 17th century (in place of 16th century residence), converted to classicism
  • park
• Church of Born of Saint Mary - built in 17th century, converted to neo-baroque in early 20th century
  • equipment
  • cemetery
• county hall (former), 19th century, classicism
• county hall, 19th century
• post office, 19th century, empire
• church of Mariavite Church, 1911
• residential areas, XIX and early 20th century
• Jewish cemetery
• some school buildings (early 20th century)

Economy

Stylowa (stylish) Hotel and Restaurant

Trade:

• hypermarket Carrefour
• supermarkets (about 10)
• many other shops
• market
• developers

Service:

• 10 banks
• fast-foods, pubs and restaurants
• 3 hotels
• construction indystry
• car service
• satellite communication

Industry:

• ZNTK "Mińsk Mazowiecki" (trains)
• Fabryka Urządzeń Dźwigowych - Manufacture of Cranes (other heavy machines)
• cotton products
• yachts
• shoes
• foil

Population

Age / Gender	amount	amount
0-18 men	3978
0-18 women	3640
0-18		7618
Men 18-65 yo	12283
Women 18-60 yo	12496
Work-age people		24779
Retire-age men	1572
Retire-age women	3560
Retire-age		5132
All		37529

Time	Amount	Time	Amount
XVI, second half	3,5-4 t.	1660	1 t.
1777	456	1827	750
1880	2940	early XX	4771
1910	5794	1921	10689
1939	15103	1945	10500
1971	24700	1992	34 t.
1995	35068	2000	35761
2006	37529

Education

Gymnasium nr 3

• Józef Majka College of Social Science (catholic)
• Stanisław Staszic Lifelong Learning Center
• University of Third Age
• Polska Macierz Szkolna Gymnasium and High School
• Salesian Elementary, Gymnasium and High School (catholic)
• Kazimierz Wielki Professional High School
• Powstańcy Warszawy Professional High School
• High School of Economy
• Maria Skłodowska-Curie High School
• 3 public gymnasiums
• 4 public elementary schools
• over 10 preschools (6 public)
• special school (for kids with problems)
• clinic of psychological and pedagogical help

Bureaus

• regional bureau of Environmental Protection Inspection
• point of conscription
• above forester bureau (Nadleśnictwo Mińsk)
• county, city and commune bureaus

Safety

• Police Departament of Mińsk County - 2 building in Mińsk, dozens of cars (including sport cars and off-road cars)
• Fire Departament of Mińsk County - quite new fire engines (well equipped after big fire in industry area a few years ago)
• Public Hospital of Mińsk County

Culture and sport

School of Art

Culture:

• House of Culture
• School of Art
• 2 libraries
• 2 museums
• cinema
• magazines (2 public and 3 commercial are published in Mińsk)

Sport:

• Miejski Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji (public sport and recreation departament)
  • 2 stadiums
  • ice rink
  • other
• Mazovia-ZNTK
  • football team in local amateur league
  • other sports
• other clubs

Religions

Modern Big Church

• Roman Catholic Church (4 parishes and other structures)
• Mariavite Church (1 parish)
• Baptist (1 congregation)

Public transport

• Train station
  • regular service (39 trains in one way daily) to Warsaw
  • direct connections with many cities in Poland, and with Moscow
• 2 regular bus services to Warsaw
• European route E30

Lands

Overall: 13,12 km sq.

• residential: 30%
• industrial: 6%
• communication (roads, railroads etc.): 15%
• agricultural: 29%
• park: 5%
• other: 15%

Historical parts of city

Anielina

Cities:

• Mińsk - old town
• Sendomierz (found 1549, joined 1695)

Estates built as part of Mińsk:

• Nowe Miasto - Miasto Ogród - New Town - Garden Town (found 1936)
• concrete estates built in socialist realism (about 1945-1990) without names
• modern estates without names

Villages:

• over railroad part of city (all existed in 1839 and earlier)
  • Kędzierak (joined partly in 1954 and fully in 1984)
  • Stankowizna (joined in 19th or 20th century)
  • Anielina (joined in similar time as Kędzierak)
• other
  • Górki (joined in 18th century)
  • Goździk (joined during First War War)
  • Kolonia Stasinów (joined in 1936)
  • Pohulanka (joined partly in 1936)
  • Sewerynów (joined in similar time as Kędzierak)

Military

• military police
• airport with MIG-29 aircraft

Sister city

• Lacey, USA

Twin cities

• Borodianka, Ukraine
• Cori, Italy
• Krnov, Bruntál District, Czech Republic
• Orsha, Belarus
• Pefki, Greece
• Saint-Égrève, France
• Telšiai, Lithuania

People

• Julian Grobelny, Righteous Among the Nations
• Czesław Mroczek, poseł
• Teresa Wargocka, poseł
• Stefan Żeromski, writer
• Marek Piotrowski, World Champion in Kickboxing
• Rafał Jackiewicz, boxer (world title eliminator)

Sources

• Co słychać? - weekly magazine ISSN 1425-6185
• Web page of City Hall [1] (English)
• Web page of County Hall [2]
• Web page [3]
• Web page of poseł Czesław Mroczek [4]

Books

• 585 lat Mińska Mazowieckiego, red. Janusz Kuligowski, Mińsk Mazowiecki, 2006, ISBN 8390693674