Bełżyce
| Bełżyce | ||
|---|---|---|
Town center
|
||
|
||
 Bełżyce
|
||
| Coordinates: 51°11′N 22°16′E / 51.183°N 22.267°E | ||
| Country |
 Poland
|
|
| Voivodeship | Lublin Voivodeship | |
| County | Lublin County | |
| Gmina | Bełżyce | |
| Town rights | 1417-1869, 1958 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Ryszard Góra | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 23.46 km2 (9.06 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006) | ||
| • Total | 7,054 | |
| • Density | 300/km2 (780/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 24-200 | |
| Area code(s) | +48 81 | |
| Climate | Dfb | |
| Car plates | LUB | |
| Website | http://www.belzyce.pl | |
Bełżyce [bɛu̯ˈʐɨt͡sɛ] is a town in eastern Poland, in the Lublin Voivodeship, in Lublin County, and about 20 km to the west of the city of Lublin. Bełżyce belongs to Lesser Poland.
Presumably, in the early 13th century, a minor royal castle was in the area of the present city. The building was transferred to local magnates, who provided ability to settle a town according to Magdeburg Rights in 1349. In 1416 town settlement process began and next year king Władysław Jagiełło gave an official document, allowing Bełżyce to improve. First, town was populated by farmers, craftsmen, merchants and alcohol producers. A wooden church was built and a Catholic parish of St. Paul's conversion was created. Since 1432, while two new privileges were acquired, major growth has been noticeable – representatives of four religions lived here together. Catholics and Eastern Christians as farmers, Protestant craftsmen, and Jewish merchants.
The 16th and 17th centuries were a period of Protestant influence in the area. Bełżyce became a Protestant, Polish Brethren centre of Lesser Poland. In 1558 a Catholic church was given away and transferred into a Protestant one by Andrzej Bzicki, the town mayor. The Protestant “regime” was so well developed that the mayor issued a directive to residents to take part in services under the punishment of fine or even imprisonment. In 1575, an intellectual religious exchange took place between Rabbi Jacob Nachman of Belzyce and Martin Czechowic of Lublin. The next two centuries were a period of permanent religious riot (with Catholic attempt to retake the church in about 1630), the Cossacks assaults while Khmelnytsky’s uprising (massacre of Jews), fires and plagues of cholera and typhoid fever. A new Catholic church was built in 1670 (the old one was given back in 1654) and 113 years later there are no more Protestants in the town, as their church burned in 1783.
...
Wikipedia