Osiek, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

Osiek
Town
Church of St. Stanislaus in Osiek
Coat of arms
Osiek
Coordinates: 50°31′12″N 21°26′34″E / 50.52000°N 21.44278°E / 50.52000; 21.44278Coordinates: 50°31′12″N 21°26′34″E / 50.52000°N 21.44278°E / 50.52000; 21.44278
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Świętokrzyskie
County	Staszów
Gmina	Osiek
Town rights	1430
Area (through the years 2008-2010)
• Total	17.43 km2 (6.73 sq mi)
Elevation	180 m (590 ft)
Population (31 December 2010 at Census)
• Total	2,001
• Density	110/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	28-221
Area code(s)	+48 15
Car plates	TSZ

Osiek [ˈɔɕek] is a town in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,001 inhabitants (2010). The town lies in Lesser Poland, along the National Road nr. 79, which goes from Warsaw to Bytom. Osiek is located 15 kilometers northeast of Połaniec, and 18 kilometers west of Tarnobrzeg, 180 meters above sea level. The town received Magdeburg rights in 1430, was stripped of the charter in 1869, and remained a village until 1 July 1994. Its main point of interest is St. Stanisław parish church, built in the late 17th century. Osiek has a rail station called Osiek Staszowski, on a secondary importance line which joins Tarnobrzeg with Włoszczowice.

Osiek is one of the oldest towns in the region. According to legends, in 1020 King Bolesław Chrobry presented the village called Ossziek to the Benedictine Monastery at Święty Krzyż. In 1253 the name of the village was spelled Ossek. It belonged to Princes of Sandomierz, and had its own marketplace. In 1270, Osiek was the property of Prince Bolesław V the Chaste. Its residents took advantage of a favorable location, along a merchant route from Kraków, through Sandomierz and Lublin, to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Many Piast dynasty princes would stop here during their trips across the country. Osiek most likely was a fortified gord, and in the mid-14th century, King Kazimierz Wielki built (or strengthened) a local castle.