Sokółka
| Sokółka | |||
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Neoclassical Church of St. Anthony
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 Sokółka
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| Coordinates: 53°24′N 23°30′E / 53.400°N 23.500°ECoordinates: 53°24′N 23°30′E / 53.400°N 23.500°E | |||
| Country |
 Poland
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| Voivodeship | Podlaskie | ||
| County | Sokółka County | ||
| Gmina | Gmina Sokółka | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 18.61 km2 (7.19 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2012) | |||
| • Total | 18 974 | ||
| Postal code | 16-100 | ||
| Website | http://www.sokolka.pl | ||
Sokółka pronounced [sɔˈkuu̯ka] (Lithuanian: Sokulka, Sakala) is a town in Podlaskie Voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It is a busy rail junction located on the international Warsaw - Białystok - Grodno line, with additional connections which go to Suwałki and the Lithuanian border. The area has a Tatar minority.
The town was in Białystok Voivodeship (1975-1998) from 1975 to 1998.
King Sigismund III Vasa confirmed the status of the town in 1609. The town's layout with its central square is attributed to architect Antoni Tyzenhauz. The Catholic church in a neoclassical style was erected there in 1848. Points of interest include St. Alexander Newski’s Orthodox Church from 1830.
During occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Sokółka was the location of Sokółka Ghetto for the imprisonment of Polish Jews. The Nazi ghetto served as staging point for deportations to death camps during the Holocaust in Poland similar to most Jewish ghettos across the country. The Jews of all surrounding villages and towns including Krynki, Janów, Czyżów, and Zaręby Kościelne were kept there. In total, 8,000–9,000 people were murdered. The main synagogue was destroyed. The Jewish community was not restored.
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Wikipedia