Poland - Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski

Multiviews of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski.

Sent by Paulina, a postcrosser from Kielce, Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski Polish pronunciation: [ɔsˈtrɔvʲɛt͡s ɕfʲɛntɔˈkʂɨskʲi] ( listen) is a town in south-central Poland (historic province of Lesser Poland), with 74,211 inhabitants (2006). Main industry is metallurgy. Ostrowiec is the capital city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski County, part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (since 1999), previously it belonged to Kielce Voivodeship (1975–1998).

The oldest testimonies of human habitation date back to the Stone Age (ca 4000 BC). In that time, there were nomadic tribes belonging among others to Lengyel and Globular Amphora cultures. They came here from Danube river region.

The earliest documents about Ostrowiec village, that gave beginning to the contemporary Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, come from 14th century. The city itself, at that time part of Sandomierz Voivodeship, was built from scratch in 1597 by Jakub Gawroński ofRawa coat of arms on the left bank of the Kamienna river, situated in the Vistula river basin. It received town privileges in 1613. It became a property of Janusz Ostrogski, a statesman and one of the richest magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Later it belonged to many Polish aristocratic families: Tarnowski family, Czartoryski family, Lubomirski family, Radziwiłł family,Zasławski family, Sanguszko family, Wielopolski family, Dobrzański family, Łubieński family. After the 2nd WW it was confiscated and became a property of the state.

In 19th c. metallurgical industry developed. Steel plant of Ostrowiec was second big in the whole of Congress Poland in 19th/20th centuries. During Revolution of 1905 Ostrowiec was a place of massive demonstrations and industrial action.

During the 2nd World War, Ostrowiec was a lively centre of resistance activity against the Nazi German occupation. There was an underground weapon production, independent underground press, etc. The Jewish population was forced to live in a local ghetto. About 11 thousand Jews were murdered by the Nazis in 1943-1944.