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Kielce is a city in south eastern Polandmarker with 202,609 inhabitants (2006). It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeshipmarker (Holy Cross Voivodeship) since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939, 1945–1998). The city is located in the middle of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains), at the banks of Silnicamarker river, in northern part of the historical Polish province of Lesser Poland. Once an important centre of limestone mining, Kielce is now a centre of trade and commerce.

History

The area of Kielce has been inhabited since at least the 5th century BC. Until the 6th or 7th century the banks of the Silnica were inhabited by Kelts. They were driven out by a Slavic tribe of Vistulans who started hunting in the nearby huge forests and had settled most of the area now known as Małopolska and present-day Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The lands of Wiślanie were at first subdued by Bohemia, however they soon came under the control of the Piast dynasty and became a part of Poland. According to a local legend, Mieszko, son of Boleslaus II of Poland dreamt he was attacked by a band of brigands in a forest. In the dream he saw a vision of Saint Adalbert who drew a winding line which turned into a stream. When Mieszko woke up, he found the Silnica River whose waters helped him regain strength. He also discovered huge white tusks of an unknown animal. Mieszko announced he would build a town and a church to St. Adalbert at that site. According to this legend, the town's name Kielce commemorates the mysterious tusks (kieł in Polish).

Various other legends exist to explain the name's origin. One states that the town was named after its founder who belonged to the noble family of Kiełcz, while another claims that it stems from the Kelts who may have lived in the area in previous centuries. Other theories connect the town's name to occupational names relating to mud huts, iron tips for arrows and spears, or the production of tar (pkielce, a settlement of tar makers). The earliest extant document referring to the settlement by the name of Kielce dates to 1213.



The area of the Holy Cross Mountains was almost unpopulated until the 11th century when the first hunters established permanent settlements at the outskirts of the mountains. They needed a place to trade furs and meat for grain and other necessary products, and so the market of Kielce was formed. In the early 12th century the new settlement became a property of the Bishops of Krakówmarker, who built a wooden church and a manor. In 1171 a stone church was erected by bishop Gedeon Gryf. During the times of Wincenty Kadłubek a parochial school in Kielce was opened in 1229. By 1295 the town was granted city rights. In the mid-13th century the town was destroyed by the Mongol invasion of Ögedei Khan, but it quickly recovered.

The area around Kielce was rich in minerals such as copper ore, lead ore, and iron, as well as limestone. In the 15th century Kielce became a significant centre of metallurgy. There were also several glass factories and armourer shops in the town. In 1527 bishop Piotr Tomicki founded a bell for the church and between 1637 and 1642 Manierist palace was erected near the market place by Bishop Jakub Zadzik. It is one of the very few examples of French Renaissance architecture in Poland and the only example of a magnate's manor from the times of Vasa dynasty to survive World War II.

During The Deluge the town was pillaged and burnt by the Swedes. Only the palace and the church survived, but the town managed to recover under the rule of bishop Andrzej Załuski. By 1761 Kielce had more than 4,000 inhabitants. In 1789 Kielce were nationalised and the burgers were granted the right to elect their own representatives in Sejm. Until the end of the century the city's economy entered a period of fast growth. A brewery was founded as well as several brick factories, a horse breeder, hospital, school and a religious college.

As a result of the 3rd Partition the town was annexed by Austriamarker. During the Polish-Austrian War of 1809 it was captured by prince Józef Poniatowski and joined with the Duchy of Warsawmarker, but after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815 it was joined with the Kingdom of Polandmarker. For a brief period when Kraków was an independent city-state (Republic of Krakówmarker), Kielce became the capital of the Kraków Voivodeship. Thanks to the efforts by Stanisław Staszic Kielce became the centre of the newly-established Old-Polish Industrial Zone (Staropolski Okręg Przemysłowy). The town grew quickly as new mines, quarries and factories were constructed. In 1816 the first Polish technical university was founded in Kielce. However, after Staszic's death the Industrial Zone declined and in 1826 the school was moved to Warsawmarker and became the Warsaw University of Technologymarker.

In 1830 many of the inhabitants of Kielce took part in the November Uprising against Russia. In 1844 a priest Piotr Åšciegienny intended a local uprising to liberate Kielce from Russian rule, for which he was sent to Siberiamarker. In 1863 Kielce took part in the January Uprising. As a reprisal for insubordination the tsarist authorities closed all Polish schools and turned Kielce into a military garrison city. Polish language was banned. Because of these actions many gymnasium students took part in the 1905 Revolution and were joined by factory workers.

After the outbreak of World War I, Kielce was the first Polish city to be liberated from Russian rule by the Polish Legions under Józef Piłsudski. After the war when Poland regained its independence after 123 years of Partitions, Kielce became the capital of Kielce Voivodeship. The plans to strengthen Polish heavy and war industries resulted in Kielce becoming one of the main nodes of the Central Industrial Area (Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy). The town housed several big factories, among them the munitions factory "Granat" and the food processing plant Społem.



During the Polish Defensive War of 1939, the main portion of the defenders of Westerplattemarker as well as the armoured brigade of General Stanisław Maczek were either from Kielce or from its close suburbs. During the occupation that lasted for most of World War II the town was an important centre of resistance. There were several resistance groups active in the town (among them the Armia Krajowa (AK) and the Gwardia Ludowa (GL)).

Notable acts of resistance:

  • Theft of 2 tons of TNT from the "SpoÅ‚em" factory, which were then used by the partisans to make hand grenades.
  • The daring escape from jail in Kielce of a dozen or so AK members, organised in November 1942 by StanisÅ‚aw DepczyÅ„ski.
  • A grenade attack by a unit of the GL on the SmoleÅ„ski coffee shop, killing 6 Germans including a major in the SS (February 1943).
  • Assassination of the noted Gestapo officer Franz Wittek on 15 June 1944, by a unit under 2Lt. Kazimierz Smolak on the corner of Solna and Paderewskiego streets. One of the attackers died during the attack and a further four lost their lives not long afterwards. This was not the first assassination attempt against Wittek. Already in 1942 Henryk Pawelec fired at him in the market square, but his pistol misfired. In February 1943 a unit under the command of StanisÅ‚aw FÄ…far shot at Wittek by the Seminarium building, but Wittek, although wounded by 14 bullets, survived.
  • Successful assassinations of local collaborators, including the shooting of Jan Bocian in broad daylight in a shop in BodzentyÅ„ska street.
  • An attack on the factory of C. Wawrzyniak in March 1943, terrorizing and disarming the volksdeutscher workers and destroying the machinery.
  • An attack on the "Hasag" factory in May 1943 and the takeover of the Kielce Herbskie railway station.


Moreover, the hills and forests of Holy Cross Mountains became a scene of heavy partisan activity. A small town of Pińczówmarker located some 30 kilometres from Kielce became the capital of the so-called Pinczów Republic, a piece of Polish land controlled by the partisans. The Swietokrzyskie Mountains Home Army District fought against the Germans long before Operation Tempest inflicted heavy casualties on the occupying forces and later took part in the final liberation of their towns and cities in January 1945. During the war many of inhabitants of Kielce lost their lives. Today, Kielce is a rapidly developing city, of growing regional importance.

Jews

Up to the Second World War, like many other cities in Europe, Kielce had a significant Jewish population: according to the Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 23,200, Jews constituted 6,400 (around 27% percent). On the eve of the Second World War there were 24,000 Jewish inhabitants in Kielce, around one-third of the population at the time. Immediately after the German occupation in September 1939 action was taken against the Jews in the form of fines, confiscation of property, forced labour, and the like. In April 1941, the Jewish ghetto was established, and the Jews were forced to move into it. During this time, many of them were forced to work at a nearby German ammunition plant. In August 1942, the extermination of the Jewish ghetto began and in 5 days only 2,000 were left. Those who survived the massacre were sent to another forced labour camp before going to the Treblinka extermination campmarker.

After the war some of the Jews came back to Kielce, and on July 4, 1946 allegations of blood libel led to the Kielce pogrom in which over 35 Jews were murdered by the local Polish population.

Tourists attractions

Map of the centre of Kielce
  • Palace of Kraków Bishops (1637–1641): summer residence of Bishops of Kraków, built in early baroque style by Giovanni Battista Trevano and Tomasz Poncino; houses a museum with an important gallery of Polish paintings
  • Baroque Cathedral (12th century, rebuilt 1632–1635 and again in 19th century)
  • Holy Trinity Church (1640–1644)
  • Tomasz ZieliÅ„ski romantic manor (1846–1858)
  • Old Town market (18th century)
  • Sienkiewicza Street
  • Stefan Å»eromski museum
  • Synagogue (renaissance)
  • 5 geological nature reserves in town area
  • Kadzielnia Gorge (a former quarry where many of the East Germanmarker westerns were filmed) - including parts of the
  • Holy Cross Mountains


Education

  • Politechnika ÅšwiÄ™tokrzyska (Kielce University of Technology) [11372]
  • Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy im. Jana Kochanowskiego (Jan Kochanowski Universitymarker) [11373]
  • Swietokrzyska Szkola Wyzsza
  • Wszechnica Swietokrzyska
  • Wyzsza Szkola Administracji Publicznej
  • Wyzsza Szkola Ekonomii i Prawa im. prof. Edwarda Lipinskiego www
  • Wyzsza Szkola Handlowa im. Boleslawa Markowskiego
  • Wyzsza Szkola Umiejetnosci
  • Wyzsza Szkola Technik Komputerowych i Telekomunikacji
  • Wyzsza Szkola Zarzadzania Gospodarka Regionalna i Turystyka
  • Wyzsza Szkola Telekomunikacji i Informatyki www
  • Towarzystwo Wiedzy Powszechnej OR Kielce
  • Juliusz SÅ‚owacki High School www
  • Stefan Å»eromski High School www
  • Jan Åšniadecki High School [11374]
  • Hanka Sawicka High School
  • Å›w. Jadwiga Królowa High School


Building of Stefan Żeromski Theatre


Culture

Cinemas

Theatres

  • Stefan Å»eromski Theatre www
  • Kieleckie Centrum Kultury - KCK www
  • "KubuÅ›" - The puppet and actor Theatre www


Sports

The new stadium in Kielce
  • Korona Kielce - men's football team, currently plays in Poland's top football league, Ekstraklasa.
  • Vive Targi Kielce (Iskra Kielce) men's Handball team playing in Polish Ekstraklasa Men's Handball League, few times Champions and medalist of Poland (winner in 1993 1994 1996 1998 1999 2003 and 2009, second places in 1995 2004, third places in 1980 1997 2001 2005 ) .
  • KKL Kielce (athletics) - Official website of KKL Kielce
  • Oficina da Capoeira Kielce - Capoeira Club in Kielce
  • Muay Thai Kielce
  • Å»ak Kielce (judo club)
  • Kielecki Klub Karate Kyokushin
  • Rushh Kielce (boxing club)
  • Gwardia Kielce (boxing club)
  • KS FART Kielce (volleyball club)
  • OrlÄ™ta Kielce (football club, IV league)
  • Polonia BiaÅ‚ogon Kielce (football club)
  • Czarnovia Kielce (football club)
  • AZS Politechnika Kielce (football club)
  • AZS WSU Kielce (football club)
  • Scyzory Kielce (American football)
  • TÄ™cza Kielce
  • Mountain biking in Kielce
  • Contact Kielce billiards club from Kielce, Champion of Poland and medalist of Polish League


Politics

Bus station in Kielce of characteristic shape of alien saucer

Kielce constituency

Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Kielce constituency in 2005:

Famous people



Actors, vocalists and media celebrities



Sportsmen



Twin Towns - Sister Cities

Kielce is twinned with:


Gallery

Manierist palace complex

File:MNKI.jpg|Bishops' Palace, 1637–1641File:Ogród Włoski 03 ssj 20060715.jpg|Garden façade of the PalaceFile:Ogród Włoski 01 ssj 20060715.jpg|Terraced Italian garden, 17th centuryFile:Katedra Kielce 01 ssj 20060513.jpg|Cathedral, rebuilt 1632–1635

Other architectural monuments

File:Kościół Świętego Wojciecha w Kielcach 02 ssj 20061112.jpg|St. Adalbert Church dating back to 10th centuryFile:Kościół Świętej Trójcy w Kielcach 01 ssj 20060513.jpg|Holy Trinity Church, built 1640–1644File:Kielce-karczowka.jpg|Karczówka Monastery, built 1624–1631File:Kielce kościół garnizonowy.jpg|Garrison Church, built 1902–1904

References

External links




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