Mińsk Mazowiecki ( "Masovian Minsk") is a town in eastern Poland with 40,999 inhabitants (2020). It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999) and is a part of the Warsaw Agglomeration. It is the capital of Mińsk County. Located 20 kilometers from the city limits of Warsaw and 38 kilometers from Warsaw's center.
Name
The source of town name - Mińsk - is the Mienia River, which in turn derives from the verb 'mienić', which means 'to shine'. The postnominal adjective 'Mazowiecki''' shows the historical connection to Mazovia and distinguishes Mińsk Mazowiecki from the Belarusian capital of Minsk.
Location
Mińsk Mazowiecki is located geographically in South Podlasie, historically in East Mazovia and administratively in the eastern part of Masovian Voivodeship, east from Warsaw's Center and from Warsaw's border.
Timeline of history
XIV century – first mentions of a settlement with commercial function
1421, 29 May – Mińsk was granted town privileges by Janusz I of Warsaw
1422 – first wooden church was built (not preserved) 1549 – a second town Sendomierz, later merged with Mińsk, was located on the other side of Srebrna River 1629 – the present church opened 1695 – Sendomierz joined to Mińsk XVIII century – gradual decline of Mińsk connected with gradual decline of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1795–1809 – under Austrian rule as a result of the Third Partition of Poland 1809–1815 – in the Duchy of Warsaw 1815–1916 – in the Congress Poland 1866 – Mińsk county established, first train arrival (Warsaw–Terespol Railway) 1867 – name of the town changed to Nowomińsk (Novominsk) 1870 – Dernałowicz Family became the last owners of the city (up to the Second World War) 1886 – first bookstore in east Mazovia XX century – found of famous manufacture 1912 (or 1910) – start of Maria Grochowska's School, today this is Polska Macierz Szkolna's High School 1914 – old church opened after reconstruction 1915 – present hospital opened 1915 to 1918, 11 November – German occupation during World War I 1916 – name's change (Novominsk > Mińsk Mazowiecki) 1920 – briefly occupied by Russians before the Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Bolshevik War 1920–1939 – great development 1937 – first electric train arrived 1939–1944 – second German occupation (World War II) 1939, 12 September – German entry 1939, 13 September – battle for Mińsk Mazowiecki (led by gen. Władysław Anders) 1942, 21 July – liquidation of Mińsk Mazowiecki ghetto. Most of the Jewish residents were murdered at the Treblinka death camp (one of the first episodes of The Holocaust) 1944, 30 July – liberation by Armia Krajowa (prelude to Warsaw Uprising) 1944, 30–31 July – Soviet liberation 1945, 2–3 March – Soviet killed Mińsk's elite (with Mayor Hipolit Konopka) 1952 – trains manufacture 1957 – military garrison 1979 – new train station 1985 – Solidarity events 1990 – first Mayor elected in free elections (since elections before Second World War): Zbigniew Grzesiak 1999 – Mińsk County established
Jewish history
In 1768, the restrictions on permanent residence for Jewish people in Mińsk had been lifted. From the 19th century to the 1930s, it became very popular. Before the Second World War, there were thousands of Jews living in Mińsk, and they had a general synagogue and smaller temples. The Novominsk hasidic dynasty was founded here in the late 19th century by Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, a descendant of the Baal Shem Tov.
Soon after the war began, the Germans created the Mińsk Ghetto. It was liquidated on 21 July 1942. Most of the Jews were murdered in Treblinka extermination camp sent in Holocaust trains by the thousands. The remaining Jewish population were murdered in Mińsk on 10 January 1943 (500 people) and 5 June (the last 150 people).
Monuments
layout of medieval settlement and later city
Palace of Doria Dernałowicz Family – built probably in the 17th century (in place of 16th century residence), converted to classicism park Church of the Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary – built in the 17th century, converted to neo-baroque in the early 20th century internal furnishing cemetery county hall (former), 19th century, classicism county hall, 19th century post office, 19th century, empire church of Mariavite Church, 1911 residential areas, 19th and early 20th century Jewish cemetery some school buildings (early 20th century)
Economy
Trade: hypermarket Carrefour supermarkets (about 10) many other shops market developers
Service: 10 banks fast-foods, pubs and restaurants 3 hotels construction industry car service satellite communication