Końskowola Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Końskowola

Village

Aerial view of the town centre

Coat of arms

Końskowola

Location in Poland

Poland

Puławy

Gmina

Końskowola

Established

14th century

City rights

1532-1870

Area

9.81 km² (3.79 sq mi)

Population

(2004)

2,188

• Density

223/km² (580/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postal code

24-130

Area code(s)

+48 81

Car Plates

LPU

Website

Official webpage: http://www.konskowola.info.pl

Końskowola is a village in southeastern Poland. It is located between the cities of Puławy and Lublin, close to Kurów and the Kurówka River. Końskowola is the main village of its own local government area, called a gmina, within Puławy County in Lublin Voivodeship. In 2005, about 2,188 people lived there.

What's in a Name?
Końskowola's Past
- World War II and Its Impact
Places to See
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The name Końskowola means Horse's Will. It comes from the name of an early owner, Jan z Konina (also known as Jan Koniński), and the old Polish word Wola, which was a type of village. In 1442, the name was spelled a bit differently as "Konińskawola."

Końskowola's Past

The village of Końskowola was likely started in the 14th century. Back then, it was called Witowska Wola. Later, its name changed to Konińskawola, and in the 1800s, it became Końskowola, as we know it today.

Końskowola was once a private town. This meant it was owned by a noble family, not the king. It was a busy place where farmers could sell their crops.

On June 8, 1532, Końskowola officially became a town. Factories that made cloth were built there. Many people moved to Końskowola to work in these factories, including some from Saxony (a part of Germany).

The town's history followed the path of the whole region. In 1795, after Poland was divided by other countries, Końskowola became part of Austria. Then, in 1809, it joined the Duchy of Warsaw. In 1815, it became part of the Kingdom of Poland.

After a big uprising in Poland called the January Uprising, Końskowola lost its town status in 1870. It never became a town again. During the Russian Revolution of 1905, people in Końskowola held protests and strikes to show their support. Since 1918, Końskowola has been part of an independent Poland.

World War II and Its Impact

When World War II began, German soldiers took over Końskowola on September 15, 1939. During their occupation, the Germans set up a camp for prisoners of war and another camp where people were forced to work. The prisoner camp closed quickly, but the labor camp stayed open until 1943. People in this camp were forced to work on German farms and build roads and railways.

The Germans also created a Nazi ghetto in Końskowola. Many Jewish people were forced to move there, including some who had been sent away from Slovakia. On May 8, 1942, the Germans gathered many Jewish people from the ghetto and sent them to the Sobibor extermination camp.

In October 1942, the ghetto was completely emptied. German soldiers carried out a terrible act, killing about 800 to 1000 Jewish people, including women and children, in a nearby forest. The remaining people from the ghetto were sent to another camp.

As the Red Army (Soviet forces) got closer in the summer of 1944, the Germans planned to burn down Końskowola. But on July 25, 1944, Polish underground fighters from the Armia Krajowa and Bataliony Chłopskie fought against the German forces. When Soviet troops arrived, these groups worked together to free the area.

Places to See

Końskowola has some interesting historical sites:

A Catholic church called pw. Znalezienia Krzyża (which means "The Finding of the Holy Cross"). It was rebuilt around 1670 in a Baroque style by Tylman van Gameren, a famous architect. This church also has the graves of the Opaliński and Lubomirski families.
Another old Catholic church, built in 1613. It is a great example of the "Lublin Renaissance" architectural style, similar to a church in Kazimierz Dolny.
The remains of an old Lutheran cemetery.

Końskowola is also known as the place where two famous Polish poets, Franciszek Dionizy Kniaźnin and Franciszek Zabłocki, passed away. Even Henryk Sienkiewicz, a well-known Polish writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature, mentioned Końskowola in his historical novel With Fire and Sword. He wrote, "... Very poor beer also in this Końskowola, Mr. Zagłoba noticed ..."