Międzyrzec Podlaski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Międzyrzec Podlaski
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Aerial view of Międzyrzec Podlaski
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 Międzyrzec Podlaski
Location in Poland
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| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship |  Lublin |
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| County | Biała Podlaska | ||
| Gmina | Międzyrzec Podlaski (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 12th century | ||
| Town rights | 15th century | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 20.03 km2 (7.73 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 148 m (486 ft) | ||
| Population
(2014)
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| • Total | 17,102 | ||
| • Density | 853.82/km2 (2,211.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
| Postal code |
21–560
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| Area code(s) | +48 83 | ||
| Car plates | LBI | ||
| Website | http://www.miedzyrzec.pl | ||
Międzyrzec Podlaski [mʲɛnˈd͡zɨʐɛt͡s pɔdˈlaskʲi] is a town in Poland. It is located in the Lublin Voivodeship and Biała Podlaska County. The town is home to about 17,162 people, as of 2006.
Międzyrzec Podlaski covers an area of about 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles). It is situated near the Krzna river. The town is also not far from the border with Belarus.
Contents
Discovering Międzyrzec Podlaski's Past
The town of Międzyrzec Podlaski was first mentioned in official records around 1434. Some sources suggest it might have been in 1455 or 1477. At that time, it was an important stop on a busy trade route. This route connected Łuków to Brześć.
Early Growth and Challenges
Międzyrzec Podlaski grew quickly. A Roman Catholic church was built there in 1486. The town's owner, Jan Nassutowicz, also got permission for the town to hold fairs. By 1598, a salt warehouse opened, and the town became known for its beer.
However, this peaceful time ended in 1648. The town was attacked by Zaporozhian Cossacks. Later, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, the Swedes ransacked and burned the town. They returned again in 1706 and 1708. Russian forces also raided Międzyrzec in 1660.
Changes in Control and Russian Influence
In 1795, Poland was divided among its neighbors. Międzyrzec Podlaski became part of the Habsburg Empire. After a Polish victory in 1809, it rejoined Poland as part of the Duchy of Warsaw.
In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, the town came under the control of the Russian Tsar. It became a stop on the Polish railway system by 1867. Międzyrzec was also a center for the Greek Catholic Church.
In 1772, Duke August Aleksander Czartoryski founded a church for Uniates here. However, in the mid-19th century, Russia tried to make Uniates adopt the Orthodox faith. As a result, two local Uniate churches became Orthodox in 1875.
World War I and Polish Independence
During World War I, Germany occupied the town. On November 16, 1918, German troops killed about 44 Poles. These included members of the Polish Military Organisation and regular citizens.
German occupation ended the next day, November 17, 1918. Międzyrzec Podlaski then became part of independent Poland. A large Jewish community had lived in Międzyrzec since the 1500s. By the late 1930s, about 12,000 Jewish people lived there. This was about 75% of the town's population.
World War II and Its Impact
In 1939, during the Invasion of Poland, German forces took over the town. It was then given to the Russians, but two weeks later, it was returned to Germany. In 1940, the Nazis set up six forced labor camps for about 2,000 local Jewish people.
More Jewish people were brought to Międzyrzec from other areas. In April 1942, the Gestapo demanded a large amount of gold from the Jewish community. About 40 hostages were killed when the demand was not met.
On August 25–26, 1942, about 10,000 Jewish prisoners were forced onto cattle cars. They were sent to the Treblinka extermination camp. Two days later, the Międzyrzec Podlaski Ghetto was created. More deportations followed.
The ghetto was completely closed on July 17, 1943. Very few Jewish people from the town survived the Nazi killings and forced removals to death camps. The German occupiers also ran a forced labor camp for Italian prisoners of war. On July 23, 1944, 60 Italian prisoners were killed by the Germans before they left the town.
Międzyrzec Podlaski's Economy
About 4,900 people in Międzyrzec Podlaski have jobs. Around 36% work in factories and industries. About 19% work in shops and trade. Another 11% work in education. In October 2005, the unemployment rate was 22%. This means 22% of people who wanted to work could not find jobs.
The town is located where two important national roads meet: DK2 and DK19. DK2 is Poland's main east-west road. In the future, the Expressway S19 will pass west of the town. A part of this road, about 6.6 kilometers (4.1 miles) long, was built as a bypass. It opened in 2008. This helps traffic on DK19 avoid the town center.
Global Connections: Twin Towns
Międzyrzec Podlaski is known by different names in other languages. For example, it is called Mezri'tsh in Yiddish and Meserici in Latin.
Sister Cities Around the World
Międzyrzec Podlaski has special connections with other towns around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities. They work together to share culture and ideas.
Thouars, France
Kobryn, Belarus- Malaryta, Belarus
Pogiry, Lithuania
Ludza, Latvia
Kamin-Kashyrskyi, Ukraine
Petah Tikva, Israel
Famous People from Międzyrzec Podlaski
Many notable people have come from Międzyrzec Podlaski. Here are some of them:
- Jan Brożek
- Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski
- August Aleksander Czartoryski
- Konstanty Adam Czartoryski
- Yehoshua Leib Diskin
- Morris Michael Edelstein
- Judah David Eisenstein
- Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski
- Jacob ben Wolf Kranz
- Kazimierz Kierzkowski
- Ryszard Kornacki
- Sława Przybylska
- Moshe Rynecki
- Franciszek Stefaniuk
- Stanisław Żmijan
- Yitzhak Yaakov Wachtfogel (in Hebrew)
- Samson Zelig Rubinstein (Holocaust survivor buried in Wilmington, North Carolina)
- Rabbi Ephraim Eliezer Zvi Hersh Charlap (in Hebrew)
Images for kids
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Monument to victims of 1918 German massacre in Międzyrzec during liberation of Poland in World War I
See also
In Spanish: Międzyrzec Podlaski para niños
