Resumo de The History Of Bedzin Jews

The history of Bedzin Jews dates back to the 13th century, although the oldest written sources state the year 1564. At the beginning the Jews had to live outside the town and it was not until the end of 15th century that they began to settle in the boundaries of the town (they obtained a formal permission in the second half of the 16th century); they inhabited mainly the vicinity of Berka Joselewicza and Rybna streets. Since the beginning of their presence in Bedzin they took an active part in town's life; it was simplified by privileges granted to them by successive kings of Poland. During the reign of King Zygmunt I Stary they were made equal with Christian traders, in the reign of King Zygmunt III Waza town authorities were obliged to defend Jewish population against any aggresion. The act of Micha? Korybut Wi?niowiecki granted Jews the right to all kinds of trade in the town. In the half of 19th century Jews were owners of 60 % shops in the town as well as share holders of many industrial plants. In the period after World War I the situation did not change. In 1917 all councillors in town council were Jews. The vice-president of the town was also of Jewish descent. There existed plenty of Jewish cultural organisations, political parties, sports clubs, press. The economic and social development was accompanied by the growing number of Jewish citizens of the district. In 1787 the number of Jewish citizens in Bedzin was 250 people, in 1835 - 1200 people, in 1880 - it was already 3800 and in 1910 - 37 000. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the Jews made up 80 per cent of the population of the town. However, on the eve of the outbreak of the war their number decreased to 'only' 25 000 citizens. The period of World War II meant almost complete extermanation of Bedzin Jews. At night 8/9 September The Germans burnt a synagogue with a group of about two hundred Jews praying inside. Gradually the Jews were deprived of their possessions, they were displaced from the town center to ghettos in Bedzin Warp and Srodula in Sosnowiec. The first mass deportations to KL Auschwitz-Birkenau were in 1941 and the liquidation of the ghetto took place from 1st to Th August 1443. After the war about nine hundred Jews came back to Bedzin, but most of them left the town as a result of politics run by PRL authorities.

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