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Brief history of the town
November 1292: King Wencelaus
II grants to Nowy Sącz
the municipal rights, in the document, called “Nova Civitas
Sandecz”. It was a very favourable paper,
giving the settlers the rights to build among the others two public
baths, cloth halls, butcher stalls and mills. The town was given the
right to use 5/6th of all profits earned on the commercial and
production activities for its own benefit.
1311: Nowy Sącz
supports the King Ladislaus the Short, during the
rebellion organised by Krakow’s town people. In return, the king granted
to his “faithful citizens” many privileges. This resulted in further
development of the town, which became an important trade centre in this
part of the country.
1350 – 1360: The King Casimir the Great builds a huge castle and city
walls. At that time many of Nowy Sącz citizens occupied important political
positions on the country level. Stanislaw Malachowski
of Nowy Sącz for
example, was the Speaker of the Polish Parliament.
April 1410: The King Ladislaus Jagiello holds a
meeting with the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas
at the castle of Nowy Sącz.
After the meeting, the king sets off for the war against the Teutonic
Order. In the 15th century, the town gains its fame for woollen
goods and steel products.
1448: The bishop of Cracow
raises the status of St. Margaret’s Church to the level of a collegiate.
Later on, in 1992, the church became a basilica.
15th and 16th
centuries: The town reaches the peak of its development. Many artists and
craftsmen chose the town to be their home. Nowy
Sącz was able to compete with Krakow in
the field of visual arts.
17th century: The great fire of 1611
destroyed most of the town and later on the invasion of the Swedish
devastated the economy. Nowy Sącz looses its
importance as a merchant power.
18th century: Along with Galicja, Nowy Sącz was incorporated into Austro-Hungarian
Empire. The laws of the invader lowered the status of the town to be a
regional capital rather then provincial, as it
used to be before.
19th century: Construction of Tarnów – Leluchów railway,
connected the town with the rest of the country. It gave Nowy Sącz a chance for
new development.
1918: Poland regains
independence. Nowy Sącz
becomes a capital of the county. Enlargement of the railway factory
occurred. New factories and workshops were built.
6th September
1939: The
Nazis captured the town. One third of the population of the town (34 000)
did not survive the war. The Jewish Ghetto was formed near to the castle.
Many of the captured Jews were deported to concentration and
extermination camps. At the end of the 2nd World War, 62% of
the town was destroyed.
1975: Nowy Sącz
becomes the capital of the province. This boosts the importance of the
town in the southern part of the country.
End of 1980’s and
beginning of 1990’s: With the rest of the country, the town enjoys
the return of democracy. Rapid development of private enterprise changes
the outlook of the town. Quick development of town’s infrastructure.
2000: Administrative reform of
Poland downgraded the status of the town. Nowy Sącz is no longer a capital of the province, but
is incorporated into the province with the capital in Krakow. Due to the
activities of National Louis University in Nowy
Sącz, the town becomes more cosmopolitan
and young in spirits, as it attracts the youth from many parts of Europe
and the world.
1st May 2004; Together with the rest of
the country, Nowy Sacz
becomes a part of the European Union, the union of 25 countries. The town
and its inhabitants are now faced with the challenges and opportunities
deriving from the membership in the EU.
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