Siedlce [] ( yi, שעדליץ ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,354 inhabitants (). Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously the city was the capital of a separate

Siedlce Voivodeship Siedlce Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Masovian Voivodeship and Lublin Voivodeship. Its capital city was Siedlce. Major cities and towns (population ...

(1975–1998). The city is situated between two small rivers, the Muchawka and the Helenka, and lies along the

European route E30 European route E30 is an A-Class European route from the port of Cork in Ireland in the west to the Russian city of Omsk, near the border with Kazakhstan in the east. For much of the Russian stretch, it follows the Trans-Siberian Highway a ...

, around east of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

. It is the fourth largest city of the Voivodeship, and the seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Siedlce The Diocese of Siedlce ( la, Siedlecen(sis)) is a Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. J ...

. Siedlce is a local educational, cultural and business center.

History

The city, which is a part of the historical province of

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...

, was most probably founded some time before the 15th century, and was first mentioned as ''Siedlecz'' in a document issued in 1448. In 1503, local

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...

Daniel Siedlecki erected a new village of the same name nearby, together with a church. In 1547 the town was granted

Magdeburg rights Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within ...

by King

Sigismund the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

. Siedlce as an urban center was created after a merger of the two neighboring villages. It was a

private town A private town is a town owned by a private person or a family. History of Private Towns in Poland In the history of Poland, private towns (''miasta prywatne'') were towns within the lands owned by magnates, bishops, knights, princes, etc. ...

, administratively located in the

Lublin Voivodeship The Lublin Voivodeship, also known as the Lublin Province ( Polish: ''województwo lubelskie'' ), is a voivodeship (province) of Poland, located in southeastern part of the country. It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Lublin, C ...

in the

Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown , subdivision = Province , nation = Poland , year_start = , event_end = Third Partition of Poland , year_end = , image_map = ProwincjaMalopolska.png , image_map ...

. In the 16th century, and until the mid-17th century, Siedlce prospered, with its population quickly growing and a number of artisans opening their shops here. Odwach w Siedlcach

The period of prosperity ended during the Swedish invasion of Poland (1655–1660), when Siedlce, together with most Lesser Poland's towns and cities, was burned by the Cossacks,

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

, Muscovities, Swedes and the Transylvanians. After these conflicts, the town belonged to the

Czartoryski family The House of Czartoryski (feminine form: Czartoryska, plural: Czartoryscy; lt, Čartoriskiai) is a Polish princely family of Lithuanian- Ruthenian origin, also known as the Familia. The family, which derived their kin from the Gediminids dyna ...

, as a dowry of Joanna Olędzka, who married Prince Michał Jerzy Czartoryski. In 1692 Siedlce burned again, and the destruction was used by

Kazimierz Czartoryski Prince Kazimierz Czartoryski (4 March 1674 – 31 August 1741) was a Polish nobleman, Duke of Klewań and . Kazimierz became Podczaszy of Lithuania since 1699, Grand Treasurer of Lithuania in 1707–1709, nominated by King Stanisław L ...

, the son of Michał Jerzy, to plan a new, modern market square, together with adjacent streets. In the first half of the 18th century, a new parish church was built. In 1775, after Aleksandra Czartoryska married

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

Michał Kazimierz Ogiński Michał Kazimierz Ogiński ( – ) was a Polish nobleman, politician, musician, composer and military officer. Biography He began his political career at the age of 18, when he became the Field Writer of Lithuania, a mid-level position in the a ...

, the town passed over to the

Ogiński family The House of Ogiński, feminine form: Ogińska, plural: Ogińscy ( lt, Oginskiai, be, Агінскія, Ahinskija) was a noble family of Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland (later, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), member of the Princely Ho ...

. At that time Siedlce emerged as one of the most important cultural centers of the nation. The ''Ogiński Palace'' was visited by several notable artists and writers, such as

Franciszek Karpiński Franciszek Karpiński (4 October 1741 – 16 September 1825) was the leading sentimental Polish poet of the Age of Enlightenment. He is particularly remembered for his religious works later rendered as hymns and carols. He is also considered ...

, and

Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz ( , ; 6 February 1758 – 21 May 1841) was a Polish poet, playwright and statesman. He was a leading advocate for the Constitution of 3 May 1791. Early life Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz was born 6 February 1758 in Skoki, nea ...

. King Stanisław August Poniatowski visited the palace twice, in 1783 and 1793. Due to efforts of Aleksandra Ogińska, several improvements took place in Siedlce. Among them, a new town hall was built, which now is one of the symbols of the city.

Partitions of Poland

Siedlce remained a

until the military Partitions of Poland, when it changed hands several times. During the

third partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polis ...

(1795), Siedlce was annexed by the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

, and became the seat of ''Kreisamt'' (1795–1809) in the

Austrian Partition The Austrian Partition ( pl, zabór austriacki) comprise the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired by the Habsburg monarchy during the Partitions of Poland in the late 18th century. The three partitions were conduct ...

.Official Siedlce website: Town history, 1448–1999
via Internet Archive. Retrieved 24 October 2015. Dworzec siedlce gancwol BK

In 1809 Siedlce became part of the Polish

Duchy of Warsaw The Duchy of Warsaw ( pl, Księstwo Warszawskie, french: Duché de Varsovie, german: Herzogtum Warschau), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during ...

established by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, within which it was the capital of the Siedlce Department. Following his defeat, during the creation of the Russian-controlled Congress Poland (1815), Siedlce became the seat of a province in the

Russian Partition The Russian Partition ( pl, zabór rosyjski), sometimes called Russian Poland, constituted the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that were annexed by the Russian Empire in the course of late-18th-century Partitions of Po ...

(see Podlasie Governorate). During the November Uprising against Russian domination, the Battle of Iganie (10 April 1831) took place near the town. In the January Uprising of 1863, Siedlce was again an important center of the anti-Tsarist rebellion. In 1867 the Siedlce Governorate was created. Siedlce continued to develop with new administration buildings, a post office complex, a courthouse, and a new prison. In the late 19th century, Siedlce became an important railroad junction, with connections to

(completed 1866),

Brest Litovsk Brest ( be, Брэст / Берасьце, Bieraście, ; russian: Брест, ; uk, Берестя, Berestia; lt, Brasta; pl, Brześć; yi, בריסק, Brisk), formerly Brest-Litovsk (russian: Брест-Литовск, lit=Lithuanian Br ...

(1867), Małkinia Górna (1884), and Czeremcha (1906). In the beginning of the 20th century, local students launched a protest against the ruthless Russification policies. Subsequently, in 1906 the Russian secret police organized the

Siedlce pogrom Siedlce pogrom refers to the events of September 8–10 or 11, 1906, in Siedlce, (Congress) Kingdom of Poland. It was part of a wave of pogroms in Russia and controlled territories (such as the Kingdom of Poland), in the larger context of the wi ...

in order to terrorize the locals. At that time, Siedlce was an important center of Jewish culture, with Jews making up 50% of the population.

Interbellum and World War II

In the Second Polish Republic, since the return to independence in 1918, Siedlce belonged to the Lublin Voivodeship (1919–39) in the central part of the country (unlike today) with the provincial capital in Lublin. During the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

, the city was briefly captured by the Russians, and then recaptured by Poles on 17 August 1920. On 19 August 1920, after the Polish victory in the Battle of Warsaw, Marshal

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...

, Prime Minister Wincenty Witos and Minister

Maciej Rataj Maciej Rataj (19 February 1884 – 21 June 1940) was a Polish politician and writer. Biography Born in the village of Chłopy, near Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), on 19 February 1884, he attended a gymnasium in Lwów and studied classical lingu ...

held a meeting in the city. Within interwar Poland, the city remained an important rail junction and was the location of a military garrison, where the 9th Infantry Division was stationed before the German-Soviet

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

, which started

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in September 1939. During the invasion of Poland, Germany bombed Polish civilian refugees on the road from Warsaw to Siedlce, and the city was captured and then occupied by Germany until 1944. The Polish government evacuated the Polish

gold reserve A gold reserve is the gold held by a national central bank, intended mainly as a guarantee to redeem promises to pay depositors, note holders (e.g. paper money), or trading peers, during the eras of the gold standard, and also as a store of v ...

, part of which was stored in Siedlce, to Polish-allied France. In mid-September 1939, the German '' Einsatzgruppe V'' entered the city to commit atrocities against Poles. Siedlce was included within the Warsaw District of the General Government (German-occupied central Poland). During the war, the area of Siedlce was home to a large partisan force of the

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) est ...

and other underground organizations, such as

Armia Ludowa People's Army ( Polish: ''Armia Ludowa'' , abbriv.: AL) was a communist Soviet-backed partisan force set up by the communist Polish Workers' Party ('PR) during World War II. It was created on the order of the Polish State National Council on 1 ...

. Due to

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

terror, the town lost one-third of its population, including its entire Jewish community deported to

extermination camp Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...

s during

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

. In late July 1944 (see

Operation Tempest file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right Operation Tempest ( pl, akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home ...

), Home Army units freed the town, together with the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

. After the war, 50% of Siedlce was in ruins, including the town hall.

Jewish history

Until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, like many other cities in Europe, Siedlce had a significant Jewish population. At some times, indeed, Jews were the majority of its population. The presence of Jews at Siedlce is attested from the mid-16th century – inn keepers, merchants and artisans. A Jewish hospital existed in the town since the early 18th century. In 1794, a

Beit Midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

(study hall) was founded in the town and 1798 the Jewish cemetery was extended, testifying to the increase of the community. These changes coincided with the town coming under Austrian rule with the

Third Partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polis ...

. Austrian rule lasted until 1809. It was passed to Russian rule in 1815 formally (in 1813 de facto), that lasted for over a hundred years. Until 1819 the Jewish community of

, to the west, was formally subject to the authority of the Siedlce rabbis. As a result of Russian discriminatory policies for much of the 19th century – a time when the town's population steadily increased – Jews were the majority of Siedlce's population: 3,727 (71.5%) in 1839; 4,359 (65%) in 1841; 5,153 (67.5%) in 1858; 8,156 (64%) in 1878. Later on, the percentage of Jews decreased due to non-Jewish migration: according to the Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 23,700, Jews constituted 11,400 (so around 48% percent). The first Polish census, in 1921, recorded 14,685 Jews living in Siedlce. Their number remained steady in the interwar period, and in 1939, on the eve of the

, there were some 15,000 Jews living in the town. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, secular political and cultural activity was evident among Jews in Siedlce, similar to other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. In 1900 the Bund started activity in the town, as did the

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

movement, and many of the town's Jews were adherents of the

Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party ( pl, Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) is a socialist political party in Poland. It was one of the most important parties in Poland from its inception in 1892 until its merger with the communist Polish Workers' ...

. Between 1911 and 1939, two

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

weeklies were published in the town, and a Jewish high school was founded during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In the last decades of

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

ist rule, many Siedlce activists (both Polish and Jewish) took part in the

1905 Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...

. After a series of attacks on Russians in all of Poland on Bloody Wednesday (15 August 1906) the Russian authorities organized a pogrom in Siedlce in reprisal on 8–10 September 1906, in which 26 Jews perished. In the wake of the

the town was affected by the Polish-Soviet War, being occupied by the

in 1920 and taken over by the Polish Army in 1921.

World War II

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-695-0419-03A, Ostfront, Panzer

In 1939, Jews constituted some 37% of the town's population. Germans deported over a thousand Jews from elsewhere in Poland to Siedlce in 1940, especially from

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

Kalisz (The oldest city of Poland) , image_skyline = , image_caption = ''Top:'' Town Hall, Former "Calisia" Piano Factory''Middle:'' Courthouse, "Gołębnik" tenement''Bottom:'' Aerial view of the Kalisz Old Town , image_flag = POL Kalisz flag.svg ...

and

Pabianice Pabianice is a city in central Poland with 63,023 inhabitants (2021). Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County. It lies about southwest of Łódź and belongs to the metropolitan area of that city. It is the ...

. In March 1941 – still before the formal decision to implement the "

Final Solution The Final Solution (german: die Endlösung, ) or the Final Solution to the Jewish Question (german: Endlösung der Judenfrage, ) was a Nazi plan for the genocide of individuals they defined as Jews during World War II. The "Final Solution to th ...

" which meant the wholesale extermination of the Jews – German

Order Police battalions The Order Police battalions were militarised formations of the German Order Police (uniformed police) during the Nazi era. During World War II, they were subordinated to the SS and deployed in German-occupied areas, specifically the Army Grou ...

rampaged for three days in Siedlce, killing many of its Jewish inhabitants. In August of the same year the Jews were forced into the new Siedlce Ghetto. It consisted of several small city blocks and over a dozen walkable streets in the city centre. On 1 October 1941 the ghetto was completely cut off from the outside world. In August 1942 some 10,000 Siedlce Jews were deported to

Treblinka Treblinka () was an extermination camp, built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Masovian Voivodeship. The cam ...

and murdered there together with a similar number of Jews from three nearby transit ghettos: in

Łosice Łosice (; yi, לאָשיץ ''Loshitz'', russian: Лосице / Лoсічы ''Lositze'') is a town in eastern Poland, seat of the Łosice County and Gmina Łosice (commune) in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999). Previously it was located in ...

, holding local Jews and families from Huszlew, Olszanka, and Świniarów; in Sarnaki, with Jews from Górki, Kornica, Łysów; and the third transit ghetto with prisoners from

Mordy Mordy is a town in Siedlce County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,831 inhabitants (2004). History of Mordy Jewish Community After the First World War there were approximately 1,800 Jews in Mordy - more than half of its population. They ...

, Krzesk-Królowa Niwa, Przesmyki, Stok Ruski, and Tarków. The town's remaining Jews imprisoned at the "little ghetto" were sent off to extermination on 25 November 1942.

Edward Kopówka Edward Kopówka (born 12 October 1963) is a Polish writer and historian, graduate of the Faculty of History at the Podlasie Academy in Siedlce, political and social activist known for his active participation in the democratic process beginning wi ...

with English translation by L. Biedka (2007)
Siedlce Ghetto.
H.E.A.R.T, Holocaust Research Project.org. Retrieved 30 October 2015. ''Source of data:'' Zentrale Stelle der Landesjustizverwaltungen zur Aufklärung nationalsozialistischer Verbrechen, Ludwigsburg (ZStL 11 AR 14/63 Abschlussbericht, S. 54.) The Siedlce Jewish community was not restored after the Nazi defeat, and the town's later history lacked the hitherto conspicuous Jewish component. Survivors of the town's population established an association in Israel which in 1956 published a comprehensive memorial book on the community's history. In 1971 Y. Kravitz, one of the survivors, published his memoirs entitled "Five Years of Living Hell under Nazi Rule in the City of Siedlce".,י.קראוויץ, "החיים בגיהנום, חמש שנים תחת שלטון הנאצים בעיר שדליץ", תשל"א

Climate

Siedlce has an oceanic climate (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Cfb'') using the isotherm or a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Köppen climate classification: ''Dfb'') using the isotherm.

Points of interest

Among the historic architecture of the city are: * Ogiński Palace complex with the Aleksandria Park, the Holy Cross Chapel (''Ogiński Chapel'') and the present-day State Archive *Old town hall *Siedlce Cathedral *St. Stanislaus Church *Polish Post Office (

Classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

) *former guardhouse (Classicist), now housing a public library *

building of the former theater *

Neoclassicist Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

building of the

National Bank of Poland The Narodowy Bank Polski (; the National Bank of Poland), often abbreviated to NBP, is the central bank of Poland, founded in 1945. It controls the issuing of Poland's currency, the Polish złoty. The bank is headquartered in Warsaw, and has bra ...

(architect: Marian Lalewicz) *District Court *''Resursa Obywatelska'' *Preserved old townhouses File:Siedlce, Katedra Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP - fotopolska.eu (202255).jpg, Siedlce Cathedral File:Siedlce, Ratusz w Siedlcach, Photo by Andrzej Protasiuk 02.jpg, Old town hall File:Siedlce park staw 2012 micbor.JPG, Aleksandria Park File:Kaplica sw Krzyza Siedlce.JPG, Holy Cross Chapel File:SIEDLCE-0002.JPG, Polish Post Office File:Siedlce Cmentarz wojenny Północ 2012 micbor.JPG, Polish War Cemetery

Culture

The city is a cultural hub for the entire province, with festivals, exhibitions, and concerts of country-wide significance. The town has three museums and three public libraries. The principal animators of culture operating in the city are the Culture and Art Center (CKiS) and the Municipal Cultural Centre (MOK). There are two movie theatres; the art-house cinema run by the CKiS, and the multiscreen cinema ''Novekino'' network. A number of artistic groups operate in the city, including the dance companies LUZ and Caro Dance, the Choir of the City of Siedlce, and the ES Theatre. The city also has an art gallery located at the University. A painting by El Greco, "The Ecstasy of St. Francis", is preserved there. It is the only El Greco painting in Poland. Among the media outlets which operate in this area are the local television (TV Siedlce) and the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

radio station Radio Podlasie. Siedlce is the location of the regional headquarters of the TVP Warsaw/

TVP Info TVP Info is a Polish free-to-air television news channel, run by the public broadcaster, state media TVP. It is focused on newscasts, airing nationwide news bulletins from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Its main offices are located at the TVP ...

, RDC (Radio For You) and

Radio Eska Radio Eska is a commercial radio station in Poland. The radio has organized Polish awards ceremony Eska Music Awards since 2002. External linksRadio Eska webpage Radio stations in Poland Mass media in Warsaw Radio stations established i ...

Sport

The city's most popular sports clubs are: *

MKP Pogoń Siedlce Miejski Klub Piłkarski Pogoń Siedlce is a Polish football club based in Siedlce. The football team is currently playing in II liga. Pogoń plays their home games at new Municipal Stadium, which is situated on John Paul II Road in the town. ...

– football club, currently playing in the Polish third division, also playing in the past in the

second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

* MKS Pogoń Siedlce –

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

club, playing in the

Rugby Ekstraliga Rugby Ekstraliga (Polish: ''Ekstraliga Polska w rugby union'') is the premier league for rugby union in Poland. Polish extra league in rugby union (formerly I Liga, Series A) - the highest level of men's rugby union league games of fifteen-person ...

, finishing 2nd in 2014 and 3rd in 2017, 2018 and 2019 *

WKS 22 pp Siedlce WKS may refer to: * Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome * ''Wetterkurzschlüssel'', German for Short Weather Cipher, a WWII codebook of the German Navy * .wks (WorKSheet), a filename extension used by early Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Works * ''Well Known ...

– defunct football club, which played in the top division in the 1930s

Education

Higher learning

Uniwersytet Przyrodniczo-Humanistyczny w Siedlcach (University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce)

Collegium Mazovia Innowacyjna Szkoła Wyższa (Collegium Mazovia Innovative Higher School)

Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Diecezji Siedleckiej (Seminary of the Diocese of Siedlce)

Instytut Teologiczny w Siedlcach (Institute of Theology in Siedlce)

Notable secondary schools

I LO im. Bolesława Prusa
(Bolesław Prus High School)
II LO im. Św. Królowej Jadwigi
(St. Queen Jadwiga High School) * I Katolickie Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Świętej Rodziny (Holy Family Catholic High School)
IV LO im. Hetmana Stanisława Żółkiewskiego
(Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski High School)
Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych nr 1 im. Stanisława Staszica
(Stanisław Staszic High School Complex)
Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych nr 3 im. Stanisława Staszica
(Stanisław Staszic High School Complex)

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Siedlce is twinned with:

Notable people

Bohdan Arct Bohdan Arct (born 27 May 1914 in Warsaw – 14 May 1973 in Siedlce, Poland) was a Polish fighter pilot of the Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain in World War II, and writer. Arct fought in the Polish armed forces until the fall of P ...

(1914–1973), fighter pilot, writer *

Artur Boruc Artur Boruc (; born 20 February 1980) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He began his career in the Polish third division with hometown club Pogoń Siedlce. He joined Ekstraklasa team Legia Warsaw in 1999 a ...

(born 1980), a football goalkeeper * Richard Burgin (1892–1981),

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

composer who attended

St. Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...

and became the concert master for the Boston Symphony Orchestra *

Vladimir Chelomei Vladimir Nikolayevich Chelomey or Chelomei (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Челоме́й; 30 June 1914 – 8 December 1984) was a Soviet engineer of Ukrainian ethnicity and designer in missile program of the former Sovie ...

(1914–1984), Soviet Academician and scientist in the field of mechanics and control processes; Designer of missiles, spacecraft, and space stations; Founder and the General Constructor of OKB-52 (now NPO Mashinostroyenia). * Lidia Chojecka (born 1977), Polish middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres and sometimes 3000 metres *

Aleksander Fogiel Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

(1910–1996), theatre and film actor, director, theatre director and designer * Izrael Hieger (1901–1986), biochemist * Aleksandra Klejnowska (born 1982), weightlifter *

Bolesław Prus Aleksander Głowacki (20 August 1847 – 19 May 1912), better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus (), was a Polish novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, as well as a distinctive voice in world li ...

(1847–1912), writer, novelist, a leading figure in the history of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

and philosophy * Jacob Stodolsky, Yiddish poet and editor, member of the Introspectivist Literary group in early 20th century * Przemysław Truściński (born 1972), artist *

Leon Wyczółkowski Leon Jan Wyczółkowski (; 24 April 1852 – 27 December 1936) was one of the leading painters of the Young Poland movement, as well as the principal representative of Polish Realism in art of the Interbellum. From 1895 to 1911 he served as pro ...

(1852–1936), painter * Louis Waller (born 1935), Australian law professor * Agata Wróbel (born 1981),

weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lif ...

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

silver medalist * Maciej Rosołek (born 2001), footballer

References

External links

Jewish Community in Siedlce
on Virtual Shtetl *
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Masovian Voivodeship City counties of Poland Lesser Poland Lublin Voivodeship (1474–1795) Siedlce Governorate Lublin Governorate Lublin Voivodeship (1919–1939) Holocaust locations in Poland