Ostrów Mazowiecka (; ) is a town in eastern Poland with 23,486 inhabitants (2004). It is the capital of Ostrów County in Masovian Voivodeship.

History

thumb|left|upright=0.9|Document of granting town rights from 1434

Ostrów was granted town rights in 1434 by Duke Bolesław IV of Warsaw. Its name comes from the Old Polish word ostrowa.

The town's inhabitants took part in the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794;

During World War I, it was occupied by Germany, and after the war, in 1918, it became part of restored independent Poland. In 1919 a reserve battalion of the Polish 15th Wolves Infantry Regiment was stationed in Ostrów Mazowiecka. It trained Polish soldiers to reinforce the 15th Wolves Infantry Regiment during the Polish–Soviet War. Already on 19 September the Germans arrested nine Poles, including chairmen of local veterans' organizations Włodzimierz Gadomski and Jan Radbalski. On 9 November 1939, one of the German soldiers set fire to the buildings on 3-ego Maja Street. The German authorities accused the Jews of starting the fire. On 11 November (though according to other sources, on 10 November) 500–800 Jews were killed by the German police in the Ostrów Mazowiecka massacre.

thumb|left|Graves of [[Home Army soldiers]]

The Polish underground resistance movement was organized already in autumn of 1939. Major Eugeniusz Mieszkowski nom de guerre Ostry unified the resistance organizations into a district of the Home Army under the cryptonym "Opocznik" ("wheatear"). It covered the Ostrów County, and was divided into five centers, one of which was located in the town. On May 1, 1943, the Home Army blew up the headquarters of the German Arbeitsamt in retaliation for round-ups and deportations of the local population for forced labour. On May 25, 1943, the Polish resistance successfully assassinated the chief of the local German administration, in retaliation for which the Germans massacred about 140 Poles. Many members of the Home Army soon returned to the underground and continued their resistance against the communists.

Transport

Ostrów Mazowiecka is located at the intersection of Polish S8 and S61 highways.

It currently has no railway station or passenger rail service. The nearest train stations are in the towns of Ostrołęka and in the village of Małkinia Górna.

Although there are plans to begin the design and re-construction of the railway line between Ostrołęka and Małkinia Górna in 2027

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Ostrów Mazowiecka is twinned with:

  • Brembate di Sopra, Italy
  • Ryazan, Russia
  • Iziaslav, Ukraine

Notable people

  • Asher Zebi of Ostrowo (19th century), rabbi
  • Jadwiga Długoborska (1899–1944), teacher, social and charity worker
  • Jan Dołęga-Zakrzewski (1866–1936), politician, surveyor, publicist, mayor of Ostrów Mazowiecka (1930–1933)
  • Beata Mazurek (born 1967), politician
  • Krystyna Sienkiewicz (1934–2017), actress and singer

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WNMP Ostrów.jpg|Church of the Assumption

Ostrow-Mazowiecka-19HLZPGJ.jpg|Duchess Anna Radziwiłł monument

Ostrow-Mazowiecka-19HMAFXQ-jatki.jpg|Mensa carnifiucium

Park miejski im. Jana Pawła II w Ostrowi Mazowieckiej – Panoramio.jpg|Municipal park

</gallery>

References

  • Jewish Community in Ostrów Mazowiecka on Virtual Shtetl