Szczekociny - History

History

First mention of Szczekociny comes from 1307. At that time, the village belonged to the Odrowąż noble family (see Odrowąż coat of arms), County of Lelów, Krakow Voivodeship. In the late 14th century Szczekociny became the seat of the Odrowąż family, emerging as a local trade and craft center. In the 16th century, the town, together with other locations of Lesser Poland, enjoyed the period of prosperity known as the Polish Golden Age. In the mid-17th century, however, it was completely destroyed by the Swedes, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, and did not recover until the 18th century, when it belonged to the Dembiński family, whose efforts resulted in reconstruction of most buildings. The owners remodelled local parish church and built a palace, which still exists, and which in 1787 hosted King Stanisław August Poniatowski. After the Partitions of Poland, Szczekociny found itself in the Russian-controlled Congress Poland (since 1815).

In the 19th century Szczekociny changed hands several times, belonging to the families of Czacki, Lubieński and Halpert. In 1870 the Russians demoted it to the status of a village, and at that time, first Jews began to settle here. In the 1920s Szczekociny had over 6,000 inhabitants, the most in its history. World War II resulted in the death of 2,000 residents, and the destruction of over 75% of the town. During the war Szczekociny was a major center of anti-German resistance. In the summer of 1944, as part of Operation Tempest, local Home Army units tried to capture Szczekociny, destroying bridges over the Pilica and the Zebrowka rivers.