Brańsk

Brańsk is located in the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Podlaskie and Belarus Plateau) and the mesoregion known as the Bielsk Plain (Polish: Równinę Bielską). The Nurzec River, a tributary of the Bug River, passes through Brańsk. The town covers an area of 32.43 square kilometres (12.5 sq mi).

It is located approximately:

• 140 kilometres (87.0 mi) northeast of Warsaw, the capital of Poland
• 69 kilometres (42.9 mi) southwest of Białystok, the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship
• 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) west of Bielsk Podlaski, the seat of Bielsk County

The region has a continental climate characterized by high temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters . The average amount of rainfall during the year exceeds 550 millimetres (21.7 in).

On 23 June 1264 two armies met near Brańsk. The Battle of Brańsk lasted two days pitting the forces of Yotvingia, led by Komata (Kumata) against the well equipped Krakovian army led by the Duke of Krakow, Boleslaw V the Chaste.

On 18 January 1493, Brańsk received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights from the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander Jagiellon. It was the first city in Podlachia to receive such a charter.

Bránsk 1804

In 1795, as a result of the Third Partition of Poland, Brańsk was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia and administered as a part of the Białystok Department.

In 1807, as a result of the Treaties of Tilsit, Brańsk was annexed to the Russian Empire and administered at first as a part of Belostok Oblast and from 1842 on as a part of Grodno Governorate.

On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland and quickly overwhelmed it. Within days of the war's beginning, Brańsk suffered German bombardment. On September 17, 1939, the USSR attacked eastern Poland, and in partnership with Nazi Germany, partitioned Poland under the terms of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 23. Brańsk along with all areas of Poland east of the Bug River was then occupied by the Soviet Union. All Polish and Jewish businesses of substance were confiscated by the Communist State. The Soviets remained in control of Brańsk until June 1941 when the Germans invaded their erstwhile Soviet allies. The German Army occupied the town and ordered the Jewish community to build a ghetto surrounded by barbed wire, to which the Jewish population (some 65% of the town) was confined. On November 8, 1942, the Jews of Brańsk were ordered to report to the town center, forced to march to the nearby town of Bielsk, and then transported by train to Treblinka. Within weeks, the vast majority were murdered by gassing at the Treblinka extermination camp.[1][2]

According to the 1921 census, the village was inhabited by 3.739 people, among whom 1.474 were Roman Catholic, 100 Orthodox, and 2.165 Mosaic. At the same time, 1.530 inhabitants declared Polish nationality, 32 Belarusian, 2.165 Jewish and 12 Russian. There were 493 residential buildings in the village.[3]

Detailed data as of 31 December 2007:[4]

Income data from 2005:[5]

Average per capita income: 1961.03 zł

Compared to the average per capita income:

• In the Podlaskie Voivodeship: 120.40%
• In Poland: 112.20%

The chief executive of the government is the Mayor (Polish: Burmistrz).

The legislative portion of the government is the Council (Polish: Rada) composed of the President (Polish: Przewodniczšcy), the Vice President (Polish: Wiceprzewodniczšcy) and thirteen councilors.

Brańsk is bordered by Gminy Rudka and Brańsk.

Brańsk is at the intersection of a National Road and a Voivodeship Road:

• National Road DK 66 - Zambrów - Brańsk - Bielsk Podlaski - Kleszczele - Czeremcha - Połowce Border Crossing (Belarus)
• Voivodeship Road DW 681 - Roszki-Wodźki - Łapy - Brańsk - Ciechanowiec

The major streets (Polish: Ulica) in Brańsk are:

• Rynek
• Armii Krajowej (National Road DK 66)
• Bielska
• Binduga
• Boćkowska
• Błonie
• Jagiellońska
• Jana Pawła II (Voivodeship Road DW 681)
• Kapicy Milewskiego
• Kasztanowa
• Klonowa
• Konopnickiej
• Kościelna
• Kościuszki (Voivodeship Road DW 681)
• Mickiewicza
• Piłsudskiego
• Poniatowskiego
• Senatorska
• Sienkiewicza
• Skłodowskiej-Curie
• Szkolna
• Słowackiego
• Witosa
• Wyszyńskiego
• Ściegiennego

Regular bus service is provided by Państwowa Komunikacja Samochodowa (State Car Communication, PKS) via PKS Bielsk Podlaskie, PKS Białystok and PKS Siemiatycze

The closest passenger train service is provided by Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways, PKP) SA from the following stations:

• Szepietowo - express and local service to Warsaw and Białystok - 28 kilometres (17.4 mi) northwest
• Bielsk Podlaski - express and local service to Siedlce and Białystok - 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) east

• Financial:Banking - Bank Spóldzielczy w Brańsku, ul. Kosciuszki 2A, 17-120 Brańsk, Poland
• Manufacturing:Plastics - Wald-Gold, ul. M. Konopnickiej 20, 17-120 Brańsk, Poland

• Parish serving Brańsk, Bronka, Brzeźnica, Glinnik, Jarmarkowszczyzna, Kalnica, Kiersnówek, Majerowizna, Oleksin, Otapy, Patoki, Popławy, Świrydy, Załuskie Koronne, Załuskie Kościelne[7]
• Part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Drohiczyn

• Mission church of Church of the Apostles St. Peter and Paul in Malesze[8]
• Part of the Polish Orthodox Diocese of Warsaw-Bielsk