Płońsk

Płońsk (Polish: [pwɔj̃sk] (listen); Yiddish: פּלאָנסק‎, romanized: Plonsk) is a town in north-central Poland with 22,500 inhabitants (2010).[1] It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999) at the river Płonka; previously, it was in Ciechanów Voivodeship (1975–98). The city is noted for being the birthplace of Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, for whom a square is named.[2]

Płońsk
St Michael's Church
Flag
Coat of arms
Płońsk
Coordinates: 52°38′N 20°23′E
Country Poland
VoivodeshipMasovian
CountyPłońsk County
GminaPłońsk (urban gmina)
Established11th century
Town rights1400
Government
 • MayorAndrzej Józef Pietrasik
Area
 • Total11.6 km2 (4.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2010-06-30)
 • Total22,500
 • Density1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
09-100
Area code(s)+48 023
Car platesWPN
Websitehttp://www.plonsk.pl

History

Płońsk gained city rights from the prince Siemowit IV of Masovia some time between 1399 and 1412. In the early twentieth century, the population of 10,000 was equally divided between Poles and Jews. The Jews lived mostly within the city, whilst the Poles were more scattered and tended to live in the countryside. Many of the Jewish residents of Plonsk immigrated to Palestine for Zionist reasons, spurred on by the idea of building a Jewish homeland.[3] In September 1940, Jews from the town and the surrounding areas were imprisoned in a ghetto in harsh conditions. Some of them suffering a typhus epidemic. In total, 12,000 Jews were prisoners and from October 1942, they were sent to Auschwitz extermination camp. A resident who returned to the city in 1962 found that the major synagogue, three Jewish schools and the Jewish cemetery had been destroyed and demolished.[4]

Landmarks

The church and the old monastery of Calced Carmelites were founded before 1417 by the prince Siemowit IV of Masovia and his wife Aleksandra, Jogaila's sister.

Sports and culture

The Memoriał Andrzeja Trochanowskiego one-day cycling race is based in Płońsk. The race takes place annually on May 1. It is home to a yearly open theatre festival (held in the summer).

In 2018, local Poles held a celebration in Ben-Gurion's honor for the 70th anniversary of the re-establishment of the State of Israel.[5]

Notable residents

References
  1. "Population. Size and structure by territorial division. As of June 30, 2010" (PDF). Central Statistical Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
  2. https://www.timesofisrael.com/polish-square-named-after-ben-gurion/
  3. Memoirs: David Ben-Gurion (1970), p. 36
  4. Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel, Anita Shapira
  5. http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Hundreds-of-locals-march-through-the-Polish-birthplace-of-Ben-Gurion-549966


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