Rejowiec, Lublin Voivodeship

Rejowiec is located about 40 km south of Lublin, close to an intersection of railroads and roads. The village was established in the 16th century by a family of noblemen named Rej, who were active in spreading the Calvinist religion, and established a religious college in the village.

In 1547, Rejowiec received acknowledgement (and privileges) as a town, from King Sigismund I the Old, including the right to hold two annual fairs, and an exemption from taxes for 10 years. In the 17th century the owners of Rejowiec changed, a number of times, and the Calvinist College closed. In the 18th century, when the number Catholic started to grow, the remaining Calvinist population dwindled and by the end of this century there were no more Calvinist in the town.

In the second half of the 19th century, a copper casting factory and two tanneries were established in Rejowiec. The town was called a village again since the second half of the 19th century. The biggest industrial factory in Rejowiec (until 1939) was the glass factory that employed 180 workers.

On 1 January 2017, Rejowiec was granted again its town status.

Before the German invasion of the town in 1939, the Jewish population was between 2,500 and 3,500 Jews. Rejowiec became a transit ghetto where Jews from Europe were sent. More than 5,000 Jews from Slovakia were sent to the ghetto, as well as Jews from Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and other parts of Poland. In April and October 1942, there were transports to Sobibor gas chambers. In May 1942, there was a transport to Belzec. Additionally, small groups of Jews were transported to local labor camps such as Krychow, Sawin, Sajczyce and Chelm. In the spring of 1943, a group of 200 to 400 remaining Jews in the city were sent to Majdanek gas chambers. The Jewish community ceased to exist[2].

• Rejowiec, Poland at JewishGen