Kazimierz Dolny - History

History

The history of Kazimierz Dolny dates back to the 11th century, when on one of the local hills there was a Benedictine settlement called Wietrzna Gora. In 1181, Prince Casimir II the Just handed the settlement to Norbertine nuns from Krakow’s district of Zwierzyniec. The nuns changed its name to Kazimierz, in honor of the prince. For the first time, the name Kazimierz appears in chronicles in 1249. Later on, the adjective Dolny (Lower) was added, to distinguish the town from the Jewish town Kazimierz - now a district of Krakow. In the early 14th century, the village became a royal possession, and King Wladyslaw Lokietek founded here a parish church in 1325.

Foundation of the town is attributed to Lokietek’s son, King Kazimierz Wielki, who granted it town rights in the first half of the 14th century. Later on, King Wladyslaw Jagiello modernized Kazimierz Dolny, creating a modern town, with a market square and streets. At that time, the decision was taken not to build any houses on northern side of the market square, so as not to obstruct the view of the church and the castle.

In 1501 Kazimierz Dolny became the home of a starosta, and the town was passed over to the noble Firlej family, remaining in its hands until 1644. The Firlejs twice rebuilt the town and the castle, after the fires of 1561 and 1585. They cared about privileged status of Kazimierz Dolny, as a merchant town, located along the busy waterway of the Vistula. In 1628, Franciscan monks settled in Kazimierz, building a monastery and expanding the church.

The golden age of Kazimierz Dolny ended in February 1656 (see Deluge, when Swedish troops under King Charles X Gustav burned and ransacked the town. The number of inhabitants declined, and King John III Sobieski tried to improve the situation, by allowing in 1677 Armenian, Greek and Jewish merchants to settle in Kazimierz Dolny. Meanwhile, the profitable Vistula river trade came to an end, as there was no demand for Polish grains in Western Europy. In the late 18th century, as a result of the Partitions of Poland, Kazimierz Dolny was cut from the port of Gdansk and turned into a secondart - importance town.

Since late 19th century, rich residents of Lublin and Warsaw became interested in the picturesque village. Spas and villas were constructed, and in 1927, already in the Second Polish Republic, Kazimierz Dolny once again became a town. Partly destroyed in World War Two, it was rebuilt, and on September 8, 1994, the center of the town was officially recognized as historical monument.