Osjaków

Osjaków is a city in Wieluń County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Osjaków. It lies approximately 17 km north-east of Wieluń and 73 km south-west of the regional capital Łódź.

Origin of the name
There are several theories for the origin of the name Osjaków. One of the most well-known is that a prince, travelling through the area, supposedly decided to set up camp at the site of the modern-day town. He was stopped when a swarm of wasps attacked him and his servants, and the prince began shouting the Polish word for 'wasps', "Osy!" Supposedly with time, this was altered to Osy-jakow and Osjakow.

The most likely origin for the name of the town comes from the Burgrave of Wieluń, Jan Ostrowski, who was the owner of Osjaków.

Early history (Middle Ages)
The first mentions of Osjaków come from the 15th century, although there is indirect evidence that it had been a town before this time, at least as far back as 1299. The town's ideal location on the Warta river meant it was able to develop rapidly. By 1499, it had three working water mills. It was a private town, administratively located in the Wieluń County in the Sieradz Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.

The name of the town fluctuated with its grammar during this period, with variants Osschyacow, de Ostrow, and Ossyakow.

18th and 19th centuries
Osjaków was an average Polish provincial town until the town was ravaged by a fire in 1750, which destroyed much of its wooden infrastructure. As a result, it lost its town rights in 1793. Until today Osjaków retains much of its urban layout, with a central square. During the Second Partition of Poland, Osjaków was assimilated under the Kingdom of Prussia. During the conflicts between France and Prussia from 1807 to 1815, Osjaków briefly returned into Polish hands under the Duchy of Warsaw. By 1813 however, it was once again occupied by the Russian Empire. Throughout this period, the village remained near the border between the Prussian and Russian Empires.

20th century
In 1909, the old wooden church of St Hedwig of Silesia was demolished to make place for the current church of Casimir the King. The church is now Osjaków's most recognizable monument.

World War 2
Osjaków is located next to Wieluń, which in September 1939 was the first town attacked during World War II. In the following days, Osjaków was on the front lines of war and witnessed a mass influx of refugees from Wieluń and other towns, who were fleeing to the east of the Warta river, despite not suffering much damage to infrastructure. By October 8, 1939, Osjaków was assimilated into the Third Reich. Its name was Germanised into Ostenwerder. By 1941, the school and church were closed, with the local priests having been sent to the Dachau concentration camp. The Prebystery was turned into the Gendarmerie base. In late 1944, much of Osjaków's population was rushed to help Nazi Germany in the Volkssturm.

Towards the end of war, on the Eastern Front, regions around Osjaków were the sites of battles, as the Warta river was an important strategic target. It then came under Soviet control, much like the rest of Poland, following the end of the war.

Jewish history
Jews started settling into Osjaków in the early 18th century. Because the population was mostly working as merchants and traders, Jews mostly lived around the town square, and built the synagogue nearby. The synagogue itself was built in the late 19th century. By 1897, 759 Jews lived in Osjaków, this was 49% of the village's total population.

During World War II, the Nazi occupation forced the Jews into the Osjaków Ghetto. In 1939, over 60% of Osjaków's population were Jews. In August 1942, the ghetto was liquidated. Most of the Jews were transported to the Łódź Ghetto.

Osjaków's Jewish cemetery was completely destroyed and forgotten after the war. However, the building of the old synagogue which was ravaged from inside still stands. It still retains a Torah ark on the entrance to the building.