Brańsk

Etymology

The name of the town comes from the river Bronka, a nearby tributary of the Nurzec River.

Location

Brańsk is located in the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie (English: Podlaskie and Belarus Plateau) and the mezoregion 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

Climate

The region has a continental climate which is 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).

13th century

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.

15th century

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 Podlaskie to receive such a charter.

20th century

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. Hitler's German Wehrmacht (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 death camp.

Population

Detailed data as of 31 December 2007:

Income

Income data from 2005:

Average per capita income: 1961.03 zł

Compared to the average per capita income:

In the Podlaskie Voivodeship: 120.40%

In Poland: 112.20%

Municipal government

It is the seat of Gmina Brańsk, but is not part of Gmina Brańsk.

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

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.

Neighbouring political subdivisions

Brańsk is bordered by Gminy Rudka and Brańsk.

Roads and highways

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

National Road - Zambrów - Brańsk - Bielsk Podlaski - Kleszczele - Czeremcha - Połowce Border Crossing (Belarus)

Voivodeship Road - Roszki-Wodźki - Łapy - Brańsk - Ciechanowiec

Streets

The major streets (Polish: Ulica) in Brańsk:

Rynek

Armii Krajowej (National Road )

Bielska

Binduga

Boćkowska

Błonie

Jagiellońska

Jana Pawła II (Voivodeship Road )

Kapicy Milewskiego

Kasztanowa

Klonowa

Konopnickiej

Kościelna

Kościuszki (Voivodeship Road )

Mickiewicza

Piłsudskiego

Poniatowskiego

Senatorska

Sienkiewicza

Skłodowskiej-Curie

Szkolna

Słowackiego

Witosa

Wyszyńskiego

Ściegiennego

Bus service

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

Rail service

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

Economy

The land-use is as follows:

Agricultural use: 66%

Forest land: 27%

City: 2.34%

Major business

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

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Roman Catholic

Parish serving Brańsk, Bronka, Brzeźnica, Glinnik, Jarmarkowszczyzna, Kalnica, Kiersnówek, Majerowizna, Oleksin, Otapy, Patoki, Popławy, Świrydy, Załuskie Koronne, Załuskie Kościelne

Part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Drohiczyn

St. Simeon Stylites - Polish Orthodox

Mission church of Church of the Apostles St. Peter and Paul in Malesze

Part of the Polish Orthodox Diocese of Warsaw-Bielsk

Nearby attractions

Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Pojedniania w Hodyszewie (Our Lady of Hodyszewo Sanctuary) in Hodyzewo - 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northwest

Ossoliński Palace in Rudka - 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west

Notable people

Jan Klemens Branicki – Polish nobleman

Cezary Kosiński – Polish actor

Ignatius Kapitsa-Milewski – archivist and author

Shimon Shkop – Jewish scholar and rabbi (1906–1920)

Zofia Drzewiecka – Recipient of the Righteous among the Nations Medal

Waclawa and Pawel Sobolewski – posthumous recipients of the Righteous among the Nations Medal

Antoni Sobolewski – posthumous recipient of the Righteous among the Nations Medal

Aleksander Sobolewski – posthumous recipient of the Righteous among the Nations Medal

Miscellanea

The Righteous among the Nations Medal has been granted to 14 current and former residents of Brańsk by Yad Vashem