Time zone FET (UTC+3) Population 14,043 (2015) Voblast Hantsavichy District | Founded 1898 Postal code 225432 Local time Thursday 7:43 AM | |
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Weather 2°C, Wind W at 13 km/h, 90% Humidity | ||
Hantsavichy (Belarusian: Ганцавічы, [ˈɣant͡savʲitʂɨ]), (Russian: Ганцевичи, [ˈɡantsəvʲɪtɕɪ], Polish: Hancewicze) is a city in the Brest Region of Belarus, an administrative center of the Hantsavichy District.
Contents
Map of Hantsavichy, Belarus
There is a Volga-type radar near Hantsavichy Radar Station (52°51′27″N 26°28′55″E) which is a part of the Russian early warning radar system (until 2020).
Etymology
According to Belarusian toponymist Vadzim Žučkievič name "Hantsavichy" comes from surname Hantsavich.
History
Before World War II, 60% of the population was Jewish. In the 1920s and 1930s there were four synagogues, a Jewish library, an orphanage, a Tarbut school and school in Yiddish. Under Polish administration, in 1939, the town was occupied by Soviets. The German army arrived on June 29, 1941.
From June 30 to July 01, 1941, a pogrom occurred in which 16 Jews were murdered. On August 15, 1941, 350 Jewish men were executed in the forest 11km away from Gantsevichi. 600 Jews were shot in the town’s market place. During another action 1,000 Jewish men were taken to the forest 1km away and shot dead. A concentration work camp was established in November 1941. Besides the local Jews, there were 230 Lenin Jews and 120 native to Pogost. Small executions of 70-150 Jews took place constantly. During one of those executions, 100 Jewish refugees from Warsaw, along with two local families, Fish and Zeiger, were executed and buried in the Peski ravine. On August 14, 1942, more than 300 Jews fled the camp and others were shot. In all, during the occupation, 3,500 Jews were murdered by the Nazis in the district of Gantsevichi, including 1,500 women and 850 children.
Population
Education
There are 3 schools, 1 gymnasium, agricultural lyceum and a special boarding school in Hancavičy.