Kraśnik

History

The area of Kraśnik was first settled in the 13th century, and the town received its city charter in 1377, by King Louis I. At that time it belonged to Sandomierz Voivodeship, and then from 1474 it belonged to the Lublin Voivodeship of the Lesser Poland Province. Located on a busy merchant road from Silesia to Kyiv, Kraśnik in the 14th century belonged to the Gorajski family. In 1403, it had a parish church of Saint Paul, and in 1410, as a dowry of Anna of Goraj, it passed into the hands of the Tęczyński family. Later on, it belonged to other families, such as the Radziwiłłs, and in 1604, the town was purchased by hetman Jan Zamoyski. Until 1866, Kraśnik belonged to the Zamoyski family. The town frequently suffered from fires, it was also destroyed by the Swedes in 1657, during the Deluge. Since the 14th century, Kraśnik was surrounded by a rampart, and ca. 1465, stone-brick walls were built on initiative of Jan Tęczyński, with two gates - Lublin Gate and Sandomierz Gate. The walls were demolished in the second half of the 19th century. Kraśnik also had a defensive church, surrounded with a high wall, and a castle, built in the 14th century on a hill surrounded by swamps. By 1646, the castle was already neglected. In 1657, it was completely destroyed by the Swedes. During the Third Partition of Poland (1795), Kraśnik passed into Austrian hands. After the Polish victory in the Austro-Polish War of 1809, it became part of the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw, and after the duchy's dissolution in 1815, it was part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland. In August 1914, the town and surrounding area were a focal point of Battle of Kraśnik, an opening battle of the World War I struggle between Russia and Central Powers over control of Galicia. During the war, the town gained…

Most-observed species

• Fly Agaric

  Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam. · Agaricomycetes
  88
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  41
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  40
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  40
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  39
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  39
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  37
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  32