Pidhaitsi

Pidhaytsi ( _uk. Підгайці, _pl. Podhajce) is a small city in the Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Pidhaietsky Raion (district), and is located at around coord|49|16|0|N|25|7|60|E. Pidhaytsi is situated ca 25 km south of Berezhany, 55 km from Ternopil and ca 100 km south east of Lviv. During Soviet rule (1945-1991) it was part of Berezhanskyi Raion. Some years ago it was separated into an independent Pidhaytsi district. Battle of Podhajce (1698) took place here.

The current estimated population is around 3,300 (as of 2001).

History

According to the sources, Pidhaytsi is one of the oldest settlements in the area. First written records of it date to 1463, from the moment the Catholic church (in the form of a cross) was built by regional governor Potocki. In modern period, Pidhaytsi belonged to the most important “urban centers” in western part of Podolia (viz. easternmost lands of East Galicia in later definition). In the early period town was governed on the basis of Ruthenian and Polish law. In 1539 it was granted Magdeburg law. Next to the Catholic church (now a ruin) is obelisque to Polish writer Adam Mickiewicz erected in 1897 on the occasion of 100 years since his birth (now in a desolate state). In one of Pidhaytsi houses resided famous Polish composer Frederick Chopin. Because of the Tatar invasions and its precarious location on Poland’s main route to the South, the city was surrounded by series of ramparts and rows with water. Most of the key monuments (churches, synagogue) were all built in impressive defensive style.

Jewish community

Prior to the Second World War, Pidhaytsi had a significant Jewish community. The population census of 1765 lists 1.370 Jews in the kahal district of Pidhaytsi and 1.079 Jews lived in Pidhaytsi itself. A century late town’s Jewish population significantly increased and numbered ca. 6.000 Jews in Pidhaytsi and 8.212 Jews in Pidhaytsi district (9.33 % of whole population in the area). In the 20th century Pidahytsi importance declined and the number of the Jews decreased to 2,827 according to the census of 1931. Pidhaytsi Synagogue (from the end of 16 th - beginning of 17 th centuries) is the oldest building in the town today, though it is closed and in ruined condition. In the post war years, the synagogue territory was turned into market by the communists.

With the break of the Second World War there was a large influx of Jewish refugees from the west and the number of the Jews in the town at the time of Nazi annihilation was higher than 3.000. Pidhaytsi Judenrat was headed by L. Lilienfeld. Due to the refugee and hygienic problems, in the winter of 1941 / 1942 many of town Jews died of hunger and typhus epidemic. In 1941, on September 21 (Yom Kippur – Jewish most revered holiday, the day of atonement from sin) over 1.000 Jews were sent to the Belzec extermination camp and on October 30, 1.500 more Jews were deported to face death in Belzec.

People

* Michael Weichert Israeli jurist playwright, and well-known reviewer born here. He died on March 12, 1967 in Tel Aviv.
* Gabriela Zapolska, Polish novelist and actress, born here
* Ignacy Potocki, Polish count, born here on February 28, 1750
* Tadeusz Lomnicki, Polish theater actor born here

External links

* [http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/97/Roman_Zakharii/pidhajtsi.htm Website about Pidhaytsi]
* [http://community.webshots.com/album/549989545OiSEcT Photos of Pidhaytsi (70 digital images from 2004)]
* [http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Europe/Ukraine/West/Ternopilska/Pidhaytsi/ Nature at Pidhaytsi - Photos]
* [http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Podhajce/ Pidhaytsi Jewish history]
* [http://www.homestead.com/Podhajce/ American Jewish couple visits Pidhaytsi (2001)]
* [http://www.personal.ceu.hu/students/97/Roman_Zakharii/pidhaytsi.doc Pidhaytsi Jewish history - article in word]
* [http://www.castles.com.ua/index.php?id=pi Pidhaytsi info, history and photos]