Łańcut

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Łańcut castle

Łańcut is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 18,000 inhabitants (1998). Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (since 1999), it is the capital of Łańcut County.

It received its city charter in 1349. The city was owned consecutively by aristocratic Polish families of Pilecki, Stadnicki, Lubomirski, and Potocki. In 1772, after Poland's First Partition, it became part of the Habsburg Monarchy where it remained until 1918 when it became part of independent Poland.

In the middle of the town one finds the Łańcut Castle, a grand aristocratic palace residence, last owned until 1944 by the Potocki family, and made infamous in late 16th century during the times of Stanisław Stadnicki. It was first built in the years 1629-1641 and reconstructed many times since. The palace is currently a museum particularly well known for its large collection of historic carriages. Since 1961, a well-known classical music festival is held there annually.

At the end of XVIII, Lubomirski family established in Łańcut a distillery known for producing flavored and sweetened vodkas. Distillery has changed ownership several times and now exists under the name of Polmos Łańcut.

Prior to World War II, Łańcut had a thriving Jewish community constituting one-third of the city population. Local Jewish cemeteries are the resting place of Rabbi Naftuli Tzvi, the Grand Rabbi of Ropshitz, Rabbi Ahron Moshe Leifer, and the Grand Rabbi of Zolynia. Every year, followers of the Hasidic Judaism come to pray at their graves.