Wołomin

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Coat of arms of Wołomin

Wołomin ([vɔ'wɔmin] (help·info)) is the main town of Wołomin County situated in Masovian Voivodship. Wołomin is located approximately 20 km from Warsaw, the capital of Poland, near the railway to Białystok. It has approximately 36,000 inhabitants and covers the area of 14 km².

[edit] History

Wołomin was first mentioned in the chronicles from 15th century. It remained a small village in central Masovia without much significance. Since 19th century, and especially after the foundation of the railway in 1862, Wołomin became the place for summer holidays of Warsaw citizens. In the beginning of 20th century the Wołomin glassworks were founded.

Wołomin was declared town in 1919. In 1920 near Wołomin the Polish counter-attack in Battle of Warsaw was conducted. In the interbellum Wołomin retained its status as a multinational town. There was a big Jewish and Russian minority.

Polish writer Zofia Nałkowska had a house in Wołomin, which became an inspiration of her 1925 book House over meadows (Polish: Dom nad łąkami). During World War II Jews from Wołomin were moved to the Warsaw Ghetto and exterminated by the Germans. Most of the Russian community has escaped westwards, before the arrival of the Red Army.

In 1944 a substantial battle was fought near the town between Soviet armoured units and German 39th Panzer Corps. Soviet losses were high and the Red Army was forced to retreat.

After the war, Wołomin became a capital of the powiat of Wołomin and started to grow rapidly. The window assembly plant was founded and Wołomin soon became a suburb of Warsaw. Even today most of the town's inhabitants commute to Warsaw on a daily basis.

After 1989 Wołomin's glassworks were shut down in the big recession slowdown. However, the technology of production of temperature resist glass, invented in the facility, allowed the factory to continue production and recover under new ownership.