Tarnow Poland description, location, history. Poland map.

Tarnow Poland description, location, history. Poland map.

Tarnów is located on the Biała River in southern Poland. Situated in Małopolskie Voivodeship (Province), Tarnów received city rights in 1330. In the years 1975-1998, the city was the capital of Tarnowskie Voivodeship.

On March 7, 1330 the Polish king Ladislaus the Short granted Tarnów a town charter based on Teutonic (German) Law. Tarnów citizens had the same rights as the citizens of the royal city of Kraków.

The coat of arms of the then owner of Tarnów, Spycimir Leliwita, became the coat of arms of the city. For many years, the city was a private property of the successive generations of the ruling families.

In the 18th century, after the First Partition of Poland, Tarnów became a part of the Habsburg monarchy (The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria).

The nearby railway line built in the 19th century fostered the development of the city. During the interwar period, nitrogen fertilizer plant was establihed in Mościce (today a district of Tarnów); one of its directors was the famous Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski.

During World War II, Tarnów had the tragic distinction of being the place from which the first transport to Auschwitz-Birkenau concetration camp left. During the war, the majority of the city's population, who was of Jewish origin, was killed.

In 1975, due to the administrative reform, Tarnów became the capital of the voivodeship; in 1999, hovever, it became again a poviat city (land county).