Bodzentyn was one of major centers of the January Uprising in northern Lesser Poland. On the first night of the insurrection, it was attacked by the Polish rebels, and on 23 January 1864 a parade of rebel troops took place here, received by General Józef Hauke-Bosak. In 1870, Bodzentyn, whose population was 1500, lost its town charter and became a village. On 20 June 1917, most of Bodzentyn burned in a fire, and by 1921, the population was 3570, with almost 50% Jewish. During World War II, Bodzentyn was an important center of anti-German resistance. The hill of Wykus, a few kilometers from the village, served as a forest camp of local Home Army unit under Jan Piwnik. Germans were aware of it, and on 1 June 1943 they pacified Bodzentyn, killing 39 people. In 1960, the population of Bodzentyn was almost 3,000, and the village regained its town charter in 1994.