Biłgoraj

Biłgoraj is a town in southeastern Poland. It is part of the Lublin Voivodeship since 1999. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of the Zamość Voivodeship. Biłgoraj is the capital of Biłgoraj County. The population is about 25,838 people as of 2021.

 Location   
Biłgoraj is in southeastern Poland, in the Roztocze region. The Biłgoraj County is surrounded by forests, covering about 64,000 hectares. The Biłgoraj Forest District manages 17,000 hectares of these forests. The town is close to the Roztocze National Park, and the Łada River runs through it. Biłgoraj is about 90 km south of Lublin and also near Zamość (50 km) and Rzeszów (90 km). Nearby are three landscape parks: Szczebrzeszyn, Janowskie Forests, and Solska Forest.

 History   
Biłgoraj was founded in 1578 by Adam Gorajski. He got permission from King Stephen Bathory to start the town. 

In the 17th century, a Jewish community grew in the town. In 1674, out of 237 people, 40 were Jewish. In 1648, Cossacks and Tatars attacked Biłgoraj. They burned many buildings, including a Franciscan monastery. The town was also hurt in the Swedish war. After the first partition, it was controlled by Austria. In 1918, Biłgoraj became part of Poland again.

During World War II, Biłgoraj was taken over by Germany. In August 1939, the population was 8,270, with 5,010 being Jewish. The Jewish community was destroyed in the Holocaust. Many buildings were also damaged in the war. After the war, the town was rebuilt.

In 1999, Biłgoraj became part of the Lublin Voivodeship.

 Culture 
In Biłgoraj, there are cultural institutions like the Biłgoraj Museum (Muzeum Ziemi Biłgorajskiej), the Cultural Center (Biłgorajskie Centrum Kultury), and the Sports and Recreation Center (Ośrodek Sportu i Rekreacji). There are four primary schools, six secondary schools, and a music school. There is also the local football club Łada 1945 Biłgoraj.

Biłgoraj has historical sites such as the Sanctuary of St. Mary Magdalene with a Franciscan monastery, the 18th-century church, and the Sieve making Museum (Skansen Zagroda Sitarska). There are also historic cemeteries, including an 18th-century Catholic cemetery and a Jewish cemetery.

 Religion 
Most people in Biłgoraj are Roman Catholics. The town belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów. It is split into two deaneries: Biłgoraj North and Biłgoraj South. In 2018, about 48.3% of Catholics in the North and 50% in the South attended Mass.

Biłgoraj has five main Catholic churches, three Catholic cemeteries, synagogue, and a historic Jewish cemetery. Other religious groups in the town include:
 The Polish Orthodox Church, with St. George's Orthodox Church,
 Jehovah's Witnesses with a Kingdom Hall,
 The Free Bible Students Association.

 Transport 
Biłgoraj is connected with regional roads 835 and 858. The town also has a railway station with passenger trains running on line 66. The station is operated by PKP Intercity. There is also a bus station in Biłgoraj.

 Nature 
About 60% of the Biłgoraj Commune area is covered by forests. Near Biłgoraj, there is the "Obary" nature reserve. The Biłgoraj Forest District manages nearly 17,000 hectares of forest land, which makes up 97% of its total area. The dominant species in these forests is Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).
 Gallery 

 Related pages 
 Lublin
 Rzeszów

 References 

 Other websites 
 Official website of Biłgoraj

Category:Cities in Poland
Category:Towns in Lublin Voivodeship