Drogobych
Drogobych (Ukrainian: Дрогобич) is a regional city in the Lvov District in Ukraine. It is situated upon the river Tysmienica on the foothill of the Carpathian Mountains. It was a seat of the Starosty of the Przemyśl Land belonging to the Ruthenian province in the years 1340 -1772, and a district city of the Lvov province in the year 1918-1939. The city was inhabited by about 79000 citizens in 2001.
A foundation of the city is closely connected with its location on the salt route and salt mining in its vicinity. First documented traces of the city come from the time of Kiev Ruthenia. After Red Ruthenia had been annexed to Poland by Kazimierz the Great, the city experienced its first period of dynamic development. Salt-mines became royal property and they were leased to newcomers from all European countries, among others, from Italy. Kazimierz the Great contributed to a foundation of the Roman-catholic parish, and he granted the city a coat of arms illustrating 9 salt topkas (topka is a traditional measure of salt in Drogobych) on a navy blue disk.
Though Drogobych continued to be an important trade centre and was granted civic rights and numerous privileges (like: exemption from paying town rent, licence to collect bridge tall fees), it was not able to erect town fortifications which became a reason of the slow fall of the city. A considerable part of the city was destroyed in 1498 during the Turkish – Tartar invasion.
The city consequently suffered from numerous destructions during the Cossacks’ wars in the 17th century among others. In 1772 it was annexed to Austria together with the whole Eastern Minor Poland. In the very city and in its vicinity one may find Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish, and Austria – Hungary Monarchy relicts due to a fact that the city was a centuries-old border of cultures, nations and religions, and its national status changed several times in its long history.
Persons connected with the city
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Elisabeth Bergner, actress
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Michael Berkowitz, Jewish educator and writer, pioneer of the Zionist movement
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Tadeusz Chciuk, scoutmaster, White Courier, “cichociemny” (member of the Polish underground conspiracy movement in the II world war, ZWZ courier, staff member and vice-director for the Polish Section of Free Europe Radio, last president of PSL on emigration, author of war recollections
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Andrzej Chciuk, writer
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Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, hetman
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Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski, Second Lieutenant of the Underground Home Army of Poland, participant of the Action in the “Arsenał”
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Iwan Franko, writer
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Irene Frisch, writer
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Maurycy Gottlieb, painter
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Artur Grottger, painter who worked in the nearby Śniatynka and Wróblowice belonging to the family estate of Count Tarnowski
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Kazimierz Kuriański, Venerable, died in Gusen – martyr in the cause of faith
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Marcin Laterna, Jesuit, confessor of kings: Stefan Batory and Sigismund III, Venerable, died in the cause of faith
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Juliusz Leo, mayor of Cracow
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Jan Mężyk, secretary of king Władysław Jagiełło, first chief officer of Drogobych, Ruthenian starost
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Mieczysław Młotek, President of “Junak” Military – Civil Sports Club, Colonel of the Polish Army
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Wacław Rzewuski, hetman and writer
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Bruno Schulz, writer
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Stepan Wytwycki, Ukrainian advocate and politician, member of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland (1935 – 1939), President of the People’s Republic of Ukraine on emigration,
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Franciszek Lachowicz, painter
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Kazimierz Wierzyński, poet
Partner towns: Buffalo in USA; Muscatine in USA, Olecko, Ostrzeszów and Legnica in Poland.
