Łańcut

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Łańcut
Łańcut castle
Łańcut castle
Coat of arms of Łańcut
Coat of arms
Łańcut (Poland)
Łańcut
Łańcut
Coordinates: 50°4′N 22°14′E / 50.067, 22.233
Country Flag of Poland Poland
Voivodeship Subcarpathian
County Łańcut County
Gmina Łańcut (urban gmina)
Government
 - Mayor Stanisław Gwizdak
Area
 - Total 19.43 km² (7.5 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 - Total 18,067
 - Density 929.9/km² (2,408.3/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 37-100
Car plates RLA
Website: http://www.um-lancut.pl/


Łańcut [ˈwaɲt​͡sut] (German: Landshut, Yiddish: לאַנצוט-Lantzet, Hebrew: לאנצ'וט-Lanchut) is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 18,000 inhabitants (1998). Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (since 1999), it is the capital of Łańcut County.

It received its city charter in 1349. The city was owned consecutively by aristocratic Polish families of Pilecki, Stadnicki, Lubomirski, and Potocki. In 1772, after Poland's First Partition, it became part of the Habsburg Monarchy where it remained until 1918 when it became part of independent Poland.

In the middle of the town one finds the Łańcut Castle, a grand aristocratic palace residence, last owned until 1944 by the Potocki family, and made infamous in late 16th century during the times of Stanisław Stadnicki. It was first built in the years 1629-1641 and reconstructed many times since. The palace is currently a museum particularly well known for its large collection of historic carriages. Since 1961, a well-known classical music festival is held there annually.

At the end of XVIII, Lubomirski family established in Łańcut a distillery known for producing flavored and sweetened vodkas. Distillery has changed ownership several times and now exists under the name of Polmos Łańcut.

Prior to World War II, Łańcut had a thriving Jewish community constituting one-third of the city population. Local Jewish cemeteries are the resting place of Rabbi Naftuli Tzvi, the Grand Rabbi of Ropshitz, Rabbi Ahron Moshe Leifer the Grand Rabbi of Zolynia. Every year, followers of the Hasidic Judaism come to pray at their graves.

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Coordinates: 50°04′N, 22°14′E