Last modified: 2018-12-15 by rob raeside
Keywords: stalowa wola |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
The Rozwadów suburb of Stalowa Wola was a thriving Jewish shtetl prior
to World War II and was closely associated with Tarnobrzeg and other nearby
shtetls including Ulanów, Mielec, Dzików, etc. These communities, infused
with vitality before 1939, were utterly destroyed during the Holocaust
after having been affected by World War I only some 20 years earlier. Jews
in Rozwadów were a religiously observant community, i.e., traditional or
orthodox in practice. The leading rabbi of Rozwadów, similar to other rabbis
of the region, followed Hasidism practice and was of the Horowitz family.
In New York a Rozwadower Rebbe established a small synagogue on the
upper West Side which continued for many decades after the War.
Following Holocaust, the remaining Jews were motivated to seek a new
start in Palestine thanks to Berihah effort. A community of former Rozwadów
citizens had been established in New York and continued its affinity long
after World War II. Many former Rozwadów citizens of Jewish backgrounds
moved to the fledgling State of Israel.
The modern city is relatively young. It was established around a steel
mill which was set up in order to manufacture high alloy steels and weapons
- artillery, heavy machine guns in 1937.
The name of the city means "Steel Will".
However, it was built on the site of Pławo, a village which had existed
since the first half of the 15th century.
The steel mill (HSW S.A.) was a major part of a series of investments
made by the Polish government in the years 1936-1939 to create the Central
Industrial Region. This was to be a group of factories built in an area
in the middle of the country, away from the borders with Germany and the
USSR. It was designed to provide a reasonably secure location for the production
of armaments and high technology goods.
The main employer is sill HSW S.A. (manufacturer of heavy machines
and hi-quality alloys), then StahlSchmidt (producer of aluminium rims),then
ESW-(coal power plant), Prefabet Stalowa Wola (building materials), Mostostal
S.A. (steel construction-bridges, tanks and so on). Within this community,
it is commonly referred to as HUTA."
(from Wikipedia).
Arms and flag adopted on June 29, 2001 (resolution # XXX/564/01).
Descriptions not available.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 16 Jun 2009