Białobrzegi

Białobrzegi [bʲawɔˈbʐɛɡʲi] is a town in Poland, in Masovian Voivodeship, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Warsaw. Since 1998 it has been the capital of Białobrzegi County. From 1975 to 1998, the town administratively belonged to Radom Voivodeship. Prior to 1975, it belonged to Kielce Voivodeship (1919 - 1975). According to data from December 31, 2011, the city had 10,410 inhabitants.[1] The city is located on the border of the Białobrzegi Valley and Radom Plain, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Radom. The river Pilica flows through the town. Białobrzegi is placed on boundary of two major Polish historical regions - Lesser Poland and Mazovia, and was not administratively tied with Mazovia and Warsaw until 1999.

Białobrzegi
Town hall and administration building of Gmina Białobrzegi and Białobrzegi County
Flag Coat of arms
Białobrzegi
Coordinates: 51°39′N 20°57′E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	Białobrzegi County
Gmina	Gmina Białobrzegi
Established	14th century
Town rights	1541
Government
• Mayor	Adam Bolek
Area
• Total	7.51 km2 (2.90 sq mi)
Population  (2009)
• Total	7,328
• Density	980/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	26-800
Area code(s)	+48 48
Car plates	WBR
Website	http://www.bialobrzegi.pl

The history of the town dates back to 1540, when King Sigismund I the Old granted town rights to the town of Brzegi, which was located on the left bank of the Pilica, on the territory of Lesser Poland. At that time, Brzegi belonged to a local noble woman Anna Fałęcka, then it was property of other families. The town never gained significance and remained a small center, whose population was involved in trade and agriculture. During the January Uprising, several units operated in the area, and in 1870, as a reprisal for residents’ support of the insurrection, Białobrzegi was stripped of its town privileges and became a settlement. In 1910, a fire destroyed much of Białobrzegi. During World War I, there was further destruction, but the town slowly grew, due to the Warsaw - Kraków road, which passed through it.

In 1958 Białobrzegi, located then in Kielce Voivodeship, regained its town rights. It now is an important road hub, where Expressway S7 crosses with National Road nr. 48.