Radom

King Władysław Jagiełło granted several privileges to the city. Jagiełło himself frequently travelled from Kraków to Vilnius, and liked to stay at Radom Castle en route. On March 18, 1401, the Pact of Vilnius and Radom was signed, which strengthened the Polish–Lithuanian union. Immediately after the Pact, preparations for the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War began. King Casimir IV Jagiellon frequently visited Radom, along with his wife, Elizabeth of Austria. Here, the King would host foreign envoys, from such countries as the Crimean Khanate, the Kingdom of Bohemia, and the Duchy of Bavaria. On November 18, 1489, Johann von Tiefen, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, paid homage to King Jagiellon at Radom Castle. Mikołaj Radomski, one of the earliest Polish composers, comes from Radom. In 1468, the complex of a Bernardine church and monastery was founded here by King Jagiellon, with support of the local starosta, Dominik z Kazanowa. The complex was originally made of wood (until 1507).[6]

Bernadine church and monastery

In 1481, Radom became the residence of Prince Kazimierz, the son of King Jagiellon, who ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The young prince died of tuberculosis, and later became patron saint of both the city of Radom (since 1983), and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Radom (since 1992). During the reign of Alexander Jagiellon, the Nihil novi act was adopted by the Polish Sejm in a meeting at Radom Castle.[7] Furthermore, at the same meeting, the first codification of law published in the Kingdom of Poland was accepted. Radom remained one of the most important urban centers of Sandomierz Voivodeship, the seat of a county, and of the Treasure Tribunal (1613-1764), which controlled taxation. Several kings visited the city, including Stephen Bathory and his wife Anna Jagiellon, Sigismund III Vasa, and August III Sas. In 1623 many residents died in an epidemic, and in 1628, half of Radom burned in a fire.[4]

The period of prosperity ended during the Swedish invasion of Poland. The Swedish army captured the city without a fight in November 1655. At first the invaders behaved correctly, as King Charles X Gustav still sought alliances within the Polish-Lithuanian nobility; the situation changed, however, in early 1656, when anti-Swedish uprisings broke out in southern Lesser Poland and quickly spread across the country. Radom was looted and almost completely destroyed in August 1656. Its population shrank from some 2,000 before the war, to 395 in 1660, with only 37 houses still standing. Swedish soldiers burned the royal castle and the monastery. With the Polish population in decline, the number of Jewish settlers grew by the early 18th century. In 1682 the first Piarists arrived, and in 1737–1756, opened a college.[8]

Radom City hall, early 19th century

Radom remained within the Sandomierz Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until the third partition of Poland (1795). For a few years (1795 - 1809) it was part of the Austrian province of West Galicia, and then (1809 - 1815) part of the Duchy of Warsaw, which named it capital of the Radom Department. From 1815 the city belonged to Russian-controlled Congress Poland, remaining a regional administrative center. In 1816 - 1837 it was the capital of the Sandomierz Voivodeship, whose capital, despite the name, was at Radom. In 1837 - 1844 it was the capital of the Sandomierz Governorate, and from 1844 until the outbreak of World War I, the capital of the Radom Governorate. The city was an important center of the November Uprising. Its obsolete and ruined fortifications were destroyed upon order of Mayor Józef Królikowski. In the early days of the January Uprising, Marian Langiewicz visited Radom, preparing the rebellion. In 1867 a sewage system was built. Streets were gradually paved, and in 1885, a rail line from Dąbrowa Górnicza to Dęblin was completed, via Radom. In the early 20th century a power plant was built. The city was captured by the Austro-Hungarian Army in July 1915. An Austrian garrison remained until November 1918.

City map from 1919

In the Second Polish Republic Radom became part of Kielce Voivodeship. In 1932 the City County of Radom was created, and the following year, its rail connection with Warsaw was completed. In the late 1930s, due to the government project known as the Central Industrial Area, several new factories were built; by 1938, the population had grown to 80,000. The city was also a military garrison, serving as headquarters of the 72nd Infantry Regiment. On September 8, 1939, during World War II, Radom was captured by the Wehrmacht. The German occupiers carried out several executions of civilians, and formed the Radom Ghetto, with a population of 34,000 Jews, most of whom perished at the Treblinka extermination camp.[9] Radom was also a center of Polish resistance, with numerous Home Army units operating in the area. On September 9, 1945, the city was briefly seized by the Cursed soldiers, who broke into a local prison, releasing a number of Home Army soldiers.

Up to the Second World War, like many other cities in interwar Poland, Radom had a large Jewish population. According to the Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 28,700, Jews constituted 11,200 (~39% percent).[10][11]

In 2007, two pilots died in an accident at the air show, resulting in the cancellation of the rest of the event. On 30 August 2009, also during the air show, another two pilots who represented Belarus were killed when their plane crashed.

Radom was one of the main centres of the strike action taken by Polish health care workers in 2007.

RKS Radomiak Radom is the most popular football team in Radom.

Radom has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb).

Radom Cathedral

• St Waenceslaus Church in the Old Town Square: founded by Leszek I the White, built in the 13th century in gothic style
• St John the Baptist Church: founded by Casimir III, built in the years 1360–1370 in gothic style, and re-constructed many times
• Bernardine Church and monastery: founded by Casimir IV of Poland, built in the years 1468–1507
• Holy Trinity Church: built in the years 1619–1627 in the baroque style, burned in a fire and was rebuilt in the years 1678–1691
• Gąska's and Esterka's Houses: 16th / 17th century
• Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession: built in 1785
• Sandomierz Palace: building of voivodeship council, built in the years 1825–1827, designed in classical style by Antonio Corazzi
• City hall: built in the years 1847–1848
• Cathedral of Virgin Mary: built in the years 1899–1908 in neo-gothic style
• Resusra Citizen's Club building built in 1852
• Podworski House built in the Renaissance Revival style in 1867
• Tool gates: built in the nineteenth century in classical style
• Tadeusz Kościuszko Park opened in 1867
• Radom Air Show: the most popular air show in Poland

• Radom Chamber Orchestra established in 2007[13]

• Elektrownia
• Helios cinemas[14]
• Hel (currently not functioning)
• Multikino cinemas

• Jan Kochanowski Theatre[15]

• Jacek Malczewski Museum[16]
• Modern art museum[17]
• Scouting Museum
• "Elektrownia" - Power station built in 1903, renewed as a Modern art gallery
• Cultural Heritage Gallery of Radom
• Skansen in Radom[18]

City of Radom Stadium

• RoSa Sport Radom - men's basketball team, founded in 2004, currently in 1st league and the international Basketball Champions League.
• Radomiak Radom - men's football team, founded in 1910, currently playing in 1st league.
• Czarni Radom - men's volleyball team, founded in 1921, currently playing in 1st league.
• Jadar Radom former men's volleyball team, played in 1st league in 2006–10.
• Broń Radom - men's football team, founded in 1926, currently in 3rd league.

Radom is twinned with:[36][37]