Duchy of Belz

Duchy of Belz or principality of Belz was a petty duchy, formed in the late 12th century in Kievan Rus. During its history the duchy was a constituent part of some other political entities such as the Kingdom of Rus, the Kingdom of Hungary, Duchy of Masovia when eventually in the late 14th century was incorporated into Poland becoming later the Bełz Voivodeship.

History

The duchy formed in 1170 because of the feudal fragmentation of Kievan Rus' when the Volhynia region (centered at Volodymyr-Volynsky) was passed to Mstislav II of Kiev who later split it between his sons. Mstislav was married to Agnes of Poland and in a fierce opposition to Yuri Dolgoruki. Being exiled to Poland for a short period of time Mstislav was able to drive the Suzdal's Prince out of Volhynia.

With time the city of Belz with its surrounded territories was passed to Vsevolod Mstislavich who in turn passed it to his son Alexander. In the early 13th century, Alexander, a nephew of Roman the Great, was deposed in 1234 from Belz by Daniel of Galicia who incorporated Belz into the Duchy of Galicia–Volhynia (later the Kingdom of Rus) which would control Belz till 1340. Soon afterwards, in 1240 and 1241, it was ravaged by the Mongols, as were most other Rus principalities; the town was burned, the local castle destroyed and locals had to recognize the Mongol suzerainty. The Mongol influence waned in the following decades, because of the decline of the Mongol Empire and Pax Mongolica.

Belz

Belz (Ukrainian: Белз; Polish: Bełz; Yiddish: בעלז‎ Belz), a small city in Sokal Raion of Lviv Oblast (region) of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, is located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Rzeczyca stream. Prior to 15 February 1951 the town was located in central-eastern Poland, in the Lublin Voivodeship. Population: 2,343 (2013 est.).

Origin of name

There are a few theories as to the origin of the name:

The name occurs only in two other places, the first being a Celtic area in antiquity, and the second one being derived from its Romanian name:

History

Duchy of Poland until 981
Kievan Rus 981-1018
Duchy of Poland 1018-1025
Kingdom of Poland 1025-1031
Kievan Rus 1031-1170
Duchy of Belz 1170-1234
Principality of Galicia–Volhynia 1234-1340
Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1340-1366
Kingdom of Poland 1366-1377
Kingdom of Hungary 1378-1387
Kingdom of Poland 1387-1569
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 1569-1772
Habsburg Monarchy 1772-1804
 Austrian Empire 1804-1867
 Austria-Hungary 1867-1918
West Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919
 Second Polish Republic 1919-1939
 Nazi Germany 1939-1944
 Polish People's Republic 1944-1951
 Soviet Union 1951-1991
 Ukraine 1991-present

Belz (disambiguation)

Belz is a town in Ukraine but also may refer to:

Belz (Hasidic dynasty)

Belz is a Hasidic dynasty founded in the town of Belz in Western Ukraine, near the Polish border, historically the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. The Hasidut was founded in the early 19th century by Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, also known as the Sar Shalom, and led by his son, Rabbi Yissachar Dov, and grandson, Rabbi Aharon, before the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. While Rabbi Aharon managed to escape Europe, most of the Belz Hasidim were killed. Rabbi Aharon re-established the Hasidut in Tel Aviv, Israel. Today Belz is one of the largest Hasiduts in Israel, and has sizable communities in England, Brooklyn, New York, and Canada.

History

The founder of the dynasty was Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, also known as the Sar Shalom, who was inducted as rabbi of Belz in 1817. He personally helped build the city's large and imposing synagogue. Dedicated in 1843, the building resembled an ancient fortress, with 3-foot-thick (0.91 m) walls, a castellated roof and battlements adorned with gilded gold balls. It could seat 5,000 worshippers and had superb acoustics. It stood until the Nazis invaded Belz in late 1939. Though the Germans attempted to destroy the synagogue first by fire and then by dynamite, they were unsuccessful. Finally they conscripted Jewish men in forced labour to take the building apart, brick by brick.