Frysztak

Frysztak [ˈfrɨʂtak] (Yiddish: פֿריסטיק Fristik‎; German: Freistadt) is a village in the Gmina Frysztak, Strzyżów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, 17 km (11 mi) from Krosno. Frysztak lies in historic Lesser Poland, and in 1772–1918 it was part of Austrian province of Galicia. It is located on a hillock near the river Wisłok, on the road from Rzeszów to Krosno.

History

Frysztak was mentioned in a 1259AD document as a town with Magdeburg Rights given by King Bolesław V the Chaste and named after the German Freistadt, literally "Freetown". For centuries, it belonged to Lesser Poland's Sandomierz Voivodeship, and was located in its extreme southeastern corner.

In 1474, the town was completely destroyed by Hungarian army of King Matthias Corvinus, after which Frysztak declined. Its German-speaking population of the Walddeutsche became Polonized in the course of the time.

The Hasidic leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov (1745–1815) lived and worked there for many years. Following World War I, Frysztak was stripped of its city status due to population decline. Frysztak lost its town charter in 1932. Its residents twice tried to change this decision (in 1952 and 1975), but without success.