Rajcza

Rajcza [ˈrai̯t͡ʂa] is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in the historic province of Lesser Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Rajcza. It lies approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Żywiec and 83 km (52 mi) south of the regional capital Katowice. The village has a population of 3,438.

Location and transport

Rajcza lies in the Żywiec Beskids, on the Soła river, near Żywiec Landscape Park. The village has a rail station, on the line from Żywiec to the Polish-Slovakian border. It is a popular tourist destination, with guest houses and winter sports facilities.

History

The village of Rajcza was founded in the first half of the 17th century, when this area belonged to Kraków Voivodeship, of the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth. At that time Rajcza belonged to Queen Constance of Austria, the wife of King Sigismund III Vasa, part of her folwark with main center located at Węgierska Górka. Following the Partitions of Poland Rajcza, together with southwestern Lesser Poland, became annexed by the Austrian Empire (1772). In 1843, iron manufacture was opened here, and 1854-1894, the owner of the village, Teodor Primavesi, remodeled a local palace, establishing a park around it. In 1884 Rajcza got rail connection with Żywiec and Cadca, and 10 years later, the village was purchased by the Lubomirski family, who expanded the palace. In 1914, Rajcza was bought by Żywiec branch of the Habsburgs. In 1880 the village had 2,037 inhabitants, with 140 Jews, and 25 Germans.