Andrychów

Name in Ukrainian: 
Андри́хув (Andrykhuv)
Name in Polish: 
Andrychów
Name in German: 
Andrichau
Name in Hebrew: 
אנדריכוב
Name in Yiddish: 
יענדריכאוו
Historical-cultural region: 
Western Galicia
Coordinates: 
49°51' N, 19°21' E
Administrative History: 

 

 Years

 State

 Province

 District

 Before WWI

 Austrian Empire

 Galicia

 Wadowice

 Between The Wars (1919-1939)

Republic of Polan

  

Kraków

 Wadowice

 1939-1945

 Under German Occupation

 

 

 1945-Today

 Republic of Poland

 

 Wadowice

 

Population Data: 

 

Year 

 Total

Jews 

 % of Jews

 1851

 1051

 181

 17.1

 1880

 2947

 482

 16.4

 1890

 4053

 654

 16.1

 1900

 4057

 621

 15.3

 1919

 4514

 511

 11.3

 1921

 4171

 409

 9.8

 1939 up to

the war

 6299

 387

 6.1

 1939 after

the war

 6441

 370

 5.1

Andrychów is located about 45km south west of Krakow, and about 20km south of Oświęcim, at the confluence of the Wieprzówka and Targaniczanka rivers. It was known as a village as early as the 14th century and proclaimed a city only in 1767 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski. The city's economy was based on domestic fabric industry, most notably luxurious tablecloths that were exported to Italy and Russia, among other countries. With the Austrian occupation, the home textile industry went into decline, gradually superseded by mechanized fabric industry. In 1855, the city was hit by a cholera epidemic. Andrychów's various Industries continued to flourish until World War I, but after the war and the establishment of independent Poland, the city's economic situation deteriorated.
 

The Jews
Jews began arriving in Andrychów in the early 19th century and became involved in the various aspects of the fabric industry. The Jews took a major part in the development of the city’s textile industry, by importing modern machinery from England and Vienna, and by expanding and improving methods for exporting goods. Andrychów's fabrics became increasingly popular in markets in Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Romania and Bulgaria.