Jadar Radom

Radom

[rah-dawm]

Radom is a city in central Poland with 227,309 inhabitants. It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship (1975-1998), 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw. Despite its proximity to Warsaw, Radom is not part of historical Polish region of Masovia, but Lesser Poland.

It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show - the largest and best-attended air show in Poland, held during the last weekend of August. "Radom" is also the popular unofficial name for a semiautomatic 9 mm Para pistol of Polish design (the Model 35/ViS-35) designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypinski (hence the designation "ViS") which had been in production from 1935 to 1945 at the national arsenal located in the city.

History

Radom was founded in 1340, and it belonged to the Sandomierz Voivodeship (part of Little Poland) of the Kingdom of Poland, later Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the partitions of Poland it was held successively by Austria and Russia in the 19th century before returning to Poland after World War I in 1918. The main industries include leather, glass, and chemicals.

Current Events

In 2007 two pilots died in the Air Show, resulting in closing of the event and local mourning. Radom is also known as one of the main sites of the strike of the Polish health care workers in 2007.

Important dates

8th-9th century - early mediaeval town in the valley of the Mleczna River (approximately on the location of present-day Old Town)
2nd half of 10th century - fortified town called Piotrówka
1155 - first mention about Radom (Pope Adrian IV bull)
around 1300 - Old Radom granted with Środa Śląska rights (city rights based on those of Środa Śląska)
1340 - Casimir III founds New Radom (Nowy Radom)
1360-1370 - Casimir III founds St. John's Church
1364 - Radom granted with Magdeburg law
1383 - Jadwiga of Poland accepted by a Sejm held in Radom as a king of Poland
1401 - First union of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania signed in Radom
1481 - Radom becomes a de-facto capital of Poland after Casimir IV of Poland moves to Lithuania and his son, Saint Casimir to be, ruled the country in his absence from Radom
1489 - Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, John von Tieffen pays tribute to Casimir IV of Poland in Radom castle
1505 - a Sejm in Radom passes the Nihil novi constitution and Łaski's Statute, the first real bill of rights of Poland
1564 - 1800 inhabitants, 180 houses, 14 butchers' shops, 2 baths and 2 wells
1613 - Radom becomes the place where the Highest Fiscal Courts are held
1628 - Great fire destroys the town
1656 - Charles X of Sweden stays in town during The Deluge
1660 - the city plundered by Sweden; after they leave the town has 395 inhabitants and 37 houses
1737-1756 - Kolegium Pijarów [the Piarists College] school founded
1763 - Fiscal Tribunal moved to Warsaw; the town has 1370 inhabitants and 137 buildings
1795 - After the 3rd Partition Radom is annexed by Austria
1809 - Radom becomes capital of a department of the Duchy of Warsaw
1815 - Radom, after the Congress of Vienna, becomes part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland
1817 - First lay school founded
1819 - Fryderyk August Schnierstein opens a tannery, the date is considered a start of towns industrialization
1844 - Radom becomes the capital of Radom-Kielce government
1867 - Creation of Radom government; the sewers are built
1885 - Dęblin-Dąbrowa Górnicza railway opened
1901 - electricity plant opened
1911 - Radom has 51,934 inhabitants
1920-1939 - Radom becomes a part of the Central Industrial Area (Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy); Chemical Plant, arms and munitions factory (Łucznik Arms Factory), gas works, telephone and shoe factories are founded
1935 - Radom - Warsaw railway opened. It significantly shortened rail distance between Warsaw and Krakow
1938 - 90,059 inhabitants
1939-1945 - capital of Radom district of the General Government
January 16, 1945 - liberation from German occupation
1948-1975 - Theatre (Teatr Dramatyczny) and an engineering school are opened.
1975 - the city becomes the capital of Radom Voivodeship
June 25, 1976 - Huge workers' strike against the communist regime; the town becomes one of the main centres of anti-communist opposition in Poland
June 4, 1991 - Pope John Paul II visits the city
1996 - Radomska Wyższa Szkoła Inżynierska promoted to the rank of a Radom Technical University (Politechnika Radomska)
1999 - Radom becomes the capital of Radom County of the Masovian Voivodeship
May 25, 2002 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger visits the city

Tourist attractions

St Waenceslaus church in the Old Town Square : founded by Leszek I the White, built in the 13th century in gothic styleSt John the Baptist church : founded by Casimir III, built in the years 1360–1370 in gothic style, and re-constructed many timesBernardine church and monastery : founded by Casimir IV of Poland, built in the years 1468-1507Holy Trinity Church : built in the years 1619–1627 in the baroque style, burned in a fire and was rebuilt in the years 1678-1691Gąska's and Esterka's Houses : 16th / 17th centuryEvangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession : built in 1785Building of city council : built in the years 1825–1827, designed in classical style by Antonio CorazziCity hall : built in the years 1847-1848Cathedral of Virgin Mary : built in the years 1899–1908 in neo-gothic styleTool gates : built in the 19th century in classical style

Culture

Cinemas

Helios www
Hel (currently not functioning)

Theatre

Jan Kochanowski Theatre www

Museums and art galleries

Jacek Malczewski Museum www
Modern art museum www
Scouting Museum
"Elektrownia" - Power station built in 1903, renewed as a Modern art gallery
Cultural Heritage Gallery of Radom
Skansen in Radom www

Education

Radom is home to about 20 schools of higher education (unfortunately most of them are low-ranked).

Instytut Teologiczny Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Radomiu - department of theology
Kolegium Nauczycielskie - www
Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych - www
Niepubliczne Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych - www
Niepubliczne Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych TWP - www
Radom Technical University (Politechnika Radomska) - www
University College of Environmental Sciences (Prywatna Wyższa Szkoła Ochrony Środowiska) - www
Radomska Szkoła Zarządzania
Warsaw Agricultural University - department in Radom (Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie)
College of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (Kolegium licencjackie Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej) - www
Warsaw University - department in Radom (Uniwersytet Warszawski)- www www
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University - department in Radom (Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej) - www
Wyższa Inżynierska Szkoła Bezpieczeństwa i Organizacji Pracy - www
Higher Business College (Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu) - www
Higher Financial and Banking College (Wyższa Szkoła Finansów i Bankowości) - www
Higher Merchant College (Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa) - www
Higher Seminary (Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne) - www
Higher Journalis College (Wyższa Szkoła Dziennikarska) - www
Zespół Szkół Medycznych - www

Other

At the Western part of Radom, there is a facility for commercial LF transmission (not broadcasting), the Radom longwave transmitter.

Sports

Radomiak Radom - men's football team, founded in 1910, currently playing in 4th league.
Jadar Radom - men's volleyball team, founded in 1921, currently playing in extraleague.
Broń Radom - men's football team, founded in 1922, currently in 3rd league.