H I S T O R Y


 
 
   

     The town of Siedliska was probably established in the early 15th century as the economic hinterland for the stronghold, located on a hill having the same name. It was destroyed by Tatars at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 15th century, the lessee of the royal village of Siedliska was

 

 

Jacko Dzieduszycki, of Saxon coat of arms. In the 16th century, an estate was here. In 1672 Turks invaded Poland, they reached as far as the Lubelszczyzna region, including Siedliska. South of this village, a battle was probably held between Tatar and Polish forces, the latter commanded by hetman Jan Sobieski. Among local people, a legend has been passed from one generation to another, that hetman Sobieski rested in the shadow of Siedliska trees, after finishing the battle. In the 19th century the village was owned by the Jabłonowski family, whose goods were purchased by a well known politician from the Galicia region (contemporary south-eastern Poland), president of the Galicia Economic Society, prince Adam Sapieha, descendant of one of the oldest noble houses of Poland.  The goods, apart from Siedliska, included granges in Hrebenne, Racie and Mosty. In the early 20th century, a hydroelectric power plant was built on the Prutnik river, serving the estate and the grange.  After Adam Sapieha died, the goods were inherited by his son, Paweł. Paweł Sapieha, married to Matilda, maiden name Windisch-Greatz, representative of the Kodenski line of the Sapieha family, Austrian chamberlain, secretary of the Galicia plenipotentiary, deputy to the Council of State in Vienna, deputy to the Galicia National Parliament, is one of the most prominent figures in the local history. He was the founder of the Orthodox church and the Catholic church, started expansion of the former officer's manege, wanting to convert it into a hunter's lodge. Unfortunately, this construction was not finished. He was a passionate hunter, and very often organized hunting in local forests abounding in game. He died in 1934, on the Corpus Christi day, and was buried in the vaults of his chapel, which he had founded in 1903. As early as in the 19th century, a faience factory was established in Siedliska, which was in operation until the 20th century. The village was a pottery centre until the times of World War II.   In 1880 the village had 408 inhabitants, including 287 Catholics, 30 Jews and 6 Protestants. The 1921 Census reported 468 inhabitants, including 242 Ukrainians. The Ukrainian population was displaced during the 'Vistula' campaign of 1947. This is how another chapter started in the history of Siedliska. Siedliska is presently a small village, with ca. 300 inhabitants, located in the district of Lubycza Królewska. Life is calm here, there are no ethnic conflicts, traditions and folk customs are vibrantly cultivated. However, the memory of the last war, passed from one generation to another, still remains in the minds of the people.