Rudnik nad Sanem is a town in Nisko County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, with a population of 6,765. The town is located next to the riverSan, hence the "nad Sanem" part of the name, which was appended to the official name in 1997. It is south-west of Ulanów and north-east of Rzeszów. Rudnik prides itself as the Polish Capital of Wicker.
Location and name
Rudnik belongs to the historic province of Lesser Poland, and since its foundation until the Partitions of Poland, the town was part of the Sandomierz Voivodeship. It lies on the main railroad line which goes from Lublin to Przeworsk, and along National Road Nr. 77. The town is located on the left bank of the San. Rudnik took its name from the river Rudna. The river's surroundings were very wet and marshy, the colour was rusty red. This was due to the riverbed containing layers of iron ore. It has to be noted that even today observers will notice the reddish tint in the water. The surrounding forests contain layers of iron ore rich turf, mined for hundreds of years by people who lived in the vicinity.
History
The settlement of Rudnik was probably founded in the 14th century, after Red Ruthenia had been annexed by the Kingdom of Poland. It developed due to the location along the San riverway, and received town charter in 1552, due to efforts of a local nobleman, Krzysztof Gnojenski. The town was established in the location of the village of Kopki. Rudnik for centuries remained in private hands; it belonged to the Gnojenski, the Lipnicki and the Ulinski families. In the 17th century the town had a parish church together with a school, while its artisans competed with those from nearby Ulanów. During the Swedish invasion of Poland, in early 1656, a cavalry unit of Stefan Czarniecki smashed here a Swedish unit, which guarded King Charles X Gustav. The King himself narrowly escaped capture by the Poles. Following the Partitions of Poland, Rudnik was annexed by the Habsburg Empire, as part of the province of Galicia. Due to proximity of the Austrian – Russian border, Rudnik became an important crossing point for Polish rebels, fighting in the January Uprising. The town frequently burned, as most of its houses were made of timber. Rudnik was almost completely destroyed during World War I, when Austrian and Russian armies fought in the town and its area for six weeks.
Jews of Rudnik
Until World War II the population of the town was predominantly Jewish. Notable personalities who lived in Rudnik include Rabbis Chaim Halberstam who served as its town rabbi from 1796, Boruch Halberstam, and Tsvi Hersh Halberstam. The last Rabbi of Rudnik, Rabbi Benjamin Halberstam, established a synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where he served as Rabbi until his demise.
