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In 1515 it was given the Magdeburg Right
and an emblem - a family sign of Potocki "Pilawa". Azure field there
was an argent five-pointed cross. |
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The emblem of the Polish (1920 - 1939)
period was "Pilawa" a azure field there was an argent five-pointed cross.
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Buczacz was founded at the end of the 17th century, but before it
became a town it was a village known for its fortress and palace, which was
built in a characteristic medieval style. The village of Buczazc was part of the
aristocratic Buczaczki family's estates. The Buczaczki family, whose coat of
arms was "Abdank", excelled in defending Poland's Eastern Borders and spreading
Catholicism and western culture in those areas. The earliest records concerning
this aristocratic family which built the palace and the fortress go back to 1260
and 1379. One of the noblemen of the Buczaczki domain, the governor
of Halicz, Michael of Buczacz, received from Wladyslaw by way of tenancy the
village of Zloczow. Rent was 100 grzibni and the only condition was that he live
there on a permanent basis.
After some time Michael handed over the
Zloczow village to the Sjonski family, which founded the town of Zloczow there
in 1441.
The last member of the Buzcazcki family was Katerina, the
daughter of Jacob. Jacob, who died in 1501, was a governor in
Belorussia. Katerina handed over the estate as a dowry to her husband, Jan
Taburowski, as well as the Filaba coat of arms; the Taburowskis accepted the
family name of Buczaczki. At the beginning of the 17th century the
Buczacz family estates fell into the hands of the castellan from Kamienets,
Jan Potocki, who married the daughter of Mikolai. Katerinas brother
Jan Krzystof Buczaczki, who was known for his fierce struggle against the
Calvinists, died leaving no heirs. From that time on the Buczaczki estates were
in the hands of the Potocki family, who further developed the estate and
perfected the fortress. The one who particularly enlarged the city was the
voivode from Bratslaw, Stefan Potocki, who also broadened and perfected the
palace and fortress.
Buczacz was
handed down from one noble family to the other via commercial transactions,
marital relations and inheritance. However, the constitutional basis for the town remained unchanged during these transitional periods. In
the middle of the 17th century the Cossacks raided Buczacz (the
calamities of 1648). The town suffered a great deal
during the Tatar wars (1655-1667), and the Turkish wars (1672-1675), when Sultan
Muhamed the 4th put Buczacz under a long siege after conquering
Kameniecs-Podolski. In Buczacz in 1672, under the great linden tree behind the
palace, the Sultan dictated severe surrender and peace terms to King Michael
Wisniowiski. Poland was forced to relinquish Podolia and the Ukraine to the
Turks and was committed to pay an annual tax.
These are the memories
of a trawler through the town;
“Buczacz is a large and amusing town spread over mountains
and a valley with a lake to the West. The town is surrounded by a wall, its
houses are well built. It has three Catholic churches and a Ukrainian monastery. The Armenians also have a church, and the Jews have a
synagogue. The castle is made of stone, as are its fortresses. It lies on
the top of the mountain where the Stripa River, originating from the village of
Zlotnik which is 6 miles away, flows at its sides. The town of Buczacz is the estate of
Lord Potocki. At the beginning of the raid, the Cossacks and the Moscals set
fire to the whole town, which has now been rebuilt."
In 1675, when the Turks attacked the
town, the aristocracy and townspeople fled to the fortress.
The town was burnt to the ground.
Those in the fortress defended themselves gallantly, maintaining their
resistance until the relieving army arrived under the command of Jan III Sobieski.
The town's relief did
not last long. A year later in 1676, the Turks lead by Ibrahim
Shaytan invaded Zhorbano. Buczacz was again conquered and completely ruined. Jan Sobieski succeeded in defeating the Turks near
Zhorbano and dictated the Zhorbano peace terms, according to which
Turkey was compelled to return two thirds of the Ukraine. All annual tax payments were cancelled and the issue concerning
the return of Podolia was postponed for future negotiation.
When the war
ended Jan Potocki rebuilt the town. In 1684 Buczacz was a town built of
large high-storied houses. The castle and fortress were also completely rebuilt.
The official
documents concerning the community's privileges that were destroyed during the
catastrophic years were renewed by Stefan Potocki on 20th May and
they are a virtual carbon copy of the privileges that were given years before to the
towns of
Czortkow and Stanislawow, also by the Potockis. Actually they are no more than a
confirmation of the rights given in the past.
In 1772 with the first Partition
of
Poland, Buczacz was annexed to the Austrio-Hungarian Empire and its fate was that of
all the communities in Galicia. In the first division Buczacz belonged to the
Zaleszczyki district and later to the Stanislawow district.
Buczacz and it's Treasures - in Polish
© Copyright; Paul Havers
