The origins of Chełm date back to the early Middle Ages. In the era of the first Piasts, the region was associated with the Cherven Cities, a disputed area between Russia and Poland.
In the 13th century, the land of Chełm became part of the Principality of Halych or the Principality of Halychian Rus, whose most prominent dignitary, Prince Daniel Romanowicz, built a monumental castle here.
The building became the main seat of the ruler, who in 1253 was crowned as King of Rus. Thus, for almost a century and a half, Chełm was the capital of a separate principality.
Chełm as part of Jagiellonian Poland
After many years of fighting between Lithuania, Hungary and Poland, at the end of the 14th century, the Chełm land was incorporated into the Polish state. The act of incorporation was made personally by Queen Jadwiga in 1387. Her husband, King Władysław Jagiełło, led to the formal foundation of the city, granting it the Magdeburg Law in 1392.
Chełm belonged to the important centres of Jagiellonian Poland, and many lay and clergy dignitaries resided in the city. From the thirteenth century, the city was the seat of an Orthodox bishop, and in the fifteenth century the Latin bishopric of Chełm was established permanently. After the Union of Brest, the Orthodox diocese was transformed into the Uniate diocese, which survived until 1875.
Turbulent development
The city's development was interrupted in the 17th century. Cossack, Swedish and Muscovite troops, entering Chełm during numerous wars, caused enormous damage, which plunged the city into a deep crisis, that was then partially overcome in the 18th century.
In the times of August III, thanks to some stabilization, the main churches of the city were founded. After the collapse of the Polish state, Chełm was under the rule of Austria, and then Russia. Those were extremely difficult times filled with struggles and martyrdom.
The fights during the January Uprising, which took on a particularly intense character in the vicinity of Chełm, were equally dramatic. In the final stage of their rule, the Russians even established a separate Chełm governorate, which became part of the Russian empire.
In 1915, the Austrian occupiers replaced the Russian invaders. The new order allowed for the development of Polish, Jewish and Ukrainian social and cultural life. The multicultural character of the city was maintained after regaining independence.
Throughout the interwar period, Chełm was a city with many Polish, Jewish and Ukrainian organizations. Plays in Polish, Yiddish and Ukrainian were also performed in small theatre halls.
Chełm and WWII
The period of World War II brought enormous destruction and the extermination of the Jewish population, which until 1939 constituted almost 50% of the town's population. There was also a huge prisoner-of-war camp in Chełm (Stalag 319), where nearly 100,000 people from many different nationalities were killed.
The activities of the occupiers were opposed by the extensive underground structures, mainly the Home Army. The dramatic events of World War II led to drastic changes to the character of the city.
With the assassination of the Jewish population and the removal of the Ukrainians cooperating with the Germans, the city became homogeneous in terms of nationality.
Source: City of Chełm
