Biała Podlaska is a town in eastern Poland with 57,779 inhabitants (2004).

Situated in the Lublin Voivodship (since 1999), previously capital of Biala Podlaska Voivodship (1975-1998).

Politics

Biala Podlaska/Chelm/Zamosc constituency

Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from this constituency

• Badach Tadeusz, SLD-UP
• Bratkowski Arkadiusz, PSL
• Byra Jan, SLD-UP
• Janowski Zbigniew, SLD-UP
• Kwiatkowski Marian, Samoobrona
• Lewczuk Henryk, LPR
• Michalski Jerzy, Samoobrona
• Nikolski Lech, SLD-UP
• Skomra Szczepan, SLD-UP
• Stanibuła Ryszard, PSL
• Stefaniuk Franciszek, PSL
• Żmijan Stanisław, PO

Municipal politics

to be written yet

History

First historical document mentioning about Biala Podlaska is from 1481. At the beginning Biala belonged to Illnicz family. In XVI century Biala changed owner, whom became Radziwill family. Under their ruling, Biala had been growing for two and half century. In 1633 Krzysztof Ciborowicz Wilski established Bialska Academy as a regional center of education. During this time many churches were erected and one hospital. The prosperity period had finished with Swedish invasion in 1655.Then Biala was attracted by Cossacks and Rakoczy armies. The town was significantly destroyed, however thanks to Michal Radziwill and his wife Katarzyna Sobieski was rebuilt. At the end of XIX century Biala was a place of Units extermination by Russian army. Near cross-section of Brzeska Str. and Aleje Tysiclecia Ave. is located a cemetery of killed Units. During II Rzeczpospolita period Biala was growing fast. There were located Raabe Factory and Avionic Company, which was manufacturing Polish airplanes. II World War stopped town growing because of Nazi repressions. Around Biala were war prisoner camps, where many thousand Soviet soldiers were killed. After the war Biala Podlaska has been developing until now.