Siemiatycze - urban commune, Siemiatycze County, Podlaskie Voivodship.
City rights received in 1542 (Magdeburg Rights) from King Sigismund
Augustus. The town being organized by Stanisław Tęczyński right after that.
Jewish settlement begins in 1582. Severely destroyed during The Swedish
Deluge of 1655-60. During the ownership of the town by Princess Anne Jabłonowski
(Sapieha) the period of growth and well-being follows. In 1795 Siemiatycze
is included in the Prussian zone of partitions. In 1807, the Treaty of
Tilsit gives Siemiatycze to the Russian Empire. After big battle in February
1863, during the January Uprising, the Russians looted and completely destroyed
the town, including its magnificent palace, which was never rebuilt.
In 1897, the town was 75% Jewish, 15% Catholic, 10% Eastern Orthodox
with small number of Lutherans.
The census of 1921 shows 61% declaring Jewish nationality, 33% Polish
and 5% Belorusian.
Germans took the town on September 11, 1939, but gave it to the Soviets
according to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact.
The Soviets repressed the locals, built a monument to Lenin and incorporated
the town into Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In June 1941, the Germans were back, destroyed the Lenin monument,
murdered almost all the Jews and killed almost half of the Poles.
Arms and flag adopted in August 2003 - the exact date nowhere to be
found.
The arms were adopted little earlier then the flag due to the corrections
ordered by the Heraldic Commission in Warsaw to the flag.
"Arms: on the shield divided into blue and red halves are: noble Coat of Arms
of Princess Anne Jablonowski ("Prus III"), owner of the town in the XVIII
Century and noble Coat of Arms "Lis" of Stanislaw Teczynski, founder of the town
in the XVI Century.
"Plaszcz heraldyczny" - (Latin: plaudamentum - French:
manteau - German: Wappenmantel - English: Coat of Arms) is
a sign of special distinction afforded to
Siemiatycze due to the role Princess Anne Jablonowski played in its
"golden era".
Flag: a rectangle in the ratio 5:8 composed of three equal horizontal
bands: red-yellow-blue.
The shield from the Siemiatycze's Coat of Arms is superimposed in the center
of the flag."
Chrystian Kretowicz, 29 Oct 2008
Siemiatycze city Coat of Arms
image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 29 Oct 2008
adopted Aug 2003
![[Siemiatycze city flag]](../images/p/pl-pd-st.gif)
image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 29 Oct 2008
![[Siemiatycze city Coat of Arms]](../images/p/pl-pd)st.gif)
image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 29 Oct 2008
