Przedborz

PRZEDBORZ (Pol. Przedbórz), town in Kielce province, S. central Poland. Jews lived in Przedborz from the time of the town's earliest development. At the beginning of the 15^th century, urban population increased when King Ladislaw II Jagello granted the merchants of the town privileges according to the *Magdeburg Law. In the years 1550 and 1570 King Sigismund II Augustus further aided the town's Jews by exempting them from customs duties and certain other payments. In 1595 King Sigismund III restricted their rights to own houses. The restriction was lifted, however, in 1638 when a fire destroyed the town and it had to be rebuilt. A second fire destroyed Przedborz in 1834. The Jewish population increased during the 19^th century when Jews established trade relations with markets of the Russian empire. In 1865 about 75% of the town's population were Jews; in 1921 Jews numbered 3,749 (63.6% of the total population).