Uniejów

Uniejów [uˈɲɛjuf] is a spa town in Poddębice County, Łódź Voivodeship in central Poland, with 2,957 inhabitants (2020). It is the seat of the local government of Gmina Uniejów.

The town lies within the historic Sieradz Land, in northwestern corner of Poddębice County, near the border with Greater Poland Voivodeship. Uniejów is known for its Thermal Park and the 14th-century castle with a landscape park (34 hectares (84 acres)).

History

The history of the town dates back to the early years of Polish statehood. Mentioned as Uneievo in a bull of Pope Innocent II (1136), Uniejów is one of the oldest towns of Poland. At that time it belonged to the Archbishops of Gniezno, and received its town charter most likely before 1290. The first Archbishop residing mainly in Uniejów in the city was Bogumilus in the 12th century. In the late 13th century, Archbishop Jakub Świnka founded Church of the Holy Spirit and a hospital, and in 1331, Uniejów was burned by the Teutonic Knights. The town was rebuilt, and in the late 14th-early 15th century, it was a local center of commerce and crafts. For centuries, Uniejów enjoyed several privileges, granted to it by the Archbishops of Gniezno. In 1360–1365, a defensive castle was built here. It became one of residences of the Archbishops, here several councils and meetings took place. The first synod of the Polish Catholic church was held in Uniejów in 1376. In 1520, Archbishop and Primate of Poland Jan Łaski merged the Old Town, New Town and suburbs into one entity. In the 16th century the town lost its importance after the Primates of Poland built new residences in Łowicz and Skierniewice. Uniejów was a private church town, administratively located in the Szadek County in the Sieradz Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.