Private town#History of Poland

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Private towns{{efn|{{langx|be|прыватныя гарады}}, {{langx|lt|privatūs miestai}}, {{langx|pl|prywatne miasta}}, {{langx|uk|приватні міста}}.}} in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were privately owned towns within the lands owned by magnates, bishops, knights and princes, among others.

File:Braun and Hogenberg Zamość.jpg in the 17th century]]

Amongst the most well-known former private magnate towns are Białystok, Zamość, Rzeszów, Puławy, Tarnów, Siedlce, Biała Podlaska, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Uman. Magnate palaces and castles can be often found in former private magnate towns. Examples include the Branicki Palace in Białystok; the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy; the Zamoyski Palace in Zamość; the Lubomirski Castle in Rzeszów; the Radziwiłł Palace in Biała Podlaska; the Ogiński Palace in Siedlce; the Potocki Palaces in Międzyrzec Podlaski, Tulchyn and Vysokaye; the Wiśniowiecki Palace in Vyshnivets; and the Zbaraski Castle in Zbarazh.

Also various other landmarks were often founded by the owners, including town halls, churches, monasteries, schools and theatres, some rather unique, like the Mannerist Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park and Baroque fortified Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery.

Some of the most known former private bishop towns include Łódź, Kielce, Łowicz, Pabianice and Skierniewice.

List of private towns

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left
style="width:1%;"\| !style="width:19%;"\|City !style="width:8%;"\|Population (2015){{Cite web \|title=Lista miast w Polsce (spis miast, mapa miast, liczba ludności, powierzchnia, wyszukiwarka) \|url=https://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Miasta \|website=Polska w liczbach}}{{Cite web \|title=zb_chnnu2016pdf ZIP file \|url=http://ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2016/zb/06/zb_chnnu2016pdf.zip}} !style="width:16%;"\|Former owners !style="width:9%;"\|Country !style="width:22%;"\|Administrative division
align="right"\|1. \|Białystok \|align="right"\|295,282 \|House of Branicki (Gryf) \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Podlaskie Voivodeship
align="right"\|2. \|Poltava (Połtawa) \|align="right"\|294,962 \|House of Wiśniowiecki, House of Koniecpolski \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Poltava Oblast
align="right"\|3. \|Rivne (Równe) \|align="right"\|249,639 \|House of Ostrogski, House of Lubomirski \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Rivne Oblast
align="right"\|4. \|Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów) \|align="right"\|228,575 \|House of Potocki \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
align="right"\|5. \|Ternopil (Tarnopol) \|align="right"\|217,773 \|House of Tarnowski, House of Ostrogski, House of Zamoyski \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Ternopil Oblast
align="right"\|6. \|Rzeszów \|align="right"\|183,108 \|House of Lubomirski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Podkarpackie Voivodeship
align="right"\|7. \|Tarnów \|align="right"\|112,120 \|House of Tarnowski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Lesser Poland Voivodeship
align="right"\|8. \|Maladzyechna (Mołodeczno) \|align="right"\|94,686 \|House of Sapieha, House of Gosiewski, House of Ogiński \|{{flagcountry\|Belarus}} \|Minsk Region
align="right"\|9. \|Uman (Humań) \|align="right"\|86,451 \|House of Potocki \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Cherkasy Oblast
align="right"\|10. \|Berdychiv (Berdyczów) \|align="right"\|77,788 \|House of Tyszkiewicz, House of Zawisza, House of Radziwiłł \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Zhytomyr Oblast
align="right"\|11. \|Siedlce \|align="right"\|76,347 \|House of Ogiński \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Masovian Voivodeship
align="right"\|12. \|Zhlobin (Żłobin) \|align="right"\|75,700 \|House of Chodkiewicz Bona Sforza \|{{flagcountry\|Belarus}} \|Gomel Region
align="right"\|13. \|Ostrów Wielkopolski \|align="right"\|72,890 \|House of Przebendowski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Greater Poland Voivodeship
align="right"\|14. \|Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski \|align="right"\|72,277 \|House of Tarnowski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship
align="right"\|15. \|Smila (Smiła) \|align="right"\|68,618 \|House of Lubomirski \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Cherkasy Oblast
align="right"\|16. \|Chervonohrad (Krystynopol) \|align="right"\|67,863 \|House of Potocki \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Lviv Oblast
align="right"\|17. \|Kalush (Kałusz) \|align="right"\|67,631 \|House of Sieniawski \|{{flagcountry\|Ukraine}} \|Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
align="right"\|18. \|Zamość \|align="right"\|65,255 \|House of Zamoyski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Lublin Voivodeship
align="right"\|19. \|Leszno \|align="right"\|64,589 \|House of Leszczyński,{{cite book\|author= \|title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Wielkopolska w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy\|year=2017\|language=pl\|location=Warszawa\|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk\|page=254}} House of Sułkowski \|{{flagcountry\|Poland}} \|Greater Poland Voivodeship
align="right"\|20. \|Zhodzina (Żodzino) \|align="right"\|63,722 \|House of Radziwiłł \|{{flagcountry\|Belarus}} \|Minsk Region

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left

style="width:1%;"|

!style="width:19%;"|City

!style="width:8%;"|Population
(2015){{Cite web |title=Lista miast w Polsce (spis miast, mapa miast, liczba ludności, powierzchnia, wyszukiwarka) |url=https://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Miasta |website=Polska w liczbach}}{{Cite web |title=zb_chnnu2016pdf ZIP file |url=http://ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2016/zb/06/zb_chnnu2016pdf.zip}}

!style="width:16%;"|Former owners

!style="width:9%;"|Country

!style="width:22%;"|Administrative division

align="right"|1.

|Białystok

|align="right"|295,282

|House of Branicki (Gryf)

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Podlaskie Voivodeship

align="right"|2.

|Poltava (Połtawa)

|align="right"|294,962

|House of Wiśniowiecki,
House of Koniecpolski

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Poltava Oblast

align="right"|3.

|Rivne (Równe)

|align="right"|249,639

|House of Ostrogski,
House of Lubomirski

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Rivne Oblast

align="right"|4.

|Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów)

|align="right"|228,575

|House of Potocki

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

align="right"|5.

|Ternopil (Tarnopol)

|align="right"|217,773

|House of Tarnowski,
House of Ostrogski,
House of Zamoyski

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Ternopil Oblast

align="right"|6.

|Rzeszów

|align="right"|183,108

|House of Lubomirski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Podkarpackie Voivodeship

align="right"|7.

|Tarnów

|align="right"|112,120

|House of Tarnowski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Lesser Poland Voivodeship

align="right"|8.

|Maladzyechna (Mołodeczno)

|align="right"|94,686

|House of Sapieha,
House of Gosiewski,
House of Ogiński

|{{flagcountry|Belarus}}

|Minsk Region

align="right"|9.

|Uman (Humań)

|align="right"|86,451

|House of Potocki

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Cherkasy Oblast

align="right"|10.

|Berdychiv (Berdyczów)

|align="right"|77,788

|House of Tyszkiewicz,
House of Zawisza,
House of Radziwiłł

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Zhytomyr Oblast

align="right"|11.

|Siedlce

|align="right"|76,347

|House of Ogiński

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Masovian Voivodeship

align="right"|12.

|Zhlobin (Żłobin)

|align="right"|75,700

|House of Chodkiewicz

Bona Sforza

|{{flagcountry|Belarus}}

|Gomel Region

align="right"|13.

|Ostrów Wielkopolski

|align="right"|72,890

|House of Przebendowski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Greater Poland Voivodeship

align="right"|14.

|Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski

|align="right"|72,277

|House of Tarnowski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

align="right"|15.

|Smila (Smiła)

|align="right"|68,618

|House of Lubomirski

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Cherkasy Oblast

align="right"|16.

|Chervonohrad (Krystynopol)

|align="right"|67,863

|House of Potocki

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Lviv Oblast

align="right"|17.

|Kalush (Kałusz)

|align="right"|67,631

|House of Sieniawski

|{{flagcountry|Ukraine}}

|Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

align="right"|18.

|Zamość

|align="right"|65,255

|House of Zamoyski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Lublin Voivodeship

align="right"|19.

|Leszno

|align="right"|64,589

|House of Leszczyński,{{cite book|author= |title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Wielkopolska w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=2017|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=254}}
House of Sułkowski

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Greater Poland Voivodeship

align="right"|20.

|Zhodzina (Żodzino)

|align="right"|63,722

|House of Radziwiłł

|{{flagcountry|Belarus}}

|Minsk Region

= Private clergy towns =

Former private clergy towns by population as of 2015:

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left"

!City

!Population
(2015)

!Former owners

!Country
(2023)

!Administrative division (2023)

align="right"|1.

|Łódź

|align="right"|711,332

|Diocese of Kujawy{{cite book|author=|title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Województwo sieradzkie i województwo łęczyckie w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=1998|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=67}}

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Łódź Voivodeship

align="right"|2.

|Kielce

|align="right"|199,870

|Diocese of Kraków

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship

align="right"|3.

|Olsztyn

|align="right"|174,675

|Diocese of Warmia

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

align="right"|4.

|Włocławek

|align="right"|114,885

|Diocese of Kujawy

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

align="right"|5.

|Suwałki

|align="right"|69,317

|Camaldolese

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Podlaskie Voivodeship

align="right"|6.

|Pabianice

|align="right"|67,688

|Diocese of Kraków{{cite book|author=|title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Województwo sieradzkie i województwo łęczyckie w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=1998|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=68}}

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Łódź Voivodeship

align="right"|7.

|Skierniewice

|align="right"|48,634

|Archdiocese of Gniezno

|{{flagcountry|Poland}}

|Łódź Voivodeship

align="right"|8.

|Fastiv (Fastów)

|align="right"|47,869

|Diocese of Kyiv