Places

From the charter granted for Jarosław in 1571 by Zofia née Odrowąż Kostka an excerpt can be cited: ‘we decide and we want to have it complied with that in our promised town of Jarosław there will never again be any Jews, only just one house, and two at most, and of such (Jews) whose commercial activity only to their labour is limited." This privilege was the sharpest restriction, it meant removal of Jews outside the town walls and admission to trading only during markets and fairs. As a result, Jews settled in the suburbs and in private estates in the town. The town marked the limit of houses that Jews could have, only at one street or the Jewish quarter. A compact cluster initially existed only in Przedmieście Ruskie, and then in the period of partitions was created in the Market Square and the western part of the city, that is the quarter with the Bóżnic Square towards Lubelska Street and Spytko Street. For example, today's Opolska Street was inhabited entirely by Jews. In fact, the Jewish quarter was not characterized by a distinct architecture. There is no sign of a strictly Jewish housing development in Jarosław. Clear traces of their presence could be discerned through many shop signboards on tenement buildings. Especially in the years of the Second Polish Republic Jews played a large role in trade. Just before the war almost half of the trading companies belonged to them.