Białowieski &NATIONAL PARKS IN POLAND

LOCATIONBiałowieski National Park is in Poland. It is near Białystok, about 43 mi. This park is located in the province Podlasie. On the Polish side, part of the Białowieża Forest is protected as the Białowieża National Park (Białowieski Park Narodowy), with general area of about 100 km2 (39 sq mi). There is also the Białowieża Glade (Polana Białowieska), with a complex of buildings originally owned by the tsars of Russia– the last private owners of the forest (from 1888 to 1917) when the whole forest was within the Russian Empire. A hotel, restaurant and parking areas are located there. Guided tours into the strictly controlled areas of the park can be arranged on foot or by horse-drawn carriages. Approximately 200,000 tourists visit the Polish part of the forest annually. The village of Białowieża lifes in the forest.

HISTORY

World War I brought probably the biggest ever loss to the forest. Three and a half years it was under German occupation and underwent a period of unlimited exploitation on a large scale (with an estimated wealth of the forest - 32 million cubic meters of timber were cut 5 million cubic meters). Germans built more than 300 km of the forest railway. Erected large sawmills in Hajnówka, Bialowieza and Grodek.Retired from the military authorities of German forest in December 1918 in the forests of many soldiers remained laggards, inspired a revolution in Russia and not subject to any authority. They hunted without moderation. Also looted factories, and sawmills, whose equipment is usually bought up Jewish merchants from Bialystok. The period of anarchy, exploited or locals. At the turn of 1918 and 1919 shots were heard in the woods day and night. A few months bison (last fell in April 1919) and elk have been completely eradicated (before the war were more than 700 bison.) Survived a few deer. In February 1919 the Forest was occupied by Polish troops. On the good Polish administration took over the desert in September 1920, after the war, the Bolshevik. Trimmed forest lasted for 3 years. In 1924 the forest administration has concluded a ten-year contract with the English name "Century"at the exploitation of timber. But the British ruthlessly cut down the forests, causing them to break with the agreement in 1929. In the same year began the process of restitution of aurochs (the specimens were purchased in zoos in Germany, Sweden as well as imported from Pszczyna). In 1939 the forest was 16 bison that survived happily World War II.

During the Polish Defensive War in 1939, after the battles of the region of the Forest Domanowa troops entered Podlaska Cavalry Brigade and the Suwalki Cavalry Brigade, which arrived Sept. 18 to Bialowieza. Then the troops were gathering in the area of the village and Doktorce Eliaszuki. September 20 [3] in the vicinity of Bialowieza Gen. Zygmunt Podhorski ps. "Zaza, " called the gathered troops and Podl.BK Suw.BK improvised unit of cavalry Cavalry Division 'Zaza' Cavalry Brigade, consisting of "Plis" under the command of Colonel. Casimir Plisowskiego and Cavalry Brigade, "Edward" under the command of Colonel. Edward Milewski. Some troops later moved south to form SGO "Polesie" fighting later Kock, and some in the direction Wolkowysk later fought in defense of Grodno.1.Another war resulted in similar losses for the forest as the previous. The Soviet government exported to the east the entire Polish population, replacing it with a loyal but inexperienced staff of the forest. In turn, after 1941 the German authorities wanted to deport the entire population of the forest (for fear of guerrillas). Goering's initiative, a project of creation of a large nature reserve - a state hunting area. Made the pacification of the forest villages. In July-August 1941 German police battalion 322 wysiedlił population of about 40 villages, most of them totally burned and looted livestock, crops and possessions. Excised and orchards showered wells. A total of 7,036 persons were displaced and 601 killed. Villages were displaced following: Bernacki Bridge, Buda, Grodzisk, Pears, Guszczewina, Janowo, Forest, Lewkowo New Masiewo, Masiewo New Minkówka, Mikłaszewo, Olechówka, Pay, Pogorzelce, Skupowo, Stoczek, Meyerhold, Zabłotoczyzna, Zabrody.

Since July 1941 in the forest run guerrilla groups, mainly the Soviet Union. However, the constant penetration of the wilderness by the Germans did not allow them to work longer. In the Bialowieza placed special staff to combat the guerrillas. The number of executions of people suspected of having murdered aid "forest soldiers".In July 1944 the forest was occupied by the Red Army. Retreating Nazis still managed to blow up the palace in Bialowieza. The decision to join parts of the Bialowieza Forest to the Soviet Union, Stalin personally made after discussion with the delegation of the Committee of National Liberation. According to an anecdote originally wanted to seize the whole wilderness, but the Polish Communists convinced him the argument "But where we will hunt now?" [citation needed]. Since the spring of 1945 in the Bialowieza Forest operated five AK Vilnius Brigade conducting operations against the Red Army, NKVD and MO .

VALUES

Unusual natural advantages make it almost 32% of the province is covered by various forms of conservation, which places the region in close national forefront. This is the only such area of primeval forest in Europe. There are here:

* 4 national parks: Bialowieza, Biebrzański, Narwiański and Wigierski a total area of 92,031 ha,* 3 landscape parks: Łomżyński Narew Valley Landscape Park, Park Forest Landscape Knyszynska Landscape Park with total area 88084.5 ha* 85 nature reserves with a total area. 14,015 ha* 15 protected landscape areas with a total area of 471,761 ha,* 249 ecological areas of total area. 3085 ha* natural-landscape unit of total area. 60 ha,* 2 position with a total area of documentation. 0.6 ha* 2038 monuments of nature.

OTHER NATIONAL PARKS IN POLANDBabiogórski Park Narodowy

Białowieski Park Narodowy

Biebrzański Park Narodowy

Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy

Park Narodowy Bory Tucholskie

Drawieński Park Narodowy

Gorczański Park Narodowy

Park Narodowy Gór Stołowych

Kampinoski Park Narodowy

Karkonoski Park Narodowy

Magurski Park Narodowy

Narwiański Park Narodowy

Ojcowski Park Narodowy

Pieniński Park Narodowy

Poleski Park Narodowy

Roztoczański Park Narodowy

Słowiński Park Narodowy

Świętokrzyski Park Narodowy

Tatrzański Park Narodowy

Park Narodowy Ujście Warty

Wielkopolski Park Narodowy

Wigierski Park Narodowy

Woliński Park Narodowy

MAP

CONTACTPark Pałacowy 11, 17-230 Białowieżae-mail: bpn@bpn.com.pl http://www.bpn.com.pl

Martyna Drobnikowska, Kamila Turek & Paulinna Miller. ;)