Konstancin-Jeziorna
Konstancin-Jeziorna is a city in Piaseczno County in the Province of Mazovia. It is located about 20km to the south of Poland’s capital Warsaw and is also part of an agglomeration. The city was formed in 1969 with the merger of two towns, Skolimow-Konstancin and Jeziorna, as well as several surrounding villages and today is the administrative seat of the municipality. It lies at the boundaries of the Warsaw Plain and the Valley of the Central River Vistula, on the banks of both the Jeziorka River and its tributary River Mala. From the south and east the town is bordered by the Chojnowski Forest with the Kabacki Woodland to the north. There are also large wooded areas in many parts of the town. The Chojnowski Landscape Park stretches to the south of Konstancin-Jeziorna which has several isolated woodland nature reserves which include the Obory Escarpment, the Obory Riparian Woods and the Lyczyn Woodlands.
The village of Jeziorna has existed since the medieval times. It was connected with the question „Do you want to go to Jeziorna?” which meant the threat of „an Appeal in Jeziorna” in the 18th century, or in other words, a duel to the death. It was illegal to conduct duels on lands that were under the authority of the Marshal of the Royal Court. As these were bordered by the Jeziorka River, interested parties met outside the Marshal’s jurisdiction, on the opposite bank.
At least since 1730 a watermill has stood on the causeway in Jeziorna but in 1775 a paper mill was built about mile further downstream on the request of King Poniatowski. This is one of the oldest paper mills in Poland and the first in this region. The paper that was produced at this Royal factory was, among others, used to draft the 3rd May Constitution. In 1830 the entire plant became the property of the Bank of Poland and was used to create paper for the printing of securities. Before World War II there was a large Jewish community in Jeziorna, about half the population, which after its outbreak, were gathered together by the Germans and transported to the Ghetto in Warsaw.
The name of Konstancin-Skolimow originated from the name of Countess Konstancja from the Potuliccy-Skorzewski family. At the end of the 19th century part of the family lands around Obory were parcelled up and sold. The forested lands near Warsaw lying on the extension of the Royal Route and connected by the Wilanow narrow gauge railway line became a popular location for the building of summer residences which resulted in the steady growth of the community. By the 1920’s Konstancin had a working sewer system and was electrified and became known as the home of the Warsaw’s cultural elite. Today, many well-known businessmen, artists, diplomats and journalists still own houses in Konstancin.
Konstancin-Jeziorna is the only spa resort in the Mazovian Province and has the characteristics of a lowland spa. Being surrounded by vast tracts of pine forests it has a moderately stimulating climate with many sunny days throughout the year. The status of spa was granted to the town in 1917 because of the curative waters found here and the favourable climatic conditions in the area but it was not till after post-war geological surveys and drilling of new mineral water sources did it result in the launching of the classic spa operations. The most famous landmarks of the spa at Konstancin-Jeziorna are the graduation towers with their outdoor inhalation facilities that are used in the cure of respiratory problems, which were completed in 1979 and according to studies provide a higher concentration of saline aerosol compared to other similar structures. Other treatments include those for victims of strokes and traumatic brain injuries, post-myocardial infarction, post heart surgery, chronic circulatory and musculoskeletal disorders.
