Rytro's history
Rytro community has a history dating back many centuries. The
oldest written document mentioning Rytro dates from April 17, 1312.
In this document King Władysław the Short gave the Saint Klara Sisters of Stary Sącz the right to collect custom fees on all trade passing on the Poprad, “prope castrum Ritter”.
Sucha Struga is first mentioned in documents in 1596 and Obłazy Ryterskie and Roztoka Ryterska in 1629.
Until 1770, this land was the personal property off the Polish king and was leased to loyal individuals as a reward for special services.
It is thanks to the castle that Rytro is first mentioned.
In the book, “Lober beneficorum” (1244), Jan Długosz the famous Polish historian, quotes the last will of Piotr Wydżga, a Sądecki Lord and castle owner in the first half of the 13th century.
He contends that the name “Rytro” comes from the German word “Ritter” meaning knight.
The oldest part of the castle is the main tower, to which was later added barracks and a triangular fortress wall. This fortification belonged to the king, protected Poland from Hungarian forces and served as a custom point on the important land and water routes.
The 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries were the “Golden Age of Rytro”.
Many kings, with their entourages, passed here during this period.
King Władysław the Short travelled to Hungary and on to Rome for the century celebration in the year 1300.
His daughter, Elizabeth, passed this way to become the wife of Karol Robert, King of Hungary.
Her brother, the young Kazimierz the Great took this route to visit his brother-in –law in Hungary.
In 1384, Queen Hedwig was met by her brother-in–law King Zygmunt at Rytro Castle itself.
During the reigns of Władysław the Short and Kaziemierz the Great, Rytro was mentioned many times in 14th century documents.
These are some of the significant ones:
April17, 1312 – The privilege given by Władysław the Short to the Saint Klara’s Sisters.
May 15, 1327- The same king exempted traders from paying customs fees if they were taking part in the yearly St. Margaret’s Day celebration in Nowy Sącz. This act was later confirmed by Kaziemierz the Great in 1356 and Zygmunt I in 1512.
June 18, 1331-After a great fire in Nowy Sącz, King Władysław the Short gave inhabitants permission to use wood from the forest behind Rytro Castle to rebuild the town, “silvam ultra Ritter castrum sitam”.
January 6, 1338 – King Kazimierz the Great exempted Kraków citizens from paying custom fees “in Ritter”.
A colorful historical figure from Rytro is Peter of Rytro, of the House of Topór.
He is mentioned by Jan Długosz in his “Annals and Chronicles of the Famous Polish Kingdom”. During the period of King Władysław Jagiełło’s battles against the Teutonic Knights, Peter fought with Witold, The Great Prince of Lithuania (the king’s brother) at the attack on Dynenberg Castle, as well as in the Battles of Grunwald, Koronów and Bardiów.
In 1418, he was given possession of Rytro Castle with the villages of Rytro, Przysietnica, Barcice, Olszana, Wołnica, Leszczyna and Czarny Potok. He also received the title of “district governor”. When the King and the Royal Council gathered in Warta on Saint Nicholas Day in1430, Vincent Kot of Dębno (later Archbishop of Gniezno, Prime Bishop and Cardinal) and Knight Peter of Rytro were nominated to educate the king’s sons.
Later centuries brought nothing interesting to Rytro. Trade continued, but custom fees were no longer collected.
Rytro Castle is mentioned by Marcin Bielski in his chronicle “Women’s Parliament” as “old walls, dilapidated”.
We know that in 1657 Jerzy Rakoczy, Prince of Transylvania, attacked Sącz Province along this route and that by 1658 the castle was in ruins.
In 1770, two years before the partition of Poland into Russian, Prussian and Austrian Sectors, Rytro was annexed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After World War I, when Poland was reinstated, Rytro became part of a group of communities administrated from Piwniczna.
Since there were no longer borders separating the former sectors, Rytro became a popular summer resort for those from the Russian and Prussian Sectors.
As an official health resort it was given permission to collect taxes.
From 1924, many guest houses were established: “Szarotka”, “Nadzieja”, Podhale”, “Esplanado”, Świtezianka”, “Nasza”, “Jutrzenka”, “Zacisze”.
Many famous individuals have visited Rytro. At the end of the last century Edward Lubicz Niezabitowski, professor of Poznań University visited his father-in-law Fryderyk Schille (who was an ethnographer and at the time, director of Rytro Forest) and wrote about Rytro.
Michał Bałucki, the famous story-teller and comedy writer, visited Rytro many times during the years 1992-1901 and corresponded with the popular actor Vincent Rapacki mentioning that “Rytro’s peacefulness refreshed his spirit”.
From June to August 1903, Ignacy Daszyński, a representative of the Socialist Party, stayed in Miller J. Lachner’s house. Józef Piłsudski visited him there and wrote his columns for the Socialist Paper “Forward”.
As well in 1930, General Bolesław Wieniawa-Dlugoszowski visited Rytro.
From 1955-1958, Maria Kownacka stayed in Rytro and wrote the children’s book, “The Fawn of Roztoka Valley”.
The wealth of the area was its forest.
The Austrian Government was the owner until 1867.
The Earl Liebiega owned these woods until 1908.
For a short time Earl Potocki of Bobrownik near Tarnów was also the owner until the Prussian company Lienerot purchased them from him.
Earl Stadnicki bought this same forest during the Great War (1917). As a professional forester he sought to replenish the forests destroyed by the Prussian firm.
It’s thanks to him that today we can enjoy the nature of Rytro.
He created the Baniska Nature Reserve on his own land in 1924.
There we can now admire the last remnants of the Carpathian Wilderness. During World War II, the area crisscrossed by courier trails (from Nowy Sącz to Budapest) used by such partisans as the Home Army and Peasant Battalions. At the end of the war, Soviet Partisans added support there.
In this document King Władysław the Short gave the Saint Klara Sisters of Stary Sącz the right to collect custom fees on all trade passing on the Poprad, “prope castrum Ritter”.
Sucha Struga is first mentioned in documents in 1596 and Obłazy Ryterskie and Roztoka Ryterska in 1629.
Until 1770, this land was the personal property off the Polish king and was leased to loyal individuals as a reward for special services.
It is thanks to the castle that Rytro is first mentioned.
In the book, “Lober beneficorum” (1244), Jan Długosz the famous Polish historian, quotes the last will of Piotr Wydżga, a Sądecki Lord and castle owner in the first half of the 13th century.
He contends that the name “Rytro” comes from the German word “Ritter” meaning knight.
The oldest part of the castle is the main tower, to which was later added barracks and a triangular fortress wall. This fortification belonged to the king, protected Poland from Hungarian forces and served as a custom point on the important land and water routes.
The 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries were the “Golden Age of Rytro”.
Many kings, with their entourages, passed here during this period.
King Władysław the Short travelled to Hungary and on to Rome for the century celebration in the year 1300.
His daughter, Elizabeth, passed this way to become the wife of Karol Robert, King of Hungary.
Her brother, the young Kazimierz the Great took this route to visit his brother-in –law in Hungary.
In 1384, Queen Hedwig was met by her brother-in–law King Zygmunt at Rytro Castle itself.
During the reigns of Władysław the Short and Kaziemierz the Great, Rytro was mentioned many times in 14th century documents.
These are some of the significant ones:
April17, 1312 – The privilege given by Władysław the Short to the Saint Klara’s Sisters.
May 15, 1327- The same king exempted traders from paying customs fees if they were taking part in the yearly St. Margaret’s Day celebration in Nowy Sącz. This act was later confirmed by Kaziemierz the Great in 1356 and Zygmunt I in 1512.
June 18, 1331-After a great fire in Nowy Sącz, King Władysław the Short gave inhabitants permission to use wood from the forest behind Rytro Castle to rebuild the town, “silvam ultra Ritter castrum sitam”.
January 6, 1338 – King Kazimierz the Great exempted Kraków citizens from paying custom fees “in Ritter”.
A colorful historical figure from Rytro is Peter of Rytro, of the House of Topór.
He is mentioned by Jan Długosz in his “Annals and Chronicles of the Famous Polish Kingdom”. During the period of King Władysław Jagiełło’s battles against the Teutonic Knights, Peter fought with Witold, The Great Prince of Lithuania (the king’s brother) at the attack on Dynenberg Castle, as well as in the Battles of Grunwald, Koronów and Bardiów.
In 1418, he was given possession of Rytro Castle with the villages of Rytro, Przysietnica, Barcice, Olszana, Wołnica, Leszczyna and Czarny Potok. He also received the title of “district governor”. When the King and the Royal Council gathered in Warta on Saint Nicholas Day in1430, Vincent Kot of Dębno (later Archbishop of Gniezno, Prime Bishop and Cardinal) and Knight Peter of Rytro were nominated to educate the king’s sons.
Later centuries brought nothing interesting to Rytro. Trade continued, but custom fees were no longer collected.
Rytro Castle is mentioned by Marcin Bielski in his chronicle “Women’s Parliament” as “old walls, dilapidated”.
We know that in 1657 Jerzy Rakoczy, Prince of Transylvania, attacked Sącz Province along this route and that by 1658 the castle was in ruins.
In 1770, two years before the partition of Poland into Russian, Prussian and Austrian Sectors, Rytro was annexed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After World War I, when Poland was reinstated, Rytro became part of a group of communities administrated from Piwniczna.
Since there were no longer borders separating the former sectors, Rytro became a popular summer resort for those from the Russian and Prussian Sectors.
As an official health resort it was given permission to collect taxes.
From 1924, many guest houses were established: “Szarotka”, “Nadzieja”, Podhale”, “Esplanado”, Świtezianka”, “Nasza”, “Jutrzenka”, “Zacisze”.
Many famous individuals have visited Rytro. At the end of the last century Edward Lubicz Niezabitowski, professor of Poznań University visited his father-in-law Fryderyk Schille (who was an ethnographer and at the time, director of Rytro Forest) and wrote about Rytro.
Michał Bałucki, the famous story-teller and comedy writer, visited Rytro many times during the years 1992-1901 and corresponded with the popular actor Vincent Rapacki mentioning that “Rytro’s peacefulness refreshed his spirit”.
From June to August 1903, Ignacy Daszyński, a representative of the Socialist Party, stayed in Miller J. Lachner’s house. Józef Piłsudski visited him there and wrote his columns for the Socialist Paper “Forward”.
As well in 1930, General Bolesław Wieniawa-Dlugoszowski visited Rytro.
From 1955-1958, Maria Kownacka stayed in Rytro and wrote the children’s book, “The Fawn of Roztoka Valley”.
The wealth of the area was its forest.
The Austrian Government was the owner until 1867.
The Earl Liebiega owned these woods until 1908.
For a short time Earl Potocki of Bobrownik near Tarnów was also the owner until the Prussian company Lienerot purchased them from him.
Earl Stadnicki bought this same forest during the Great War (1917). As a professional forester he sought to replenish the forests destroyed by the Prussian firm.
It’s thanks to him that today we can enjoy the nature of Rytro.
He created the Baniska Nature Reserve on his own land in 1924.
There we can now admire the last remnants of the Carpathian Wilderness. During World War II, the area crisscrossed by courier trails (from Nowy Sącz to Budapest) used by such partisans as the Home Army and Peasant Battalions. At the end of the war, Soviet Partisans added support there.