History of Lublin

There have been settlements on the site where Lublin exists today, dating back to about 500 AD. It has been the target of attack by Tartars, Lithuanians, and Ruthenes and has been destroyed a number of times. A large and vibrant Jewish community developed in the city in 1500's and remained a part of the city's culture until it was wiped out in the Nazi Holocaust. In 1795 when Poland was partitioned between the Germans, Austrians and Russians, it came under Austrian rule. From 1815-1915, it was under Russian rule. At the end of WWI, an independent Poland emerged and the capital was briefly located in Lublin. On the outskirts of the city is Majdanek concentration camp where thousands of Polish Jews were interned and killed by the Germans during the war. Today the city has six universities and is a cultural center.