Brzostek gained its
Magdeburg rights in 1367, but first documented mentions of the town come from 1123 to 1125, when a list of possessions of the
Benedictine Abbey in
Tyniec was created. Among a number of villages specified in the document, there is Brzostek (spelt
Brestek). For centuries Brzostek remained a small town, frequently destroyed in numerous wars and conflicts. In 1657 the town was burned by the forces of the Transylvanian prince
George II Rákóczi, who crossed into Poland earlier in the year during the
Deluge. Following the
partitions of Poland in the late 18th century, Brzostek along with most of the region became part of
Austria and remained in Austria until
World War I (1914–1918). On 18 February 1846 the
Galician peasant revolt started in the town (see
Jakub Szela), and in the second half of the 19th century,
Ignacy Łukasiewicz opened his pharmacy here. In 1934 Brzostek lost its town status, as its population was under 3,000, too small to be officially called a town. Its Jewish population was murdered by the Germans in the
Holocaust, Brzostek itself was 65% destroyed during
World War II. It regained the town status on 1 January 2009. == Main sights ==