Wieruszów was granted
town rights, when it was part of
Piast-ruled Poland. The town developed in the
Late Middle Ages under the patronage of the
Polish noble Wierusz family. It was a
private town, administratively located in the Wieluń County in the
Sieradz Voivodeship in the
Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland. The local Catholic parish was erected in 1386 by
Przecław of Pogorzela, Bishop of Wrocław. In 1401, Bernard Wierusz founded the
Pauline monastery. From June to August 1919, the Germans repeatedly shelled the town and attempted an invasion, but were repelled by the Poles. Until World War II, the town had a significant
Jewish population of more than 2,000.
World War II As a result of the German-Soviet
invasion of Poland, which started
World War II in September 1939, the town was
occupied by Germany. The Germans immediately murdered several
Poles and Jews and kidnapped others. Later on, Wieruszów was annexed directly to
Nazi Germany. The Germans destroyed the monument of the heroes of the Greater Poland Uprising. The local police chief and another Polish policemen were murdered by the Russians in the
Katyn massacre in 1940.
Post-war history The Greater Poland Uprising monument was rebuilt after the war, and it now also commemorates the victims of both world wars. In 1973, during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the death of
Augustyn Kordecki, the former Pauline church was graced by the presence of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła - the future
Pope John Paul II and Cardinal
Stefan Wyszyński. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of the
Kalisz Voivodeship, and since 1999 it is part of the Łódź Voivodeship. ==Transport==