History of the Jews in Kalisz

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Kalisz
Grand Synagogue in Kalisz, 1914 behind fresh ruins of World War I
Kalisz History of the Jews in Kalisz
Coordinates: 51°45′27″N 18°4′48″E / 51.75750°N 18.08000°E / 51.75750; 18.08000
Country	Poland
Established	1264

Located in the Poznań province west of Łódź, Kalisz was for centuries a border town between Poland and Germany. The oldest city in Poland, Kalisz also played a pivotal role in Polish Jewish history: in 1264, Bolesław I the Pious, ruler of the western part of Poland (Wielkopolska), was the first to grant a charter to the local Jewish community, giving them settlement rights, legal protection, and certain religious and financial freedoms. This "Statute of Kalisz" was extended to the whole country by King Casimir the Great and expanded by later Polish rulers. It provided the legal foundation for Jewish rights in Poland.