Łask

Łask is a town in central Poland with 17,604 inhabitants (2016). It is the capital of Łask County, and is situated in Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Sieradz Voivodeship (1975–1998). 32nd Air Base of the Polish Air Force is located nearby.HistoryThe first mention in history of Łask was in 1356. It officially became a city in 1422 by the law of the Polish king Władysław II Jagiełło.Jews began to settle in the town at the close of the 16th century. From that time forward, the Jewish population of the town averaged between 50% and 65% of the total, typical of small shtetls of the region. The primary industries were leather tanning, textiles, and food. The surnames Laski and Lasker derive from the name of the town, and many of those with the latter surname are of Jewish descent.In the second division of Poland in 1793, the town was included in the area of Prussia, but in 1815 it was designated as within Polish territory.In 1903 the town was connected to the railway line and industrial plants were built. By 1939, "there were 3,864 Jews out of a total population of 6,000 people living in the town.", but with the invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Łask was occupied by the Wehrmacht and annexed by Nazi Germany. The town was then administered as part of the county or district (kreis) of Łask within Reichsgau Wartheland, and the Jewish half of the population was systematically annihilated under the racial policy of Nazi Germany.