Biała Piska

Biała Piska, known in German as Bialla and later as Gehlenburg, is a town in Poland located in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, within the Pisz County. Ethnographically, it belongs to Masuria and historically to the region of Galindia. It was founded in 1428 on the site of a former Old Prussian settlement called Gayle, and its name derives from the Old Prussian language, meaning "white." The town was granted municipal rights in 1722 and experienced significant development in the 19th century thanks to the construction of a railway line. Today, the town is home to many Polish families, including those who settled after World War II, when the German population was displaced. Biała Piska boasts interesting historical landmarks, including the Baroque Church of St. Andrew Bobola from the 17th century and a town hall dating back to the early 20th century. The town's culture has been enriched by multicultural influences, including Jewish settlement, which began in the late Napoleonic era, although the community was dissolved in 1905. Transportation in the town is diverse, with national and regional roads as well as a railway stop. Biała Piska is also home to the football club Znicz, and in 2023, the town joined the international Cittàslow network, which promotes towns focused on quality of life. The local economy is based on small-scale food and wood processing industries, and the town also benefits from access to local natural resources. Interestingly, in 2017, the Evangelical-Augsburg chapel was vandalized, reflecting ongoing social tensions.