Gać

Gać is a village in Poland, located in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, within Przeworsk County. It is known as the seat of the Roman Catholic Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and as the administrative center of the Gmina Gać. Its history dates back to ancient times, as the village developed in an area where a burial ground of the Przeworsk culture was discovered, confirming settlement activity since the 3rd century BCE. Situated near the marshy valley of the Markówka stream, Gać held strategic importance as a stopping point for trade caravans. The name of the village derives from topographic terms related to causeways, suggesting that the area was used to traverse wetlands. Over the centuries, Gać had many owners, including the Pilecki and Lubomirski families. In the 17th century, the village suffered a Tatar invasion that decimated its population. Preserved records indicate that in the 1660s, the village was home to 295 people. In the 19th century, Gać began to develop administratively and demographically. After the enfranchisement of peasants in 1848, it became an independent municipality. A notable landmark is the local parish church, built between 1877 and 1894 in the Neo-Gothic style. It was the first brick-built rural church in Przeworsk County. Another significant site is the People's University complex, constructed between 1935 and 1936 and designed by J. Witkiewicz. Gać is also the birthplace of Sebastian Polak, a professor at St. Hyacinth's Gymnasium in Kraków. The history of Gać is thus not only a testament to local pride but also reflects broader historical developments in the region.