Biaà Âaczów is a town in Opoczno County, à Âódà º Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Biaà Âaczów. It lies approximately south of Opoczno and south-east of the regional capital à Âódà º. Historically, Biaà Âaczów belongs to Lesser Poland.
In the 13th century, Biaà Âaczów belonged to the OdrowÃ à ¼ family. The village received its town charter in 1456. Within the Kingdom of Poland, it was part of Opoczno County of Sandomierz Voivodeship of the Lesser Poland Province. Biaà Âaczów was a private town, changing hands several times. In the late 18th and early 19th century it belonged to Stanisà Âaw Maà Âachowski, who in neighboring villages opened several early industry factories. Its coat of arms was devised by Stanisà Âaw Maà Âachowski in 1787.
In 1795 Biaà Âaczów found itself in the Austrian Empire following the Third Partition of Poland. After the Polish victory in the Austro-Polish War of 1809, it was regained by Poles and included within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw. After the duchy's dissolution in 1815, it became part of the Russian-controlled Congress Kingdom. In 1870, like many other towns of northern Lesser Poland, Biaà Âaczów was reduced to the status of a village, as a punishment for residentsâ patriotic support of the anti-Russian January Uprising.
In the interwar period, it was administratively located in the Opoczno County in the Kielce Voivodeship of Poland. According to the 1921 census, Biaà Âaczów with the adjacent railway settlement and manor farm had a population of 1,671, 95.5% Polish and 4.5% Jewish.
Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, the town was occupied by Germany until 1945.