Private towns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were privately owned towns within the lands owned by magnates, bishops, knights and princes, among others.
Amongst the most well-known former private magnate towns are Białystok, Zamość, Rzeszów, Puławy, Tarnów, Siedlce, Biała Podlaska, Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów), Ternopil (Tarnopol) and Uman (Humań). Magnate palaces and castles can be often found in former private magnate towns. Examples include the Branicki Palace in Białystok; the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy; the Zamoyski Palace in Zamość; the Lubomirski Castle in Rzeszów; the Radziwiłł Palace in Biała Podlaska; the Ogiński Palace in Siedlce; the Potocki Palaces in Międzyrzec Podlaski, Tulchyn and Vysokaye; the Wiśniowiecki Palace in Vyshnivets; and the Zbaraski Castle in Zbarazh.
Also various other landmarks were often founded by the owners, including town halls, churches, monasteries, schools and theatres, some rather unique, like the Mannerist Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park and Baroque fortified Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery.
Some of the most known former private bishop towns include Łódź, Kielce, Łowicz, Pabianice and Skierniewice.
List of private towns CityPopulation(2015)Former ownersCountryAdministrative division1.Białystok295,282House of Branicki (Gryf)Podlaskie Voivodeship2.Poltava (Połtawa)294,962House of Wiśniowiecki,House of KoniecpolskiPoltava Oblast3.Rivne (Równe)249,639House of Ostrogski,House of LubomirskiRivne Oblast4.Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów)228,575House of PotockiIvano-Frankivsk Oblast5.Ternopil (Tarnopol)217,773House of Tarnowski,House of Ostrogski,House of ZamoyskiTernopil Oblast6.Rzeszów183,108House of LubomirskiPodkarpackie Voivodeship7.Tarnów112,120House of TarnowskiLesser Poland Voivodeship8.Maladzyechna (Mołodeczno)94,686House of Sapieha,House of Gosiewski,House of OgińskiMinsk Region9.Uman (Humań)86,451House of PotockiCherkasy Oblast10.Berdychiv (Berdyczów)77,788House of Tyszkiewicz,House of Zawisza,House of RadziwiłłZhytomyr Oblast11.Siedlce76,347House of OgińskiMasovian Voivodeship12.Zhlobin (Żłobin)75,700House of Chodkiewicz Bona SforzaGomel Region13.Ostrów Wielkopolski72,890House of PrzebendowskiGreater Poland Voivodeship14.Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski72,277House of TarnowskiŚwiętokrzyskie Voivodeship15.Smila (Smiła)68,618House of LubomirskiCherkasy Oblast16.Chervonohrad (Krystynopol)67,863House of PotockiLviv Oblast17.Kalush (Kałusz)67,631House of SieniawskiIvano-Frankivsk Oblast18.Zamość65,255House of ZamoyskiLublin Voivodeship19.Leszno64,589House of Leszczyński,House of SułkowskiGreater Poland Voivodeship20.Zhodzina (Żodzino)63,722House of RadziwiłłMinsk Region
Private clergy towns Former private clergy towns by population as of 2015: CityPopulation(2015)Former ownersCountry(2023)Administrative division (2023)1.Łódź711,332Diocese of KujawyŁódź Voivodeship2.Kielce199,870Diocese of KrakówŚwiętokrzyskie Voivodeship3.Olsztyn174,675Diocese of WarmiaWarmian-Masurian Voivodeship4.Włocławek114,885Diocese of KujawyKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship5.Suwałki69,317CamaldolesePodlaskie Voivodeship6.Pabianice67,688Diocese of KrakówŁódź Voivodeship7.Skierniewice48,634Archdiocese of GnieznoŁódź Voivodeship8.Fastiv (Fastów)47,869Diocese of KyivKyiv Oblast9.Marijampolė (Mariampol)38,345MariansMarijampolė County10.Czeladź32,940Diocese of KrakówSilesian Voivodeship
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See also Royal city in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Company town Closed town Ghost town Private city
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