More History of Augustow Area

AUGUSTOW   AREA   - 10th - 11th  century  it was  land of  a separate  nation called  Jacwingow  (the land  was called  Jacwieza)  -  a nation     which belonged  to the Baltic people group,  related  with   Lithuanians and Latvians.  They had  no state   organization .  Their  most  known town & stronghold   was RAJ ,   now   the  area of  Rajgord (Raj means paradise ).

That nation   invaded   into   neighboring   lands;  far  into Poland  and Russia. In consequence, other nations revenaged   and   attacked the Jacwieza  land.   Raj  was   totally  burnt  in  1248.  In the years 1278-1283, it was  the Teutonic  Knights invasion ; they  conquered the Jacwingow 's  land .    Probably the Jacwingas escaped to  Lithuania, Mazovia, and Russia.

After the battle of Grunwald   in 1410, the Jacwieza  land was divided  between  Lithuania   and   Teutonic   s sides ;   Augustow, Rajgrod, and Suwalki were within the Lithuanian   Duchy. Elk and Olecko were taken  by Teutonics. Only   some  geographical  names survived  after  Jacwingow's   period:  Necko,   Sajno,  Tajno,  Wigry,  Bienrza, Netta,  Wolkusz, Jegrznia  and others.

Jacwieza  (dot  above  "c"  and  "z")   was  under  the  Lithuania   Crown, and  the  first  settlements were  founded   by   Prince  Vitold. 16 cent -   the first   division  of   the  huge   forest    into  smaller parts,  which got their own  names.  The oldest  was   Rajgrod  Forest which  was bordered  with the Teutonic's land and included the land among the Elk River, Netta  River,  and  the Biebrza   River.  The   Nowodworska Forest was established  later  on  the Southern  part of   Biebrza River, and  it spread until Grodno .

The State  administrative   division :  after   Lithuania   Duchy , this land was  included  into  Trockie   Duchy, next  - in 1413   to  Trockie province  till   1795  when   this  area   was   within  Prussian partition. In  1807   in Warsaw  Commonwealth borders. In 1815 included  into the Polish  Kingdom.   From 1919 Augustowskie belonged to the Bialystok  province.

Church administrative division :  the oldest diocese  in Vilno, after the 3rd partition in Wigry. From 1818  -  Augustow diocese (called  Sejnienskie), and  from 1925  to Lomza.

These details from Iwona Dakiniewicz and information from National Library in Warsaw.