CHELM

city, capital of Chelm wojewdztwo (province), eastern Poland. The city is located on the Uherka River, a tributary of the Bug River, 15 miles (24 km) west of the Ukrainian border. It received town rights in 1233, passed to Poland in 1377, and fell to Austria (1795) and then to Russia (1815). During World War II, 90,000 people died in two German prisoner-of-war camps in the town. The Polish republic was proclaimed in Chelm on July 22, 1944. Chelm is a rail junction and commercial centre, with an economy that includes mineral extraction, wood processing, flour milling, brewing, and the manufacture of cement and machinery. Pop. (1991 est.) 67,000.