PIOTRKW TRYBUNALSKI

city, capital of Piotrkw wojewdztwo (province), central Poland. It is a manufacturing centre containing textile (principally cotton) mills, woodworks, and glassworks and lies on the Warsaw-Katowice rail line. First chronicled in the 13th century, it obtained town rights in that century. In 1578 it became the seat of the Polish tribunal, after which it is named, and the meeting place of the diets (assemblies) and synods. Cloth manufacture began there in the 15th century, and the industry developed considerably during the 19th century, with new textile mills constructed after World War II. The city contains the Piotrkw Regional Museum. Pop. (1992 est.) 81,000.