In 1524, the Berżniki manor founded by Mykolas Pacas [lt], the deputy of the Perlamas [lt] forest, is mentioned.[1] Berżniki was built in 1547–57 by order of Queen Bona Sforza.[1] Berżniki was granted town rights by Queen of Poland Bona Sforza in 1551. The town had 70 houses in 1560.[1] At that time, Pac built the first church.[1] A distillery, a mill, and a brickyard operated near the manor.[1]
Berżniki was part of the Duchy of Warsaw from 1807 to 1815, and then part of the Russian-ruled Congress Poland. Berżniki lost its town rights after 1810.
Until the early 20th century, most of the parishioners (about 6,000 people) were Lithuanian, but due to the influence of the manors, the church and the Polish schools, the population began to be rapidly Polonized.[1]
In 1904, at the request of the Lithuanians, services were held in the church in Lithuanian and Polish, but the Lithuanians were forcefully expelled from the church by Poles and Polonized Lithuanians, leading to 18 injured people.[1] After these events, the church was closed for 3 years.[1]
Polish–Lithuanian War
On September 22, 1920, a major battle between the Lithuanian and Polish armies took place here.[1] The Lithuanians were forced to retreat by the much larger Polish forces, but the further Polish attack was stopped.[1] In Berżniki and its surroundings, there are quite a few cemeteries and graves of Polish and Lithuanian soldiers, the latter being looked after by local Lithuanians.[1]
According to the 1921 Polish census, there were 373 inhabitants in Berżniki.[1] According to the official data, there was not a single Lithuanian in the whole Berżniki village.[4] The census purposefully distorted the ethnicity of the inhabitants to minimize Lithuanian presence and increase the Polish one due to interwar Polish–Lithuanian tensions.
^ abGuzewicz, Wojciech (2008). "Eksterminacja duchowieństwa katolickiego na Suwalszczyźnie w okresie okupacji niemieckiej". Studia Ełckie (in Polish) (10): 148.