Editing Piła (section)

====16th century====
Economic circumstances or personal feuds may have been responsible for the frequent changes of ownership of the town, as Piła was 'purchased' in 1518 by Hieronymus von Bnin; the document outlining the deed and ownership during his lifetime was given to him by King Sigismund I in 1525. Following the demise of Bnin, the town became the property of the dynasty of the mighty Gorka family. This family, secretly leaning toward [[Protestantism]] and in power until the 17th century, included some of the wealthiest landowners and most influential [[Szlachta|nobles of Poland]] and was known to be benevolent to their town's folk.

In 1548 Piła obtained a privilege that banned any foreign [[Pottery|potter]] from the town's markets, and in 1561 a fishing privilege was obtained. Piła was part of the [[Poznań Voivodeship (14th century to 1793)|Poznań Voivodeship]], the region divided into the four ''starostwa'' (land holdings) of [[Poznań]], [[Kościan]], [[Wschowa]] and [[Wałcz]], the latter encompassing the Starosty Ujscie-Piła, the area between the rivers Gwda, Notec and Drage. ''Stara'' Piła, the old Piła, a town that never had walls, was slow to grow.

[[File:Anonymous Stephen Báthory (detail) 02.jpg|thumb|upright|King [[Stephen Báthory]] confirmed old privileges of Piła in 1576 and moved the weekly market from Thursdays to Mondays]]
By the middle of the 16th century, many German Protestant craftsmen and traders, driven out of [[Bohemia]] by religious persecution during the [[Reformation]], settled in numerous towns in the region. Some may have settled in Piła too, yet in 1563 the small town had no more than 750 inhabitants. They are known to have lived in 153 houses, primitively built, primarily with timber and clay, covered with straw and grouped mainly around the Old Market. When King [[Stephen Báthory of Poland]] confirmed two of the town's privileges on 3 September 1576, the burghers were granted the right to hold their weekly market on a Monday (instead of Thursday),<ref name=sgk1>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VIII|year=1887|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=152}}</ref> an important feat. Over the following 150 years, numerous privileges and charters were re-issued by the Polish crown, mainly as a result of loss by fire. By 1591 a statute allowing apprenticeships in various trades was obtained. In 1593 King [[Sigismund III Vasa]] confirmed old privileges of Piła.<ref name=sgk1/>