Iwaniska lies on the Koprzywianka river in historic Lesser Poland, in the southeastern corner of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.

The history of Iwaniska dates back to the late 13th century, when it was a settlement called Onispowka, located in feudal Poland’s Land of Sandomierz.

[2] The decline of Iwaniska was marked by the Swedish invasion of Poland; in 1656 the town was plundered and completely burned by Cossacks in service of Transilvanian prince George II Rakoczi.

It was regained by Poles following the Austro-Polish War of 1809 and included within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw, and after its dissolution, from 1815 to 1915, it was part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland.

[3] Iwaniska, in common with many other places throughout central Europe, was home to a vibrant Jewish community until the German occupation during World War II.