sentences:  Rzeszów has been the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (province) since 1 January 1999, and is also the seat of Rzeszów County.The history of Rzeszów begins in 1354, when it received city rights and privileges by Casimir III the Great.Local trade routes connecting the European Continent with the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire resulted in the city's early prosperity and development.