Świebodzice

Template:Infobox settlement Świebodzice (Template:IPA; Template:Langx) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,793 inhabitants (Template:As of).Template:TERYT It is situated in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

The town is situated close to Książ Castle, which during World War II, together with the cave complex, was expanded to create private quarters for Adolf Hitler.

History

Medieval period

The town dates back to the medieval Kingdom of Poland. By 1220, there was a populous settlement.<ref name=cd1>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A Romanesque church was built during the rule of Duke Henry the Bearded, and consecrated by Bishop Wawrzyniec of Wrocław in 1228.<ref name=cd1/> In 1243, Merboto de Czertheres, knight and close friend of Duke Bolesław II the Horned, was granted the local castle.<ref name=cd1/> The castle was a defensive point against possible Czech invasions, however, it lost its importance after the construction of the nearby Książ Castle by Duke Bolko I the Strict.<ref name=cd1/> It was granted town rights by 1279, as it was mentioned as a town by Duke Henry Probus that year.<ref name=cd1/> In 1291, defensive walls were erected and a guild organization was established.<ref name=cd1/> The town received its coat of arms either in 1291 or 1337.<ref name=cd1/> Town rights were revoked in 1310 and restored in 1337.<ref name=cd1/>

In 1427, the town withstood three attacks by the Hussites.<ref name=cd2>Template:Cite magazine</ref> King Vladislaus II established the annual so-called warm fair and an annual weekly market in 1492 and 1510, respectively.<ref name=cd2/>

Modern period

In 1615–1617, part of the population died due to the epidemic.<ref name=cd2/> During the Thirty Years' War, the town was occupied by Swedish troops in 1633, then it was occupied and plundered twice by the Imperial troops in 1634–1635.<ref name=cd2/><ref name=mf29>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1639, part of the town wall was made higher.<ref name=cd2/> Swedish and Imperial forces clashed in the area further several times in 1642–1648.<ref name=mf29/> The town suffered fires in 1640, 1680, 1681, 1688 and 1774.<ref name=cd3/> In 1702, the weekly market was moved from Mondays to Tuesdays.<ref name=cd2/> The town's first grain market was held in 1706.<ref name=cd2/> As of 1740, the town had 18 guilds.<ref name=cd2/>

Several clashes of the Silesian Wars took place in the town and its vicinity. In 1741, the town was occupied<ref name=mf29/> and then annexed by Prussia. In 1745, it was the site of a battle between Prussians, Austrians and Hungarians,<ref name=cd3>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and then was recaptured by Prussians.<ref name=mf29/> In 1757, it was captured by the Austrians, who made it their headquarters during the siege of nearby Świdnica,<ref name=cd3/> and the location of a military hospital.<ref name=mf30>Filipowicz, p. 30</ref> In December 1757, Prussian troops recaptured the town and brought an epidemic that resulted in the deaths of about 1,000 residents.<ref name=mf30/> In early 1758 the town was the main headquarters of the Prussian Army and was visited by King Frederick the Great, and afterwards a small Prussian garrison remained stationed in the town.<ref name=mf30/> On 22 June 1759, the Austrians won another battle against the Prussians, but soon retreated, and the town was once again garrisoned by the Prussians.<ref>Filipowicz, pp. 30–31</ref> Austrians returned in June 1760, then the Prussians in November 1760.<ref>Filipowicz, p. 31</ref> In 1762 fights occurred again.<ref name=cd3/>

During the Napoleonic Wars, in 1807–1808, allied French, Württemberg, Bavarian and Saxon soldiers were stationed in the town.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1809, a linen and cloth factory was established, employing more than 1,300 people.<ref name=cd3/> Various armies passed through the town in 1812–1813.<ref>Filipowicz, p. 35</ref> The town received a railroad connection to Wrocław and Wałbrzych in 1843 and 1853, respectively.<ref name=cd4>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1848, it was visited by poet Juliusz Słowacki.<ref name=cd4/> A clock factory and a merchant and craft bank were established in 1847 and 1862, respectively.<ref name=cd4/> A military hospital was located in the town during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.<ref name=cd4/> A new water supply system was built and electric street lighting was launched in 1895–1897 and 1898, respectively.<ref name=cd5>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

20th century

Many of the town's residents participated and died in World War I.<ref name=cd5/> The townspeople collected donations for the Red Cross and a hospital for wounded soldiers was established in the town.<ref name=cd5/>

During World War II, local industry was subordinated to German armaments needs.<ref name=cd5/> The Germans established and operated a forced labour camp for Jewish men and a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, in which a total of more than 1,000 Jewish women were subjected to forced labour.<ref name=cd5/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The retreating Germans dismantled and transported equipment from local factories to the west.<ref name=cd5/>

After the war, still in 1945, factories for electrical machinery, linen, home appliances, chocolate and furniture resumed work, and a food cooperative, cinema, elementary school and kindergarten were established.<ref name=cd5/> In 1951, a rope and technical cord factory and a brewery were opened.<ref name=cd6>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1952, the Famalen Textile Industry Machine Repair Plant was established.<ref name=cd6/> In 1953 Pełcznica, and in 1973 Ciernie, were included within the town limits as its new districts.<ref name=cd2/><ref>Template:Cite Polish law</ref> From 1975 to 1998, Świebodzice was administratively located in the Wałbrzych Voivodeship. In 1976, new neighborhoods of single-family houses Metalowiec and Wilcza Góra were built.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The town was struck by the 1997 Central European flood, which resulted in one person drowning and material damage estimated at 7 million złotys.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Sports

Template:Interlanguage link football club is based in Świebodzice.

Notable people

Gustav Becker (1819–1885), German clockmaker
Jan Mikulicz-Radecki (1850–1905), Polish surgeon, one of the pioneers of antiseptics and aseptic techniques<ref name=cd6/>
Alfred Zucker (1852–1913), German architect
Emil Krebs (1867–1930), German scientist, noted polyglot who spoke a total of 68 languages at the time of his death
Anna Zalewska (born 1965), politician, former Minister of National Education of Poland
Krzysztof Stelmach (born 1967), former Polish volleyball player with 274 games played for the Poland men's national volleyball team
Jarosław Krzyżanowski (born 1975), retired Polish footballer
Eliza Surdyka (born 1977), Polish Olympic cross-country skier
Marcin Kokoszka (born 1984), Polish footballer
Paweł Fajdek (born 1989), Polish hammer-thrower