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{{about|the town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship|the town in Greater Poland Voivodeship|Oświęcim, Greater Poland Voivodeship|the film|Oświęcim (1945 film)}}
{{Expand Polish|topic=geo|Oświęcim|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Oświęcim
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 270
| image_style = border:1
| perrow = 1/2
| image1 = Oświęcim - Układ urbanistyczny AL05.JPG{{!}}Old Market Square
| image2 = Zamekoświęcim2.JPG{{!}}Oświęcim Ducal and Royal Castle
| image3 = Auschwitz I (22 May 2010) b.jpg
| caption1 = Old Market Square
| caption2 = [[Oświęcim Castle|Royal Castle]]
| caption3 = [[Auschwitz]]
}}
| image_flag = POL Oświęcim flag.svg
| image_shield = POL Oświęcim COA.svg
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = right
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = Poland
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Lesser Poland Voivodeship|Lesser Poland]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of Polish counties|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Oświęcim County|Oświęcim]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Oświęcim|Oświęcim]]<br/><small>(urban gmina)</small>
| leader_party = [[Civic Platform|PO]]
| leader_title = City mayor
| leader_name = [[Janusz Chwierut]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date = First mentioned in 1117
| established_title3 = City rights
| established_date3 = 1291
| area_total_km2 = 30.3
| population_as_of = 2023
| population_total = 34170<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oswiecim.naszemiasto.pl/mieszkancy-oswiecimia-uciekaja-na-wies-w-miescie-znow-ubylo/ar/c1-9168465 |title=Mieszkańcy Oświęcimia uciekają na wieś. W mieście znów ubyło mieszkańców, przybyło za to w miejscowościach gminy Oświęcim |date=13 January 2023 |first=Bogusław |last=Kwiecień |website=naszemiasto.pl |language=pl}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|50|02|17|N|19|13|17|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| elevation_m = 230
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 32–600, 32–601, 32–602, 32–603, 32–606, 32–610
| area_code = +48 033
| blank_name = [[Polish car number plates|Car plates]]
| blank_info = KOS
| website = [https://oswiecim.pl/ Oświęcim]
}}
'''Oświęcim'''{{notetag|{{bulleted list|{{IPA|pl|ɔˈɕfjɛɲtɕim|lang|Pl-Oświęcim.ogg}} |{{langx|de|Auschwitz}} {{IPA|de|ˈaʊʃvɪts||de-Auschwitz.ogg}} |{{langx|szl|Uośwjyńćim}} |{{langx|yi|אָשפּיצין|Oshpitzin}}}}}} is a town in the [[Lesser Poland Voivodeship]] in southern [[Poland]], situated {{convert|33|km|mi}} southeast of [[Katowice]], near the confluence of the [[Vistula]] (''Wisła'') and [[Soła]] rivers.{{TERYT}}

Oświęcim dates back to the 12th century, when it was an important [[castellan]] seat.<ref name=pwn>{{cite web|url=https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Oswiecim;3952657.html|title=Oświęcim|website=Encyklopedia PWN|access-date=24 February 2025|language=pl}}</ref> From 1315 to 1457 it was the seat of a local line of the [[Piast dynasty]], and from 1564 to 1772 it was a [[royal city]] of the Kingdom of Poland, with the [[Oświęcim Castle|Ducal and Royal Castle]] and several [[Middle Ages|medieval]] [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] churches among the city's landmarks. Located on the east-west trade route, it was an important hub for trade, especially in salt from [[Wieliczka Salt Mine|Wieliczka]].<ref name=pwn/> In the [[interwar period]], Oświęcim was a garrison town for the Polish Army, and during the [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|German occupation of Poland]] in [[World War II]], the former barracks were expanded to host the infamous German Nazi [[Auschwitz concentration camp]] (also known as KL or KZ Auschwitz Birkenau), now the [[Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum]], a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].

Oświęcim is a railroad junction, a center of chemical, electrical machinery and building materials industries,<ref name=pwn/> and home to [[TH Unia Oświęcim|Unia Oświęcim]], one of the most accomplished Polish [[ice hockey]] teams.

==Name==
[[File:Oswiecz et Zator.jpg|thumb|left|Map of the [[Duchy of Oświęcim]] from 1603 by [[Abraham Ortelius]] with the city marked as ''Ozwieczin'']]
The name of the town is of Polish/Slavic extraction, possibly derived from the owner of a Slavic [[Gord (archaeology)|gord]] which existed there in the [[Middle Ages]], or derived from the Polish word " oświęcić", meaning "to sanctify". Some Medieval spellings of the name are: Oswenin (1217), Osvencin (1280), Hospencin (1283), Osswetem (1290), Uspencin (1297), Oswentim (1302) etc. It has been spelled many different ways and known by many different languages over time, including Czech, German, and Latinised versions.<ref group=note>Ospenchin (1217), Osvencin (1280), Hospencin (1283), Osswetem (1293), Uspencin (1297), Oswentim (1302), Wswencim (1304), Auswintzen (1312), Oświęcim (1314), Oswencin (1327), Auswieczin (1372), Awswiczin (1372), Uswiczin (1400); Oświęcim was spelled Osswencimen or Osviecim(en) in Latin</ref>

The town was an important center of commerce from the late Middle Ages onward. Fourteenth-century German-speaking merchants called it Auswintz; by the 15th century, this name had become Auschwitz. It later became the capital city of the "Polish" [[Duchy of Oświęcim]]. From 1772 to 1918 Oświęcim belonged to the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg]] [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria]] (from 1804 a [[crownland]] of the [[Austrian Empire]] and 1867 [[Austria-Hungary]]), and both Polish and German names were in official use. The town was annexed into [[Nazi Germany]] during World War II and the name Auschwitz was used. It became known as Oświęcim after 27 January 1945, when the [[Wehrmacht]] was pushed out by the [[Red Army]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2024|reason=Sources for the information provided in the toponymy section should be cited; they are also only partially revealed in the Polish article.}}

==Geography and transport==
[[File:Oświęcim train station, 2024 (03).jpg|thumb|left|Main railway station]]
Oświęcim lies at the intersection of [[National roads in Poland|National Road]] 44 and local roads 933 and 948. Oświęcim's [[old town]] is east of the [[Soła]], with the Main Market Square (''Rynek Główny'') at its center. The railway station is across the river in the northwest part of town; the main museum is on the west side. The [[Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum]] is in the village of [[Brzezinka]], to the west of the railway station. The chemical works are east of the town.

The main bus station of the town lies in the east of the town, and local bus services are operated by [[Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Samochodowej|PKS]] Oświęcim. The [[Polish State Railways|PKP]] railway services are available to [[Kraków]], [[Katowice]] and [[Czechowice-Dziedzice]], and internationally to [[Vienna]] and [[Prague]]. The nearest airport is {{convert|60|km|0|abbr=off}} away, at [[John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice|Kraków Balice]]. According to the 2002 data, Oświęcim is 30&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, of which forests comprise only 1%. The neighbouring [[gmina|boroughs (gmina)]] are [[Chelmek]], [[Libiąż]], and the gmina of Oświęcim.

== Climate ==
Oświęcim has a warm-summer [[humid continental climate]] characterised by four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/europe/poland/lesser-poland-voivodeship-485/ |title=Climate: Lesser Poland Voivodeship |website=climate-data.org}}</ref> Located in the [[Oświęcim Basin]], the town experiences relatively high [[precipitation]] that averages slightly below 1000&nbsp;mm per year.<ref>{{cite book |title=Denudacja antropogeniczna na obszarach górniczych na przykładzie Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego |first=Renata |last=Dulias |location=Katowice |year=2013 |language=pl |isbn=978-83-62652-47-1 |publisher=Uniwersytet Śląski |page=22}}</ref> The precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, though the spring and summer seasons tend to receive more. Summers are warm and humid, but frequently cloudy due to the influence of polar maritime air masses; winters are cold and windy, with snow cover.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oswiecim.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Projekt-studium_tekst.pdf |page=48 |language=pl |title=Studium Uwarunkowań i Kierunków Zagospodarowania Przestrzennego Miasta Oświęcimia |location=Oświęcim |date=October 2020 |author1=Anna Woźnicka |author2=Karolina Merk |author3=Sylwia Miszczak |author4=Małgorzata Ukleja |author5=Tomasz Mikołajczyk |author6=Dominika Garbacz |author7=Wioletta Młynarska}}</ref> [[Fog]] is very common throughout the year.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Przestrzenne bariery upamiętnienia: Oświęcim i państwowe muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau |language=pl |author1=Andrew Charlesworth |author2=Robert Guzik |author3=Michał Paszkowski |author4=Alison Stenning |year=2005 |journal=Geografia i Sacrum |volume=1 |publisher=Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przesztrennej UJ |location=Kraków |isbn=8388424424 |page=125}}</ref> Due to its frequency, fog is considered one of the town's trademarks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kultura/czytaj-dalej/oswiecim-jak-mozna-tam-zyc/ |title=Oświęcim? Jak można tam żyć? |first=Olga |last=Wróbel |date=12 March 2017 |language=pl |website=krytykapolityczna.pl}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = Oświęcim (1991–2021)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan high C = 0
| Feb high C = 2
| Mar high C = 7
| Apr high C = 14
| May high C = 18
| Jun high C = 21
| Jul high C = 23
| Aug high C = 23
| Sep high C = 18
| Oct high C = 13
| Nov high C = 8
| Dec high C = 2
| year high C =
| Jan mean C = -4
| Feb mean C = -2
| Mar mean C = 3
| Apr mean C = 9
| May mean C = 13
| Jun mean C = 17
| Jul mean C = 19
| Aug mean C = 18
| Sep mean C = 14
| Oct mean C = 9
| Nov mean C = 4
| Dec mean C = -1
| year mean C = 8
| Jan low C = -7
| Feb low C = -5
| Mar low C = -2
| Apr low C = 3
| May low C = 8
| Jun low C = 12
| Jul low C = 14
| Aug low C = 14
| Sep low C = 9
| Oct low C = 4
| Nov low C = 1
| Dec low C = -3
| year low C = 
| precipitation colour = 
| Jan precipitation mm = 60
| Feb precipitation mm = 56
| Mar precipitation mm = 65
| Apr precipitation mm = 66
| May precipitation mm = 102
| Jun precipitation mm = 101
| Jul precipitation mm = 114
| Aug precipitation mm = 87
| Sep precipitation mm = 86
| Oct precipitation mm = 64
| Nov precipitation mm = 63
| Dec precipitation mm = 58
| year precipitation mm = 922 
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 10
| Feb precipitation days = 9
| Mar precipitation days = 10
| Apr precipitation days = 9
| May precipitation days = 11
| Jun precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 11
| Aug precipitation days = 9
| Sep precipitation days = 9
| Oct precipitation days = 9
| Nov precipitation days = 9
| Dec precipitation days = 10
| year precipitation days = 116
| unit snow days = 0 cm
| Jan snow days = 26
| Feb snow days = 25
| Mar snow days = 20
| Apr snow days = 6
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0.
| Oct snow days = 3
| Nov snow days = 11
| Dec snow days = 24
| year snow days = 115
| Jan humidity = 83
| Feb humidity = 82
| Mar humidity = 75
| Apr humidity = 69
| May humidity = 72
| Jun humidity = 73
| Jul humidity = 73
| Aug humidity = 72
| Sep humidity = 75
| Oct humidity = 79
| Nov humidity = 84
| Dec humidity = 82
| year humidity = 76
| source 1 = Meteomodel.pl<ref>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240219060601/https://meteoatlas.pl/polska/oswiecim-52342#klimat-dane-historyczne
| archive-date = 19 February 2024
| url = https://meteoatlas.pl/polska/oswiecim-52342
| title = Oświęcim - Średnia roczna pogoda na podstawie danych historycznych
| publisher = meteoatlas.pl
| language = pl
| access-date = 19 February 2024}}</ref>
| source 2 = Climate-data.org<ref>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191001000000/https://pl.climate-data.org/europa/polska/lesser-poland-voivodeship/oswiecim-10431/
| archive-date = 1 October 2019
| url = https://pl.climate-data.org/europa/polska/lesser-poland-voivodeship/oswiecim-10431/3
| title = Klimat Oświęcim
| year = 2019
| publisher = pl.climate-data.org
| language = pl
| access-date = 19 February 2024}}</ref>
}}

==History==
[[File:Oświęcim ul. Jagiełły. Kaplica św. Jacka (A-963M).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Medieval Saint Hyacinth chapel]]
{{Quote box |width=25em |align=right |title_bg=#B0C4DE
|title=Historical affiliations
|fontsize=80% |quote={{flagicon image|Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Kingdom of Poland]] {{circa|1179}}–{{circa|1320}}<br>
∟ {{flagicon image|POL województwo opolskie COA.svg}} [[Duchy of Opole]] {{circa|1179}}–1202<br>
∟ {{flagicon image|POL województwo opolskie COA.svg}} [[Duchy of Opole and Racibórz]] 1202–1281<br>
∟ {{flagicon image|Flag of Cieszyn Silesia.svg}} [[Duchy of Cieszyn]] 1281–1315<br>
{{flagicon image|Arms of the duchy of Oświęcim.svg}} [[Duchy of Oświęcim]] 1315–1457<br>
{{flagicon image|Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] 1454–1569<br>
{{flagicon image|Chorągiew królewska króla Zygmunta III Wazy.svg}} [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] 1569–1772<br>
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg}} [[Habsburg Monarchy]] 1772–1804<br>
{{flag|Austrian Empire}} 1804–1867<br>
{{flag|Austria-Hungary}} 1867–1918<br>
{{flagicon image|Flag of Poland (1919-1928).svg}} [[Second Polish Republic]] 1918–1939<br>
{{flag|Nazi Germany}} 1939–1945 (''[[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|occupation]]'')<br>
{{flag|People's Republic of Poland}} 1945–1989<br>
{{flag|Republic of Poland|1848}} 1989–present
}}
Oświęcim has a rich history, which dates back to the early days of Polish statehood. It is one of the oldest [[castellan]] [[Gord (archaeology)|gord]]s in Poland. Following the [[History of Poland (966–1385)#Fragmentation and invasion, (1138–1295)|Fragmentation of Poland in 1138]], Duke [[Casimir II the Just]] attached the town to the [[Duchy of Opole]] in c. 1179 for his younger brother [[Mieszko I Tanglefoot]], Duke of [[Opole]] and [[Racibórz]]. The town was destroyed in 1241 during the [[first Mongol invasion of Poland]]. Around 1272 the newly rebuilt Oświęcim was granted a municipal charter modeled on those of [[Lwówek Śląski]] (a Polish variation of the [[Magdeburg Law]]). The charter was confirmed on 3 September 1291, and Duke [[Mieszko of Cieszyn]] granted salt [[staple right]].<ref name=sgk>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich|volume=VII|year=1886|language=pl|location=Warszawa|pages=747–748}}</ref> In 1281, the Land of Oświęcim became part of the newly established [[Duchy of Cieszyn]], and in c. 1315, the [[Duchy of Oświęcim]] was established. In 1327, Duke [[Jan I the Scholastic]] joined his Duchy with the [[Duchy of Zator]] and, soon afterwards, his state became a [[vassal state|vassal]] of the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]], where it remained for over a century. In 1445, the Duchy was divided into three separate entities – the Duchies of Oświęcim, Zator and [[Duchy of Toszek|Toszek]]. In 1454, Duke [[Jan IV of Oświęcim]] pledged allegiance to [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Poland]], thus the city returned under Polish suzerainty.<ref name=sgk/>

In 1457 Polish King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] bought the rights to Oświęcim. In 1471, Casimir IV and his son [[Vladislaus II of Hungary|Vladislaus]] stayed in the city before Vladislaus set off to [[Prague]] for his coronation as King of Bohemia.<ref name=sgk/> Owing to Oświęcim's location on the trade route towards [[Silesia]] and [[Moravia]], in 1539 the townspeople were granted a royal [[privilege (law)|privilege]] authorizing trade in salt from [[Wieliczka]].<ref name=sgk/> On 25 February 1564, King [[Sigismund II Augustus]] issued a bill integrating the former Duchies of Oświęcim and Zator into the Kingdom of Poland. Both lands were attached to the [[Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)|Kraków Voivodeship]] and [[Lesser Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Lesser Poland Province]], forming the [[Silesian County]]. Before 1564, Oświęcim was semi-independent in Poland and enjoyed an extensive degree of autonomy, similarly to [[Royal Prussia]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Spirit of Laws in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1573-1791: Continuity, Change, and Conservative Jurisprudence |first=J. Patrick |last=Higgins |location=Łódź |year=2023 |page=111}}</ref> Staple rights were granted in 1565, and confirmed in 1647 and 1667.<ref name=sgk/> The town later became one of the centers of [[Jewish culture]] in Poland.<ref name="chronicle">Elżbieta Skalińska-Dindorf, historian, State Archive in Oświęcim, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202044740/http://www.auschwitz-muzeum.oswiecim.pl/html/eng/historia_KL/oswiecim_ok.html The History of the City of Oświęcim. CHRONICLE via archive.org]; accessed 16 November 2014.</ref>

Like other towns of [[Lesser Poland]], Oświęcim prospered in the period known as [[Polish Golden Age]]. This period came to an abrupt end in 1655, during the catastrophic [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion of Poland]].<ref name=sgk/> Oświęcim was burned and afterward, the town declined, and in 1772 (see [[Partitions of Poland]]), it was annexed by the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg Empire]], as part of the [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria]], where it remained until late 1918. After the 1815 [[Congress of Vienna]], the town was close to the borders of both [[Russian Empire|Russian]]-controlled [[Congress Poland]], and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. In the [[Austro-Prussian War|1866 war]] between Austria and the Prussian-led [[North German Confederation]], a cavalry skirmish was fought at the town, in which an Austrian force defeated a Prussian incursion.<ref>Prussian General Staff, ''The Campaign of [[1866 in Germany]]'', 1907, page 97.</ref><ref>Balck, William, trans by [[Walter Krueger]], ''Tactics, Volume II: Cavalry, Field, and Heavy Artilliery in Field Warfare''; U.S. Cavalry Association, 1914, pg. 5</ref>

[[File:Oswiecim - ul. Kencka. 1927-1936 (70931718).jpg|thumb|Oświęcim in the [[interwar period]]]]
In the second half of the 19th century, Oświęcim became an important rail junction. During the same period, the town burned in several fires, such as the fire of 23 August 1863, when two-thirds of Oświęcim burned, including the town hall and two synagogues; a new town hall was built between 1872 and 1875. In another fire in 1881, the parish church, a school, and a hospital burned down. In 1910, Oświęcim became the seat of a [[starosta]], and in 1917–18 a new district, Nowe Miasto, was founded. In 1915, a high school was opened. After [[World War I]], the town became part of the [[Second Polish Republic]]'s Kraków Voivodeship ([[Kraków Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Województwo Krakowskie]]). Until 1932, Oświęcim was the seat of a county, but on 1 April 1932, the County of Oświęcim was divided between the County of [[Wadowice]], and the County of [[Bielsko-Biała|Biała Krakowska]].

===World War II===
{{For|the nearby concentration and extermination camps|Auschwitz concentration camp}}
[[File:Rodzina Szymona Klugera przed wojną, MZ-504-F.jpg|thumb|upright|The Kleuger family, 1931/1933. [[Shimson Kleuger]], pictured to the right of the center in a cap, would later become known as the last Jewish resident of Oświęcim<ref>{{Cite web |title=Szymon Kluger and his family before WW2 |url=https://muzea.malopolska.pl/en/objects-list/3015 |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=Virtual Museums of Małopolska}}</ref> ]]
There were approximately 8,000 Jews in the town on the eve of World War II, comprising less than half the population.<ref>{{cite web|translator-last=Oshpitzin|translator-first=Sefer |title=ספר אושפיצין|trans-title=Oświęcim Memorial Book|editor1-last=Wolnerman|editor1-first=Ch.|editor2-last=Burstin|editor2-first=A.|editor3-last=Geshuri|editor3-first=M.S.|url=http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/oswiecim1/oswiecim.html|location=Israel|publisher=Oświęcim Descendant and Survivor Association}}</ref>
The Nazis [[Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany|annexed the area]] to Germany in October 1939 in the [[Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany|Gau]] of [[Gau Upper Silesia|Upper Silesia]], which became part of the "[[second Ruhr]]" by 1944.

In 1940, Nazi Germany used [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labor]] to build a new subdivision to house Auschwitz guards and staff, and built a large chemical plant of [[IG Farben]] in 1941 on the eastern outskirts of the town. Polish residents of several districts were forced to abandon their houses, as the Germans wanted to keep the area empty around [[Auschwitz concentration camp]]. They planned a {{convert|40|km2|0|abbr=out}} buffer zone around the camp, and they [[Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany|expelled Polish residents]] in two stages in 1940 and 1941. All the residents of the [[Zasole]] district were forced to abandon their homes. In the [[Pławy]] and [[Harmęże]] districts, more than 90 percent of the buildings were destroyed and the residents of Pławy were transported to [[Gorlice]] to fend for themselves. Altogether, some 17,000 people in Oświęcim itself and surrounding villages were forced to leave their homes, eight villages were wiped off the map, and the population of Oświęcim shrank to 7,600 by April 1941.

The communist Soviet [[Red Army]] invaded the town and liberated the camp on 27 January 1945, and then opened two of their own temporary camps for German [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] in the complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Auschwitz Soviet camp existed until autumn 1945, and the Birkenau camp lasted until spring 1946. Some 15,000 Germans were interned there. Furthermore, there was a camp of Communist secret police ([[Urząd Bezpieczeństwa]]) near the rail station in the complex of former ''Gemeinschaftslager''. Its prisoners were members of the [[NSDAP]], [[Hitlerjugend]], and [[League of German Girls|BDM]], as well as German civilians, the [[Volksdeutsche]], and Upper Silesians who were disloyal to Poland.

===After World War II===
After World War II, new housing complexes in the town were developed with large buildings of rectangular and concrete constructions. The chemical industry became the main employer of the town and in later years, the service industry and trade were added. The many visits to the concentration camp memorial sites have become an important source of income for the town's businesses.
[[File:Auschwitz Jewish Center Centrum Żydowskie w Oświęcimiu 2.jpg|thumb|Jewish museum and former [[Oświęcim Synagogue]]]]

After the end of communism, by the mid-1990s, employment at the chemical works (named ''Firma Chemiczna Dwory SA'' from 1997 to 2007, ''Synthos SA'' since then) had dropped from 10,000 in the communist era to only 1,500 people. In 1952, the County of Oświęcim was re-created, and the town until 1975 belonged to Kraków Voivodeship. In 1975–1999, it was part of [[Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship]]. In 1979, Oświęcim was visited by Pope [[John Paul II]], and on 1 September 1980, a local [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] office was created at the chemical plant. On 28 May 2006, the town was visited by Pope [[Benedict XVI]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Israely |first1=Jeff |title=Pope Benedict's Auschwitz Prayer|url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1198976,00.html|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|TIME]] |date=29 May 2006}}</ref>

==Culture==
Oświęcim is culturally regarded as part of [[Upper Silesia]].<ref name="fabis">{{cite book |title=Kreatywna starość: 15-lecie oświęcimskiego Uniwersytetu Trzeciego Wieku |author1=Artur Fabiś |author2=Artur Łacina-Łanowski |author3=Łukasz Tomczyk |year=2013 |location=Oświęcim |isbn=978-83-930661-7-9 |publisher=Wydawnictwo Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Zawodowej  |language=pl |pages=16–17}}</ref> To this end, names such as 'Oświęcim Silesia' ({{langx|pl|Śląsk Oświęcimski}}) were used by Polish and German geographers, and Silesia was defined as the territory from the mouth of the river [[Warta]] to the [[Oder]], up to Oświęcim.<ref name="fabis"/> German nationalists of the 19th and 20th centuries argued that Oświęcim belonged to the German nation, as it is considered a part of Silesia, which led to its annexation directly into Nazi Germany instead of being included in the [[General Government]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Oświęcim i Zator lennem czeskim |last=Nowakowski |first=Andrzej |year=1985 |journal=Przegląd Historyczny |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=533–545 |language=pl}}</ref>

Oświęcim is considered to be the eastern frontier of the [[Silesian language]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Gwarowa wymowa mieszkańców Górnego Śląska w ujęciu akustycznym |publisher=Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach |language=pl |location=Katowice |year=2017 |first=Piotr |last=Rybka |pages=58}}</ref> As the easternmost point of linguistic Silesia, Silesian speech in Oświęcim is influenced by the [[Lesser Poland dialect]] and has distinct features such as partial [[mazuration]] ({{langx|pl|mazurzenie}}) - there is only one nasal 'a', which loses its nasality by becoming a non-labialised 'o' (rozpocoć – rozpocząć).<ref>{{cite book |title=Zróżnicowanie regionalne i dialektalne współczesnego języka polskiego Dialekt małopolski i dialekt śląski |language=pl |first=Tomasz |last=Kluz |date=11 October 2008 |publisher=Masaryk University |page=85}}</ref> Linguist Alexander Andrason outlines the linguistic area of Silesian borderland which Oświęcim is a part of, with features that distinguish it from other Silesian dialects as well as the Polish ones - for example, 'ą' and 'ę' are merged into /ɔ̃/ in Oświęcim Silesian.<ref>{{cite book |title=Polish Borrowings in Wymysorys:A Formal Linguistic Analysis of Germano-Slavonic Language Contact in Wilamowice |location=Reykjavík |first=Alexander |last=Andrason |date=6 October 2021 |isbn=978-9935-9563-9-2 |publisher=University of Iceland |page=116}}</ref>

==Local sports==
[[File:Bartłomiej Jeziorski i Jakub Wanacki.jpg|thumb|[[Polish Cup (ice hockey)|Polish Cup]] match between [[GKS Tychy (ice hockey)|GKS Tychy]] and [[TH Unia Oświęcim]] in 2019]]
The sports club KS Unia Oświęcim was established in 1946. In 1999, the remaining four departments (ice hockey, swimming, figure skating, and association football) separated into their own clubs: [[TH Unia Oświęcim]] (ice hockey), UKŁF Unia Oświęcim (figure skating), UKP Unia Oświęcim (figure skating), Zasole-Unia Oświęcim (football), UKH Unia Oświęcim (youth ice hockey), and UKHK Unia Oświęcim (women's ice hockey). In the past, Unia had boxing, table tennis, volleyball, athletics, cycling, gymnastics, chess, motorcycle racing, lawn tennis, skiing, bridge, handball, and basketball departments. The [[ice hockey]] team, TH Unia Oświęcim, was crowned [[Polish Ice Hockey Federation|Polish champions]] 9 times,<ref name="Historia klubu">[http://www.unia.aksam.pl//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=33 Historia klubu] {{in lang|pl}}</ref> most recently in 2024.

Another sports club with a long tradition is KS Soła Oświęcim, an association football club founded in 1919.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Klub Sportowy Soła Oświęcim |url=http://www.90minut.pl/skarb.php?id_sezon=103&id_klub=3565 |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=90minut.pl |language=pl}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{See also|Category:People from Oświęcim}}
[[File:Tykocin - Portret z podobizną Łukasza Górnickiego.jpg|thumb|140px|Portrait of [[Łukasz Górnicki]]]]
[[File:Piotr Gruszka - FIVB World Championship European Qualification Women Łódź January 2014.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Piotr Gruszka]], 2014]]
[[File:Prezes Rady Ministrów Beata Szydło (cropped).jpg|thumb|140px|[[Beata Szydło]], 2016]]
* [[Łukasz Górnicki]] (1527–1603), Polish Renaissance poet, humanist and political commentator
* [[Simon Syrenius]] (1540–1611), pre-Linnean Polish botanist and academic.
* [[Jeremiah Mattersdorf]] (ca. 1750-1805), rabbi and author
* [[Tadeusz Makowski]] (1882-1932), Polish painter who worked in France  
* [[Tova Berlinski]] (1915–2022), Israeli painter 
* [[Victor Zarnowitz]] (1919-2009), American economist
* [[Shimson Kleuger]] (1925–2000), known as "The Last Jew in Auschwitz".<ref name="JNoNC">{{cite web |title=The last Jew living in the city of Auschwitz dies at 72 |url=https://www.jweekly.com/2000/06/23/the-last-jew-living-in-the-city-of-auschwitz-dies-at-72/ |website=Jewish News of Northern California |date=23 June 2000}}</ref>
* [[Henryk Waniek]] (born 1942), artist, stage-set designer and author-journalist
* [[Benzion Miller]] (born 1947), [[Hazzan|cantor]]; son of Aaron Daniel Miller, also cantor 
* {{ill|Marian Kasperczyk|fr|Marian Kasperczyk|pl|Marian Kasperczyk}} (born 1956), Polish-born French painter 
* [[Beata Szydło]] (born 1963), [[List of Prime Ministers of Poland|16th]] [[Prime Minister of Poland]]
* [[Ela Orleans]] (born 1971), composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer.
* [[Marcin Czarnik]] (born 1976), film and theatre actor

=== Sport ===
* [[David Enoch]] (1901–1949), Israeli chess player.
* [[Arkadiusz Skrzypaszek]] (born 1968) double gold medallist at the [[Modern pentathlon at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Mariusz Siudek]] (born 1972), [[figure skater]]
* [[Dorota Siudek]] (born 1975), figure skater
* [[Piotr Gruszka]] (born 1977), volleyball player and world champion
* [[Sabina Wojtala]] (born 1981), figure skater
* [[Paweł Korzeniowski]] (born 1985) (swimmer)

=== Members of Parliament ([[Sejm]]) for this constituency ===
* Zbigniew Biernat ([[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]]),
* Józef Brynkus ([[Kukiz'15|K'15]])
* Ewa Filipiak ([[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]]), 
* Dorota Niedziela ([[Civic Platform|PO]]),
* [[Marek Polak]] ([[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]]), 
* Marek Sowa ([[Civic Platform|PO]]),
* Jarosław Szlachetka ([[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]]), 
* [[Beata Szydło]] ([[Law and Justice (Poland)|PiS]]),

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}

===Twin towns and sister cities===
Oświęcim is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*[[Sambir]], Ukraine
*[[Kerpen]], Germany
*[[Breisach]], Germany
||

*[[Arezzo]], Italy
*[[Catania]], Italy
*[[Cori, Italy]]
*[[Cabanatuan]], Philippines (unofficial)
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
Oświęcim Rynek Główny 14 d. Ratusz (ob.Sąd Rejonowy) (A-964M) (2).jpg|Old town hall
Oświęcim ul. Plebańska. Podcienia.jpg|Arcades at Plebańska Street
Our Lady Help of Christians church in Oświęcim, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, February 2022 (1).jpg|Medieval Our Lady Help of Christians church
Oświęcim ul. Jagiełły. Kościół (A-963M) klasztor (2).jpg|Salesians of Don Bosco monastery
BibliotekaGK.jpg|Municipal Library
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim]]
* [[Auschwitz Supermarket]]
* [[Jan Skarbek Square]]
*[[Oświęcim Jewish cemetery]]
* [[Tourism in Poland]]
* [[Mural Trail in Oświęcim|Mural trail in Oświęcim]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last=Lange|first=Irena|title=Oświęcim|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hlUOGwAACAAJ|year=1967|publisher=Zarząd Główny Związku Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację|language=Polish}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Oświęcim}}
* {{cite EB9 |wstitle= Auschwitz |volume= III |page=100 |short=1}}
* {{JewishGen-LocalityPage|520665|Oświęcim, Poland}}
* [http://sztetl.org.pl/en/city/oswiecim// Oświęcim] at [[Virtual Shtetl]]
* [http://jewishgen.org/databases/Poland/oshpitsin.htm The Oshpitzin Yizkor Database (1919–1941)] at [[JewishGen]]
* [http://www.ourpoland.com/oswiecim-auschwitz/ All About Auschwitz] at Our Poland
* James Glenday, "What's It Like to Live next to the World's Most Notorious Concentration Camp", [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation News]], 24 February 2018   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-24/life-next-to-the-worlds-most-notorious-concentration-camp/9480916
* [https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb4814964t UC San Diego, Holocaust Living History Collection: Out of Oswiecim: A Family’s Odyssey]

{{Cities of Poland}}
{{Gmina Oświęcim|state=collapsed}}
{{Oświęcim County|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Oświęcim| ]]
[[Category:Oświęcim County]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Lesser Poland Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Poland]]