Świebodzice (; ) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,793 inhabitants (). 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

thumb|left|Ruins of the medieval Saint Anne church

The town dates back to the medieval Kingdom of Poland. By 1220, there was a populous settlement. A Romanesque church was built during the rule of Duke Henry the Bearded, and consecrated by Bishop Wawrzyniec of Wrocław in 1228. King Vladislaus II established the annual so-called warm fair and an annual weekly market in 1492 and 1510, respectively. In 1639, part of the town wall was made higher. and then was recaptured by Prussians. In December 1757, Prussian troops recaptured the town and brought an epidemic that resulted in the deaths of about 1,000 residents. Austrians returned in June 1760, then the Prussians in November 1760. In 1762 fights occurred again. In 1809, a linen and cloth factory was established, employing more than 1,300 people. The town received a railroad connection to Wrocław and Wałbrzych in 1843 and 1853, respectively. In 1848, it was visited by poet Juliusz Słowacki.

20th century

thumb|Early-20th-century view of the Market Square

Many of the town's residents participated and died in World War I. The retreating Germans dismantled and transported equipment from local factories to the west. In 1952, the Famalen Textile Industry Machine Repair Plant was established. 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. The town was struck by the 1997 Central European flood, which resulted in one person drowning and material damage estimated at 7 million złotys.

Sports

football club is based in Świebodzice.

Notable people

thumb|Memorial plaque to [[Jan Mikulicz-Radecki at his former home]]

  • Gustav Becker (1819–1885), German clockmaker
  • Jan Mikulicz-Radecki (1850–1905), Polish surgeon, one of the pioneers of antiseptics and aseptic techniques
  • Hrušov, Slovakia
  • Jilemnice, Czech Republic
  • Marjina Horka, Belarus
  • Waldbröl, Germany

<gallery widths=140>

Swiebodzice town hall 2.jpg|Town hall

Świebodzice - city walls 01.jpg|Medieval town walls

Willa Mikulicza 2.JPG|Villa of Jan Mikulicz-Radecki

John Paul II square in Swiebodzice.jpg|John Paul II Square

WK14 Świebodzice (1) Travelarz.jpg|Train station

</gallery>

References

  • Jewish Community in Świebodzice on Virtual Shtetl