Zgierz is a city in central Poland, located just to the north of Łódź, and part of the Łódź metropolitan area. As of 2021, it had a population of 54,974. Zgierz acquired its city rights some time before 1288, and those rights were renewed by Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło in 1420. administratively located in the Łęczyca County in the Łęczyca Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.

During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II, on 3 and 5 September 1939, Zgierz was raided by Germany, and captured on September 6. Inhabitants of Zgierz were also among Poles murdered in nearby Łagiewniki on September 12 and in Retki on September 16. As part the Intelligenzaktion, Germans carried out large massacres of Poles from the region in the nearby forests of Łagiewniki and Lućmierz, killing hundreds and thousands of people respectively. Germans also carried out expulsions of Poles and deported over 8,000 people to forced labour to Germany.

On 20 March 1942, the Germans carried out a public execution of 100 Poles in the town, who were then buried in Lućmierz-Las. A memorial was erected at the site of the massacre after the war.

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  • Glauchau, Germany
  • Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary
  • Jihlava, Czech Republic
  • Kežmarok, Slovakia
  • Kupiškis, Lithuania
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  • Orzysz, Poland
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Panorama

References

  • City of Zgierz
  • www.miastozgierz.pl - Independent Portal