Słopnice | |
|---|---|
Village | |
.jpg) Panorama of Słopnice | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Słopnice  Słopnice | |
| Coordinates:49°42′N20°21′E / 49.700°N 20.350°E /49.700; 20.350 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Lesser Poland |
| County | Limanowa |
| Gmina | Słopnice |
| Founded | 14th century |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,129[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | KLI |
| Website | Słopnice |
Słopnice ([swɔpˈɲit͡sɛ];pronunciation:swop-NEET-sə) is a village inLimanowa County,Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southernPoland. It is the seat of thegmina (administrative district) calledGmina Słopnice.[2] It lies approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) west ofLimanowa and 50 km (31 mi) south-east of the regional capitalKraków.
Situated along theCarpathian Mountains, the village had a population of 7,004 in 2022.[3]
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The village dates back to the 14th century.[4] The first settlers began to arrive during the reigns of Polish kingsLadislaus I the Short andCasimir III the Great.[4] The village was initially divided into two parts; one being Słopnica Królewska (Royal Słopnica) and the other Słopnica Szlachecka (Noble Słopnica), which were later merged.[4] Sometime between 1358 and 1373 the first Catholic parish was established. A wooden temple of Saint Andrew was erected and remained in use until it was demolished in the 18th century.[4] In 1776, a new church was constructed on the same spot which stands to this day and is the most important landmark in the village.[5][4] After theFirst Partition of Poland, the village was annexed byAustria, and included within its newly formed autonomous province ofGalicia. However, the population was Polish speaking and the province was colloquially or unofficially known as "Austrian Poland".[6] UntilWorld War I, almost the entire population of the village was engaged in agriculture and farming. There were no industries present in Słopnice.[6] Also, a substantial portion of the people who resided in Słopnice werePolish Jews.
During World War I,Józef Piłsudski, future Marshal of Poland, stationed in Słopnice with hisPolish Legions that fought for Poland's cause in regaining its independence.[4] The united Austro-Polish troops defeated theRussians in the nearby villages in November 1914.[4] At the same time, the inhabitants greatly suffered from war activity, food rationing and subsequent poverty. After the war, in 1918, Poland regained independence and control of Słopnice.
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In 1930, the village was the seat of a separategmina (commune), but in 1935 it became part ofGmina Tymbark where one of the most famous Polish companies,Tymbark S.A., was founded in 1936. The firm became one of the largest producers of juices and beverages in the entire country.[7]
Following the joint German-Sovietinvasion of Poland, which startedWorld War II in September 1939, the village wasoccupied by Germany until 1945.Polish resistance fighters and partisans were active in the surrounding forests.[4] The Jews of Słopnice were sent by the Nazi Germans to a newly establishedghetto in the nearby town ofLimanowa, where they were starved, murdered or sent toextermination camps.[8] In retaliation for the activity of the Polish resistance, on July 17, 1944, the Germans carried out a massacre of 32 Poles in Słopnice (seeNazi crimes against the Polish nation).[9] Despite a German ban, local Poles secretly commemorated the grave and placed a cross on it.[9] A monument now stands there.
Elias Sanders, the father of U.S. politician and 2016/2020 presidential candidateBernie Sanders, was born in Słopnice in 1904 and emigrated to theUnited States in 1921.[10] Sanders visited the village with his brotherLarry Sanders in 2013.[11] In 2016, the mayor, Adam Sołtys, said, "There's quite a bit of excitement in the air here—we're proud of Senator Sanders and we wish our 'homeboy' even greater success!"[11]
Słopnice has a hotel and anagritourism centre for visitors. It also a features camping sites and lookout points due to its position along the picturesque Carpathian Mountains.
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The localfootball club is Sokół Słopnice.[13] It competes in the lower leagues.
Słopnice has fivetwin towns:
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