Czechowice-Dziedzice | |
|---|---|
 John Paul II Square | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Czechowice-Dziedzice | |
| Coordinates:49°54′47″N19°0′23″E / 49.91306°N 19.00639°E /49.91306; 19.00639 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Silesian |
| County | Bielsko |
| Gmina | Czechowice-Dziedzice |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marian Błachut (PB) |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.98 km2 (12.73 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2021[1]) | |
• Total | 35,684 |
| • Density | 1,082/km2 (2,802/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 43-500, 43-502, 43-503 |
| Area code | +48 32 |
| Car plates | SBI |
| National roads |  |
| Website | http://www.czechowice-dziedzice.pl |
Czechowice-Dziedzice[t͡ʂɛxɔˈvit͡sɛ d͡ʑɛˈd͡ʑit͡sɛ] ⓘ (Silesian:Czechowice-Dziydzice), known until 1958 asCzechowice, is a town inBielsko County,Silesian Voivodeship, southernPoland.[2] The town has 35,684 inhabitants, as of December 2021.[1] It lies on the northeastern edge of the historical region ofCieszyn Silesia. It is a large rail junction with four stations,[3] located at the intersection of two major lines – east-west (Trzebinia –Zebrzydowice), and north–south (Katowice –Bielsko-Biala).
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The area inhabited by theGolensizi tribe probably became part of Poland underMieszko I of Poland, but the first certain historical mentions pertaining to the region appeared much later. The village of Czechowice was first mentioned in a Latin document of theDiocese of Wrocław calledLiber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis from around 1305 as two settlements:[4]
Item in Chothowitz theutonico fertones
Item in Chothowitz polonico decima more polonico, valet I) marcam
Chotowitz theutonico (German Czechowice) was presumably established under German rights (iure theuthonico) on the ground of the olderChotowitz polonico, which was continuously ruling itself under Polish traditional rights (iure polonico).[5] The declared size of atithe paid by villagers was also suggesting that it was an old and quite developed community.[6] It belonged then to theDuchy of Cieszyn, formed in 1290 within fragmentedPiast-ruledPoland. In 1327 the duchy passed under the suzerainty of theKingdom of Bohemia as afee, although it remained ruled by the Polish Piast dynasty until 1653, when it passed to theHouse of Habsburg. In 1430 the village was first mentioned under the current name ofCzechowice rather thanChatowice. Dziedzice were first mentioned in 1465. The other medieval village that was later absorbed by Czechowice was Żebracz, first mentioned in 1443.[7]
The village of Czechowice became a seat of a Catholicparish, mentioned in the register ofPeter's Pence payment from 1447 among 50 parishes of Teschendeanery asCzechowicz.[8] In the time of Protestant Reformation, the parish of Czechowice stayed Roman Catholic, conversely to the nearby town of Bielsko and the rest of the Duchy of Cieszyn.
AfterRevolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire, a modernmunicipal division was introduced in the re-establishedAustrian Silesia. The villages as two separate municipalities were subscribed to thepolitical andlegal district ofBielsko. In 1855, a local line of the importantEmperor Ferdinand Northern Railway was opened to traffic with a station in Dziedzice. This led to a rapid industrialization of Dziedzice and Czechowice, especially in the late 19th century. At that time, Czechowice and Dziedzice became strong centers of the Polish national movement in stark contrast to German-dominated town ofBielsko, whose inhabitants used to call the area of Czechowice and Dziedziceverfluchte polnische Winkel (cursed Polish corner).[9][10] Polish school, pedagogical, sports and other organizations were established here.[10]
AfterWorld War I, fall ofAustria-Hungary, the reestablishment of independentPoland, thePolish–Czechoslovak War and the division ofCieszyn Silesia in 1920, Czechowice and Dziedzice became a part of Poland. In theinterwar period, the industry continued to expand.[10] New factories were founded, which produced machines, bicycles, matches, paper, cables etc.[10] New culture centers, amateur theaters, cinemas, choirs and sports clubs were founded.[10] In 1924, the Freedom Monument (Pomnik Wolności) was unveiled, financed by voluntary contributions.[11] Patriotic celebrations take place at the monument.[11]
Czechowice and Dziedzice wereannexed byNazi Germany at the beginning ofWorld War II in September 1939. The local population was subjected to deportations forforced labor into Germany and toconcentration camps, expropriations,street round-ups, death sentences and public executions (seeNazi crimes against the Polish nation).[10] Polish social and political life, as well as Polish education were being destroyed.[10] In 1942, the Germans established two forced labor camps in the town: one forPoles (Polenlager)[12] and one forJewish men.[13] During theOil Campaign of World War II, the oil refinery at Czechowice was bombed on August 20, 1944. In 1944, the occupiers established theTschechowitz I and II subcamps ofAuschwitz in Czechowice-Dziedzice, which provided forced labor for theSOCONY-Vacuum oil plant and housed over 600 prisoners.[14][15] There were cases of prisoners being killed bySS guards while trying to accept food from Poles outside the camps or during escape attempts.[15] On 18 January 1945, some 450 prisoners were sent on adeath march towardsWodzisław Śląski.[15] On 21 January 1945, the SS andSD massacred the remaining prisoners at the subcamp, with only several surviving the massacre.[15] In 1945,German occupation ended and Czechowice and Dziedzice were restored to Poland.
In 1951, Dziedzice were merged with Czechowice, concurrently the expandedgmina was given town rights.[16] However, the name of the new town wasCzechowice, which disappointed the citizens of Dziedzice. After complaints in 1958, the town was renamedCzechowice-Dziedzice.[17]
From 1975 to 1998, it was attached to theKatowice Voivodeship, and since 1999 to Silesian Voivodeship.
In 1993, a new Freedom Monument was erected in place of the former, destroyed by the Germans in 1939.[11]
Among the town's landmarks are theRococoKotuliński Palace, theBaroque Saint Catherine Church and theGothic Revival Saint Mary of Help church.
According to the censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910, the population of Czechowice grew from 2,804 in 1880 to 7,056 in 1910 with a dwindling majority being native Polish-speakers (from 96.6% in 1880 to 86.7% in 1910) accompanied by a growing German-speaking minority (from 95 or 3.4% in 1880 to 611 or 8.9% in 1910) and Czech-speaking (from 33 or 1.1% in 1890 to 290 or 4.3% in 1910), in terms of religion in 1910 majority wereRoman Catholics (94.1%), followed byProtestants (231 or 3.3%),Jews (176 or 2.5%) and 9 people adhering to yet another faith.[18]
In case of Dziedzice, the population of the municipality grew from 1,011 in 1880 to 2,436 in 1910 with a majority being native Polish-speakers (between 748 or 78% in 1880 and 1,994 or 85.1% in 1910, at most 938 or 92.1% in 1890) accompanied by a German-speaking minority (189 or 19.7% in 1880, then at most 266 or 11.4% in 1910) and Czech-speaking (at most 81 or 3.5% in 1910), in terms of religion in 1910 majority wereRoman Catholics (88.6%), followed byJews (185 or 7.6%) andProtestants (93 or 3.8%).[18]
After Poland regained independence, the population of Czechowice and the Dziedzice municipality further grew to 8,436 and 2,906, with Poles forming 95.9% and 97.4% of the population, and the German minority dwindling to 3.4% and 2.0%, respectively, according to the 1921 Polish census.[19]
The localfootball team isMRKS Czechowice-Dziedzice [pl]. It competes in the lower leagues.
Seetwin towns of Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice.
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