Świdnica | |
|---|---|
 Old Town | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Świdnica | |
| Coordinates:50°51′N16°29′E / 50.850°N 16.483°E /50.850; 16.483 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Lower Silesian |
| County | Świdnica |
| Gmina | Świdnica(urban gmina) |
| First mentioned | 1070 |
| City rights | 1267 |
| Government | |
| • City mayor | Beata Moskal-Słaniewska (L) |
| Area | |
• Total | 21.76 km2 (8.40 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2021) | |
• Total | 55,413 [1] |
| • Density | 2,547/km2 (6,596/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 58-100 and 58-105 |
| Area code | +48 74 |
| Car plates | DSW |
| Website | http://www.um.swidnica.pl |
Świdnica (Polish:[ɕfidˈɲit͡sa]ⓘ;German:Schweidnitz[ˈʃvaɪtnɪts];Czech:Svídnice[ˈsviːdɲitsɛ];Silesian:Swidnica) is acity on theBystrzyca River in south-westernPoland in theLower Silesian Voivodeship.[2] As of 2021, it has a population of 55,413 inhabitants.[1] It is the seat ofŚwidnica County, and also of the smaller district ofGmina Świdnica (although it is not part of the territory of the latter, as the town forms a separate urbangmina). It is the seventh largest city of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Świdnica became part of theWałbrzychagglomeration on 23 January 2014.[3]
A city with almost a thousand years of history, recorded in 1070, Świdnica was one of the main cities ofSilesia and southwestern Poland in theMiddle Ages, the second most important center of culture and art in the region (afterWrocław),[4] a famed brewing center, and in 1291–1392 the capital of an eponymous principality ruled by a local line of thePiast dynasty. The city has a preserved Old Town with severalGothic andBaroque churches,[4] including theSt. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus Cathedral and theChurch of Peace, two landmark churches listed asHistoric Monuments of Poland[5][6] with the latter also listed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
The city's name was first recorded asSvidnica in 1070, when it was part ofPiast-ruledPoland. Świdnica became a town in 1250, although no founding document has survived that would confirm this fact. The town belonged at the time to theDuchy of Wrocław, a province ofPoland. By 1290, Świdnica had city walls and six gates, crafts and trade were blossoming. At the end of the 13th century, there were guilds of bakers, weavers, potters, shoemakers, furriers and tailors in Świdnica.[7] The city was famous for its beer production. In the late 15th century, almost three hundred houses had the right to brew beer.[7] In various cities of the region (Wrocław,Oleśnica,Brzeg) andEurope (Kraków,Toruń,Prague,Pisa) there were so-called "Świdnica Cellars" – restaurants serving beer from Świdnica.[8] Wrocław'sPiwnica Świdnicka exists to this day as the oldest restaurant in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. There was also a mint in Świdnica.[4] TheFranciscans andDominicans settled in the city in 1287 and 1291, respectively.[4]
In 1291–1392 Świdnica was the capital of thePiast-ruled Duchy of Świdnica and Jawor. The last Polish Piast duke wasBolko II of Świdnica, and after his death in 1368 the duchy was held by his wife until 1392; after her death it was incorporated into theKingdom of Bohemia byWenceslaus IV of Bohemia. By the end of the 14th century, Świdnica was already one of the largest cities in Silesia, with about 6,000 inhabitants.[7]
In 1429 the city successfully defended itself against aHussite attack.[7] From about 1469 to 1490 it was under the rule of theKingdom of Hungary and after that it was part ofJagiellonian-ruledBohemia. In the 15th century, several mills operated in the city.[7] Largecattle andhop markets took place there.[7] In 1493, the town is recorded byHartmann Schedel in hisNuremberg Chronicle asSchwednitz.[9]
In 1526 the city came under the rule of theHabsburg monarchy as part of the surrounding Duchy of Schweidnitz (Świdnica). In the 16th century it was one of the regional centers ofAnabaptism.[4] The city suffered greatly during theThirty Years' War (1618–48) as a result of sieges, fires and epidemics.[7] Świdnica was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia during theFirst Silesian War (1740–42). The town was turned into afortress, which it remained until 1866.[7]
It was captured again by Austria in October 1761, during theThird Silesian War, orSeven Years' War, but Prussiansretook it one year later. In 1803 the city was visited by Polish jurist, poet, political and military activistJózef Wybicki, best known as the author of the lyrics of thenational anthem of Poland.[10] In 1807 the city was captured by French troops during theNapoleonic Wars. It became part of the Prussian-ledGerman Empire in 1871 during theunification of Germany and stayed withinGermany until the end ofWorld War II. According to the Prussian census of 1905, the city of Schweidnitz had a population of 30,540 who were mostlyGermans, but also included a Polish minority comprising around 3% of the population.[11] TheWorld War I flying aceLothar von Richthofen was buried in Schweidnitz, until the city became owned by Poland afterWorld War II in which the graveyard was levelled. During World War I, the Germans operated aPOW camp forAllied officers and a forced labour camp for regular POWs in the town.[12]
A Nazi prison was located in the city underNazi Germany,[13] and during World War II, the Germans also established asubcamp of theGross-Rosen concentration camp, threeprisoner of war labor divisions of theStalag VIII-A camp and aforced labour camp.[4] Among the prisoners wasLesław Bartelski, Polish writer andresistance member, who fought in theWarsaw Uprising.[14] In January 1945, a German-perpetrateddeath march ofAllied POWs from theStalag Luft 7 passed through the city.[15]
After the defeat ofGermany in 1945, the town, like most ofSilesia, became again part of Poland under border changes agreed at thePotsdam Conference. Those members of the German population who had not already fled or had been killed during the war were subsequentlyexpelled to the remainder ofGermany in accordance with thePotsdam Agreement and the city was repopulated withPoles, many of whom had themselves been expelled fromPolish areas annexed by the Soviet Union. AlsoGreeks, refugees of theGreek Civil War, settled in Świdnica in the 1950s.[16] From 1975 to 1998 it was administratively located in the formerWałbrzych Voivodeship.
In 2004, Świdnica became the seat of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Świdnica.
TheGothicCathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus from the 14th century has the highest tower in Silesia, standing 103 meters tall. It is listed as aHistoric Monument of Poland.[5]
TheEvangelicalChurch of Peace, aUNESCO World Heritage Site and Historic Monument of Poland,[6] was built in 1656–57.
The 16th-century town hall has been renovated numerous times and combines Gothic,Renaissance, andBaroque architectural elements. A museum is located in the town hall. The Baroque Church of St. Joseph and the Church of St. Christopher are from the same era. One remaining element of the former defensive works is the Chapel of St. Barbara.
Other notable destinations include the old town and the Stary Rynek square,Gola Dzierżoniowska Castle, Medieval town ofNiemcza,Cistercian monastery atHenryków, where the oldest preserved manuscript in Polish was written, and theWojsławice Arboretum.
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Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from theWałbrzych constituency.
Świdnica is home to a College of Data Communications Technology (Wyższa Szkoła Technologii Teleinformatycznych).
In 2003, Świdnica hosted a session of the Warsaw-based International Chapter of theOrder of Smile, when a Child Friendship Centre was established. Świdnica was officially titled the "Capital of Children's Dreams".
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Biberach an der Riss, Germany
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Kazincbarcika, HungaryNizhyn, Ukraine
Police nad Metují, Czech Republic
Švenčionys, LithuaniaTrutnov, Czech Republic
Tendring, United Kingdom
Media related toŚwidnica at Wikimedia Commons
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