Gorzyce | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Palace | |
_COA.svg) Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Palace | |
  Gorzyce | |
| Coordinates:49°57′34″N18°23′53″E / 49.95944°N 18.39806°E /49.95944; 18.39806 | |
| Country | Poland |
| Voivodeship | Silesian |
| County | Wodzisław |
| Gmina | Gorzyce |
| First mentioned | 1229 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ryszard Grzegoszczyk |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.46 km2 (3.27 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,487 |
| • Density | 294/km2 (761/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 44-350 |
| Car plates | SWD |
| National roads |  |
| Website | http://www.gorzyce.pl/ |
Gorzyce[ɡɔˈʐɨt͡sɛ] is avillage and the seat ofGmina Gorzyce inWodzisław County,Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. It lies near the border with theCzech Republic, approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) south-west ofWodzisław Śląski.
The area became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century. The village was first mentioned in the document ofPope Gregory IX issued on 26 May 1229 among villages belonging toBenedictineabbey inTyniec, asmaiori Gorzice.[1]Benedictine abbey in Orlová (established in 1268) in the late 13th century had rights to revenues from three villages in theCastellany ofRacibórz, namely Gorzyce,Uchylsko andGołkowice.[2]
The village was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia in 1742 after theFirst Silesian War. AsGroß Gorschütz, it became part of theGerman Empire in 1871 and was restored toPoland afterWorld War I.
Following the joint German-Sovietinvasion of Poland, which startedWorld War II in September 1939, the village wasoccupied by Germany until 1945. In 1942, the occupiers established the Polenlager 168, aNazi concentration camp ofPolenlager type, i.e. forPoles, in Gorzyce.[3][4] Among the prisoners were Polesexpelled from theBielsko,Chrzanów,Cieszyn andZawiercie counties.[3] The prisoners were subjected toforced labour andGermanisation attempts.[3][4] In November 1943, the camp was dissolved with the prisoners deported to aPolenlager inKietrz, and a camp forGerman colonists, who were settled in occupied Poland in accordance with theLebensraum policy, was established in its place.[3] The building of the transport depot at Leśna street holds a memorial plaque.[5] The collective grave of the inmates is at the cemetery at Gorzyce.
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| Other villages | ||
49°57′34″N18°23′53″E / 49.95944°N 18.39806°E /49.95944; 18.39806