Strzelce Opolskie | |
|---|---|
 Town hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Strzelce Opolskie | |
| Coordinates:50°30′N18°17′E / 50.500°N 18.283°E /50.500; 18.283 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Opole |
| County | Strzelce |
| Gmina | Strzelce Opolskie |
| First mentioned | 13th century |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jan Wróblewski |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.13 km2 (11.63 sq mi) |
| Population (2019-06-30[1]) | |
• Total | 17,900 |
| • Density | 594/km2 (1,540/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 47-100 |
| Car plates | OST |
| National roads |  |
| Voivodeship roads |   |
| Website | http://www.strzelceopolskie.pl |
Strzelce Opolskie[ˈstʂɛlt͡sɛ ɔˈpɔlskʲɛ] ⓘ (Silesian:Wielge Strzelce,German:Groß Strehlitz) is a town in southernPoland with 17,900 inhabitants (2019), situated in theOpole Voivodeship.[2] It is the capital ofStrzelce County.
The name of the town is of Polish origin and comes from the old Polish wordstrzelec, which means "hunter" or "archer".[3]
The settlement was mentioned in 13th-century documents, when it was part ofPiast-ruledKingdom of Poland. It received town rights probably in the 13th century. Local dukes of the Piast dynasty erected acastle in the town.
The town was annexed byPrussia in the 18th century. In the 18th century, Strzelce Opolskie belonged to the tax inspection region ofPrudnik.[4] From the unification of Germany in 1871 until the end ofWorld War II in 1945, the town was part of Germany. According to the German census of 1890, it had a population of 5,112, of which 500 (9.8%) werePoles.[5] A local branch of the PolishSokół movement was established in 1904, however, the local German authorities initially did not allow registration, threatened expulsion from the town, and led to the dismissal of two founders from the local sewerage company.[6] Twelve company workers quit their jobs in solidarity and found new jobs in other towns.[6]
In theUpper Silesia plebiscite held in 1921, the residents were asked to choose between remaining inGermany and rejoiningPoland, which just regained independence afterWorld War I. In Groß Strehlitz, 85.7% of the votes were cast in favour of remaining in Germany, whereas in the present-day districts (then neighbouring localities) ofNowa Wieś,Mokre Łany andAdamowice 69.7%, 59.9%, 59.2%, respectively, voted to rejoin Poland, and inSuche Łany 59.1% voted for Germany.[7]
In a secretSicherheitsdienst report from 1934, the town was named one of the main centers of the Polish movement in western Upper Silesia.[8] Polish activists were persecuted intensively since 1937.[9] In April and May 1939, multiple German attacks on Poles took place in the town.[10] Nazi German militants attacked the actors of the Polish theater fromKatowice and the gathered Polish public, and demolished the theater hall of the Polish bank.[10] TheHitler Youth devastated the headquarters of Polish organizations, Polish enterprises (bank and cooperative) and houses of local Polish activists.[10] In August and September 1939, the Germans carried out arrests of prominent local Poles, including chairmen of the Polish bank, cooperative and local branch of the"Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society, and confiscated the assets of the Polish bank.[11] DuringWorld War II, Nazi Germany operated a detention center where it would send prisoners toforced labour.[12] Many died from exhaustion and/or starvation. Among the prisoners were Poles arrested forrescuing Jews from the Holocaust.[13] The Germans also operated the E365 labour subcamp of theStalag VIII-B/344prisoner-of-war camp at the local lime quarry,[14] and a forced labour camp forJews.[15] After the defeat of Germany in the war in 1945, the town became again part of Poland.
Strzelce Opolskie is one of the biggest centers ofGerman minority in Poland.
The town is located along the major rail line which joinsGliwice andOpole. Until 1999, there was a branch line connecting Strzelce Opolskie withKędzierzyn Koźle. It closed as part of PKP'scost-cutting measures, although the rails still (2006) remain in site.
The town is located on the Polish National road No. 94, and the Voivodeship roads 409 and 426.
The localfootball club is Piast Strzelce Opolskie with men and women sections.[16] Both sections compete in the lower leagues.
Seetwin towns of Gmina Strzelce Opolskie.
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Seat:Strzelce Opolskie | ||
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