Wałbrzych (Polish:[ˈvawbʐɨx]ⓘ;German:Waldenburg;Lower Silesian:Walmbrig orWalmbrich;Czech:Valbřich orValdenburk) is a city located in theLower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwesternPoland, seat ofWałbrzych County.[2] Wałbrzych lies approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) southwest of the voivodeship capitalWrocław and about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from theCzech border. Wałbrzych has the status of municipality. Its administrative borders encompass an area of 85 km2 (33 sq mi) with 110,000 inhabitants,[when?] making it the second-largest city in the voivodeship and the 33rd largest in the country.
Wałbrzych was once a majorcoal mining and industrial center alongside most ofSilesia. The city was left undamaged afterWorld War II and possesses rich historical architecture; among the most recognizable landmarks is theKsiąż Castle, the largest castle ofLower Silesia and the third-largest in Poland.
In 2015 Wałbrzych became widely known due to the search for an allegedly buriedNazi gold train, which however was not found.
According to the city's official website, the earliest Polish name of the settlement wasLasogród ('forest castle').[3] The German name is also the exact translation of the original Polish ‘forest castle’Waldenburg (also referred to the castle Nowy Dwór, translated into German as:Burg Neuhaus), whose ruins stand south of the city; the name came to be used for the entire settlement.[4] It first appeared in the 15th century.[5] The modern Polish name Wałbrzych comes from the German nameWalbrich, a late medieval variation of the older namesWallenberg orWalmberg.[6]
Polish sources indicate the city's predecessor, Lasogród, was an early medievalSlavic settlement[7] whose inhabitants engaged in hunting, honey gathering, and later agriculture. Lasogród eventually developed into a defensive fort, the remains of which were destroyed in the 19th century during expansion of the city.[8] However, some German sources say no archaeological or written records support notions of an early West Slavic orLechitic settlement nor the existence of a castle before the late 13th century.[9][10] They also denounce the idea that during the Middle Ages the area of Wałbrzych was part of an unpopulated Silesian forest, known as theSilesian Przesieka.[11][12][13] In April 2022, a coin hoard was discovered near Wałbrzych dating from the first half of the 13th century.[14]
According to 17th-century Polish historian Ephraim Naso, Wałbrzych was a small village by 1191.[15] This assertion was rejected by 19th-century German sources[16][need quotation to verify] and by German historian Hugo Weczerka,[17] who says the city was founded between 1290 and 1293, and was mentioned asWaldenberc in 1305.[4][need quotation to verify]He places the city near Nowy Dwór (German:Neuhaus), built byBolko I the Strict of theSilesian Piasts.[4] The city website, however, cites the building of the castle as a separate event in 1290.[3] A part of Nowy Dwór castle, a manor built in the 17th century, was destroyed in the 19th century.[18] Nevertheless, the region became part of Poland after the establishment of the state under thePiast dynasty in the 10th century and during thefragmentation of the realm, it was part of various Polish-ruled duchies, the last of which was the Duchy ofŚwidnica[19] until 1392, later it was also part of theBohemian Crown andHungary.
The settlement was first mentioned as a town in 1426, but it did not receive the rights to hold markets or other privileges due to the competition of nearby towns and the insignificance of the local landlords. Subsequently, the city became the property of the Silesian knightly families, initially theSchaffgotsches in 1372, later the Czettritzes, and from 1738, theHöchberg family, owners ofKsiąż Castle.
Coal mining in the area was first mentioned in 1536. The settlement was transformed into an industrial centre at the turn of the 19th century, when coal mining andweaving flourished.
As a result of theFirst Silesian War the city was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia in 1742, and subsequently became part of Germany in 1871. In 1843 the city obtained its first rail connection, which linked it withBreslau (nowWrocław, Poland). In the early 20th century a glassworks and a largechina tableware manufacturing plant, which are still in operation today, were built. DuringWorld War I, the German administration operated three forced labour camps forAlliedprisoners of war in the city.[20]
The firstforced labourers, Poles, were probably brought to the city in early 1940, whereasAllied prisoners of war were brought to forced labour in the city probably since 1941.[22] Several thousands POWs, Serbian, British,Italian, Belgian, Soviet, Polish,French and others, were held in various labour camps in the city,[23] including subcamps of theStalag VIII-A andStalag VIII-B/344POW camps.[24][25] There were also several other forced labour camps, for Poles,Jews, Ukrainians, including camps solely for women,[26][27] twosubcamps of theGross-Rosen concentration camp, intended for Jews, located in the present Gaj and Książ districts,[28][29] and a Nazi prison.[30] There are known cases when Polish civilian workers gave food to starving Soviet prisoners of war.[31] The forced laborers made several attempts to escape, and those caught were either beaten by theGestapo, sent to the Gross-Rosen camp or murdered.[32] The camp in Książ was dissolved in February 1945, and its prisoners were sent on adeath march towardsTrutnov inGerman-occupied Czechoslovakia.[33]
It was conquered by the SovietRed Army on 8 May 1945, a few hours before theGerman surrender and theend of World War II in Europe.[21] Some 600 prisoners of the subcamp of Gross-Rosen in Gaj were liberated, and some stayed in the city after the war.[34]
AfterWorld War II, Waldenburg became again part of Poland under border changes demanded by theSoviet Union at thePotsdam Conference and was renamed to its historic Polish name[35][36] Wałbrzych. Many of the Germans living in the cityfled or were expelled in accordance to thePotsdam Agreement. The town was repopulated byPoles, initially those who already were brought to the city as forced labourers by the Germans after the fall of theWarsaw Uprising, then prisoners of the nearby Gross-Rosen concentration camp and prisoners-of-war.[21] Afterwards they were joined by Poles from central Poland and those expelled fromformer eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union, particularly fromBorysław,Drohobycz andStanisławów, as well as Poles returning fromFrance andBelgium and from forced labour in Germany.[19][21] Also some Jews,Czechs,Romanis andYugoslavs came to the city.[21] Wałbrzych was one of the few areas where a number of Germans[37] were held back as they were deemed indispensable for the economy, e.g. coal mining.[38] Also nearly 700Greeks, refugees of theGreek Civil War, settled in Wałbrzych in the 1950s,[39] however, most returned to Greece after 1983.[40]
The city was relatively unscathed by the Second World War, and as a result of combining the nearby administrative districts with the town and the construction of new housing estates, Wałbrzych expanded geographically. In 1951, city limits were expanded by includingBiały Kamień,Rusinowa, and parts of Glinik, Konradów, Lubiechów, Opoka, Podgórze,Sobięcin and Szczawienko as new districts.[41]
After theTreaty of Zgorzelec, remaining Germans were treated less harshly and an ethnic German society was established in 1957.[38] The cultural activities however disappeared by the 1960s and the schools with German as the language of instruction gradually closed. The remaining German-speakers had little contact with the German spoken and written language and the local German-Silesian dialect becamemoribound.[42]
From 1958 to the mid-1980s, the Kleks Poetry Theater, a leading school theater in Poland, was active in the city.[43]
From 1975 to 1998 it was the capital ofWałbrzych Voivodeship. At the beginning of the 1990s, because of new social and economic conditions, a decision was made to close down the town's coal mines. In 1995, a Museum of Industry and Technology wasset up on the facilities of the oldest coal mine in the area, KWK THOREZ. In 2001, the Wałbrzych Scientific Society was founded.[44] The 2005 the filmThe Collector was filmed in and around Wałbrzych.
An observation tower and a tourist shed on Mount Borowa
Chełmiec (851m above sea level) a dominant mountain over the city
Wałbrzych is located in the CentralSudeten Mountains, near the border with the Czech Republic and Germany. The city is located by the Pełcznica River at 450–500 m above sea level in a picturesque structural basin of Wałbrzych above which there are wooded ranges of theWałbrzych Mountains. The highest elevation in the city is Mount Borowa, also known as the Black Mountain, 853 m (2798 ft)above sea level, with anobservation tower since 2007, which is the highest peak of the Wałbrzych mountains.[46][47]
There are seven city parks in the city, and in the main city park (King Jan III Sobieski Park) is the onlymountain shelter in Poland, located in the city center PTTK Harcówka.
Chełmiec MountainNatura 2000 area – western outskirts of the city
There are severalnatural monuments in the city; among them is the coat of arms oak, a descendant of the oak which was the inspiration for the coat of arms of the city, as evidenced by a nearby stone with the inscription "Stadteiche gapflanzt 1933 antstelle der Wappeneiche" ('City oak planted in 1933 in place of the coat of arms oak').[48] The mildest winter in the city was in 2006/2007 and 1992/1993.
Old Książ Castle (Stary Książ). Gothic ruins opposite (across a valley) Książ Castle
Nowy Dwór Castle. The ruins of the castle Nowy Dwór (Ogorzelec) are on the top of Castle Hill (618 m)
Czettritz Castle (1604–1628), now theAngelus Silesius State College
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows. Gothic church, rebuilt into a Baroque style. Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows placed in the center of Wałbrzych and is the oldest building of the city, called by the inhabitants "the heart of the city"
Town Hall (Ratusz). A representative three-storey building maintained in the style of historical eclecticism, imitating gothic
Palmiarnia (Palm House)
Market square (renovated 1997–1999). A place where a weekly market took place in the past. In the years 1731-1853 its center was occupied by the Baroque town hall.
Museum of Porcelain in the old Alberti Palace
Guardian Angels Church. Built in 1898 in the neo-Gothic style as theSchutzengelkirche, in place of a previous church.
Protestant church. Designed in the years 1785-1788 by Carl Gotthard Langhans, the founder of the Berlin Brandenburg Gate
Mausoleum in Wałbrzych. A 1938 monument designed by Robert Tischler to commemorate the Silesian dead of World War I, as well as 23 early Nazis from Silesia. The structure is a four-sidedfortalice measuring 24 metres (79 ft) by 27 metres (89 ft), with walls 6 metres (20 ft) tall. A metal torch on a tall column once at the center of the courtyard was designed by Ernst Geiger.[49] The site is locally rumored to have been used for NaziSS occult rituals.[50]
Railway tunnel under the Little Wołowiec mountain. Counting 1,601 m (5,253 ft) is the longest railway tunnel in Poland
Mountain Borowa (black mountain). The highest mountain in the Wałbrzyskie Mountains, with observation tower.
Mountain Chełmiec. The second largest peak in the area. A monumental mountain in the shape of a dome that dominates the city. At the top there is an observation tower, 45 meter cross, and two radio-television masts
Old Mine – Center for Science and the Arts (Stara Kopalnia - Centrum Nauki i Sztuki)is the biggest post-industrial tourist attraction in Poland, located in the former bituminous coal mine – Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego "Julia" ("Thorez"). It covers the area of 4.5 hectares of historic post-industrial objects with authentic equipment, such as a machine park which has been secured and made accessible for visitors.
Mining monuments in the city have been a lot of post-mining objects, among others, buildings, halls and mining towers.
Mining and Motorsports Museum at the Ayrton Senna street.
Ayrton Senna's statue located next to the Mining and Motorsports Museum museum at the Ayrton Senna street.
There are railway stations throughout the city:Wałbrzych Miasto, Wałbrzych Fabryczny, Wałbrzych Szczawienko, Wałbrzych Centrum, andWałbrzych Główny, from which from May to the end of September, the starting station for weekend holiday connections toMeziměstí /Adršpach-Teplice Rocks.[52]
The nearest airport isWrocław airport located 70 km (43 mi) from the city, in the closer distance, about 10 km (6 mi), is located light aircraft landing ground inŚwiebodzice.
Górnik Wałbrzych is a professional men's basketball club, two times Polish champions. Currently, it plays in the Polish 3rd league. Last time Górnik played in thePolish Basketball League (the Polish top basketball league) was in 2009.
Górnik Wałbrzych is a professional men's football club playing in the Polish 4th league (5th level). It played in theEkstraklasa (top tier) in the 1980s.
^"Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved7 August 2022. Data for territorial unit 0265000.
^"Główny Urząd Statystyczny" [Central Statistical Office] (in Polish). To search: Select "Miejscowości (SIMC)" tab, select "fragment (min. 3 znaki)" (minimum 3 characters), enter town name in the field below, click "WYSZUKAJ" (Search).
^Vorgeschichtliche Funde innerhalb des Stadtgebietes sind spärlich und zweifelhaft in der Deutung, so daß eine frühe Dauersiedlung nicht angenommen werden kann. Für die Existenz einer "Waldenburg" im Bereich der Altstadt gibt es keinerlei Anhaltspunkte. Weczerka, p. 555
^Hermann Schreiber (1984).Die Deutschen und der Osten: das versunkene Jahrtausend (in German). Südwest Verlag. p. 143.
^Auch der Grenzwald spricht dagegen. Weczerka, pp.416 and 555
^ab"Historia".Portal Urzędu Miejskiego w Wałbrzychu (in Polish). Retrieved7 March 2020.
^Kujat, Janusz Adam (2000). "Pieniądz zastępczy w obozach jenieckich na terenie rejencji wrocławskiej w czasie I i II wojny światowej".Łambinowicki rocznik muzealny (in Polish).23. Opole: 13.ISSN0137-5199.
^abcdefBabińska, Małgorzata (2019). "Przerwane historie. Ludność Wałbrzycha po II wojnie światowej".Nowa Kronika Wałbrzyska (in Polish). Vol. 7. Wałbrzych: Fundacja MUSEION. p. 289.ISSN2353-4354.
^Sula, Dorota (2016). "Robotnicy przymusowi, jeńcy wojenni i więźniowie KL Gross-Rosen w Waldenburgu (Wałbrzychu) w latach 1940–1945".Nowa Kronika Wałbrzyska (in Polish). Vol. 4. Wałbrzych: Fundacja MUSEION. p. 19.ISSN2353-4354.
^Kubasiewicz, Izabela (2013). "Emigranci z Grecji w Polsce Ludowej. Wybrane aspekty z życia mniejszości". In Dworaczek, Kamil; Kamiński, Łukasz (eds.).Letnia Szkoła Historii Najnowszej 2012. Referaty (in Polish). Warszawa:IPN. p. 117.
^Niemierka, Kazimierz (2013). "Historia Teatru Poezji "Kleks"".Nowa Kronika Wałbrzyska (in Polish). Vol. 1. Wałbrzych: Fundacja MUSEION. p. 229.
^Detyna, Jerzy (2014). "Wałbrzyskie Towarzystwo Naukowe na tle towarzystw naukowych Dolnego Śląska".Nowa Kronika Wałbrzyska (in Polish). Vol. 2. Wałbrzych: Fundacja MUSEION. p. 174.
^abcPaszkiewicz, Borys, ed. (2020).Skarb groszy praskich z XIV i XV wieku z Boguszowa (tak zwany skarb wałbrzyski) (in Polish and English). Wrocław:Uniwersytet Wrocławski. pp. 15, 35, 52, 91.ISBN978-83-61416-58-6.
Badstübner, Ernst; Dietmar Popp; Andrzej Tomaszewski; Dethard von Winterfeld (2005).Dehio – Handbuch der Kunstdenkmäler in Polen: Schlesien. München, Berlin:Deutscher Kunstverlag 2005.ISBN3-422-03109-X.
Petry, Ludwig;Josef Joachim Menzel; Winfried Irgang (2000).Geschichte Schlesiens. Band 1: Von der Urzeit bis zum Jahre 1526. Stuttgart: Jan Thorbecke Verlag Stuttgart.ISBN3-7995-6341-5.
The list includes the 107 urban municipalities governed by acity mayor (prezydent miasta) instead of a town mayor (burmistrz) ·Cities with powiat rights are initalics · Voivodeship cities are inbold
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