Horka | |
|---|---|
 Protestant fortified church in Horka | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Horka within Görlitz district  | |
  Horka  Horka | |
| Coordinates:51°18′N14°54′E / 51.300°N 14.900°E /51.300; 14.900 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Saxony |
| District | Görlitz |
| Municipal assoc. | Weißer Schöps/Neiße |
| Subdivisions | 3 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2022–29) | Christoph Biele[1] (CDU) |
| Area | |
• Total | 40.79 km2 (15.75 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 164 m (538 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 1,656 |
| • Density | 41/km2 (110/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 02923 |
| Dialling codes | 035892 |
| Vehicle registration | GR, LÖB, NOL, NY, WSW, ZI |
| Website | www.horka.de |
Horka (Upper Sorbian:Hórka,pronounced[ˈhʊʁka]) is a municipality in the districtGörlitz,Saxony, in easternGermany, close to the border withPoland.
The village was mentioned in 1305.[3] In 1319, it became a part of theDuchy of Jawor, the southwesternmost duchy of fragmentedPiast-ruled Poland.[4] In the following decades, it passed to theCzech (Bohemian) Crown Lands. In 1469 it passed toHungary, and in 1490 it returned to the Czech Crown, then under the rule of Polish PrinceVladislaus II.[5] From 1635, it was ruled by Electors of Saxony, from 1697 also Kings of Poland. In 1815, it fell toPrussia, and from 1871 it was part of theGerman Empire. In 1907, a rail connection toRothenburg andPrzewóz was opened.[6]
In 1936, theNazi government renamed the village toWehrkirch to erase traces of Sorbian origin.[3] DuringWorld War II, on April 26, 1945, the Germans carried out a massacre of a field hospital column of the 9th Polish Armored Division,killing some 300 POWs, mostly wounded soldiers and medical personnel (theHorka massacre [pl]).[7]
After the war, the village was part ofEast Germany. In 1947, its historic name was restored.[3] In 1988, a rail accident occurred near Horka that killed five East German and three Polish citizens.[8]
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