Świebodzice
Świebodzice | |||
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Saints Peter and Paul Church | |||
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Świebodzice | |||
Coordinates: 50°52′N 16°20′E / 50.867°N 16.333°E | |||
Country | Poland | ||
Voivodeship | Lower Silesian | ||
County | Świdnica | ||
Gmina | Świebodzice (urban gmina) | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Bogdan Kożuchowicz | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 30.45 km2 (11.76 sq mi) | ||
Population (2014) | |||
• Total | 23,175 | ||
• Density | 760/km2 (2,000/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Postal code | 58-160 | ||
Car plates | DSW | ||
Website | http://www.swiebodzice.pl |
Świebodzice [ɕfjɛbɔˈd͡ʑit͡sɛ] is a town in south-western Poland with 23,175 inhabitants (as of 2014). It is situated in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975–1998 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship).
The town is situated close to Książ Castle, which during World War II, together with the underground cave complex, was expanded to create private quarters for Adolf Hitler.
Prior to 1945 the town was in Germany and known as Freiburg in Schlesien. After World War II the region was placed under Polish administration by the Potsdam Agreement under territorial changes demanded by the Soviet Union. Most Germans fled or were expelled and replaced with Poles expelled from the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union.
Old fortifications from around 1279, the year the town was founded, still remain.
Notable residents
- Gustav Becker, German clockmaker
- Paweł Fajdek (1989 - ) 2013 World Champion in the Hammer Throw
- Hartmut Kilger (born 1943), President of the German Lawyer's Association (2003–2009)
- Martin Kirschner (1842–1912), Mayor of Berlin
- Emil Krebs (1867–1930), German scientist, noted polyglot who spoke a total of 68 languages at the time of his death.
- Wilhelm Niepelt (1862–1936), German scientist
- Alfred Zucker, German architect
External links
- Jewish Community in Świebodzice on Virtual Shtetl
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Świebodzice. |
Coordinates: 50°52′N 16°20′E / 50.867°N 16.333°E