Świebodzice

Place in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

Flag

Coat of arms

50°52′N 16°20′E / 50.867°N 16.333°E / 50.867; 16.333Country

PolandVoivodeshipLower SilesianCountyŚwidnicaGminaŚwiebodzice (urban gmina)Government

• MayorPaweł OzgaArea

• Total30.45 km² (11.76 sq mi)Population

(2019-06-30^[1])

• Total22,793 • Density750/km² (1,900/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

58-160

Car platesDSWWebsitehttps://www.swiebodzice.pl

Świebodzice (Polish: [ɕfjɛbɔˈd͡ʑit͡sɛ]; Silesian: Frybork; German: Freiburg) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,793 inhabitants (as of 2019^[update]). 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 cave complex, was expanded to create private quarters for Adolf Hitler.

The town dates back to the medieval Kingdom of Poland. It was granted town rights by 1279. During World War II, the Germans established a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp in the town.^[2] In 1957 Pełcznica, and in 1973 Ciernie, were included within the town limits as its new districts.

Sports

Victoria Świebodzice [pl] football club is based in Świebodzice.

Notable people

Gustav Becker (1819–1885), German clockmaker
Martin Kirschner (1842–1912), Mayor of Berlin
Jan Mikulicz-Radecki (1850–1905), Polish surgeon, one of the pioneers of antiseptics and aseptic techniques
Alfred Zucker (1852–1913), German architect
Wilhelm Niepelt (1862–1936), German scientist
Emil Krebs (1867–1930), German scientist, noted polyglot who spoke a total of 68 languages at the time of his death
Hartmut Kilger (born 1943), President of the German Lawyer's Association (2003–2009)
Anna Zalewska (born 1965), politician, Minister of National Education of Poland
Krzysztof Stelmach (born 1967), former Polish volleyball player with 274 games played for the Poland men's national volleyball team
Jarosław Krzyżanowski (born 1975), retired Polish footballer
Eliza Surdyka (born 1977), Polish Olympic cross-country skier
Marcin Kokoszka (born 1984), Polish footballer
Paweł Fajdek (born 1989), Polish hammer-thrower

Twin towns – sister cities

Świebodzice is twinned with:^[3]

Hrušov, Slovakia
Jilemnice, Czech Republic
Marjina Horka, Belarus
Waldbröl, Germany

Gallery

Town hall
Medieval town walls
Villa of Jan Mikulicz-Radecki
Train station

References

^ "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
^ "Subcamps of KL Gross- Rosen". Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoźnica. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
^ "Miasta partnerskie". swiebodzice.pl (in Polish). Świebodzice. Retrieved 2020-03-03.