Świebodzin

Coordinates: 52°15′N 15°32′E / 52.250°N 15.533°E / 52.250; 15.533
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other places with the same name, see Świebodzin (disambiguation).
Świebodzin
Town hall of Świebodzin
Town hall of Świebodzin
Car plates
FSW
Websitewww.swiebodzin.eu

Świebodzin (Polish:

Zielona Góra Voivodeship
(1975–1998).

Świebodzin is an important transportation hub, lying at the crossroads of the Polish

statue of Christ in Świebodzin, completed in November 2010, is one of the world's tallest statues of Jesus
.

History

Middle Ages

Partly preserved medieval town walls

The town's name derives from the Polish personal name Świeboda, related to swoboda meaning "freedom".[2][3] The area was part of Poland from the time of the state's creation in the 10th century. As a result of the fragmentation of Poland, it initially was part of Greater Poland, and later it was part of Silesia. The earliest historical records which mention Sebusianis, Sipusius Silesius, Suebosian, Soebosian, Suebusianus for today's Świebodzin date from the beginning of the 14th century, when the area belonged to the Lower Silesian Polish-ruled Duchy of Głogów. The town sprang up at the intersection of the old trade routes linking Silesia with Pomerania and a branch of the route running from Lusatia to Poznań in Greater Poland and further to Pomerelia. Initially, the town was probably a defensive fortification, built on the western banks of Lake Zamecko at a slight elevation. The town wall was ringed by settlements, which were much later incorporated into the city itself.

Bohemian Silesia (green) with northern Świebodzin exclave

In 1319 the

Albert III Achilles of Hohenzollern, who in ca.1479 was able to acquire the northern part of the duchy with the towns of Crossen (Krosno Odrzańskie) and Züllichau (Sulechów), which were incorporated into the Neumark district of Brandenburg in 1537. The area of Świebodzin however remained a Bohemian fief, becoming an exclave of the Silesian crown land which in 1526 passed with the Bohemian Kingdom to the Habsburg monarchy
.

Early modern period

Partial view of the town square

Because of the town's location at an important crossroads, it developed economically, particularly in the areas of commerce and craft production. In the 15th century and particularly in the 16th century, Schwiebus was known for manufacturing beer and exporting cloth. It also developed various urban handicrafts and manufactured goods for local purposes (the weekly market). The salt, wool, grain, horse, and beef trades were also important. For a time the Schwiebus territory was granted by the emperor to

Habsburgs
.

17th-century view of the town

Because of its position near the

Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation
.

After the victory of King

Napoleonic wars
brought about a depression in the cloth trade and limited the economic prospects of the town.

The town's extended stagnation ended with the

Stein-Hardenberg economic reforms and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century. As a medium-sized town and hub of the local market, lying at the intersection of several routes of communication, including the new Frankfurt (Oder)-Poznań railway line, Schwiebus became a center of local industry (textile, machinery, and agricultural food processing). The town was modernized at this time with improved traffic arteries, renovation of the town hall, reconstruction of the church of St. Michael, and the construction of several new public service buildings (law courts, high school, gas works, and post office). Schwiebus contributed to and benefited from the economic expansion of the German Empire
in the years before 1914.

20th century

Historic churches of Świebodzin: Saint Michael Archangel church (on the left), Our Lady Queen of Poland church (on the right)

A new period of economic stagnation began with the territorial changes in central Europe after Germany's defeat in World War I. In the interwar period, Schwiebus found itself in the eastern outskirts of Germany, twenty kilometers west of the newly imposed German-Polish border. During the 1920s, Weimar Germany experienced two major economic crises, the hyperinflation of the early 1920s and the Great Depression beginning in 1929. The citizens of Schwiebus suffered severe economic hardship during this time. As was the case elsewhere in Germany, many of the town's citizens were dissatisfied with their lot and turned to political extremism.

Międzyrzecz Fortified Region
) twenty kilometers north of Schwiebus.

World War II (1939–45) first brought hardship to Schwiebus and then total disaster. In early January 1945, the Soviet Red Army began its final advance through Poland into eastern Germany, reaching Schwiebus before the end of the month. By this time, many of its inhabitants had already fled, fearing the Soviet revenge for the atrocities perpetrated by the German occupation forces against the civilian population of the Soviet Union. The town was largely spared from destruction during the fighting, as the bulk of the Soviet forces passed to the north and south on their way to Berlin. It was finally captured on 31 January 1945. The capture was not without casualties.[5]

After Germany's defeat in the war, Schwiebus became Świebodzin, and became part of Poland. The new Polish government adopted the communist economic system and enacted sweeping social, economic, and political reforms. Świebodzin's economic recovery was also hampered by the Soviet policy of dismantling industrial facilities in conquered areas, and shipping components back to the Soviet Union. In this way, Świebodzin lost some of its prewar industries, particularly its breweries.

Świebodzin expanded in the period under communist rule, and its population doubled. New neighborhoods were built to the south of the railway line, composed largely of

Soviet Bloc
.

However, with the collapse of the Soviet Bloc and the revolutions of 1989, Świebodzin once again experienced economic upheaval. With some difficulties, the local economy was adapted to the international market economy. New industries and businesses were established, but others were unable to compete in the new environment and went bankrupt. Many more goods became available in local shops, but at prices that many inhabitants could not afford. In recent years, a few foreign-owned discount supermarkets, pizzerias, hotels, and other businesses have been established in the town, taking advantage of the proximity of Poland's main east–west motorway. With the economic changes there have also been political changes. Since the restoration of free elections in 1989 the city council's former communist control has been replaced by democratic parties.

Attractions and sites of interest

Facades
at the market square
Christ the King

The center of Świebodzin still contains remnants of the town's past as a

Protestant Church but was reconsecrated as a Catholic Church
after World War II.

In the summer of 2008, assembly of the

Jesus Christ, began on a hill on the outskirts of the town. Intended to serve as a future site of pilgrimage, the statue was completed in November 2010, and is claimed to be the world's largest statue of Jesus,[6] although if the crown is excluded the Cristo de la Concordia in Bolivia is still taller. Construction was funded by donations from local people and as far away as Canada.[6] The existence of the statue has seen fellow Poles referring to the town jokingly as Rio de Świebodzineiro.[7]

Sport

Świebodzin has a table tennis club KS Jofrakuda Świebodzin which is playing in 3.liga (Polish third division). The club has also the other teams playing in lower divisions of Lubusz. The club is known from a successful work with young table tennis players, who are highly ranked in Polish youth categories.

Notable people

Czesław Niemen's monument on the Market Square
Former parish school

Twin towns – sister cities

See twin towns of Gmina Świebodzin.

References

  1. ^ "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 2020-04-02.
  2. ^ K. Rymut, Nazwy miast Polski, Ossolineum 1987, s. 242.
  3. ^ Linde, Samuel Bogumił (1812). Linde, Samuel Bogumił. "Slownik jẹzyka polskiego", Volume 5. 1812. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  4. ^ Carlyle, Thomas (2005-11-08). Complete Works of Thomas Carlyle ... - Google Books. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
  5. ^ "Tragiczne losy Sióstr Boromeuszek za Świebodzina | Grupa OPTY". 27 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Giant Jesus statue completed in Polish town". Associated Press. November 6, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  7. ^ Oleksiak, Wojciech (9 June 2014). "Polandball - A Case Study". Culture.pl. Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.

External links

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