Chełmek

Coordinates: 50°7′N 19°15′E / 50.117°N 19.250°E / 50.117; 19.250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other places with the same name, see Chełmek.

Chełmek
Krakowska Street in Chełmek
Krakowska Street in Chełmek
Car plates
KOS
Websitechelmek.pl

Chełmek

Bata Shoes
.

Chełmek lies in the wetland area along the Przemsza river, at the foot of the Skała hill (293 meters above sea level). The town is surrounded by forests.

History

Chełmek was first mentioned in 1414. In 1490, it belonged to a parish from

Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown
.

In 1772 Chełmek was annexed by the

Free City of Kraków. In November 1846, the Free City was annexed by Austria, and in 1856, rail line from Kraków to Vienna, via Chełmek was constructed. In the late 19th century, it had a population of 1,094.[2] After World War I, in 1918, Poland regained independence, and in the Second Polish Republic, Chełmek belonged to the Kraków Voivodeship, and due to proximity of the Silesian border, its residents helped Polish insurgents in Silesia (see Silesian Uprisings
).

Bata Shoes factory in Chełmek in the 1930s

Until 1931, Chełmek remained a poor village, whose inhabitants would emigrate from it, seeking for work at local coal mines. In 1931, however, legendary Czech businessman

Tomas Bata
decided to acquire land in Chełmek, to build a shoe factory here, together with a settlement for workers. In five years, the population of the village doubled, a new church, kindergarten, schools and culture house were built.

Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in 1939, Chełmek was invaded and then occupied by Germany until 1945. In 1942, the Germans established and operated a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp in the settlement.[3] About 150 prisoners, mostly Jews deported from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, were subjected to slave labour in the subcamp.[3] 47 prisoners died in the subcamp.[3] The Germans left the village on 25 January 1945, and soon after the war, the school and the 1920s iron bridge over the Przemsza were rebuilt.

In 1947, the Bata Shoe Factory was nationalized, and in 1969 Chełmek received town charter.


Demographics

Number of inhabitants by year

Year Population Source
1995 9307 Increase [1]
2000 9215 Decrease
2005 9091 Decrease
2010 9246 Increase
2015 9170 Decrease
2020 8912 Decrease
2021 8810 Decrease

Sports

The local football club is KS Chełmek [pl]. It competes in the lower leagues.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2 June 2022. Data for territorial unit 1213034.
  2. ^ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I (in Polish). Warszawa. 1880. p. 560.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ a b c "Chelmek". Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. Retrieved 31 March 2021.

External links


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