Wadowice

Coordinates: 49°53′N 19°30′E / 49.883°N 19.500°E / 49.883; 19.500
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wadowice
View of the Main Square
View of the Main Square
Car plates
KWA
National roads
Websitehttp://www.wadowice.pl

Wadowice (Polish:

John Paul II and Godwin von Brumowski
, Austria-Hungary’s best flying ace with 35 credited and an additional 8 possible wins in the air.

History

Baroque Basilica of Presentation of Virgin Mary

The first permanent settlement in the area of today's Wadowice was founded in the late 10th century or early 11th century. According to a local legend, the town was founded by a certain Wad or Wład, a short form for the Slavic name of

city charter and a self-government, based on the then-popular Kulm law. The privileges, granted by Prince Kazimierz I of Oświęcim led to a period of fast reconstruction and growth.[citation needed
]

The administrative division of the region in the times of

]

In the 16th–17th centuries Wadowice was a regional centre of crafts and trade. Among the most notable sons of the town was Marcin Wadowita, a theologian, philosopher and a deacon of the Kraków Academy. He was also the founder of a hospital and a basic school in Wadowice. However, several plagues and fires halted the prosperity and the town's growth was eventually halted as well.[citation needed]

Late modern period

Early 20th-century view of the main square

In the effect of the

communal administration and since 1867 – a county site. Small industries were developing slowly during the 19th century. New inhabitants settled in the area, attracted by the industry, new military barracks and various administrative institutions. In addition, a new hospital and a regional court were erected in the town centre. Finally, in the last 25 years of the 19th century partial liberalisation of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy led to creation of various Polish cultural and scientific societies.[citation needed
]

After World War I and the dissolution of the monarchy, Wadowice became part of the newly reborn Poland. The seat of a powiat remained in the town and in 1919 the inhabitants of the area formed the 12th Infantry Regiment that took part in the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1920. In 1920 Karol Wojtyła was born in Wadowice (he became the bishop of Kraków, then Pope John Paul II, and was canonised after his death).[1]

World War II

Katyn massacre memorial

After the

Fall of Communism
in the 1980s.

Present

After the war, in 1945 Wadowice retained its

Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship. After the peaceful transformation of the political and economical system in Poland (in 1989), most of the local industry was found inefficient and went bankrupt. However, the ecological and historical heritage of the area as well as its status as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II led to fast growth of tourism. Currently more than 200,000 people visit Wadowice every year and this number is rising.[citation needed
]

Economy

Wadowice is today mainly a centre for tourism and sightseeing, but also a place for small industries such as the production of machines and construction materials. The town is also the headquarters of the multinational food company and biggest juice-maker of Poland, Maspex, and the shoe producer Badura.[4][5]

Culture and sightseeing

  • Days of Wadowice (Dni Wadowic) are held every May–June. The feast starts every 18 May to commemorate the birth of Karol Wojtyła.
  • Museum of the
    Holy Father Family Home
    in the family home of Pope John Paul II collects objects that belonged to Karol Wojtyła and his family.
  • Parochial church – the Virgin Mary's Offertory
    minor basilica
    –15th century, rebuilt in the 18th century.
  • Kościelna 4 street, an 18th-century house.
  • Neo-Classical "Mikołaj" manor – 19th century, named after the mayor Mikołaj Komorowski.
  • Municipal Museum of Marcin Wadowita.
  • Pope John Paul II square with 19th-century burgher houses.
  • Monument to
    Emil Zegadłowicz
    , a writer who described the area of Wadowice in many of his books.

Religion

Saint Joseph church and Monastery of Discalced Carmelites

Sports

The town's most notable sports club is Skawa Wadowice [pl] with football, basketball, volleyball and tennis sections. Founded in 1907, it is one of the oldest sports clubs in the region.[citation needed]

Twin towns – sister cities

Town hall
County Court

Wadowice is

twinned
with:

Notable people

References

External links

Footnotes

  1. ^ PROJECT, TBC. "ŚW. JAN PAWEŁ II". Archidiecezja Krakowska (in Polish). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. p. 257.
  3. ^ "NS-Gefängnis Wadowitz". Bundesarchiv.de (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Maspex". maspex.com (in Polish). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Zakład słynnej firmy obuwniczej z Wadowic do kupienia". WadowiceOnlinePL (in Polish). Retrieved 15 October 2023.