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Wielun [] is a town in central Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 with 24,347 inhabitants (2006). Situated in the Lódz Voivodeship
Lódz Voivodeship

L?dz Voivodeship is a province in central Poland, created on January 1, 1999 out of the former L?dz Voivodeship and the Sieradz Voivodeship, Piotrkow Trybunalski Voivodeship and Skierniewice Voivodeships and part of Plock Voivodeship Voivodeship, pursuant to the 1998 Local Government Reorganization Act....
 (since 1999), it was previously in Sieradz Voivodeship
Sieradz Voivodeship

Sieradz Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by L?dz Voivodeship....
 (1975-1998). It is twinned with Letterkenny
Letterkenny

Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is located on the River Swilly. Despite its size, Letterkenny is not the County Town of County Donegal....
, Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
.

eptember 1, 1939, the town was bombed
Terror bombing

Terror bombing is a strategy of deliberately bombing and/or strafing civilian targets in order to break the morale of the enemy, make its civilian population panic, bend the enemy's political leadership to the attacker's will, or to "punish" an enemy....
 by the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, the first actions of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. German bombers destroyed most of the town centre (including a clearly marked hospital and the historic Gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 church) and killed approximately 1,200 civilians.






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Encyclopedia


Wielun [] is a town in central Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 with 24,347 inhabitants (2006). Situated in the Lódz Voivodeship
Lódz Voivodeship

L?dz Voivodeship is a province in central Poland, created on January 1, 1999 out of the former L?dz Voivodeship and the Sieradz Voivodeship, Piotrkow Trybunalski Voivodeship and Skierniewice Voivodeships and part of Plock Voivodeship Voivodeship, pursuant to the 1998 Local Government Reorganization Act....
 (since 1999), it was previously in Sieradz Voivodeship
Sieradz Voivodeship

Sieradz Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by L?dz Voivodeship....
 (1975-1998). It is twinned with Letterkenny
Letterkenny

Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is located on the River Swilly. Despite its size, Letterkenny is not the County Town of County Donegal....
, Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
.

History

On September 1, 1939, the town was bombed
Terror bombing

Terror bombing is a strategy of deliberately bombing and/or strafing civilian targets in order to break the morale of the enemy, make its civilian population panic, bend the enemy's political leadership to the attacker's will, or to "punish" an enemy....
 by the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, the first actions of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
. German bombers destroyed most of the town centre (including a clearly marked hospital and the historic Gothic
Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late Middle Ages. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
 church) and killed approximately 1,200 civilians. Approximately 75% of all the buildings in Wielun were destroyed.

Transport


Roads

Main roads stemming from Wielun include connection with Warsaw
Warsaw

Warsaw is the Capital and World's largest cities of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains....
 (to the north-east) and Wroclaw
Wroclaw

Wroclaw is the chief city of the historical region of Lower Silesia in south-western Poland, situated on the Oder River river. Over the centuries the city has been part of Kingdom of Poland , Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, and Germany....
 (to the west), via the European route E67
European route E67

European route E 67 is a highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland, Kaunas , Riga , and Tallinn ....
 (National Road
National roads in Poland

National road in Poland refers to a public road trunk road subordinate to central Polish government's General Directorship of National Roads and Highways ....
 ). There are also two national roads: number to Czestochowa
Czestochowa

Czestochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta with 248,894 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Czestochowa Voivodeship ....
 and to Opole
Opole

Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 129,553 and is the capital of the Opole Voivodeship, and also the seat of Opole County....
 and Lódz
Lódz

L?dz is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 753,192 in 2007. It is the capital of L?dz Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw....
. Furthermore, there are two voivodeship (local) roads starting from Wielun: road number 481 (going north-east) to Lask
Lask

Lask [] is a town in central Poland with 18,948 inhabitants .Situated in the L?dz Voivodeship , previously in Sieradz Voivodeship ....
 and road number 486 (going south-east) to Radomsko
Radomsko

Radomsko [] is a town in central Poland with 50,618 inhabitants . It is situated in the L?dz Voivodeship , having previously been in Piotrk?w Voivodeship ....
. The biggest communication problem in Wielun is huge traffic (including transit) in the center of the town, due to lack of bypasses. Completion of a bypass of the E67 route is planned for 2011, later additional bypasses will be built. The first section of the eastern bypass has already been finished. In the area of Wielun there will also be the future motorway Expressway S8 (it will be located near southern outskirts of the town). Additionally, in the years 2009 - 2011 the 70 km-long Kalisz-Wielun Road will be finished.

Railways

Rail connection links Wielun to Poznan
Poznan

Poznan is a city in west-central Poland with over 567,882 inhabitants . Located on the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education....
 and Katowice
Katowice

Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Klodnica and Rawa river rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about 50 km from the Silesian Beskids and about 100 km from Sudetes....
. The line was built in the 1920s, as the junction of Kluczbork
Kluczbork

Kluczbork [] is a town in southwestern Poland with 26,670 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Kluczbork County and an important railroad junction....
 remained within borders of Weimar Germany and direct rail communication between Polish part of Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia

Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Lower Silesia is to the northwest. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, Kingdom of Bohemia, Poland, Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, Kingdom of Prussia, and later of unified German Reich....
 and Poznan was impossible. Therefore, it was crucial to construct a brand new line, which runs from Herby Nowe
Herby Nowe

Herby Nowe is a major Poland rail junction, located north of the Upper Silesian Industrial Area, along the Polish Coal Trunk-Line, in the Lubliniec County of the Silesian Voivodeship....
 to Kepno
Kepno

Kepno is a town in Poland. It lies on the outskirts of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, as it borders on Silesia and the L?dz Land, at the crossing point of two transport routes: north to south and east to west ....
. The line was one of the most important connections in the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic

The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II....
, but after World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 , when Kluczbork was annexed by Poland, it lost its importance.

Also, until the end of the 1980s, there was a narrow gauge railroad, which connected Wielun with nearby Praszka
Praszka

Praszka [] is a town in Olesno County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 8,230 inhabitants .References...
. Currently, the town has two operating railway stations: Wielun Dabrowa and Wielun Miasto. Wielun is directly connected by rail with such cities as Tarnowskie Góry
Tarnowskie Góry

Tarnowskie G?ry [] is a town in southern Poland with 61,642 inhabitants . Situated in the Silesian Voivodeship , it was previously in Katowice Voivodeship ....
, Katowice, Poznan, Szczecin
Szczecin

Szczecin is the Capital of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest port in Poland on the Baltic Sea....
 and Kepno. Once there was also a direct connection to Czestochowa
Czestochowa

Czestochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta with 248,894 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Czestochowa Voivodeship ....
 and Lubliniec. Another means of communication with the surroundings and the entire country are buses. There is a modern (though built in 1976) bus station, which also handles international communication.

Public transport

Wielun, like most cities, has a municipal communications. In Wielun runs 9 lines operated by two companies. Public transportation has existed since 1988.
  • Line A: Wielun Dabrowa Railway Station - Rychlowice
  • Line B: Racking room gas - Ruda
  • Line C: Wielun Dabrowa Railway Station - Olewin
  • Line D: Kurów - Wierzchlas
  • Line D - BIS: Railway Station - POW
  • Line E: Racking room gas - Old Orchards
  • Line F: Wielun Dabrowa Railway Station - Ruda
  • Line G: Racking room gas - Czestochowska
  • Line H: Maslowice - Old Orchards


Districts

  • Downtown
  • Armii Krajowej housing estate
  • Bugaj housing estate
  • Kopernika housing estate
  • Stare Sady housing estate ("Old Orchards" housing estate )
  • Wyszynskiego housing estate
  • Wojska Polskiego housing estate
  • "Za szpitalem" housing estate
  • Niedzielsko
  • Chrusty
  • Berlinek
  • Stodolniana housing estate
  • Moniuszki housing estate
  • Podszubienice
  • Kijak
  • Blonie


Twin towns

Wielun is twinned
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 with:
  • Flag of Germany
    Adelebsen
    Adelebsen

    Adelebsen is a municipality in the G?ttingen , in Lower Saxony, Germany.It consists of the localities Adelebsen, Barterode, Eberhausen, Erbsen, G?ntersen, L?dingsen and Wibbecke....
     , Germany
    Germany

    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
  • Flag of Germany
    Osterburg
    Osterburg (Altmark)

    Osterburg is a town in the Stendal , in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated approximately 22 km northwest of Stendal.Osterburg is the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Osterburg ....
    , Germany
    Germany

    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
  • Flag of Ireland
    Letterkenny
    Letterkenny

    Letterkenny is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is located on the River Swilly. Despite its size, Letterkenny is not the County Town of County Donegal....
    , Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....


Historical views


See also

  • Bombing of Wielun
    Bombing of Wielun

    The bombing of Wielun refers to the terror bombing of the Polish town of Wielun by the Germany Luftwaffe on 1 September 1939. This airstrike started about five minutes before the shelling of Westerplatte, which has traditionally been considered the beginning of World War II....
     in World War II


External links