Ząbkowice Śląskie is a town in
Lower Silesian VoivodeshipLower Silesian Voivodeship is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided...
in south-western
PolandPoland , 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 exclave, to the north...
. It is the seat of
Ząbkowice Śląskie CountyZąbkowice Śląskie County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. The county covers an area of...
, and of the smaller administrative district (
gminaThe gmina is the principal unit of territorial division in Poland. It is usually translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2004 there were 2,478 gminas...
) called
Gmina Ząbkowice ŚląskieGmina Ząbkowice Śląskie is an urban-rural gmina in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
.
The town lies approximately south of the regional capital Wrocław. As at 2006, it has a population of 16,242.
The town was established as
Frankenstein in the early 13th century, following the Mongol invasion, and received town rights around 1280.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Zabkowice Slaskie' Start a new discussion about 'Zabkowice Slaskie' Answer questions from other users |
Ząbkowice Śląskie is a town in
Lower Silesian VoivodeshipLower Silesian Voivodeship is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided...
in south-western
PolandPoland , 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 exclave, to the north...
. It is the seat of
Ząbkowice Śląskie CountyZąbkowice Śląskie County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. The county covers an area of...
, and of the smaller administrative district (
gminaThe gmina is the principal unit of territorial division in Poland. It is usually translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2004 there were 2,478 gminas...
) called
Gmina Ząbkowice ŚląskieGmina Ząbkowice Śląskie is an urban-rural gmina in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
.
The town lies approximately south of the regional capital Wrocław. As at 2006, it has a population of 16,242.
History
The town was established as
Frankenstein in the early 13th century, following the Mongol invasion, and received town rights around 1280. As from 1335 it belonged to
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
, and from 1742 to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
.
In the early 1600s the plague killed about one third of the population, and it has been speculated that events at that time may have inspired the
FrankensteinFrankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, generally known simply as Frankenstein, is a novel written by Mary Shelley. Shelley started writing when she was 18 and the novel was published when she was 21. The first edition was published anonymously in London in . Shelley's name appears on the second...
story.
In 1858 the town burned down and had to be rebuilt. On this occasion, the upper part of the 15th-century leaning tower was reconstructed in a straight manner. The town was a county seat from 1816 to 1945. After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the town passed to Poland (along with most of
SilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany....
) and was renamed Ząbkowice Śląskie in 1946, after the German population had fled or been expelled.
External links
Ząbkowice Śląskie municipal website