Rydułtowy

Rydułtowy
Market Square in Rydułtowy
Rydułtowy
Coordinates: 50°3′30″N 18°25′0″E / 50.05833°N 18.41667°E / 50.05833; 18.41667
Country Poland
VoivodeshipSilesian
CountyWodzisław
GminaRydułtowy (urban gmina)
First mentioned1228
Government
 • MayorMarcin Połomski
Area
 • Total
15 km2 (6 sq mi)
Population
 (2019-06-30[1])
 • Total
21,616
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
44-280
Vehicle registrationSWD
Voivodeship roads
Websitehttp://www.rydultowy.pl

Rydułtowy [rɨduu̯ˈtɔvɨ] (German: Rydultau) is a town in southern Poland, in the Wodzisław County of the Silesian Voivodeship.[2] Rydułtowy is in the south-western part of the Silesian Highland, on the Rybnik Plateau, in the Oświęcim-Racibórz Valley.

A mining town, Rydułtowy has been closely bound with the 200-year-old "Rydułtowy-Anna" coal mine.

History

Rydułtowy was first mentioned in a document of the Diocese of Wrocław from 1228 as Rudolphi Willa, when it was part of the Duchy of Racibórz of fragmented Piast-ruled Poland.

In 1861, Rydułtowy Dolne had an entirely Polish population of 1,066, while Rydułtowy Górne had 360 inhabitants.[3] In the late 19th century, the main occupation of the population was farming and coal mining.[3] In 1923, the first Polish scout troop of Rydułtowy was founded.[4] Rydułtowy Dolne and Rydułtowy Górne were merged in 1926.

Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, Rydułtowy was occupied by Germany until 1945. Many local Polish scouts were killed during the war,[4] and some teachers from Rydułtowy were among Polish teachers murdered by the Germans in concentration camps as part of the Intelligenzaktion (see Nazi crimes against the Polish nation).[5] The Germans operated five forced labour camps in Rydułtowy, including a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp.[6] The prisoners of the camps were initially Poles from nearby settlements, and then also French, English and Soviet prisoners of war.[7] Over 1,000 mostly Jewish prisoners were held in the subcamp of Auschwitz.[6] Prisoners unable to continue labour were sent back to Auschwitz and gassed there,[7] while over 50 prisoners died in the subcamp itself, also by suicide.[6] In January 1945, the Germans evacuated the prisoners on foot to Wodzisław Śląski, and then deported them to the Mauthausen concentration camp.[6]

In 1951, Rydułtowy was granted town rights, and the neighboring settlement of Pietrzkowice was included within town limits as a new district.[8]

Landmarks

  • Housing in the Charles's building settlement
  • Municipal Hospital buildings "Rydułtowy" ZOZ (health care service)
  • Penitential cross
  • Railway station
  • Rail tunnel
  • Scales building KWK "Rydułtowy" (coal mine)
  • St. Hyacinth's Church
  • St. George's Church

Sports

The local football team is Naprzód Rydułtowy. It competes in the lower leagues.

Twin towns – sister cities

Rydułtowy is twinned with:[9]

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 2020-03-19.
  2. ^ "Główny Urząd Statystyczny" [Central Statistical Office] (in Polish). Select Miejscowości (SIMC) tab, select fragment (min. 3 znaki), enter town name in the field below, click WYSZUKAJ (Search)
  3. ^ a b Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom X (in Polish). Warszawa. 1889. p. 83.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Arkadiusz Biernat. "Historia Rydułtów: Wyjątkowa historia, niezwykły sztandar". Rydułtowy Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 138, 141.
  6. ^ a b c d "Charlottegrube". Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Tablica ku czci ofiar hitlerowskiego terroru w Rydułtowach". Polska.travel (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  8. ^ Rozporządzenie Prezesa Rady Ministrów z dnia 8 listopada 1950 r. w sprawie nadania ustroju miejskiego niektórym gminom w województwach: katowickim i warszawskim, gromadzie Hajnówka w województwie białostockim oraz zniesienia i zmiany granic niektórych miast i gmin w województwach katowickim i białostockim., Dz. U., 1950, vol. 51, No. 472
  9. ^ "Miasta partnerskie". rydultowy.pl (in Polish). Rydułtowy. Retrieved 2020-03-19.