Rydułtowy [rɨduu̯ˈtɔvɨ] (German: Rydultau) is a town in southern Poland, in the Wodzisław County of the Silesian Voivodeship. Rydułtowy is in the south-western part of the Silesian Highland, on the Rybnik Plateau, in the Oświęcim-Racibórz Valley.
Rydułtowy | |
|---|---|
 Market Square in Rydułtowy | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Rydułtowy Location of Rydułtowy in Poland | |
| Coordinates: 50°3′30″N 18°25′0″E / 50.05833°N 18.41667°E | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Silesian |
| County | Wodzisław |
| Gmina | Rydułtowy (urban gmina) |
| First mentioned | 1228 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marcin Połomski |
| Area | |
• Total | 15 km2 (6 sq mi) |
| Population (2019-06-30[1]) | |
• Total | 21,616 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 44-280 |
| Vehicle registration | SWD |
| Voivodeship roads |  |
| Website | http://www.rydultowy.pl |
A mining town, Rydułtowy has been closely bound with the 200-year-old "Rydułtowy-Anna" coal mine.
History
editRydułtowy 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.[2] In the late 19th century, the main occupation of the population was farming and coal mining.[2] In 1923, the first Polish scout troop of Rydułtowy was founded.[3] 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,[3] 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).[4] The Germans operated five forced labour camps in Rydułtowy, including a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp.[5] The prisoners of the camps were initially Poles from nearby settlements, and then also French, English and Soviet prisoners of war.[6] Over 1,000 mostly Jewish prisoners were held in the subcamp of Auschwitz.[5] Prisoners unable to continue labour were sent back to Auschwitz and gassed there,[6] while over 50 prisoners died in the subcamp itself, also by suicide.[5] In January 1945, the Germans evacuated the prisoners on foot to Wodzisław Śląski, and then deported them to the Mauthausen concentration camp.[5]
In 1951, Rydułtowy was granted town rights, and the neighboring settlement of Pietrzkowice was included within town limits as a new district.[7]
Landmarks
edit- 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
editThe local football team is Naprzód Rydułtowy. It competes in the lower leagues.
Twin towns – sister cities
edit
References
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ 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) - ^ a b Arkadiusz Biernat. "Historia Rydułtów: Wyjątkowa historia, niezwykły sztandar". Rydułtowy Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 138, 141.
- ^ a b c d "Charlottegrube". Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Tablica ku czci ofiar hitlerowskiego terroru w Rydułtowach". Polska.travel (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Miasta partnerskie". rydultowy.pl (in Polish). Rydułtowy. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
External links
edit- Jewish Community in Rydułtowy on Virtual Shtetl
