Głuchołazy

Głuchołazy
Main square and St. Lawrence's Church

Flag
Coat of arms
Głuchołazy
Coordinates: 50°18′47″N 17°22′27″E / 50.31306°N 17.37417°E / 50.31306; 17.37417
Country  Poland
Voivodeship Opole
County Nysa
Gmina Głuchołazy
Town rights 1327
Government
 • Mayor Edward Szupryczyński
Area
 • Total 6.83 km2 (2.64 sq mi)
Population (2016)
 • Total 13,780
 • Density 2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 48-340
Area code(s) +48 77
Car plates ONY
Website http://www.glucholazy.pl

Głuchołazy [ɡwuxɔˈwazɨ] (German: Bad Ziegenhals; Czech: Hlucholazy) is a town in southwestern Poland with approximately 13,780 inhabitants (2016). It is located within the Nysa County of Opole Voivodeship, near the border with the Czech Republic, and is the administrative seat of Gmina Głuchołazy. Głuchołazy has a canting arms - the shield features a goat's head in reference to its former German name, Ziegenhals, which literally means "goat's neck". The archaic Polish name for the town is Cygenhals.

Geography

Old Town and Upper Gate Tower, a remnant of the medieval defensive walls which surrounded the city

The town is located in the historic Upper Silesia region on the northern slopes of the Opawskie Mountains, in the valley of the Biała River. As of 2016, it has 13,780 inhabitants.

History

The settlement in the episcopal Duchy of Nysa was established about 1220 by German settlers who were called by the ruling Bishop Lawrence of Wrocław to build up a stronghold against the threatening forces of the Přemyslid margrave Vladislaus III of Moravia, brother of King Ottokar I of Bohemia. The place soon became an important site of iron ore and gold mining run by the Thurzó and Fugger families, it had received town privileges already in 1263. The town was devastated in 1428 during the Hussite Wars.

After the First Silesian War and the 1742 Treaty of Breslau the Duchy of Nysa was partitioned and Głuchołazy became a Prussian bordertown, while the adjacent area around Zlaté Hory remained with Austrian Silesia. In the 19th century it became a spa town (Bad). After World War II the remaining German population was expelled and with the implementation of the Oder-Neisse line in 1945, the area was transferred to the Republic of Poland.

Spa Park near Głuchołazy in autumn

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Głuchołazy is twinned with:

Notable people

Coordinates: 50°19′N 17°22′E / 50.317°N 17.367°E / 50.317; 17.367


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