Prószków

Prószków
Prószków Castle

Coat of arms
Prószków
Coordinates: 50°34′35″N 17°52′17″E / 50.57639°N 17.87139°E / 50.57639; 17.87139
Country  Poland
Voivodeship Opole Voivodeship
County Opole County
Gmina Prószków
Area
 • Total 16.31 km2 (6.30 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 • Total 2,713
 • Density 170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Postal code 46-060
Website http://www.proszkow.pl/

Prószków ([ˈpruʂkuf], German: Proskau) is a town in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship in southwestern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Gmina Prószków, a Polish/German bilingual commune since 2006.

Geography

St George Church

The town is located in the historic Upper Silesia region, about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Opole. As of 2013 it has 2,646 inhabitants.

On July 29, 1921 a temperature of 40.2 °C (104 °F) was recorded in the city. Since then, it is the highest temperature ever recorded in any city located in present-day Poland (the town was then a part of Germany).

History

Prószków in the Silesian Duchy of Opole was first mentioned in a 1250 deed. From the 14th century onwards the estates were held by the Proskowski (Pruskovsky von Proskau) noble family. In fact, the noble family's surname is after the name of the town. Count Jerzy (Jiri, George) Proskowski had the parish church and a Renaissance castle built in the late 16th century, which both were set ablaze by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War and had to be rebuilt in their present Baroque style after the war.

After the First Silesian War the town became part of Prussia in 1742. From 1763 Proskau Castle housed a famous Faience manufacture. The House of Dietrichstein briefly held the Proskau manor from 1769, before it was purchased by the Prussian king Frederick the Great in 1783. From 1847 the castle was used as an agronomic college, which was relocated to Berlin in 1881. The succeeding institute for pomological research, including an arboretum and extensive orchards, exists up to today.

After World War II only parts of the German population were expelled. Prószków regained a town charter in 2004, it officially adopted its German name Proskau on 30 April 2010.

The coat of arms of the town is after that of the Pruskowski (Pruskovsky) family: 1. u. 4. in Schwarz goldener, rechts springender Hirsch; 2. u. 3. von Silber und Roth gespalten je mit einem die Stollen auswärts kehrenden an der Spaltungslinie zusammenstossenden Hufeisen in verwechselten Farben.

International relations

Main square

Twin towns — Sister cities

Prószków is twinned with:

Coordinates: 50°35′N 17°52′E / 50.583°N 17.867°E / 50.583; 17.867

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