Rybarzowice (german: Reibersdorf) is a former village in the administrative district of Gmina Bogatynia, within Zgorzelec County,

Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province, in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided. The voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Wrocław, Legnica, Wałbrz ...

, in south-western

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, close to the Czech and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

borders. The village ceased to exist after 2000, when the last house was demolished. It was situated approximately south-west of Bogatynia, south of Zgorzelec, and west of the regional capital

Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...

. Until 1945 Reibersdorf formed part of

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

. In June 1945 the 1,300 inhabitants were expelled westwards beyond the river Neisse and Poland seized the area. After 1945, the manor was turned into a state-owned farm. After 1956, the palace was displaced and left as a vacancy as part of the "war with the kulaks", gradually devastating according to top-down guidelines. Most of the inhabitants of Rybarzowice worked at the nearby lignite mine and Turów Power Plant. The youth found entertainment in the Village Culture Centre, where there was a common room with a spacious hall and stage. The Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Village Housewives' Circle and many other organizations of the active Rybnik community were active. Rybarzowice and several other nearby towns fell victim to the lignite mining technology implemented by the

Turów coal mine The Turów coal mine ( pl, Kopalnia Węgla Brunatnego Turów S.A.) or KWB Turów, is a large open pit mine in the southwest of Poland, located outside Bogatynia, Lower Silesia. It feeds the nearby Turów Power Station. The mine is scheduled to be s ...

. In 1966, Rybarzowice was inhabited by about 1,500 inhabitants, and then a gradual displacement began, caused by the ongoing expansion of the mine. On July 25, 2000, the last house was demolished. The centuries-old material, cultural and all other achievements of numerous generations of the inhabitants of Reibersdorf and then of Rybarzowice ceased to exist forever. The last buildings in the village were demolished in 2000, as a result of the expansion of

lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...

mining operations in the area.

References

Rybarzowice Former populated places in Poland {{Zgorzelec-geo-stub