Bolków () is a town in Jawor County,

Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship (, ) in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided. It covers an area of and has a total population of 2,899,986. It is one of the wealthiest ...

, in south-western

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. It is the seat of the administrative district (

gmina The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' ) is the basic unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,479 gminy throughout the country, encompassing over 43,000 villages. 940 gminy include cities and tow ...

) called Gmina Bolków and part of the '' Neisse-Nysa-Nisa'' Euroregion.

Overview

The town lies at the Nysa Szalona River, approximately south-west of Jawor, and west of the regional capital

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

. it is located within the historic region of Lower Silesia. As of June 2021, it has a population of 4,864.

History

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Bolków was a small settlement within the fragmented Polish Kingdom, it was first mentioned as ''Hain'' and granted town rights in 1276. The oldest known mention of the Bolków Castle dates back to 1277 and the reign of Polish Duke Bolesław II Rogatka. It was significantly expanded by his son, Duke

Bolko I the Strict Bolko (Bolesław) I the Strict, also known as Bolko (Bolesław) of Jawor ( or ''Srogi'' or ''Jaworski''; 1252/56 – 9 November 1301), was a Duke of Lwówek Śląski, Lwówek 1278–81 (with his brother as co-ruler) and Duchy of Jawor, Jawor after ...

. During the reign of Bolko's successors, Bernard of Świdnica and Bolko II the Small, the castle became one of the most powerful strongholds in

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

and a treasury was also located in it. The town's current name was given by Duke Bernard of Świdnica, under whose rule it developed rapidly, to commemorate his father Duke

. In 1345 it was successfully defended by Poles during a Czech siege. It remained part of the Piast-ruled Duchy of Świdnica until its dissolution in 1392, when it was incorporated into the Czech Crown Lands of the multi-ethnic

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. In 1463 the castle was captured by the Czech King George of Poděbrady and afterwards it became the home of local bandits, before being captured by the burghers of

and

Świdnica Świdnica (; ; ) is a city on the Bystrzyca (Oder), Bystrzyca River in south-western Poland in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. As of 2021, it has a population of 55,413 inhabitants. It is the seat of Świdnica County, and also of the smaller dis ...

in 1468. Afterwards the town passed to the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

, in 1493 it was captured by Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn of the Piast dynasty, and later it came back under Czech rule. The town and castle, devastated in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, became a property of Krzeszów Abbey in 1703. During the Silesian Wars, in the mid-18th century the town was annexed by

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

and, subsequently, in 1871 became part of Germany. After

secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

, from 1810 the castle was abandoned and slowly deteriorated. Restoration efforts of the castle did not begin until 1905. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the Germans established a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp for

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

. A training camp for Jewish volunteers to Hagana was established in 1947 in Bolków. The camp trained 7000 soldiers who then traveled to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

and it existed until the end of 1948. Since 1997 the Bolków Castle is the site of the annual "Castle Party" Gothic rock

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

Sights

The most notable landmark of the town is the medieval Bolków Castle, dating back to the 13th century. Other sights include the town hall, Church of Saint Hedwig, the Market Square filled with colourful townhouses, and other historic buildings and structures. 2165viki Zamek Bolków. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg, Bolków Castle courtyard Bolków kościół św. Jadwigi 20.07.2010 p.jpg, Church of Saint Hedwig Ul. Niepodległości, Bolków (1).JPG, Niepodległości Street with the town hall in the background Bolków (0069).jpg, Baroque chapel

Notable people

* Herbert Puschmann (1920–1944),

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

pilot * Heinrich Windelen (1921–2015), German politician

Twin towns – sister cities

See twin towns of Gmina Bolków.

References

External links

*
View of the castle from the drone
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lower Silesian Voivodeship Jawor County Cities in Silesia