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Wołów (, ) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Wołów County and Gmina Wołów. It lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Wrocław. , the town has a population of 12,373. It is part of the larger Wrocław metropolitan area.
The Protestant Reformation was introduced to the town in 1522 by duke Frederick II of Legnica, Frederick II. After the extinction of the local Piasts the duchy passed to the House of Habsburg, which opposed the Protestant denomination in the town, as part of the Counter-Reformation. In 1682 the town's parish church was closed and given to the Catholics. According to the Treaty of Altranstädt (1707), Treaty of Altranstädt the church however was already returned to the Protestants in 1707 and stayed Protestant until 1945. The small Catholic minority in return received a Josephinian curacy.Weczerka, p.571
In 1742 Wołów was annexed by Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia. The duchy was divided into two districts and the town became county seat of one of the districts. The structure of the town was, until 1700, defined by craft, especially clothiers. As the seat of a duchy and a district administrative function however became more and more important. The industrialization played only a minor role and mostly affected smaller companies of the timber industry. In 1781 the city suffered a fire.
The town was part of Germany from 1871 to 1945. During World War I, the Germans operated a forced labour camp for Allies of World War I, Allied World War I prisoners of war in Germany, prisoners of war in the town. During World War II, the Germans operated a youth prison in the town, with multiple Forced labour under German rule during World War II, forced labour subcamps in the region, including one in the town itself. In 1943–1945, the Germans carried out mass executions of Allies of World War II, Allied prisoners of war in the forest in the present-day district of Gancarz. In January 1945 – just before town was taken by the Red Army – the Wehrmacht evacuated the German people, German population westwards. After Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II, the town became again part of Poland. The totality of the town's previous population was Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II, expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.
Deportation of Germans from the surrounding villages proceeded in 1945-46. Often, the local mayor announced at eve that families were to show up for deportation the next morning. Very often, the victims' luggage was plundered.
In 1962, the town was the site of the Wołów bank robbery, one of the largest bank robberies in Poland.
Official site of Wołów
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lower Silesian Voivodeship Populated riverside places in Poland Wołów County Sites of Nazi war crimes in Poland
Etymology
The town's name is derived from the Polish language, Polish word ''wół'' ("ox").History
The area around Wołów has been settled since prehistoric times. It became part of the emerging Polish state in the late 10th century under Mieszko I of Poland. The town was first mentioned in 1157 when a wooden castle founded by Rulers of Poland, Senior Duke of Poland Władysław II the Exile is documented, which developed into a castle complex, which was again mentioned in 1202. Two villages developed near the castle, one of them called Wołowo. Probably in the second half of the 13th century the town was founded near Wołowo and partially on the soil of the second village.Weczerka, p.570 Wołów received Magdeburg rights, Magdeburg town rights about 1285 at the time of German Ostsiedlung in the region; a Vogt is mentioned in 1288. At that time Wołów belonged to the Duchy of Głogów, after 1312 to the Duchy of Oleśnica. With the duchy it came under the suzerainty of Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemia in 1328. Since the 15th century, the town was a center of clothmaking. From 1473 dates the oldest known seal of the town, which already shows an ox, as do all later seals. Wołów was ruled by local Polish dukes until 1492, and soon after, in 1495, it came into the possession of the Czechs, Czech Podiebrad family, then in 1517 it came into the hands the Hungarians, Hungarian magnate Thurzó, Johann Thurzó, before returning to Piast dynasty, Piast rule in 1523, by passing to the Duchy of Legnica. It remained there until the Piast dynasty, Piast dukes of Legnica-Brzeg-Wołów died out in 1675. As a result of the Thirty Years' War, the town's population fell by half.
The Protestant Reformation was introduced to the town in 1522 by duke Frederick II of Legnica, Frederick II. After the extinction of the local Piasts the duchy passed to the House of Habsburg, which opposed the Protestant denomination in the town, as part of the Counter-Reformation. In 1682 the town's parish church was closed and given to the Catholics. According to the Treaty of Altranstädt (1707), Treaty of Altranstädt the church however was already returned to the Protestants in 1707 and stayed Protestant until 1945. The small Catholic minority in return received a Josephinian curacy.Weczerka, p.571
In 1742 Wołów was annexed by Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia. The duchy was divided into two districts and the town became county seat of one of the districts. The structure of the town was, until 1700, defined by craft, especially clothiers. As the seat of a duchy and a district administrative function however became more and more important. The industrialization played only a minor role and mostly affected smaller companies of the timber industry. In 1781 the city suffered a fire.
The town was part of Germany from 1871 to 1945. During World War I, the Germans operated a forced labour camp for Allies of World War I, Allied World War I prisoners of war in Germany, prisoners of war in the town. During World War II, the Germans operated a youth prison in the town, with multiple Forced labour under German rule during World War II, forced labour subcamps in the region, including one in the town itself. In 1943–1945, the Germans carried out mass executions of Allies of World War II, Allied prisoners of war in the forest in the present-day district of Gancarz. In January 1945 – just before town was taken by the Red Army – the Wehrmacht evacuated the German people, German population westwards. After Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II, the town became again part of Poland. The totality of the town's previous population was Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II, expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.
Deportation of Germans from the surrounding villages proceeded in 1945-46. Often, the local mayor announced at eve that families were to show up for deportation the next morning. Very often, the victims' luggage was plundered.
In 1962, the town was the site of the Wołów bank robbery, one of the largest bank robberies in Poland.
Sports
The local Association football, football team is MKP Wołów. It competes in the lower leagues.Notable people
*Jan II the Mad (1435–1504), Polish House of Silesian Piasts dynasty Duke of Żagań-Przewóz since 1439, died in Wołów and was buried in the local parish church *Maria Cunitz (1610–1664), astronomer, the most notable female astronomer of the early modern era *Oskar Müller (1896–1970), German politician *Mirosław Hermaszewski (1941-2022), first (and to this day remains the only) Polish national in spaceTwin towns – sister cities
See Gmina Wołów#Twin towns – sister cities, twin towns of Gmina Wołów.References
External links
Official site of Wołów
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lower Silesian Voivodeship Populated riverside places in Poland Wołów County Sites of Nazi war crimes in Poland