Strzeleczki
Encyclopedia
Strzeleczki s, German Klein Strehlitz is a village
in Krapkowice County
, Opole Voivodeship
, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina
(administrative district) called Gmina Strzeleczki
(Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz). It lies approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of Krapkowice
and 23 km (14 mi) south of the regional capital Opole
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany (see Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
). Since 2006 the village, like the entire county, has been officially bilingual in German and Polish.
The village has a population of 1,598. The village has one of the highest concentrations of Germans in Poland, with 18 of 20 seats on the municipal council filled by Germans.
.
The town received German town law
in 1327; by this point the village was already quite large with a parish church, and since 1375 a school functioned in the village - one of the oldest in Upper Silesia. On March 13, 1428, the village was looted and burned by the Hussite
s. The city was again destroyed by Swedish forces during the 30 Years War in 1642.
In 1742 Klein Strehlitz came under Prussian control. In 1750 the village lost its town rights. When the Archipresbyteriate of Oberglogau was divided, Klein Strehlitz was left with a dean, and until today there is a small deanery in the town. The inhabitants of Klein Strehlitz were always Catholic; in the census of 1861, there were 1370 Catholics, 13 Protestants, and 15 Jews. Before they died out in 1769 the town belonged to the counts of Proskau, passing then to the counts of Schelitz, and then in 1789 to the Prussian state. Until 1945 it belonged to the district of Landkreis Neustadt O.S.
In the Upper Silesia plebiscite
of 20 March 1921 1381 villagers voted to remain with Germany and 198 voted to join the newly created state of Poland. As a result, Klein Strehlitz remained in Germany. In 1939 the village had 1875 inhabitants.
In 1945 Silesia was given to Poland and the German population of Klein Strehlitz was largely expelled. The village was renamed Strzeleczki and annexed to the newly created Silesian Voivodeship
. In 1950 it was reassigned to Opole Voivodeship
, and in 1999 reassigned from Prudnik County (formerly Neustadt O.S.) to Krapkowice County. On 17 May 2006 the entire commune of Strzelecki/Klein Strehlitz was declared bilingual in German and Polish, and on 24 November 2008 the old name German name Klein Strehlitz was also made official.
The coat of arms of the town most likely comes from the Barons of Promnitz-Pless. The current emblem is based on a drawing made by Heraldic artist Otto Hupp
in 1898.
There is a war memorial in the center of the town that commemorates the soldiers from Klein Strehlitz who died in World Wars I and II.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Krapkowice County
Krapkowice County
Krapkowice County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Opole Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Krapkowice, which lies ...
, Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...
, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
(administrative district) called Gmina Strzeleczki
Gmina Strzeleczki
Gmina Strzeleczki, German Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz is a rural gmina in Krapkowice County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the village of Strzeleczki , which lies approximately west of Krapkowice and south of the regional capital Opole.The gmina covers an area of , and as...
(Gemeinde Klein Strehlitz). It lies approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of Krapkowice
Krapkowice
Krapkowice is a town in south-western Poland with 17,840 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship, straddling both banks of the Oder River at the point where it joins with the Osobłoga. It is the regional capital of Krapkowice County....
and 23 km (14 mi) south of the regional capital Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany (see Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
Territorial changes of Poland after World War II
The territorial changes of Poland after World War II were very extensive. In 1945, following the Second World War, Poland's borders were redrawn following the decisions made at the Potsdam Conference of 1945 at the insistence of the Soviet Union...
). Since 2006 the village, like the entire county, has been officially bilingual in German and Polish.
The village has a population of 1,598. The village has one of the highest concentrations of Germans in Poland, with 18 of 20 seats on the municipal council filled by Germans.
History
This ancient market town was probably founded in the mid 13th century, around the year 1250; the first documentary mention dates to the year 1327. Its name, first recorded as Strelicz is thought to derive from a Slavic word for "archers". In 1531 the town's name was recorded in a Latin form as Parva Streletz, and in 1535 as Klein Streletz in German. This was to distinguish it from the nearby town of (Groß) StrehlitzStrzelce Opolskie
Strzelce Opolskie is a town in south-western Poland with 19,628 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Strzelce County. Strzelce Opolskie is one of the biggest centers of German minority in Poland....
.
The town received German town law
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1327; by this point the village was already quite large with a parish church, and since 1375 a school functioned in the village - one of the oldest in Upper Silesia. On March 13, 1428, the village was looted and burned by the Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
s. The city was again destroyed by Swedish forces during the 30 Years War in 1642.
In 1742 Klein Strehlitz came under Prussian control. In 1750 the village lost its town rights. When the Archipresbyteriate of Oberglogau was divided, Klein Strehlitz was left with a dean, and until today there is a small deanery in the town. The inhabitants of Klein Strehlitz were always Catholic; in the census of 1861, there were 1370 Catholics, 13 Protestants, and 15 Jews. Before they died out in 1769 the town belonged to the counts of Proskau, passing then to the counts of Schelitz, and then in 1789 to the Prussian state. Until 1945 it belonged to the district of Landkreis Neustadt O.S.
In the Upper Silesia plebiscite
Upper Silesia plebiscite
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a border referendum mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out in March 1921 to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland. The region was ethnically mixed, chiefly among Germans, Poles and Silesians. According to prewar statistics,...
of 20 March 1921 1381 villagers voted to remain with Germany and 198 voted to join the newly created state of Poland. As a result, Klein Strehlitz remained in Germany. In 1939 the village had 1875 inhabitants.
In 1945 Silesia was given to Poland and the German population of Klein Strehlitz was largely expelled. The village was renamed Strzeleczki and annexed to the newly created Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...
. In 1950 it was reassigned to Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Opole Voivodeship is divided into 12 counties : 1 city county and 11 land counties. These are further divided into 71 gminas.The counties are listed in the following table .- Economy :...
, and in 1999 reassigned from Prudnik County (formerly Neustadt O.S.) to Krapkowice County. On 17 May 2006 the entire commune of Strzelecki/Klein Strehlitz was declared bilingual in German and Polish, and on 24 November 2008 the old name German name Klein Strehlitz was also made official.
The coat of arms of the town most likely comes from the Barons of Promnitz-Pless. The current emblem is based on a drawing made by Heraldic artist Otto Hupp
Otto Hupp
Otto Hupp was a German graphical artist. His main working area was heraldry, yet he also worked as a typeface designer, creating commercial symbols and metal works....
in 1898.
There is a war memorial in the center of the town that commemorates the soldiers from Klein Strehlitz who died in World Wars I and II.