Węgliniec

Węgliniec [vɛŋˈɡliɲɛt͡s] (German: Kohlfurt) is a town in Zgorzelec County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, close to the border with Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Węgliniec.

Węgliniec
Building of the local fire brigade
Flag Coat of arms
Węgliniec Węgliniec
Coordinates: 51°17′18″N 15°13′32″E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lower Silesian
County	Zgorzelec
Gmina	Węgliniec
Town rights	1967
Government
• Mayor	Mariusz Wieczorek
Area
• Total	8.71 km^2 (3.36 sq mi)
Population  (2019-06-30[1])
• Total	2,846
• Density	330/km^2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	59-940
Area code(s)	+48 75
Car plates	DZG
Climate	Cfb
Website	http://www.wegliniec.pl

The town lies approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) north-east of Zgorzelec, and 128 kilometres (80 mi) west of the regional capital Wrocław. As of 2019, the town has a population of 2,846.

History

Virgin Mary Queen of Poland church in Węgliniec

The oldest known historical mention of the settlement dates back to 1502 [2] in the context of medieval German Ostsiedlung, receiving the name Kohlfurt.[3] In 1742 it was annexed by Prussia. It was plundered by different armies during the Third Silesian War (1756–1763).[4] In 1846 a railway line connecting Wrocław and Berlin, running through the village, was opened.[2] In 1847 a line to Dresden was built, and in 1865 to Lubań.[2] The settlement became an important railway junction. During World War II, the Germans located there two prisoner-of-war labor subcamps and a forced labor camp.[2] Near the end of World War II, in February 1945, the almost completely abandoned village was captured by the Soviets.[4] After World War II the region was placed preliminary under Polish administration according to the post-war Potsdam Agreement. It was repopulated with Poles, some of whom were from the Eastern Borderlands, which were annexed by the Soviet Union.

Węgliniec was granted town rights in 1967.[2]

Transport

Węgliniec railway station remains a major railway junction, located on strategic passenger and freight routes between Poland and Germany, with regular cross-border passenger services to Görlitz/Dresden and a limited service to Cottbus/Berlin.

Twin towns – sister cities

See twin towns of Gmina Węgliniec.

References

1. "Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial divison in 2019. As of 30th June". stat.gov.pl. Statistics Poland. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
2. Zmiana Studium Uwarunkowań i Kierunków Zagospodarowania Przestrzennego Gminy Węgliniec (projekt), Węgliniec, 2015, p. 35 (in Polish)
3. Hugo Weczerka. Handbuch der historischen Stätten: Schlesien. 15. p. 239.
4. Krzysztof Mazurski, Z przeszłości Węglińca. „Wędrowiec. Wrocławskie zeszyty krajoznawcze”, Wrocław, 1996, p. 56-61 (in Polish)