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Concept
Oświęcim
Summary
Oświęcim (ɔˈɕfjɛɲtɕim; Auschwitz ˈaʊʃvɪts; Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland (Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (Wisła) and Soła rivers. The city is known internationally for being the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp (the camp is also known as KL or KZ Auschwitz Birkenau) during World War II, when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany.
The name of the city is of Polish/Slavic extraction, possibly derived from the owner of a Slavic gord which existed there in the Middle Ages. Some Medieval spellings of the name are: Oswenin (1217 r.), Osvencin (1280 r.), Hospencin (1283 r.), Osswetem (1290 r.), Uspencin (1297 r.), Oswentim (1302 r.) etc. It has been spelled many different ways and known by many different languages over time, including Czech, German, and Latinised versions.
The town was an important center of commerce from the late Middle Ages onward. Fourteenth-century German-speaking merchants called it Auswintz; by the 15th century, this name had become Auschwitz. From 1772 to 1918 Oświęcim belonged to the Habsburg the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria (from 1804 a crownland of the Austrian Empire and 1867 Austria-Hungary), and both Polish and German names were in official use. The town was annexed into Nazi Germany during World War II and the name Auschwitz was used. It became known as Oświęcim after 27 January 1945, when the Wehrmacht was pushed out by the Red Army.
Oświęcim lies at the intersection of National Road 44 and local roads 933 and 948. Oświęcim's old town is east of the Soła, with the Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) at its center. The railway station is across the river in the northwest part of town; the main museum is on the west side. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is in the village of Brzezinka, to the west of the railway station. The chemical works are east of the town.
The main bus station of the town lies in the east of the town, and local bus services are operated by PKS Oświęcim.
Official source
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