Wadowice

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wadowice is a town in southern Poland, 50km from Krakow with 19,500 inhabitants (2001), situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Plateau (Pog?rze ?laskie). Wadowice is famous as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II (1920).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first permanent settlement in the area of today's Wadowice was founded in late 10th century or early 11th century. According to a local legend, the town was founded by certain Wad or W?ad, a short form for the Slavic name of Ladislaus. The town is first mentioned as Wadowicze in St. Peter penny register in years 1325-1327. In 1327 it is also mentioned (under the same name) in a fief registry sent from prince John I Scholastyk of O?wi?cim to Bohemian king John I, Count of Luxemburg. At this time it was a trading settlement belonging to the Dukes of Silesia of the Piast Dynasty, and according to some historians it was already a municipality. In 1430 a great fire destroyed the town. It was soon rebuilt and granted city rights, along with a city charter and a self-government, based on the then-popular Che?mno Law. The privileges, granted by Prince Kazimierz I of O?wi?cim led to a period of fast reconstruction and growth.

Skawa: Skawa is a river in southern Poland....

Vistula: The Vistula (Polish: Wis?a) is the longest river in Poland. It is 1,047 kilometers (678 miles) long and drains about 192,000 square kilometers (74,000 sq. miles), or almost two thirds of Poland's surface....

Pope: :This entry is about the Catholic Pontiff. For other uses of the word, see Pope (disambiguation)....