Jaworzno - History

History

In the Middle Ages, a gord was established on the Grodzisko hill, traces of which can still be found. First known mention of Jaworzno comes from the year 1229, and in 1335, a parish church of St. Wojciech existed here. Jaworzno remained a small village, located in western Lesser Poland, near much larger and more important town of Chrzanow. Since 1179, the nearby Przemsza river marked the border between Lesser Poland and Silesia. It also remained a state border of Poland until 1922. The area of Jaworzno was originally under the rule of the bishops of Kraków. After Austria seized Silesia at the end of the 17th century, several coal mines were developed near Jaworzno. In the 18th century, deposits of silver, lead, iron and zinc were found here. In 1767, first coal mine in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was opened in Szczakowa.

After the Partitions of Poland Jaworzno belonged to the Habsburg Empire. In 1809 - 1815 it was part of the Duchy of Warsaw, and in 1815-1846, it belonged to the Free City of Krakow, which in 1846 was annexed by the Austrian Empire. Jaworzno remained in Austrian Galicia until November 1918. In the 19th century, the village became famous for the so-called Three Emperors' Corner, where borders of three powers met (German Empire, Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary). In 1847, Jaworzno’s district of Szczakowa received first rail connection, on a line from Prussian Upper Silesia to Krakow. The village became one of centers of industrialization. A power plant was opened in 1898, and Jaworzno’s coal mines extracted 84% of Galician coal. Several new factories were established here in the late 19th and early 20 century. As a result, on September 21, 1901, Emperor Franz Joseph I granted town charter to Jaworzno.

In the Second Polish Republic, Jaworzno belonged to Krakow Voivodeship, in which it also remained after the war, until 1975. During the Second World War SS-Lager Dachsgrube, a branch of the German concentration camp of Auschwitz, was established there. This was converted into Central Labour Camp Jaworzno after the war. It was also a location of several POW camps for the Western Allies. In the People's Republic of Poland Jaworzno developed as an important center of industry. Its population quickly grew, when thousands of migrants came here in search of work at coal mines, power plants and other factories. Furthermore, several villages were annexed by Jaworzno. As a result, Jaworzno’s area reaches 152 sq. kilometers. For unknown reason, in 1975 the city became part of Katowice Voivodeship. Despite the fact that most towns of pre-1975 Chrzanow County returned to Lesser Poland, Jaworzno was attached to the Silesian Voivodeship (1999).