Łąka Prudnicka is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in the administrative district of Gmina Prudnik, within

Prudnik County __NOTOC__ Prudnik County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Opole Voivodeship, south-western Poland, on the Czech border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government ref ...

Opole Voivodeship Opole Voivodeship ( , , ), is the smallest and least populated voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province's name derives from that of the region's capital and largest city, Opole. It is part of Silesia. A relatively lar ...

, in southern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, close to the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

border. It lies approximately west of

Prudnik Prudnik (, , , ) is a town in southern Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship near the border with the Czech Republic. It is the administrative seat of Prudnik County and Gmina Prudnik. Its population numbers 21,368 inhabitant ...

and south-west of the regional capital

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

Geography

Łąka Prudnicka is located in the historic

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

(

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...

) region at the Złoty Potok river. The village is situated on the border of Opawskie Mountains and the

Silesian Lowlands Silesian Lowlands (or Silesian Plains, , , ) are lowlands located in Silesia, Poland in Central Europe. A small part is located in the Czech Republic. The Silesian ridge runs through northern Silesia from west-northwest to east-southeast and adjo ...

History

Łąka Prudnicka was founded as a '' Waldhufendorf'' in the second half of the 13th century within medieval

Piast The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King Casimir III the Great. Branches of ...

-ruled Poland and settled by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

colonists. It was first mentioned in 1481. After the

First Silesian War The First Silesian War () was a war between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Habsburg monarchy, Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. The ...

in 1742, Łąka Prudnicka along with most of Silesia was taken over by

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

1903 - Powodz w Lace Prudnickiej 902454 Fotopolska-Eu

After the reorganization of the

province of Silesia The Province of Silesia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1742 and established as an official province in 1815, then became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1919, as ...

, the rural community of Łąka Prudnicka belonged to the Landkreis Neustadt O.S. from 1816 onwards, in the Regierungsbezirk Oppeln. According to Johann Georg Knie, in 1845 there was a castle, an advanced work, two hereditary village leaders, a brewery, a distillery, a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

school, a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

school and 244 houses in the village. In the same year, 1,670 people lived in Łąka Prudnicka, of which 310 were Protestants and 4 were

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

. In 1855, 1,707 people lived in Łąka Prudnicka. In 1865 there were 54 farmers, 21 gardeners and 12 cottagers as well as a brewery, a distillery, two schools, two water mills and five bars. The Catholic residents belonged to the parish in Moszczanka, the Protestant residents belonged to the parish in Prudnik. The Catholic school was attended by 240 students in 1865, while the Protestant school had 104 students. In 1874 the administrative district of Łąka Prudnicka (''Landgemeinden Wiese Gräflich'') was founded, which consisted of the rural communities of Łąka Prudnicka and the manor district of Łąka Prudnicka. The first head of office was the landowner Herrmann von Choltitz. In 1885, Łąka Prudnicka had 2025 inhabitants. In 1903, a flood destroyed some parts of the village. In 1933 there were 2,226 people in Łąka Prudnicka and 2,105 in 1939. Five Polish citizens were murdered by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

in the village during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Until 1945 the village belonged to the Landkreis Neustadt O.S. After the end defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, the village became again part of

and was renamed ''Łąka Prudnicka.'' It joined the Śląsko-Dąbrowskie Voivodeship. Since 1950 it is administratively located in

, and since 1999 it is in

Cultural heritage monuments

The following monuments are listed by the

Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa The National Institute of Cultural Heritage of Poland () is a Polish governmental institution responsible for documenting cultural property and the intangible cultural heritage, as well as for supporting and coordinating their protection.

. * wayside shrine from the 19th century * castle from the 15th century * park

Notable people

Dietrich von Choltitz Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (; 9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was a German general. Sometimes referred to as the Saviour of Paris, he served in the Wehrmacht (armed forces) of Nazi Germany during World War II, as well as serving i ...

(1894–1966), German General

References

{{Authority control Populated riverside places in Poland Villages in Prudnik County Sites of Nazi war crimes in Poland

Geography

History

Cultural heritage monuments

Notable people

See also

References