Debica
Encyclopedia
Dębica d is a town in southeastern Poland
with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County
. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship
; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship
(1975–1998).
, forested areas make 19%. Dębica is the seat of the county
, and the town covers 4.34% of the county's area.
, Sandomierz Voivodeship
, province of Małopolska
. Lacking fortifications that would defend it, Dębica was vulnerable to various invasions of the Tatars
, Swedes
, or Hungarians
, who burnt or ransacked the town every few years. As a result of these events, there are few historical monuments in Dębica. One of these is the Saint Jadwiga
church, originally from the 14th century, but completely rebuilt in late 19th century. Jewish settlers arrived in 1676–1690, expanding the town's population, and had a significant positive influence on the town's economy.
, Dębica found itself in the Habsburg Empire
, in newly created province of Galicia . New Austrian authorities decided that it should no longer be regarded as a town, but rather a village and renamed it Dembitz. This decision marked the decline of the town.
The bad times came to an end in the second half of the 19th century, when Austrian government decided to build a main West-East railroad
line, connecting two major urban centres of Galicja - Kraków
and Lwów
. A railroad station
was built in Dębica, and at the end of the 19th century, another, Northbound line was constructed, joining Dębica and the town of Sandomierz
, which was located on the Austrian-Russian boundary. The town became a rail junction, which was a huge boost for its citizens.
In 1900 a high school
was opened, and in 1908 students from this school founded one of the oldest sports club
s in Poland, Wisłoka (whose name comes from the River Wisłoka, which flows by the town).
Just before World War I
, Dębica was again incorporated as a town. The war was a disaster for the town, as it was almost completely destroyed. During several campaigns Dębica was occupied by Russian, Austrian, Hungarian and German troops, which fought in this area for many months. The Russians wanted to get through the Carpathian
Range towards Slovakia
, Bohemia and Hungary, the Central Powers
managed to stop them at the beginning of 1915. These events had a great impact on the town and hampered its development for many years.
(see: Kraków Voivodeship (1919-1939)), in the powiat
(county) of Ropczyce
. The economical situation of the town did not change - there was no industry, very few jobs available and surrounding villages were strongly overpopulated. This started to change in 1936, when Polish government
announced creation of Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy (Central Industrial Area). It was a huge public works
project, aimed at fighting unemployment in this overpopulated part of Poland, as well as creating heavy industry
, concentrated on production of armament.
Dębica started to develop very fast—so fast, that in 1937 the county's capital was moved here from Ropczyce. Among several factories built in the town then, the most important was "Stomil" (now it is called Tire Company "Dębica" and it belongs to the Goodyear
). Other factories were: Wytwórnia Urządzeń Chłodniczych WUCh and Zakłady Tworzyw Sztucznych "Pustków", built from scratch, together with workers' settlement, in a forest some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of Dębica.
Sometime in 1938 or 1939 works on another rail connection from Dębica to Jasło, via Pilzno
were started. Unfortunately, the Second World War
stopped this construction, and after the war it was not continued.
occupation of Dębica started on September 8, 1939. The Germans created a ghetto
for town's numerous Jewish population (est. 1561), eventually killing most of them either on the spot or in Auschwitz
. In the forested hills south of the town, strong underground forces operated, with numerous units of Armia Krajowa
(Home Army). It was too dangerous for AK's officers to stay in Dębica, thus the headquarters of a local underground district (known as "Deser") were located at a nearby village of Gumniska, located in the hilly area south of the town. Resistance fighters were very active here, often attacking the main Kraków-Lwów rail line, used by German troops. In early 1944, units of local Armia Krajowa district unsuccessfully tried to blow up a train with Hans Frank
, which was passing through the village station at Czarna, some 15 km west of Dębica. As a reprisal, on February 2, 1944, the Germans murdered 50 Poles by rail track in Dębica (also see Otto Schimek
).
Poland, Dębica again became seat of a county, but the town was moved from Kraków to Rzeszów Voivodeship
. War destruction again stopped town's development, but recovery this time was fast and based on pre-war factories. In 1975, after administrative reform, counties in Poland ceased to exist and were replaced by numerous and small Voivodeships. Dębica again was moved - this time from Rzeszów to the newly created Tarnów Voivodeship.
In the late 1970s Dębica gained importance as a centre of food and agriculture production. This was due to creation of Kombinat Rolno-Spozywczy "Igloopol", which, under an influential Communist dignitary Edward Brzostowski, developed very fast and in an impressive way. Igloopol built a huge factory and a completely new district of Dębica, with numerous condominiums, located on the northern side of rail line. The company achieved its peak in the late 1980s. After collapse of Communist regime, it was divided into several smaller firms, controlled by former Communist activists.
Dębica is now located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship
. The town bore the brunt of change of the political system
. Unemployment rate
is high, local government
has been unable to tackle this problem. Hundreds of young people have decided to leave, mainly to USA, United Kingdom
and Germany.
, World and European Championships. Other fields in which Wisłoka's athletes achieved significant achievements are: soccer, boxing, cycling and karate. The club was sponsored by Tire Company Dębica and it had its heyday in the 1970s.
Other team, Ludowy Klub Sportowy Igloopol
, was founded in 1978 and is the brainchild of a prominent activist of Polish communist party
, Edward Brzostowski. Igloopol enjoyed strong support from the local government. Brzostowski was for some time Minister of Agriculture and director of Polski Zwiazek Pilki Noznej
(Polish Football Association), so his favorite team prospered in soccer as well as in boxing, achieving significant successes. Igloopol's best years, late 1980s, are closely associated with peak of its sponsor.
Lately, both teams played in regional, Subcarpathian 4th Division, hoping to win promotion. Finally, Wisłoka achieved this goal and in the season 2006/2007 plays in the fourth group of Polish 3rd Division.
Krzysztof Penderecki
.
Other personalities connected with the town are:
, which goes from Belgium, across Germany and Poland, to Ukraine. However, the E40 is not regarded as a highway in Dębica area — it is in Western standards, just a regular, one-lane main road. However, unlike in many Polish towns and cities, the E40 traffic does not enter the centre of Dębica. In mid-1980s a by-pass road was built on southern outskirts of the town. Other Polish cities located by the E40 highway are Wrocław, Opole
, Katowice
, Kraków
, Tarnów
, Rzeszów
and Przemyśl
. Dębica is also connected with Mielec
and Tarnobrzeg
thanks to the local road number 985.
In the future, the A4 highway will run just the to the north of the city. There will be two exits from the highway for Dębica. It is expected to be completed by 2012.
with:
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County
Debica County
Dębica County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Dębica, which lies west...
. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...
; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship
Tarnów Voivodeship
Tarnów Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975–1998, superseded by Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Its capital city was Tarnów. Located in southeastern part of the country, its area was 4,151 km2....
(1975–1998).
Area
According to the 2006 data, Dębica's area is 33.81 square kilometres (13.1 sq mi). 42% is arable landArable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
, forested areas make 19%. Dębica is the seat of the county
Debica County
Dębica County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Dębica, which lies west...
, and the town covers 4.34% of the county's area.
History
Beginnings
One of the oldest documented references to this area dates back to 1293, which records a settlement by the name of 'Dambicha'. In 1358 the Polish king Kazimierz Wielki gave Świętosław Gryfita permission to construct a town, and Dębica was officially founded. For many years it was a small and unimportant place, located in the Pilzno CountyPilzno County
Pilzno County was an administrative unit of the Kingdom of Poland and later Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is unknown when it was established, probably some time in the 15th century...
, Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Sandomierz Voivodeship was a unit of administration and local government in Poland from the 14th century to the partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. It was part of the Little Poland region. Originally Sandomierz Voivodeship also covered the area around Lublin, but in 1474 its three eastern counties...
, province of Małopolska
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland is one of the historical regions of Poland, with its capital in the city of Kraków. It forms the southeastern corner of the country, and should not be confused with the modern Lesser Poland Voivodeship, which covers only a small, southern part of Lesser Poland...
. Lacking fortifications that would defend it, Dębica was vulnerable to various invasions of the Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
, Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, or Hungarians
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, who burnt or ransacked the town every few years. As a result of these events, there are few historical monuments in Dębica. One of these is the Saint Jadwiga
Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga was monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou, the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elizabeth of...
church, originally from the 14th century, but completely rebuilt in late 19th century. Jewish settlers arrived in 1676–1690, expanding the town's population, and had a significant positive influence on the town's economy.
Under Austrian rule
In 1772, following the first partition of PolandPartitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
, Dębica found itself in the Habsburg Empire
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, in newly created province of Galicia . New Austrian authorities decided that it should no longer be regarded as a town, but rather a village and renamed it Dembitz. This decision marked the decline of the town.
The bad times came to an end in the second half of the 19th century, when Austrian government decided to build a main West-East railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line, connecting two major urban centres of Galicja - Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Lwów
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. A railroad station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
was built in Dębica, and at the end of the 19th century, another, Northbound line was constructed, joining Dębica and the town of Sandomierz
Sandomierz
Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
, which was located on the Austrian-Russian boundary. The town became a rail junction, which was a huge boost for its citizens.
In 1900 a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
was opened, and in 1908 students from this school founded one of the oldest sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
s in Poland, Wisłoka (whose name comes from the River Wisłoka, which flows by the town).
Just before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Dębica was again incorporated as a town. The war was a disaster for the town, as it was almost completely destroyed. During several campaigns Dębica was occupied by Russian, Austrian, Hungarian and German troops, which fought in this area for many months. The Russians wanted to get through the Carpathian
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
Range towards Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Bohemia and Hungary, the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
managed to stop them at the beginning of 1915. These events had a great impact on the town and hampered its development for many years.
In Independent Poland
In 1918, after Poland regained independence, Dębica was included in the newly created Kraków VoivodeshipKraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...
(see: Kraków Voivodeship (1919-1939)), in the powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
(county) of Ropczyce
Ropczyce
Ropczyce is a town in Subcarpathian Voivodeship in south-eastern Poland, situated in the Valley the Wielopolka River and is inhabited by 15,098 people . It is the seat of Ropczyce-Sędziszów County.-Geography:...
. The economical situation of the town did not change - there was no industry, very few jobs available and surrounding villages were strongly overpopulated. This started to change in 1936, when Polish government
Politics of Poland
The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government of a multi-party system and the President is the head of state....
announced creation of Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy (Central Industrial Area). It was a huge public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
project, aimed at fighting unemployment in this overpopulated part of Poland, as well as creating heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
, concentrated on production of armament.
Dębica started to develop very fast—so fast, that in 1937 the county's capital was moved here from Ropczyce. Among several factories built in the town then, the most important was "Stomil" (now it is called Tire Company "Dębica" and it belongs to the Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
). Other factories were: Wytwórnia Urządzeń Chłodniczych WUCh and Zakłady Tworzyw Sztucznych "Pustków", built from scratch, together with workers' settlement, in a forest some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of Dębica.
Sometime in 1938 or 1939 works on another rail connection from Dębica to Jasło, via Pilzno
Pilzno
Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has 4,484 inhabitants . It is located at the junction of important roads - West-East European E40 Highway, and National Road 73 Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has...
were started. Unfortunately, the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
stopped this construction, and after the war it was not continued.
World War II
GermanNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupation of Dębica started on September 8, 1939. The Germans created a ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
for town's numerous Jewish population (est. 1561), eventually killing most of them either on the spot or in Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. In the forested hills south of the town, strong underground forces operated, with numerous units of Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
(Home Army). It was too dangerous for AK's officers to stay in Dębica, thus the headquarters of a local underground district (known as "Deser") were located at a nearby village of Gumniska, located in the hilly area south of the town. Resistance fighters were very active here, often attacking the main Kraków-Lwów rail line, used by German troops. In early 1944, units of local Armia Krajowa district unsuccessfully tried to blow up a train with Hans Frank
Hans Frank
Hans Michael Frank was a German lawyer who worked for the Nazi party during the 1920s and 1930s and later became a high-ranking official in Nazi Germany...
, which was passing through the village station at Czarna, some 15 km west of Dębica. As a reprisal, on February 2, 1944, the Germans murdered 50 Poles by rail track in Dębica (also see Otto Schimek
Otto Schimek
Otto Schimek was an Austrian soldier in the German Wehrmacht during World War II who served as a member of a firing squad. He was himself executed for refusing to carry out a death sentence on Poles...
).
Communist Poland
After the war, in new, CommunistCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
Poland, Dębica again became seat of a county, but the town was moved from Kraków to Rzeszów Voivodeship
Rzeszów Voivodeship
Rzeszów Voivodeship can refer to one of two political entities in Poland:Rzeszów Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government from 1975 to 1998, superseded by Podkarpackie Voivodeship...
. War destruction again stopped town's development, but recovery this time was fast and based on pre-war factories. In 1975, after administrative reform, counties in Poland ceased to exist and were replaced by numerous and small Voivodeships. Dębica again was moved - this time from Rzeszów to the newly created Tarnów Voivodeship.
In the late 1970s Dębica gained importance as a centre of food and agriculture production. This was due to creation of Kombinat Rolno-Spozywczy "Igloopol", which, under an influential Communist dignitary Edward Brzostowski, developed very fast and in an impressive way. Igloopol built a huge factory and a completely new district of Dębica, with numerous condominiums, located on the northern side of rail line. The company achieved its peak in the late 1980s. After collapse of Communist regime, it was divided into several smaller firms, controlled by former Communist activists.
Dębica is now located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...
. The town bore the brunt of change of the political system
Political system
A political system is a system of politics and government. It is usually compared to the legal system, economic system, cultural system, and other social systems...
. Unemployment rate
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
is high, local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
has been unable to tackle this problem. Hundreds of young people have decided to leave, mainly to USA, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Germany.
Sports
There are two major sports clubs in Dębica. Klub Sportowy (Sports Club) Wisłoka, founded in 1908, is one of the oldest sports organizations in the country. Wisłoka is famous for its wrestlers, who have won numerous medals in the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, World and European Championships. Other fields in which Wisłoka's athletes achieved significant achievements are: soccer, boxing, cycling and karate. The club was sponsored by Tire Company Dębica and it had its heyday in the 1970s.
Other team, Ludowy Klub Sportowy Igloopol
Igloopol Dębica
Igloopol Dębica is a Polish sports club formed by the Agro-Industrial Combine "Igloopol" in 1978 in Dębica. The club had its greatest successes in the early 90s when it played for two season in the top division of Polish football. Currently the club plays in the District class of Dębica.-External...
, was founded in 1978 and is the brainchild of a prominent activist of Polish communist party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
, Edward Brzostowski. Igloopol enjoyed strong support from the local government. Brzostowski was for some time Minister of Agriculture and director of Polski Zwiazek Pilki Noznej
Polish Football Association
The Polish Football Association is the governing body of football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues , the Polish Cup, the Polish SuperCup, the Polish League Cup, and the Polish national football team...
(Polish Football Association), so his favorite team prospered in soccer as well as in boxing, achieving significant successes. Igloopol's best years, late 1980s, are closely associated with peak of its sponsor.
Lately, both teams played in regional, Subcarpathian 4th Division, hoping to win promotion. Finally, Wisłoka achieved this goal and in the season 2006/2007 plays in the fourth group of Polish 3rd Division.
Economy
Since the mid-1930s, Dębica, in spite of its size, has been an important industrial centre of Poland. There are several companies located in the town and its proximity:- Firma Oponiarska Dębica S.A. (Tire Company Dębica), previous name - Stomil Dębica,
- Wytwornia Urzadzen Chlodniczych WUCh (Freezer Appliances Producer WUCh),
- Food companies such as Zaklady Miesne (Meatworks), Igloomeat and Animex Poludnie,
- chemical industryChemical industryThe chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
(paint producers such as Polifarb Dębica and Sniezka Brzeznica), - marble producer Jabo Marmi and brickyard Iglobud,
- bicycle maker Arkus,
- Sportatut - producer of sports nutritionals.
Famous personalities connected with Dębica
Dębica is the birthplace of 20th century composer20th century classical music
20th century classical music was without a dominant style and highly diverse.-Introduction:At the turn of the century, music was characteristically late Romantic in style. Composers such as Gustav Mahler and Jean Sibelius were pushing the bounds of Post-Romantic Symphonic writing...
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
.
Other personalities connected with the town are:
- Tadeusz Łomnicki, one of the most popular Polish actors, who attended Dębica's high school,
- Greco-RomanGreco-Roman worldThe Greco-Roman world, Greco-Roman culture, or the term Greco-Roman , when used as an adjective, as understood by modern scholars and writers, refers to those geographical regions and countries that culturally were directly, protractedly and intimately influenced by the language, culture,...
wrestlers, twins Kazimierz LipieńKazimierz LipienKazimierz Lipień was a Polish wrestler and Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. He is the twin brother of the Polish wrestler, Józef Lipień.- Olympics :...
and Józef LipieńJózef LipienJózef Lipień is an Polish wrestler , twin brother of the Polish wrestler Kazimierz Lipień.-References:***...
, who while representing Wisłoka in the 1970s, won numerous medals in various international tournaments, including the Olympic Games, - Leszek PiszLeszek PiszLeszek Pisz is a former Polish footballer who plays as a midfielder.- History :Pisz arrived to Legia Warszawa in 1986 from Igloopol Dębica. At first, he was a substitute but later he become a star of the team...
, a midfield soccer player, who started his career in Wisłoka. He played in Igloopol, Legia Warszawa, several GreekGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
teams and in Polish National Team. - Mateusz Borek, famous sports comentator.
- Władysław Strumski, Polish writer.
- Ryszard SiwiecRyszard SiwiecRyszard Siwiec was a Polish accountant, teacher and former Home Army soldier who was the first person to commit suicide by self-immolation in protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia.- Self-Immolation :...
, born in Dębica, who committed suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by self-immolationSelf-immolationSelf-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
in protest against the Soviet-led invasion of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. - Seweryn GancarczykSeweryn GancarczykSeweryn Daniel Gancarczyk is a professional Polish football player for Lech Poznań who plays as a left sided defender.- Career :Gancarczyk started to play football in his early teens, in junior teams of Podkarpacie Pustynia...
, football defenderDefender (association football)Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. - Waldemar PiatekWaldemar PiatekWaldemar Piątek is a Polish football player. He is a goalkeeper for Lech Poznań.Piątek was born on November 2, 1979 in Dębica, Poland. He started his career in Wisłoka Dębica where he played until the spring season of 2001. Then, he moved to KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, and in the spring of 2003...
, football goalkeeper. - Jerzy Żuławski, who died in Dębica and was buried there.
- Pawel Wolak, professional boxer, nicknamed "The Raging Bull."
Education
- Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki i Zarządzania in RzeszówRzeszówRzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
, branch in Dębica - University of Economics in Kraków, branch in Dębica
Transport
Dębica is located on the main west-east European highway E40European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
, which goes from Belgium, across Germany and Poland, to Ukraine. However, the E40 is not regarded as a highway in Dębica area — it is in Western standards, just a regular, one-lane main road. However, unlike in many Polish towns and cities, the E40 traffic does not enter the centre of Dębica. In mid-1980s a by-pass road was built on southern outskirts of the town. Other Polish cities located by the E40 highway are Wrocław, Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
, Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Tarnów
Tarnów
Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
, Rzeszów
Rzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
and Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
. Dębica is also connected with Mielec
Mielec
Mielec is a city in south-eastern Poland with a population of 60,979 inhabitants, as of June 2009. It is located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Rzeszów Voivodeship...
and Tarnobrzeg
Tarnobrzeg
Tarnobrzeg is a city in south-eastern Poland, on the east bank of the river Vistula, with 49,419 inhabitants, as of December 31, 2009. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship since 1999, it had previously been the capital of Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship...
thanks to the local road number 985.
In the future, the A4 highway will run just the to the north of the city. There will be two exits from the highway for Dębica. It is expected to be completed by 2012.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Dębica is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Puurs Puurs Puurs is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is located in the Flemish Region. The municipality comprises the towns of Breendonk, Liezele, Kalfort, Ruisbroek and Puurs proper. On January 1, 2006 Puurs had a total population of 16,029... in Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... Kapuvár Kapuvár Kapuvár is a small but ancient town of some 11,000 inhabitants in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary.The town is known for its thermal water which some believe has hydrotherapeutic properties. It is served by highway 85, and has a train station. It borders the Fertő-Hanság National Park,... in Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... Svishtov Svishtov Svishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romanian town of Zimnicea. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality... in Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
See also
- Public execution in Dębica (1946)Public execution in Debica (1946)Public execution in Dębica refer to the execution of four Poles from the anti-communist Freedom and Independence organization in Dębica in 1946.-Introduction:...
- Adam LazarowiczAdam LazarowiczMajor Adam Lazarowicz was a Polish military officer who played a prominent role in the Polish resistance movement in the German-occupied Poland in the Second World War.After the war, Lazarowicz remained in hiding and become a member of the anti-Communist organization Wolnosc i Niezawislosc...
- 1985 Zieliński brothers escape1985 Zielinski brothers escapeIn 1985, two teenage brothers from the village of Żyraków , southeastern Poland, decided to flee Communist-controlled Poland. Hidden under a TIR truck, they managed to get to Sweden...