Swieradów-Zdrój
Encyclopedia
Świeradów-Zdrój ś is a spa town
in Lubań County
, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
, in south-western Poland
near the border with the Czech Republic
. The town is located in the Kwisa
valley of the Jizera Mountains
, a part of the Sudetes range. It lies approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Lubań
, and 123 kilometres (76 mi) west of the regional capital Wrocław.
Świeradów received its town privileges
in 1946. As at 2006, it has a population of 4,554.
. The oldest record concerning Świeradów, which in fact related to the tavern "Fegebeutel" from which the local settlement of shepherds and lumbermen was named, comes from 1337, while Flinsberg was first documented in 1559. It was located on the eastern slope of the Smrk
massif, at the tripoint of historic Silesia
with the Bohemia
n and Upper Lusatia
n regions.
Exceptional properties of Świeradów mineral spring
s were suspected as early as the 16th century. In 1572, the Swiss
doctor Leonard Thurneysser, private physician of Elector John George of Brandenburg
wrote for the first time about the discovery of the exoraordinary features of the local healing waters. They were described by the Protestant reformer Caspar Schwenckfeld about 1600, and Fryderyk Luca also wrote about them in 1683 in his Silesian chronicle. The area was heavily devastated during the Thirty Years' War
, at first by Imperial
troops under General Ottavio Piccolomini, then by Swedish
forces in the course of the seize of nearby Gryf
Castle.
A century later the land owners of the Schaffgotsch
noble family established a special commission to gather scientific evidence and describe the healing effects of the Świeradów waters. The commission settled that the water “…agitates appetite, inhibits vomiting, eases anxiety states, stomach and liver illnesses”. The health resort started to develop in 1768 when the owners of land built the first spa house. The peak of health resort development occurred in the twenties of 20th century. Direct railway connection to Friedeberg
operating since 1909 opened Świeradów to the world and contributed to full prosperity of the spa town.
In 1945 Bad Flinsberg was occupied by the Red Army
and its German population expelled
. As part of the Republic of Poland
, the health resort resumed its activity on 26 May 1946. It merged with neighbouring Czerniawa Zdrój (Bad Schwarzbach) in 1973.
In 1945, Bad Flinsberg became Wieniec-Zdrój. It was the first name of that town in the Polish language after the war, coming from the Polish word ‘wieniec’ (wreath), related to hills surrounding the valley from all directions. The wreath consists of Vulture Mountain (829 m a.s.l.) in the east, Zajęcznik (595 m a.s.l.) in the north, Stóg Izerski (1107 m a.s.l.) in the south-west and Opaleniec (821 m a.s.l.) in the west. Finally, however, it was decided that the town will be called Świeradów-Zdrój - since 1946. The etymology of the name is ambiguous and two explanations can be found. One explanation says that the name derived from a combination of two words: świerk (spruce
) and radon
without which the spa would not exist, and the other one mentions Saint Andrew Świerad, who came here from Slovakia
about the year 1000.
, radon and mud bath
treatments of rheumatism
and other adult diseases.
In 2008, a gondola was opened as the fourth such ski lift in Poland improving the position of Świeradów as a winter ski resort.
, Denmark
Seifhennersdorf
, Germany
Jindřichovice pod Smrkem
, Czech Republic
Jilemnice
, Czech Republic
Mirsk
, Poland
Nové Město pod Smrkem
, Czech Republic
Lázně Libverda
, Czech Republic
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in Lubań County
Luban County
Lubań County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. The county covers an area of . Its administrative seat and...
, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
, in south-western Poland
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...
near the border with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The town is located in the Kwisa
Kwisa
The Kwisa is a river in south-western Poland, a left tributary of the Bóbr, which itself is a left tributary of the Oder river.It rises in the Izera Mountains, part of the Western Sudetes range, where it runs along the border with the Czech Republic...
valley of the Jizera Mountains
Jizera Mountains
Jizera Mountains , or Izera Mountains, are part of the Western Sudetes on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. The major part is formed from granite, with some areas formed from basalt. The mountains got their name from the Jizera River, which rises at the southern base of Smrk...
, a part of the Sudetes range. It lies approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Lubań
Luban
Lubań is a town in southwest Poland north of the Jizera Mountains on the Kwisa river, with 22,137 inhabitants . Situated within the historic Upper Lusatia region, it today belongs to the Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
, and 123 kilometres (76 mi) west of the regional capital Wrocław.
Świeradów received its town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
in 1946. As at 2006, it has a population of 4,554.
History
First mentioned in 1524, the settlement was probably founded at the end of 13th or the beginning of 14th century in the Lower Silesian Duchy of JaworDuchy of Jawor
Duchy of Jawor was one of the Duchies of Silesia, with a capital in Jawor. It was created in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica in Lower Silesia under the rule of Henry V the Fat, the eldest son of Duke Bolesław II the Bald...
. The oldest record concerning Świeradów, which in fact related to the tavern "Fegebeutel" from which the local settlement of shepherds and lumbermen was named, comes from 1337, while Flinsberg was first documented in 1559. It was located on the eastern slope of the Smrk
Smrk (Jizera)
Smrk is the highest mountain in the Jizera Mountains of the Czech Republic at . "The King of the Jizera mountains" lies south of Nové Město pod Smrkem...
massif, at the tripoint of historic Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
with the Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n and Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
n regions.
Exceptional properties of Świeradów mineral spring
Mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce water containing minerals, or other dissolved substances, that alter its taste or give it a purported therapeutic value...
s were suspected as early as the 16th century. In 1572, the Swiss
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
doctor Leonard Thurneysser, private physician of Elector John George of Brandenburg
John George, Elector of Brandenburg
John George of Brandenburg was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia...
wrote for the first time about the discovery of the exoraordinary features of the local healing waters. They were described by the Protestant reformer Caspar Schwenckfeld about 1600, and Fryderyk Luca also wrote about them in 1683 in his Silesian chronicle. The area was heavily devastated during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, at first by Imperial
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
troops under General Ottavio Piccolomini, then by Swedish
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
forces in the course of the seize of nearby Gryf
Gryfów Slaski
Gryfów Śląski is a town in Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Gryfów Śląski. As at 2006, the town has a population of 7,128. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany.The town is located between Zgorzelec...
Castle.
A century later the land owners of the Schaffgotsch
House of Schaffgotsch
The Schaffgotsch family is one of the oldest noble Silesian families extant, dating back to the thirteenth century. They were first mentioned in the St. Gallen book of documents in 804 and 809, when they were domiciled in the Margraviate of Meissen, Franconia, and the Tyrol...
noble family established a special commission to gather scientific evidence and describe the healing effects of the Świeradów waters. The commission settled that the water “…agitates appetite, inhibits vomiting, eases anxiety states, stomach and liver illnesses”. The health resort started to develop in 1768 when the owners of land built the first spa house. The peak of health resort development occurred in the twenties of 20th century. Direct railway connection to Friedeberg
Mirsk
Mirsk is a town in Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Mirsk, close to the Czech border...
operating since 1909 opened Świeradów to the world and contributed to full prosperity of the spa town.
In 1945 Bad Flinsberg was occupied by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and its German population expelled
Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland was the largest of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans in Europe during and after World War II...
. As part of the Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
, the health resort resumed its activity on 26 May 1946. It merged with neighbouring Czerniawa Zdrój (Bad Schwarzbach) in 1973.
From Fegebeutel to Świeradów-Zdrój
Świeradów-Zdrój has an exceptionally rich acquisition of names. This eventful history begins with the German name Fegebeutel, which meant ‘a place where your purse will be cleaned’ (Czyścisakwa in Polish). The name was given to the tavern situated here and the nearby settlement. Then, the name was changed to Flinsberg. The origin of that word may be sought in the pantheon of pagan gods of Lusatians. One of them was Flins.In 1945, Bad Flinsberg became Wieniec-Zdrój. It was the first name of that town in the Polish language after the war, coming from the Polish word ‘wieniec’ (wreath), related to hills surrounding the valley from all directions. The wreath consists of Vulture Mountain (829 m a.s.l.) in the east, Zajęcznik (595 m a.s.l.) in the north, Stóg Izerski (1107 m a.s.l.) in the south-west and Opaleniec (821 m a.s.l.) in the west. Finally, however, it was decided that the town will be called Świeradów-Zdrój - since 1946. The etymology of the name is ambiguous and two explanations can be found. One explanation says that the name derived from a combination of two words: świerk (spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
) and radon
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
without which the spa would not exist, and the other one mentions Saint Andrew Świerad, who came here from 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...
about the year 1000.
Balneotherapy and recreation
The kurhaus built in 1899 offers mineral waterMineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
, radon and mud bath
Mud bath
A mud bath is a bath of mud, commonly from areas where hot spring water can combine with volcanic ash. Mud baths have existed for thousands of years, and can be found now in high-end spas in many countries of the world....
treatments of rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
and other adult diseases.
In 2008, a gondola was opened as the fourth such ski lift in Poland improving the position of Świeradów as a winter ski resort.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Świeradów-Zdrój is twinned with: OdderOdder
Odder is a town in the Odder municipality just south of Aarhus, located in Region Midtjylland. Odder is more or less a satellite town of Aarhus today and with a population of 11,375...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Seifhennersdorf
Seifhennersdorf
Seifhennersdorf is a town in the district Görlitz, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the border with the Czech Republic, and the Czech towns of Rumburk and Varnsdorf lie across the border to the north-east and south of town....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Jindřichovice pod Smrkem
Jindrichovice pod Smrkem
Jindřichovice pod Smrkem is a village in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic, near town Nové Město pod Smrkem. It has 623 inhabitants.Village Dětřichovec is administrative part of Jindřichovice pod Smrkem.-External links:*...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Jilemnice
Jilemnice
Jilemnice is a town in the Czech Republic.Belonged to the younger branch of counts Harrach.-Notable persons from Jilemnice:*Jan Weiss - Writer*Ales Vodsedalek - Nordic combined skier*Jakub Hlava - Ski jumper*Lukas Hlava - Ski jumper...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Mirsk
Mirsk
Mirsk is a town in Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Mirsk, close to the Czech border...
, Poland
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...
Nové Město pod Smrkem
Nové Mesto pod Smrkem
Nové Město pod Smrkem is a small town in the Czech Republic, four kilometers from the border with Poland. It has 4,050 inhabitants.- People :...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Lázně Libverda
Lázne Libverda
Lázně Libverda is a spa village in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has cca 440 inhabitants.-External links:* * *...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....