Polanica-Zdrój


Polanica-Zdrój is a spa town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Kłodzko, and south-west of the regional capital Wrocław. As at 2019, the town has a population of 6,324.

History

Polanica-Zdrój was first documented in 1347 under the name Heyde, when it was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. At the time it belonged to the House of Glaubitz, and in the following centuries it often changed owners. From the end of the 16th century the village was co-owned by the Jesuits, who contributed to its development. In 1645 it was destroyed by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War. In 1742 the settlement – like all the area – was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The settlement grew quickly during the 19th century, becoming a popular health resort in the 1870s, after Prussia had become a component state of Germany in 1871. In 1890 a rail connection to Glatz was completed. Until 1933, that is the year the Nazis came to power in Germany, a Polish guesthouse existed in the town. During both world wars the sanatoria were turned into military hospitals. The town became part of Poland after World War II under the terms of the Potsdam Agreement. It was granted town rights in 1945 and its first mayor was Kazimierz Dąbrowski.
On 28 June 1972 the Catholic parishes of Polanica-Zdrój were redeployed from the traditional Hradec Králové diocese into the Archdiocese of Wrocław.
The amateur film festival POL-8 takes place in Polanica-Zdrój. Since 1963, it has hosted the annual Akiba Rubinstein Memorial chess tournament, honoring the great Polish Grandmaster. This event always attracts a high-class field of top players.
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