Chudów

Chudów
Village
Chudów castle
Coat of arms
Chudów
Coordinates: 50°13′0″N 18°47′0″E / 50.21667°N 18.78333°E / 50.21667; 18.78333
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	Gliwice County
Gmina	Gierałtowice
Population (2012)	1,493
Website	Chudów

Chudów [ˈxuduf] (German Chudow also Chutow) is a village in the district of Gliwice County, within the municipality of Gmina Gierałtowice, Silesian Voivodeship, in the historical region of Silesia. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Gierałtowice, 12 km (7 mi) south-east of Gliwice, and 16 km (10 mi) west of the regional capital Katowice. The village has a population of 1,493 (2012).

The village was first mentioned in 1295 as Chudow attested in the Latin manuscript Liber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis. Chudów was a privately owned medieval manor purchased in 1532 by the Roman-German Silesian nobility House of Saszowski family, who already owned the neighbouring manor of Gierałtowice. Chudów is famous for its 16th-century Renaissance castle residence, built by the nobleman and scion John Saszowski von Geraltowitz (alias Geraltowsky in German, Gierałtowski in Polish). The village remained part of the House of Saszowski estates and a residence of its branch scions alias Geraltowsky von Geraltowitz (in Polish: Gierałtowski z Gieraltowic) until it was sold in the first half of the 17th century. Historical sources say, it was one of the most magnificent castle residences in Upper Silesia, host to many banquets and sport hunting activities of the , in later times even included its own castle brewery and inn. The original entrance to the castle was via a drawbridge over the moat, which lead directly to the second floor of the castle tower.