Opole Lubelskie

Opole Lubelskie
Church in Opole Lubelskie
Coat of arms
Opole Lubelskie
Coordinates: 51°9′N 21°58′E / 51.150°N 21.967°E / 51.150; 21.967
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lublin
County	Opole Lubelskie County
Gmina	Gmina Opole Lubelskie
Government
• Mayor	Dariusz Wróbel
Area
• Total	15.12 km2 (5.84 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	8,832
• Density	580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	24-300
Car plates	LOP
Website	http://www.opolelubelskie.pl/

Opole Lubelskie [ɔˈpɔlɛ luˈbɛlskʲɛ] is a town in eastern Poland. As of 2004, it had 8,879 inhabitants. The town is situated in Lublin Voivodeship, some 10 kilometers east of the Vistula River, and is the capital of Opole Lubelskie County. It was founded in the 14th century, and historically belongs to Lublin Land, which is part of Lesser Poland.

The word "opole" comes from a Slavic language root, and designates a basic unit of Slavic tribal territory. Tribal organization, based on the opole, remained operative in Poland until the Middle Ages. There are several places named Opole in Poland, the best known being in Upper Silesia. To distinguish between these two, the adjective "Lubelskie" was added to the name of the town that is located near the city of Lublin.

First wooden church in Opole Lubelskie was probably built in the 12th century. In 1368, by decree of Casimir III the Great, Opole received Magdeburg rights, which was confirmed in documents issued in 1419. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Opole Lubelskie was one of centers of Reformation. Several Calvinists were active here. In 1625, a hospital was built outside the town, along the road to Sandomierz. Between 1663 and 1675, a new parish church was constructed, which still stands. In the mid 18th century, Opole Lubelskie prospered, after Piarists came here upon request of Jan Tarło, who also rebuilt the Slupezcki Palace (now Lubomirski Palace) in the baroque style.