Oswiecim
| Oświęcim | |||
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Old Market Square
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 Oświęcim
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| Coordinates: 50°3′N 19°14′E / 50.050°N 19.233°ECoordinates: 50°3′N 19°14′E / 50.050°N 19.233°E | |||
| Country |
 Poland |
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| Voivodeship | Lesser Poland | ||
| County | Oświęcim County | ||
| Gmina | Oświęcim (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | First mentioned in 1117 | ||
| Town rights | 1291 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Janusz Chwierut | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 30.3 km2 (11.7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 230 m (750 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 40,979 | ||
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 32–600, 32–601, 32–602, 32–603, 32–606, 32–610 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 033 | ||
| Car plates | KOS | ||
| Website | Oświęcim (English) | ||
Oświęcim (pronounced [ɔɕˈfʲɛɲt͡ɕim]) (German: Auschwitz, Yiddish: אָשפּיצין Oshpitzin) is a town in the Lesser Poland (Polish: Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Kraków, near the confluence of the Vistula (Wisła) and Soła rivers. The town is commonly known as being the location of the Auschwitz concentration camp (less commonly known as KL or KZ Auschwitz Birkenau) during World War II when Poland was under the control of Nazi Germany.
The town's name is of Slavic extraction, likely deriving from the name of the owner of a Slavic gord which existed there in the Middle Ages. Across centuries, it was spelled in many different ways, and in many languages – Polish, Czech, German, Latin: Ospenchin (1217), Osvencin (1280), Hospencin (1283), Osswetem (1293), Uspencin (1297), Oswentim (1302), Wswencim (1304), Auswintzen (1312), Oświęcim (1314), Oswencin (1327), Auswieczin (1372), Awswiczin (1372), Uswiczin (1400). In the Latin language, Oświęcim was spelled Osswencimen or Osviecim(en). As the town was an important center of commerce from the late Middle Ages onwards, German-speaking merchants called it Auswintz (14th century), which by the 15th century was changed into Auschwitz. From 1772–1918, when Oświęcim belonged to the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria (a semi-autonomous protectorate of the Austrian Empire), both Polish and German language names were in official use. During World War II, when the town was annexed into the Third Reich, the name Auschwitz was used, to be replaced by Oświęcim after 27 January 1945, when the Wehrmacht was pushed out by the Red Army.
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