Wilamowice
| Wilamowice | ||
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Church
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 Wilamowice
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| Coordinates: 49°54′59″N 19°9′7″E / 49.91639°N 19.15194°E | ||
| Country |
 Poland
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| Voivodeship | Silesian | |
| County | Bielsko | |
| Gmina | Wilamowice | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 10.41 km2 (4.02 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006) | ||
| • Total | 2,818 | |
| • Density | 270/km2 (700/sq mi) | |
| Postal code | 43-330 | |
| Website | http://www.miasto.wilamowice.pl | |
Wilamowice [vʲilamɔˈvʲit͡sɛ] (German: Wilmesau, Wymysorys: Wymysoü) is a small town in southern Poland, situated in the Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999, previously in Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, 1975–1998). The endangered language of Wymysorys is spoken here by about 70 native speakers, the majority of them elderly. The language was the main one of the town until the early communist period (1945–1956), when authorities repressed it. The inhabitants identifying themselves with the original culture are Wilamowiczanie.
The settlement of Wilamowice is predated by a nearby Stara Wieś (lit. Old Village). According to the tradition Stara Wieś was established after First Mongol invasion of Poland by settlers from Flanders, Friesland, Holland and Scotland in the course of the German Ostsiedlung. Soon after they moved on to another nearby place to found a new sister settlement, which was later first mentioned in 1326 in the register of Peter's Pence payment among Catholic parishes of Oświęcim deaconry of the Diocese of Kraków as Novovillamowicz (contemporary Wilamowice), whereas Stara Wieś was mentioned as Antiquo Willamowicz (contemporary Stara Wieś).
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Wikipedia