Goleszów [ɡɔˈlɛʂuf] is a village and the seat of Gmina Goleszów (an administrative district) in Cieszyn County in Silesian Voivodeship , southern Poland .
78-504: The name of the village is possessive in origin, derived from a personal name Golesz . The village lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia . It was first mentioned in a document of Bishop of Wrocław issued on 23 May 1223 for Norbertine Sisters in Rybnik among villages paying them a tithe , as Goles(u)ov(u)o . Politically it belonged then to the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz and
156-474: A cease-fire was signed on 3 February. In this tense climate it was decided that a plebiscite would be held in the area asking its people which country the territory should join. Plebiscite commissioners arrived there at the end of January 1920 and after analysing the situation declared a state of emergency in the territory on 19 May 1920. The situation in the territory remained very tense. Mutual intimidation, acts of terror, beatings and even killings affected
234-521: A few. On 1 October 1938 Trans-Olza was annexed by Poland following the Munich Conference . On 1 September 1939 Zaolzie was annexed by Nazi Germany after it invaded Poland . During World War II Cieszyn Silesia was a part of Nazi Germany. Immediately after the war, its borders were returned to their 1920 state. Poland signed a treaty with Czechoslovakia in Warsaw on 13 June 1958 confirming
312-756: A good and well-measured proxy for the economic growth of the Commonwealth. The owner of a folwark usually signed a contract with the merchants of Gdańsk, who controlled 80% of this inland trade, to ship the grain to Gdańsk. Many rivers in the Commonwealth were used for shipping, including the Vistula, which had a relatively well-developed infrastructure, with river ports and granaries . Most river shipping travelled north, with southward transport being less profitable, and barges and rafts often being sold off in Gdańsk for lumber. In order to arrest recurrent flooding on
390-491: A part of Poland . It was then annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II . A subcamp of Auschwitz concentration camp operated there. After the war it was restored to Poland . Goleszów lies in the southern part of Poland, approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) north-west of the nearest town-centre, Ustroń , 7 km (4 mi) south-east of the county seat, Cieszyn , 24 km (15 mi) south-west of Bielsko-Biała , 65 km (40 mi) south-west of
468-423: A part of Upper Silesia . After Silesian Wars in the 18th century it was separated from the rest of Silesia, which began the process of forming its own specificity, to the extent that some contemporary authors claim that Cieszyn Silesia and Upper Silesia are separate regions. Cieszyn Silesia as a region consolidated in the 19th century, which later became a discrete eastern part of Austrian Silesia , crownland of
546-572: A project was undertaken to increase the traffic-carrying capacity of the river upstream of Warsaw by building a number of locks in and around Kraków , this project was not extended further, so that navigability of the Vistula remains limited. The potential of the river would increase considerably if a restoration of the east–west connection via the Narew – Bug – Mukhovets – Pripyat – Dnieper waterways were considered. The shifting economic importance of parts of Europe may make this option more likely. Vistula
624-663: A sizeable Polish minority in Czechoslovakia and in practice created Trans-Olza , the eastern part of the Czech part of Cieszyn Silesia delimited by the Olza River. The division of 1920 had an immediate impact on the life of the region. Many families were divided by the new border. Several municipalities were divided between the two states— Cieszyn (PL) / Český Těšín (CS), Leszna Górna (PL) / Horní Líštná (CS), and Marklowice Górne (PL) / Dolní Marklovice (CS), to name
702-520: A stone church was already built in 1293. The parish was then mentioned in the register of Peter's Pence payment from 1447 among the 50 parishes of Teschen Deanery as Boleschaw . After the 1540s Reformation prevailed in the Duchy of Teschen and many local citizens became Lutherans . After issuing the Patent of Toleration in 1781 they subsequently organized a local Lutheran parish as one of over ten in
780-529: Is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia , centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Těšín and bisected by the Olza River . Since 1920 it has been divided between Poland and Czechoslovakia , and later the Czech Republic . It covers an area of about 2,280 square kilometres (880 sq mi) and has about 810,000 inhabitants, of which 1,002 square kilometres (387 sq mi) (44%)
858-536: Is also distinct for its dialect, the Cieszyn Silesian dialect , which differs from the other Silesian dialects spoken in Upper Silesia . It is a distinct dialect with predominantly Polish influences; Czech and German influences are also strong. The inhabitants of Cieszyn Silesia feel a strong regional (Cieszyn Silesian, Goral etc.) identity – locals will say they are (tu) stela (from here) – but
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#1732779996678936-479: Is distinct in large part because of its Protestantism, which has an influence on the whole region. Some of the municipalities with a Protestant majority include those in the vicinity of Skoczów and Wisła , the only town in Poland with a Protestant majority. Protestant influence is reflected in the regional saying in the Cieszyn Silesian dialect "Dzierży sie twardo jak lutersko wiara kole Cieszyna." (Stays strong like
1014-561: Is in Poland, while 1,280 square kilometres (494 sq mi) (56%) is in the Czech Republic. The historical boundaries of the region are roughly the same as those of the former independent Duchy of Cieszyn . Currently, over half of Cieszyn Silesia forms one of the euroregions , the Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion , with the rest of it belonging to Euroregion Beskydy . From an administrative point of view,
1092-875: Is in fact also partly rooted in a liberal and pluralistic attitude toward national and ethnic groups, liberal in comparison to other empires of that time, especially Prussia and the Russian Empire . Even in 2006 there were still portraits of Habsburg rulers on the wall in the assembly room of the Cieszyn local council. The most widespread folk costume in the area used to be a Cieszyn folk costume associated with Cieszyn Vlachs . In 1900 Cieszyn Silesia had 361,015 inhabitants, of whom 218,869 were Poles (60.6%), 85,553 Czechs (23.7%) and 56,240 Germans (15.6%). Vistula The Vistula ( / ˈ v ɪ s tj ʊ l ə / ; Polish : Wisła [ˈviswa] ; German : Weichsel [ˈvaɪksl] )
1170-553: Is more densely populated than the southern part, which is more mountainous. The population density of Cieszyn Silesia is about 360/km (932/mi ). The southern, mountainous part of the region is home to the Silesian Gorals , the indigenous people of the region. They have their own distinct culture which has influenced the culture of whole region. Cieszyn Silesia is known for its religious pluralism. The most widespread religions are Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism . The region
1248-521: Is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at 1,047 kilometres (651 miles) in length. Its drainage basin , extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers 193,960 km (74,890 sq mi), of which 168,868 km (65,200 sq mi) is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in the south of Poland, 1,220 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level in
1326-726: Is the northern part of the proposed E40 waterway , continuing eastward into the Bug River , linking the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea . Large parts of the Vistula Basin were occupied by the Iron Age Lusatian and Przeworsk cultures in the first millennium BC. Genetic analysis indicates that there has been an unbroken genetic continuity of the inhabitants over the last 3,500 years. The Vistula Basin along with
1404-572: The Biała River and Barania Góra mountain, the highest peak of the Polish part of the region at 1,220 metres (4,000 ft). The highest peak of the region is Lysá hora (1,323 m (4,341 ft)) in the Czech part. The region also borders Slovakia , along the Polom mountain range and Jablunkov Pass at Mosty u Jablunkova , and Moravia across the rivers Ostravice and Oder . Geomorphologically,
1482-582: The Castellany of Cieszyn , which was in 1290 formed in the process of feudal fragmentation of Poland into the Duchy of Teschen , ruled by a local branch of Silesian Piast dynasty . In 1327 the duchy became a fee of the Kingdom of Bohemia , which after 1526 became a part of the Habsburg monarchy . The village became a seat of a Catholic parish , according to a secondary source from the 19th century
1560-631: The Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary , which helped to form a distinct local identity based on language, religious and ethnic pluralism, and distinctiveness from other parts of Silesia . The region was inhabited by several ethnic groups. Most numerous were Poles (historically called also Wasserpolaks ), Czechs (mainly in the western part of the region), Germans (especially in the German language island of Bielsko-Biała ) and Jews . The northern part, strongly industrialised and urbanised,
1638-531: The Gdańsk Bay of the Baltic Sea with a delta of six main branches ( Leniwka , Przekop , Śmiała Wisła , Martwa Wisła , Nogat and Szkarpawa ). The river has many associations with Polish culture , history and national identity. It is Poland's most important waterway and natural symbol , flowing notably through Kraków and the capital Warsaw , and the phrase "Country upon Vistula" ( Polish : kraj nad Wisłą ) can be synonymous with Poland. Historically,
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#17327799966781716-467: The Habsburg Monarchy and Prussia it remained part of Austria , whereas most of Silesia became a part of Prussia. After the end of World War I , both of the two newly created independent states of Poland and Czechoslovakia claimed the area. Czechoslovakia claimed the area partly on historic and ethnic grounds, but especially on economic and strategic grounds. The area was important for
1794-669: The Habsburg dynasty . From 1722, the dukes of Teschen hailed from the Dukes of Lorraine dynasty, from 1767 to 1822 from the Wettin dynasty , and from 1822 to 1918 from the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. Cieszyn Silesia was cemented as a uniform historic, geopolitical, socio-cultural and economic entity during the period of Habsburg rule. It is distinct from the rest of Silesia because after the First Silesian War between
1872-602: The North Sea somewhere at the latitude of contemporary Scotland. The climate of the Vistula valley, its plants, animals, and its very character changed considerably during the process of glacial retreat. Vistula is navigable from the Baltic Sea to Bydgoszcz (where the Bydgoszcz Canal joins the river). It can accommodate modest river vessels of CEMT class II. Farther upstream the river depth lessens. Although
1950-633: The Piast dynasty . In 1327 Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn , swore homage to the Bohemian king John of Bohemia , and the duchy became an autonomous fiefdom of the Kingdom of Bohemia and later the Bohemian Crown . Piast rule continued until 1653 and the death of the last Piast descendant, Elizabeth Lucretia, Duchess of Cieszyn , after which it lapsed directly to the Kings of Bohemia, at that time from
2028-699: The Silesian Beskids (western part of Carpathian Mountains ), where it begins with the White Little Vistula ( Biała Wisełka ) and the Black Little Vistula ( Czarna Wisełka ). It flows through Poland's largest cities, including Kraków , Sandomierz , Warsaw , Płock , Włocławek , Toruń , Bydgoszcz , Świecie , Grudziądz , Tczew and Gdańsk . It empties into the Vistula Lagoon ( Zalew Wiślany ) or directly into
2106-497: The Silesian Beskids . There are two parishes in the village: Goleszów also has a small ski jumping complex belonging to the club Olimpia Goleszów. Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia , Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( Polish : Śląsk Cieszyński [ˈɕlɔ̃sk tɕɛˈʂɨj̃skʲi] ; Czech : Těšínské Slezsko [ˈcɛʃiːnskɛː ˈslɛsko] or Těšínsko [ˈcɛʃiːnsko] ; German : Teschener Schlesien or Olsagebiet )
2184-438: The 16th century most of the grain exported was leaving Poland through Gdańsk, which because of its location at the end of the Vistula and its tributary waterway and of its Baltic seaport trade role became the wealthiest, most highly developed, and by far the largest centre of crafts and manufacturing, and the most autonomous of the Polish cities. Other towns were negatively affected by Gdańsk's near-monopoly in foreign trade. During
2262-718: The Alpine zone to which the Alps and the Carpathians belong. The Vistula begins in the Carpathian mountains. The run and character of the river were shaped by ice sheets flowing down from the Scandinavian peninsula. The last ice sheet entered the area of Poland about 20,000 years ago. During periods of warmer weather, the ancient Vistula, "Pra-Wisła", searched for the shortest way to the sea—thousands of years ago it flowed into
2340-531: The Baltic area as a centre of merchants and trade and as a port city. At this time the surrounding lands were inhabited by Pomeranians , but Gdańsk soon became a starting point for German settlement of the largely fallow Vistulan country. Before its peak in 1618, trade increased by a factor of 20 from 1491. This factor is evident when looking at the tonnage of grain traded on the river in the key years of: 1491: 14,000; 1537: 23,000; 1563: 150,000; 1618: 310,000. In
2418-520: The Czech invasion in 1919 was Poland's organising of elections to the Sejm (parliament) of Poland in the disputed area. The elections were to be held in the whole of Cieszyn Silesia. The Czechs claimed that the polls must not be held in the disputed area, as the delimitation was only interim and no sovereign rule should be executed there by any party. The Czech demand was rejected by the Poles and, following
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2496-528: The Czechs, as the crucial railway line connecting Czech Silesia with Slovakia crossed the area (the Košice–Bohumín Railway , which was one of only two railroads that linked the Czech provinces to Slovakia at that time). The western area of Cieszyn Silesia is also very rich in coal . Many important coal mines , facilities and metallurgy factories are located there. The Polish side based its claim to
2574-511: The German ). According to the most popular variant, popularized by the 15th-century historian Jan Długosz , Wanda, daughter of King Krak , became queen of the Poles upon her father's death. She refused to marry a German prince Rytigier (Rüdiger), who took offence and invaded Poland, but was repelled. Wanda however committed suicide , drowning in the Vistula River, to ensure he would not invade her country again. For hundreds of years
2652-726: The Lutheran faith around Cieszyn.) Several towns, especially Bielsko , Cieszyn and Fryštát , in the past had a larger Jewish community, but the local Jews were almost completely annihilated by the Nazis during World War II and the local Germans were all deported to Germany or Austria after the war. Today, many other religious, mostly Christian, denominations are present in small numbers, including Jehovah's Witnesses , Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals whose movement within Poland originated in Cieszyn Silesia. Cieszyn Silesia
2730-763: The Polish part of Cieszyn Silesia lies within the Silesian Voivodeship and comprises Cieszyn County , the western part of Bielsko County , and the western part of the town of Bielsko-Biała . The Czech part lies within the Moravian-Silesian Region and comprises the Karviná District , the eastern part of the Frýdek-Místek District , and the eastern parts of the Ostrava-City District and of
2808-577: The River Vistula and its valley spans over 2 million years. The river is connected to the geological period called the Quaternary , in which distinct cooling of the climate took place. In the last million years, an ice sheet entered the area of Poland eight times, bringing along with it changes of reaches of the river. In warmer periods, when the ice sheet retreated, the Vistula deepened and widened its valley. The river took its present shape within
2886-635: The Vistula Lagoon, now for flood control closed to the east with a lock) and a west-flowing branch (the Danzig (Gdańsk) Vistula, Przegalinie branch, reached the sea in Danzig). Until the 14th century, the Elbing Vistula was the bigger. List of right and left tributaries with a nearby city, from source to mouth: According to flood studies carried out by Zbigniew Pruszak, who is the co-author of
2964-608: The Vistula and the Neman . It provided a link with the Black Sea to the south through the Oginski Canal , Dnieper River , Berezina Canal, and Dvina River . The Baltic Sea– Vistula– Dnieper– Black Sea route with its rivers was one of the most ancient trade routes, the Amber Road , on which amber and other items were traded from Northern Europe to Greece, Asia, Egypt , and elsewhere. The Vistula estuary
3042-458: The Vistula below this point is sometimes called the Leniwka . Various causes (rain, snow melt, ice jams ) have caused many severe floods of the Vistula over the centuries. Land in the area was sometimes depopulated by severe flooding, and later had to be resettled. See (Figure 7, on page 812 at History of floods on the River Vistula ) for a reconstruction map of the delta area as it was around
3120-637: The area of Cieszyn Silesia is located in the Western Carpathians and extends into the mesoregions: Major towns of the Polish part of the region include Cieszyn , Bielsko (western part of Bielsko-Biała ), Czechowice-Dziedzice , Skoczów , Strumień , Ustroń and Wisła . The Czech part of the region includes the eastern part of Ostrava (called Slezská Ostrava ), Bohumín , Český Těšín , Frýdek (the eastern part of Frýdek-Místek ), Havířov , Karviná , Orlová and Třinec . Historically Duchy of Teschen and therefore Cieszyn Silesia formed
3198-634: The area on ethnic criteria: a majority of the area's population was Polish according to the last (1910) Austrian census. Two local self-government councils, Polish and Czech, were created. Initially, both national councils claimed the whole of Cieszyn Silesia for themselves, the Polish Rada Narodowa Księstwa Cieszyńskiego in its declaration "Ludu śląski!" of 30 October 1918 and the Czech Národní výbor pro Slezsko in its declaration of 1 November 1918. On 31 October 1918, in
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3276-538: The area. A plebiscite could not be held in this atmosphere. On 10 July both sides renounced the idea of plebiscite and entrusted the Conference of Ambassadors with the decision. Eventually 58.1% of the area of Cieszyn Silesia, along with 67.9% of the population, was taken over by Czechoslovakia on 28 July 1920 by decision of the Spa Conference . This decision divided a historically unified region, leaving
3354-518: The border as it had existed on 1 January 1938. The Czech part of Cieszyn Silesia continued to be part of Czechoslovakia until the latter's dissolution in 1993 and since then has been part of the Czech Republic . The region is separated from the rest of Silesia (and Upper Silesia in particular) by the Vistula River (the part beginning in Strumień ) and from the region of Lesser Poland by
3432-503: The border of his lands. In 1308 the Teutonic Knights captured the Gdańsk castle and murdered the population. Since then the event is known as the Gdańsk slaughter . The Order had inherited Gniew from Sambor II , thus gaining a foothold on the left bank of the Vistula. Many granaries and storehouses, built in the 14th century, line the banks of the Vistula. In the 15th century the city of Gdańsk gained great importance in
3510-411: The city of Ostrava itself. Cieszyn Silesia covers the area of the former Duchy of Teschen, which existed from 1290 to 1918. Before 1290 the area constituted a castellany , which together with Castellany of Racibórz formed the Duchy of Racibórz in 1172. From 1202 it was a part of the united Duchy of Opole and Racibórz . From 1290 to 1653 the Duchy of Cieszyn/Teschen was ruled by the local branch of
3588-482: The confluences with the Narew river and the Bug river; and bottom, from the confluence with Narew to the sea. The Vistula river basin covers 194,424 square kilometres (75,068 square miles) (in Poland 168,700 square kilometres (65,135 square miles)); its average altitude is 270 metres (886 feet) above sea level . In addition, the majority of its river basin (55%) is 100 to 200 m above sea level; over 3 ⁄ 4 of
3666-651: The course of their offensive and were waiting on the other side of the Vistula River in full force, would help in the battle for Warsaw. However, the Soviets let down the Poles, stopping their advance at the Vistula and branding the insurgents as criminals in radio broadcasts. In early 1945, in the Vistula–Oder Offensive , the Red Army crossed the Vistula and drove the German Wehrmacht back past
3744-589: The decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War Battle of Warsaw (sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula ), was fought as Red Army forces commanded by Mikhail Tukhachevsky approached the Polish capital of Warsaw and nearby Modlin Fortress by the river's mouth. The Polish September campaign included battles over control of the mouth of the Vistula, and of the city of Gdańsk, close to
3822-443: The eighth century, some of which coalesced later into larger ones. Among the tribes listed in the Bavarian Geographer 's ninth-century document was the Vistulans ( Wiślanie ) in southern Poland. Kraków and Wiślica were their main centres. Many Polish legends are connected with the Vistula river and the beginnings of Polish statehood . One of the most enduring is that about Princess Wanda co nie chciała Niemca ( who rejected
3900-492: The lands of the Rhine , Danube , Elbe , and Oder came to be called Magna Germania by Roman authors of the first century AD. This does not imply that the inhabitants were " Germanic peoples " in the modern sense of the term; Tacitus , when describing the Venethi , Peucini and Fenni , wrote that he was not sure if he should call them Germans, since they had settlements and they fought on foot, or rather Sarmatians since they have some similar customs to them. Ptolemy , in
3978-442: The last 14,000 years, after the complete recession of the Scandinavian ice sheet from the area. At present, along with the Vistula valley, erosion of the banks and collecting of new deposits are still occurring. As the principal river of Poland, the Vistula is also in the centre of Europe. Three principal geographical and geological land masses of the continent meet in its river basin: the Eastern European Plain , Western Europe, and
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#17327799966784056-414: The lower Vistula, the Prussian government in 1889–95 constructed an artificial channel about 12 kilometres (7 miles) east of Gdańsk (German name: Danzig )—known as the Vistula Cut (German: Weichseldurchstich ; Polish: Przekop Wisły )—that acted as a huge sluice, diverting much of the Vistula flow directly into the Baltic . As a result, the historic Vistula channel through Gdańsk lost much of its flow and
4134-405: The majority where Protestants (1622 or 66.7%), followed by Roman Catholics (750 or 30.8%) and Jews (53 or 2.2%), there were also 9 persons being of another faith. The village was also traditionally inhabited by Cieszyn Vlachs , speaking Cieszyn Silesian dialect . After World War I , fall of Austria-Hungary , Polish–Czechoslovak War and the division of Cieszyn Silesia in 1920, it became
4212-467: The mouth, where the river Nogat splits off. The Nogat also starts separately as a river named (on this map ) Alte Nogat (Old Nogat) south of Kwidzyn , but further north it picks up water from a crosslink with the Vistula, and becomes a distributary of the Vistula, flowing away northeast into the Vistula Lagoon (Polish: Zalew Wiślany) with a small delta. The Nogat formed part of the border between East Prussia and interwar Poland. The other channel of
4290-499: The name Istula . Ammianus Marcellinus referred to the Bisula (Book 22) in the 380s. In the sixth century Jordanes ( Getica 5 & 17) used Viscla . The Anglo-Saxon poem Widsith refers to the Wistla . The 12th-century Polish chronicler Wincenty Kadłubek Latinised the river's name as Vandalus , a form presumably influenced by Lithuanian vanduõ 'water'. Jan Długosz (1415–1480) in his Annales seu cronicae incliti regni Poloniae contextually points to
4368-415: The newly created and independent central governments in Prague and Warsaw . The former was not satisfied with the situation and on 23 January 1919 invaded the area while both parties were engaged in much larger conflicts elsewhere, Poland in its war against the West Ukrainian National Republic and Czechoslovakia in the war with the Hungarian Soviet Republic over Upper Hungary . The impetus for
4446-429: The region. After the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire a modern municipal division was introduced in the re-established Austrian Silesia . The village as a municipality was subscribed to the political district of Bielsko and the legal district of Skoczów . In the late 19th century Goleszów became an important railway junction. In 1898 a cement plant was opened there, which led to industrialisation of
4524-429: The regional capital Katowice , and 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the border with the Czech Republic . It is situated on several streams, among them Radoń , left tributary of Bładnica river (left tributary of the Vistula ). The village lies in the Silesian Foothills , between roughly 330–463 m (1,083–1,519 ft) (the height of the Chełm Goleszówski hill) above sea level ; 5 km (3.1 mi) north of
4602-400: The reign of Stephen Báthory Poland ruled two main Baltic Sea ports: Gdańsk controlling the Vistula river trade and Riga controlling the Western Dvina trade. Both cities were among the largest in the country. Around 70% the exports from Gdańsk were of grain. Grain was also the largest export commodity of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . The volume of traded grain can be considered
4680-413: The rejection, Czechs decided to resolve the issue by force. Czech units led by Colonel Josef Šnejdárek and Polish units commanded by General Franciszek Latinik clashed after the swift Czech advance near Skoczów where a battle took place on 28–30 January. It was inconclusive, and before the reinforced Czech forces could resume the attack on the town, they were pressed by Entente to stop operations and
4758-491: The river Vistla (4.81, 4.97, 4.100). The root of the name Vistula is often thought to come from Proto-Indo-European * weys- : 'to ooze, flow slowly' (cf. Sanskrit अवेषन् avēṣan "they flowed", Old Norse veisa "slime"), and similar elements appear in many European river-names (e.g. Svislach (Berezina) , Svislach (Neman) , Weser , Viešinta ). In writing about the river and its peoples, Ptolemy uses Greek spelling: Ouistoula . Other ancient sources spell
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#17327799966784836-431: The river basin (right-hand to left-hand side) is 73–27%. The most recent glaciation of the Pleistocene epoch , which ended around 10,000 BC, is called the Vistulian glaciation or Weichselian glaciation in regard to north-central Europe. The river forms a wide delta called Żuławy Wiślane , or the "Vistula Fens" in English. The delta currently starts around Biała Góra near Sztum , about 50 km (31 mi) from
4914-478: The river basin ranges from 100 to 300 metres (328 to 984 feet) in altitude. The highest point of the river basin is at 2,655 metres (8,711 feet) (Gerlach Peak in the Tatra mountains ). One of the features of the river basin of the Vistula is its asymmetry—in great measure resulting from the tilting direction of the Central European Lowland toward the northwest, the direction of the flow of glacial waters, and considerable predisposition of its older base. The asymmetry of
4992-418: The river delta. During the Invasion of Poland (1939) , after the initial battles in Pomerelia , the remains of the Polish Army of Pomerania withdrew to the southern bank of the Vistula. After defending Toruń for several days, the army withdrew further south under pressure of the overall strained strategic situation, and took part in the main battle of Bzura . The Auschwitz complex of concentration camps
5070-405: The river was also important for the Baltic and German ( Prussian ) peoples. The Vistula has given its name to the last glacial period that occurred in northern Europe, approximately between 100,000 and 10,000 BC, the Weichselian glaciation . The name Vistula first appears in the written record of Pomponius Mela (3.33) in AD 40. Pliny in AD 77 in his Natural History names
5148-419: The river was one of the main trading arteries of Poland, and the castles that line its banks were highly prized possessions. Salt , timber , grain , and building stone were among goods shipped via that route between the 10th and 13th centuries. In the 14th century the lower Vistula was controlled by the Teutonic Knights Order, invited in 1226 by Konrad I of Masovia to help him fight the pagan Prussians on
5226-534: The river, stating "of the eastern nations, of the Polish east, from the brightness of the water the White Water...so named" ( Alba aqua ), perhaps referring to the White Little Vistula ( Biała Wisełka ). In the course of history the river has borne similar names in different languages: German: Weichsel ; Low German : Wießel ; Dutch : Wijsel [ˈʋɛisəl] ; Yiddish : ווייסל Yiddish pronunciation: [ˈvajsl̩] ; and Russian : Висла , romanized : Visla . Vistula rises in
5304-419: The scientific paper Implications of SLR and further studies carried out by scientists attending Poland's Final International ASTRA Conference, and predictions stated by climate scientists at the climate change pre-summit in Copenhagen , it is highly likely most of the Vistula Delta region (which is below sea level ) will be flooded due to the sea level rise caused by climate change by 2100. The history of
5382-401: The second century AD, would describe the Vistula as the border between Germania and Sarmatia . Vistula River used to be connected to the Dnieper River , and thence to the Black Sea via the Augustów Canal , a technological marvel with numerous sluices contributing to its aesthetic appeal. It was the first waterway in Central Europe to provide a direct link between the two major rivers,
5460-456: The southern Silesian Voivodeship close to the tripoint involving the Czech Republic and Slovakia from two sources: Czarna ("Black") Wisełka at altitude 1,107 m (3,632 ft) and Biała ("White") Wisełka at altitude 1,080 m (3,540 ft). Both are on the western slope of Barania Góra in the Silesian Beskids in Poland. Vistula can be divided into three parts: upper, from its sources to Sandomierz ; central, from Sandomierz to
5538-431: The territory of interbellum Poland was drained northward into the Baltic Sea by the Vistula (total area of drainage basin of the Vistula within boundaries of the Second Polish Republic was 180,300 km (69,600 sq mi), the Niemen (51,600 km [19,900 sq mi]), the Oder (46,700 km [18,000 sq mi]) and the Daugava (10,400 km [4,000 sq mi]). In 1920
5616-533: The vast majority declare themselves to be of Polish or Czech nationality in their respective national censuses. This is somewhat different from the situation in Upper Silesia where a tendency toward autonomy still exists . Local people however regard the Habsburg era rather fondly. The time of Maria Theresa and Franz Josef is viewed nostalgically as a time of justice, development, order and peace. This
5694-447: The village. According to the censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910 the population of the village grew from 1164 in 1880 to 2434 in 1910, with majority of the inhabitants being native Polish-speakers (98.5% in 1880 dropping to 90.9% in 1910), followed by a growing German-speaking population (18 or 1.5% in 1880 and 159 or 6.7% in 1910) and Czech-speaking people (5 or 0.4% in 1890 and 54 or 2.2% in 1910). In terms of religion in 1910
5772-413: The wake of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, most of the area was taken over by local Polish authorities. The short-lived interim agreement of 2 November 1918 reflected the inability of the two national councils to come to final delimitation , and on 5 November 1918 the area was divided between Poland and Czechoslovakia by another interim agreement. In 1919 the councils were absorbed by
5850-572: The year 1300: note much more water in the area, and the west end of the Vistula Lagoon (Frisches Haff) was bigger and nearly continuous with the Drausen See . As with some aggrading rivers, the lower Vistula has been subject to channel changing. Near the sea, the Vistula was diverted sideways by coastal sand as a result of longshore drift and split into an east-flowing branch (the Elbing (Elbląg) Vistula, Elbinger Weichsel, Szkarpawa, flows into
5928-596: Was at the confluence of the Vistula and the Soła rivers. Ashes of murdered Auschwitz victims were dumped into the river. During World War II prisoners of war from the Nazi Stalag XX-B camp were assigned to cut ice blocks from the River Vistula. The ice would then be transported by truck to the local beer houses. The 1944 Warsaw Uprising was planned with the expectation that the Soviet forces, who had arrived in
6006-734: Was known thereafter as the Dead Vistula (German: Tote Weichsel ; Polish: Martwa Wisła ). German states acquired complete control of the region in 1795–1812 (see: Partitions of Poland ), as well as during the World Wars, in 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. From 1867 to 1917, after the collapse of the January Uprising (1863–1865), the Russian tsarist administration called the Kingdom of Poland the Vistula Land . Almost 75% of
6084-457: Was settled by Slavs in the seventh and eighth century. Based on archeological and linguistic findings, it has been postulated that these settlers moved northward along the Vistula River. This however contradicts another hypothesis supported by some researchers saying the Veleti moved westward from the Vistula delta. A number of West Slavic Polish tribes formed small dominions beginning in
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