Welcome to Zawadzkie !

Where and how we are?

The community of Zawadzkie is situated in the easternmost part of the Opole Woivodship and beside the town of Zawadzkie encompasses also 2 villages: Zedowice and Kielcza. The community extends from W to E, along the road 901, linking the Opole region with the Upper Silesian industrial agglomeration. The neighboring communities are Dobrodzień and Pawonków to N, Kolonowskie to NW, Jemielnica to S, and Wielowieś to E. The latter belongs already to the Silesian Woivodship.
The total area of the community is 82,2 km2 what makes some 1% of the Opole Woivodship territory. The total population is about 12 700 peoples. Majority of them - 8200 peoples - are living in the town, while ca. 2500 inhabitants live in Zedowice and ca. 2000 in Kielcza.
The mean population density is ca. 154 persons/km2.

Some physiographical and natural characteristics

The community is stretching along the Malapanew River, at the altitude ranging between 210 and 240 m. a.s.l. Within the community territory, one may distinguish 3 main topographical units;
Malapanew River Valley – encompassing NE part of the community, confined to the valley and its terraces
Barut High – occupying SW, forested part of the community, featured with postglacial sandy fields and dunes
Kielcza Plateau –characterized by most fertile soils, developed mostly upon Triassic limestones, cropping out in the eastern part of the community.

Physiographical diversity implies broad spectrum of natural niches varying from wetlands of the Malapanew valley to some xerotopic sites in the vicinity of the Kielcza village. The niches comprise 29 rare and protected species of animals and plants, like for instance Drosera anglica.

History

The first dated, written annotations, from 1300 A.D., about the villages of Kielcza and Zedowice, come from the Tithes Book of the Vratislavia Episcopate. Moreover, several notes about Kielcza parish and the forge of Zedowice are known from the late Medieval inscriptions. As a matter of fact the earliest traces of iron works come from 2000 years B.P. as indicated by slag from primitive melting furnace found in Zedowice.
Modern, industrial and civilization history of the region began in 1752, when the count Norbert of Collona, founded ironwork in Zedowice. In 1790, his progeny – Philip Collona, developed the ironwork and built settlement for charcoal workers, called after the founder- Philippollis. Afterward next worker settlements were built – Schwierkle, Boehme Colony and Palestina settlement.
In 1886, a new ironwork has been open, close to these settlements. After its first principal, Andreas von Zawadzki, the plant has been called Zawadzki-Works. Nearby the works, another one settlement developed, giving a rise to the future Zawadzkie locality. According to Prussian Edict, from 31st May 1897, all the above mentioned small localities have been joined in one community named Zawadzki. In this time the community was already equipped with railway station, hospital, school and 2 churches (Catholic and Protestant).
The 96 m-high factory chimney, rising above the town, was built during the World War I.
In the period between the Wars, several modern buildings have been built i.a. – the town hall, the gymnasium and new railway station. In fifties and sixties of XX century, 2 new residential districts developed; Powstańców Street and Nowe Osiedle. Several years later the sports hall and cinema were built in the middle of the town.
The turning point in the postwar history of the town was related to construction of the modern plating shop and drawing-pipes shop in 1961-1965, what resulted in immigration and significant population growth.