Town and Municipality

 

  • Location
  • History
  • Municipality in figures
  • Coat of Arms and Logo of Kluczbork

 

Kluczbork is located in south-west part of Poland. It has been set up in place of historic insertion of route from Wrocław to Krakow and from Upper Silesia to Western Pomeranian.

Kluczbork is one of the most important railway knot. There is well developed net of internal roads. Through city following roads cross: 43 Katowice-Poznań; 45 Opole - Łódź. Distances:

 

ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT HISTORY
KLUCZBORK Important dates

FAMOUS HISTORICAL INHABITANTS
From Kluczbork Land descent such famous men as:
Jan from Kluczbork
Jan from Kluczbork (Johannes Heldebrand de Cruceburg) was born in approximately 1370. He is one of the most outstanding person coming from Kluczbork. Jan from Kluczborka was a lecturer at Prague University. In 1404, he moved to Krakow, where studied theology course. He received doctorate of philosophy and became dean of the Philosophy and Theology Department at Krakow Academy. Jan from Kluczborka is one of the Jagiellonian Library initiators. His manuscripts are kept in Jagiellonian Library in Krakow and in Wrocław libraries. His works: sermons, lectures, speeches (especially famous speech which glorify victory of King Władysław Jagiełło over the Teutonic Knights {crusading order of knights} at the Battle of Grunwald - 15.VII.1410) have great historical significance and are extremely valuable relicts.

Adam Gdacjusz
Adam Gdacjusz was born in 1609/1610 in Kluczbork. He was Augsburg-Lutheran Protestant preacher and outstanding Silesian prose writer. Gdacjusz was called "Silesian Rej" owing to moralistic contents in his works and sermons which were written in Polish. He propagated using Polish language. Gdacjusz reproached nobility with its life style, ignorance, drunkenness, passion for luxury and inhumane treatment servant peasants. His works are valuable source of information about life style in 17th century.

Jan Dzierzon
Jan Dzierzon was born on 16th of January 1811 in Łowkowice near Kluczbork. He graduated Wrocław University in 1933 - theology. He attended courses: mathematics, astronomy, history. As a curate in Siołkowice (near Opole), Dzierzon constructed "observational beehive". He spent every leisure hour in apiary. He devoted to bees more than fifty years (from his early youth). He contributed to great progress in beekeeping. He constructed an early beehive with detachable cells, which allowed to empty the honeycombs contents without destroying them.
Dzierzon was the first who observed parthenogenesis in bees. Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which an ovum develops into a new individual without having been fertilized. In bees unfertilized eggs become drones, and fertilized eggs become workers or queens. Owing to this observation Dzierzon became famous all over the world. He was an authority on bees. Dzierzon published his first work "Theory and Practice of Dr. Dzierzon" in 1848, which was followed in 1852 by an appendix. He wrote articles of Bees for various Journals. From 1854 to 1856 Dzierzon published a monthly journal "The Silesian Bee-Friend". In 1861 he published his last work "Rational Bee-keeping". Works mentioned above are significant part of Core Historical Literature of Agriculture Basic. Dzierzon was awarded many certificates of honour, and silver and gold medals; the honorary degree (Doctor) was conferred upon Dzierzon by the University of Munich in 1872; besides receiving many other distinctions, Dzierzon was decorated the Grand Ducal Hessian Order of Ludwig and the Imperial Austrian Order of Francis Joseph.
In 1959 Jan Dzierzon Museum was founded. There is permanent exhibiton related to apiculture and Jan Dzierzon. + Zdjęcie muzeum (Jan Dzierzon Museum)
The Jan Dzierzon monument was unveiled on 20 September 1981. + zdjęcie pomnika (Jan Dzierzon Monument)

Gustaw Freytag
Gustaw Freytag was a famous novelist and playwright. Freytag was born on 13th of July 1816 in Kluczbork (Kreuzburg). He wrote realistic novels celebrating the merits of the middle class. His most successful play "The Journalists" (1855) is a comedy of small-town life and politics. Best known today are his realistic novels "Soll und Haben" (1855; Debit and Credit) which include anti-Semitic and anti-Polish contents; "Die verlorene Handschrift" (1864; The Lost Manuscript) and his series of German historical novels "Die Ahnen" (1873-1881).

RELICS
In the past Kluczbork was a significant scientific and cultural centre. Kluczbork has got to nowadays traditional town planning, typical to Middle Ages Silesian town arrangement. The town was surrounded with defence walls saved to nowadays in the southern part of the Town. In Kluczbork there are few worth seeing relics. Town Hall was built in the place of former marketplace in 18th century in Baroque style (but the first mention about Town Hall derived from 1553). Town Hall is located in the centre of the Town. It is surrounded with Baroque tenements. The original Town Hall was totally different. In the town centre there was Baroque complex of buildings: Town Hall and Booths called 12 Apostles. In 1925 the part of the buildings (booths) were damaged by fire - survived Town Hall and two buildings, both with two facades. Under the roof is placed bas-relief presenting pre-fire view of Town Hall with "12 Apostles". At present, in Town Hall there are located Pedagogical Library, Registry Office and restaurant "Arkadia". One of the most valuable architectural objects in Kluczbork is St. Saviour Gothic church, which from 1527 has belonged to protestant parish. The church was built in 14th century in the place of previous church probably built in 12th century. The décor of the interior of the church is mainly in rococo style. Whole rococo altar (white), pulpit (richly decorated with religious sculptures), font (decorated with vegetable ornaments), and organ are dated from the middle of the 13th century, and there were created by Leopold Jaschke (sculptor from Wrocław). In summer there are organized organ concerts, which are great attraction for people who like organ music. From 2003 the tower of the church serves as a view-tower, from which everyone can see the panorama of the town. It is opened during summer. St. Mary Help of Christians' Church was erected in years 1911-1913 in New-Gothic style. The church was modelled on Holy Cross' church in Wrocław. The church is located in the southern part of the Town, near town park which joins with municipal forest. The wooden main altar and pulpit were created in Schreiner's atelier in Munich, side altars were created by Frillhase (sculpture from Efrurt), exquisite stained glasses (presenting saints) were created in studio of Linnemann from Frankfurt by the river Men. The wooden equipment of church was created by carpenters from Żóławina Wrocławska. The church was consecrated on 1st of June 1913 by cardinal - Jerzy Kopp from Wrocław. The really rarity relic is the wooden Assumption of the BVM' church in Bąków (near Kluczbork). It was erected in 16th century. There is the biggest and the oldest Gothic triptych in the whole Silesia, which was created about 1370 as altar relating to the cult of the Virgin Mary. Behind this triptych there are wooden epitaphs (300-years) dedicated to Elizabeth von Frankenberg. "Religious instruction House" was erected in 1823 in the place of former wooden Holy Trinity' church (called "cementery chapel") dated from the Middle Ages. Near this church there was located the oldest churchyard, which has been used since the founding the Town till 1886. Initially it was SS Piotr and Paweł' church. At present, the building serves as religious instruction house which belongs to St. Mary Help of Christians' parish. HISTORICAL ROOTS
If you have been looking for yor ancestor in Kluczbork, try contact with:
Registry Office (USC)
46-200 Kluczbork, Rynek 1 (Town Hall)
tel. (+48 77) 418-11-50
office hour:
Monday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Natural conditions:

 

Kluczbork's Coat of Arms + herb At present, Kluczbork's Coat of Arms is a imagine of red castle with three towers crowned with battlements and located on the cornice. The middle tower is the highest and below it there is a gateway with yellow opened doors. Over the battlements of lower towers and in the middle of the highest tower there are black crosses. Background is white. Kluczbork's Logo + logo Kluczbork's Logo was created in 2004 by artist Józef Zając. Kluczbork's Flag + flaga The Town's Flag is a rectangular piece of cloth in the width to length ratio 5:8. The flag is divided into two horizontal strips. Upper strip is wide (includes the narrow strip 6,5 times) and red, lower strip is narrow and white. In the central part of the upper red strip there is located imagine (in Late-Gothic style) of the Kluczbork's coat of arms. The Kluczbork Days are in June. 2003 In 2003 Kluczbork celebrated the 750th Anniversary of location the Town. www.kluczbork.pl/galeria/galeria_750.php 2004 www.kluczbork.pl/galeria/galeria_dk2004.php 2005 24th -26th June

 

At present, Kluczbork's Coat of Arms is a imagine of red castle with three towers crowned with battlements and located on the cornice. The middle tower is the highest and below it there is a gateway with yellow opened doors. Over the battlements of lower towers and in the middle of the highest tower there are black crosses. Background is white.
Kluczbork's Logo was created in 2004 by artist Józef Zając.
Kluczbork's Flag
 The Town's Flag is a rectangular piece of cloth in the width to length ratio 5:8. The flag is divided into two horizontal strips. Upper strip is wide (includes the narrow strip 6,5 times) and red, lower strip is narrow and white. In the central part of the upper red strip there is located imagine (in Late-Gothic style) of the Kluczbork's coat of arms.
The Kluczbork Days are in June.