Szklarska Poręba

Infobox Settlement
name = Szklarska Poręba
old name = Schreiberhau (until 1945)

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image_shield = POL Szklarska Poręba COA.svg
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Lower Silesian
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Jelenia Góra
subdivision_type3 = Gmina
subdivision_name3 = Szklarska Poręba (urban gmina)
latd = 50 | latm = 50 | lats = | latNS = N | longd = 15 | longm = 32 | longs = | longEW = E
pushpin_

area_total_km2 = 75.44
population_density_km2 = auto
elevation_max_m = 886
elevation_min_m = 440
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 7094
website = http://www.szklarskaporeba.pl

Szklarska Poręba [IPA-pl|'|sz|k|l|a|r|s|k|a|-|p|o|'|r|e|m|b|a] (German: "Schreiberhau") is a town in Jelenia Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. The town has a population of around 7,000. It is a popular ski resort.An important regional and national centre for mountain hiking, cycling and skiing, Szklarska Poręba is situated in the valley of the Kamienna, between the Karkonosze Mountains and Jizera Mountains, 1,900 ft. above sea level, 16 miles south-west of Jelenia Góra. The ski resorts in this area are growing in popularity as an alternative to the Alps, thanks to wide range of both Alpine and Nordic skiing facilities.

History

The village was created by German colonists on a spot bought by Knights Hospitalers from "Calidus Fons" (Bad Warmbrunn, now Cieplice Śląskie-Zdrój in Jelenia Góra) who were interested in finding gold and precious gems in the area. [ [http://www.szklarskaporeba.pl/it/historia_miasta.htm Historiai Miasta official website of Szklarska Poręba ] ] It was first mentioned in 1366 and 1372 in conjunction with a glass factory, forerunner of the famed later "Josephinenhütte", as "Schribirshau" and "Schreibershow". In 1578 several Bohemian Protestants moved to the village and greatly contributed to its development. [ [http://www.szklarskaporeba.pl/it/historia_miasta.htm Historiai Miasta official website of the Szklarska Poręba ] ] Among the refugees was Marie Pluch, which gave the district Mariental its name. Over time the glass factory moved deeper into the mountains. In 1617 the Preußler family migrated from the southern Bohemian side of the Giant Mountains to Silesia and received a concession to run a movable glass factory from the counts of Schaffgotsch, landlords of Schreiberhau. The glass industry of the village was dominated by the Preußler family for the next 200 years. In 1842 Franz Pohl, son-in-law of the last Preußler, persuaded Count Schaffgotsch to establish a new glass factory in Schreiberhau. This "Josephinenhütte" became the largest and best glass factory in Silesia, while Schreiberhau greatly expanded to become the largest village in Prussia [Schüttig, p.88] , with 15 districts covering convert|43|km2|sqmi.

Around 1900 several artists discovered the beauty of the countryside and formed the Schreiberhau artists' colony, among them Gerhart Hauptmann and his brother Carl, Otto Mueller and Wilhelm Bölsche. Later, younger artists formed the St. Lukas artists' association.

In 1925 the first winter games of the International Workers Olympiad (organised by the Lucerne Sport Interational) were held in the town. Twelve national delegations participated.Wheeler, Robert F.. " [http://www.jstor.org/stable/260113 Organized Sport and Organized Labour: The Workers' Sports Movement] ", in "Journal of Contemporary History", Vol. 13, No. 2, Special Issue: Workers' Culture (Apr., 1978), pp. 191-210]

After World War II Schreiberhau became part of Poland (see Territorial changes of Poland after World War II) and was renamed Szklarska Poręba (literally "glass clearing"). The German inhabitants were expelled and the village resettled with Poles. The Josephinenhütte was moved to Schwäbisch Gmünd. The glass factory in Szklarska Poręba was renamed and continued to operate.

On 22–27 September 1947 the conference on the establishment of the communist information office (Kominform) took place in the village. The village gained the status of a town in 1959.

Transportation

The town used to be connected via the "Zackenbahn" railway to Tanvald in Bohemia. However, the cross-border passenger line was closed in 1945 when the town was given to Poland. The railway connection to Jelenia Góra plays a minor role, since the scale of the mining industry in the town's vicinity has decreased.

A section of national road no. 3, also part of European route E65, passes through the town.

Twin towns

*flagicon|DEN Aulum-Haderup, Herning, Denmark
*flagicon|GER Bad Harzburg, Germany
*flagicon|CZE Harrachov, Czech Republic
*flagicon|CZE Korenov, Czech Republic

Footnotes

References

*cite book |title= Handbuch der historischen Stätten: Schlesien |last= Weczerka |first= Hugo |authorlink= |coauthors= |year= 2003 |publisher= Alfred Kröner Verlag |location= Stuttgart |isbn= 3-520-31602-1
* cite book
last = Schüttig
first = Frank
authorlink =
title = Das Riesengebirge entdecken
publisher = Trescher Verlag
date = 2005
location = Potsdam
pages = 263
doi =
isbn = 3897940736

External links

* [http://www.szklarskaporeba.pl/ Municipal website]
* [http://www.szklarskaporeba.com.pl/ Szklarska Poręba] (Polish)
* [http://www.e-szklarska.com/ Szklarska Poręba] (Polish)