Brzezinka

Infobox Settlement
name = Brzezinka


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Lesser Poland
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Oświęcim County
subdivision_type3 = Gmina
subdivision_name3 = Gmina Oświęcim
leader_title =
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established_title =
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area_total_km2 =
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 2100
population_density_km2 =
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd = 50 | latm = 02 | lats = 41 | latNS = N | longd = 19 | longm = 10 | longs = 53 | longEW = E
postal_code_type =
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blank_name = Car plates
blank_info = KOS
website =

Brzezinka IPA-pl| [|b|rz|e|'|ź|i|n|k|a|] ( _de. Birkenau) is a village in southern Poland, located about convert|3|km|mi from Oświęcim ("Auschwitz"), in the district of Gmina Oświęcim, Oświęcim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

General information

The village is located near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła, at the very center of the Vistula Valley, 240 meters above sea level. By the time of the construction of the first railroad station in 1856 the station was on Brzezinka's territory, but later it was transplanted to nearby Oświęcim (Auschwitz).

Two major factories are found there: Maszyn Górniczych "Omag", which in the 1930s, called Spółka Akcyjna Zjednoczenia Fabryk Maszyn i Samochodów "Oświęcim" (Auschwitz United Machinery and Automobile Manufacturing Inc.) produced the "Oświęcim-Praga" which won a Monte Carlo Rally; and the Polinova Company (popularly known as Papownia).

History

The name Brzezinka was given to the area as far back as 1385 and stems from the Polish word for the birch trees which are plentiful. From 1440 to 1483 Brzezinka was owned by Jan Brzeziński. During World War II after annexation by Germany the village was chosen as the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau (Auschwitz II) Nazi death camp, whose remains exist along with Auschwitz I as state museums to commemorate the victims of Nazism and the Holocaust.

On 1 April 2007 Brzezinka was featured on .