Świebodzice

Świebodzice (Frybork; Freiburg) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,793 inhabitants. It is situated in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975–1998 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship).

The town is situated close to Książ Castle, which during World War II, together with the cave complex, was expanded to create private quarters for Adolf Hitler.

The town dates back to the medieval Kingdom of Poland. It was granted town rights by 1279. During World War II, the Germans established a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp in the town. In 1957 Pełcznica, and in 1973 Ciernie, were included within the town limits as its new districts.

Sports
football club is based in Świebodzice.

Notable people

 * Gustav Becker (1819–1885), German clockmaker
 * Martin Kirschner (1842–1912), Mayor of Berlin
 * Jan Mikulicz-Radecki (1850–1905), Polish surgeon, one of the pioneers of antiseptics and aseptic techniques
 * Alfred Zucker (1852–1913), German architect
 * Wilhelm Niepelt (1862–1936), German scientist
 * Emil Krebs (1867–1930), German scientist, noted polyglot who spoke a total of 68 languages at the time of his death
 * Hartmut Kilger (born 1943), President of the German Lawyer's Association (2003–2009)
 * Anna Zalewska (born 1965), politician, Minister of National Education of Poland
 * Krzysztof Stelmach (born 1967), former Polish volleyball player with 274 games played for the Poland men's national volleyball team
 * Jarosław Krzyżanowski (born 1975), retired Polish footballer
 * Eliza Surdyka (born 1977), Polish Olympic cross-country skier
 * Marcin Kokoszka (born 1984), Polish footballer
 * Paweł Fajdek (born 1989), Polish hammer-thrower

Twin towns – sister cities
Świebodzice is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇰 Hrušov, Slovakia
 * 🇨🇿 Jilemnice, Czech Republic
 * 🇧🇾 Marjina Horka, Belarus
 * 🇩🇪 Waldbröl, Germany