Wydarzenia

The primeval legend says that ages ago in the flood waters of Odra river, near a small town, a huge castle stood, where thee brothers Kozioł ( billy-goat) lived. Though they were proud of knight’s crest, they made living from robbery of the merchant’s caravans which transported amber, olive and crafts goods on a near track, connecting the far Italy with the country of the Pomeranians. The Koziołs’ were also very troublesome for the nearby people. When all the merchants were robbed and the amber track became empty, they also assaulted the near villages and towns, organizing their dirty attacks mainly at nights. Glows of burning thatched roves were visible even in distant places.
 

No wonder that the news about their actions quickly reached the Lord of those lands, the Duke of Opole and Racibórz – Mieszko I called Plątonogi (Tangled Legs). Frequent expeditions, undertaken by him, were however not able to catch the knights – robbers, who always succeeded in hide themselves on time in the burg, which was hard to conquer. Also there were no volunteers of the high money prize for their heads – because all were afraid of those brutes. In this way, the years passed by.

Meantime, in a small stronghold close to the Kozioł’s fortress, a brave and clever town butcher, called Jacob lived. Not only once, he visited the Kozioł’s castle because of his profession; he got familiar in that way with secrets of various nooks and corners, and passages. He offered his services to the Duke. In a dark, autumn night, he led the Mieszko’s knights through the underground passage to the dungeons and from there into the castle. After a short but vicious struggle, the surprised robbers were caught. Soon they were punished proportionally to their committed crimes; all three of them died in the waters of Odra River, knocked off from the highest tower of their castle.

To memorize that event, every year, on Saint Jacob’s day, the elders of the butcher’s guild organized a march with the figure of billy-goat in the town street and then the figure was thrown from the tower at Raciborska Gate. The forlorn castle of Kozioł’s brothers gradually fell into ruin – but the nearby town developed itself. In its crest, three goat heads appeared and the custom of the march with reedy goat survived as a testimony of the past events.
  

In such a half fabulous way, the local legend describes the genesis of foundation of town Koźle, on grounds of which, a big, modern industrial city named Kędzierzyn-Koźle was established.
 

Kędzierzyn-Koźle, in the present administrative form, was founded in 1975 from the merge of the towns Koźle, Kędzierzyn, Kłodnica, Sławięcice and area of Sławięcice commune.

The history of our city is tightly connected with the lot of Koźle. The oldest records about it came from 1108 when the knights of Boleslaw Krzywousty (the Wry mouthed) defended the Koźle stronghold against the attacks of the Moravians. Koźle received the civic rights most likely already in 1281, at latest in 1293. At the same time as Koźle, the second settler’s centre of Kędzierzyn-Koźle was established. It was Sławięcice. In the years 1246-1260, this place had got the civic rights. In the XIII century, the existence of Kłodnica and Kędzierzyn was also recorded in the documents. Those places however did not distinguish themselves up to the XIX century in the history of this vicinity. In the years 1281-1355 the area of the present city was included in the composition of the sovereign duchy of Koźle and Bytom. The duchy became the fief of the Czech King from 1289, and in 1526 together with the Czech state was included in the Habsburg rule. At the beginning of 1741, that area was seized by the Prussians. From 1743, they started the extension of the Koźle fortress, established by the Austrians. This restricted the territorial development of the city and caused the economic standstill. And Sławięcicie developed very well, where many workshops were set up at the end of the XVII century. The advantageous location of those places was improved after building of Kłodnica Canal in the years 1792 – 1812. The beginning of the XIX century brought damages to Koźle in result of the siege during the French – Prussian war, which took place from 23rd January to 9th July 1807. Despite considerable losses, the Koźle fortress survived the siege.

The defeats suffered by Prussians in the wars with Napoleon speeded up the period of reforms in that country. As a result of them, all the places, included in Kędzierzyn-Koźle freed themselves from the villein service. One of the first villages which stopped to work for the villein service was Kłodnica. It happened in 1814. The effect of the administrative reforms was the appointment of 24-person town council, headed by the mayor in 1808. In 1845, the railway line Opole – Gliwice started up. From that time, Kędzierzyn, bear which the railway station was localised, started to get more and more importance. At the end of the XIX century, after liquidation of Koźle fortress in 1873, the city started to develop economically. In the years 1891 – 1908, Koźle harbour and several plants were built. But the economic development of Sławęcice stopped which did not withstand the competition of Upper Silesia industry.

In the years of the Second World War, on the territory of the present city, big chemical works were built, which produced for the needs of the war. In the thirties of the XX century, the city was connected with the Upper Silesia by the Gliwicki Canal.

The liberation of today’s Kędzierzyn-Koźle followed from the end of January to the second half of March 1945. The Polish administrative authorities took over the city in the period from 23rd Mach to 24th April 1945. On the ruins of the German chemical works, Zakłady Azotowe “Kędzierzyn” and Zakłady Chemiczne “Blachownia” were set up. Several other big industrial works were also built. Quickly developing Kędzierzyn got the civic rights in 1951. In 1970, the Kędzierzyński Canal, a branch of the Gliwicki Canal was built. In 1973, Kłodnica and Sławięcice got the civic rights.

The most interesting monuments of the past in Kędzierzyn-Koźle are:

• Remains of Koźle castle (Kraszewskiego Street). They occupy the southern and western part of district Old Town in Koźle; they are located on a small, artificial hill. The castle, built on the break of the XIII and the XIV century, after damage, caused by fires, were rebuilt in the second half of the XVI century. The castle was again destroyed during the French – Bavarian siege in 1807 - up to now, the wall with fragments of semi circle bastion. The most interesting part of the castle is partially reconstructed Tower, being at present the seat of the Koźle Land Society and museum. A complex of buildings so-called front castle yard (przedzamcze), coming from the years 1563 – 1584 (during the siege in 1807, this was a garrison hospital).
   
  
• Fragments of former reinforcement of Koźle fortress (streets: Konopnickiej, Żeromskiego, Piramowicza, Skarbowa, Planty, Zamkowa; Garncarska – old powder-magazine; Targowa – former barracks from 1776-1778, many times rebuilt in the XIX and the XX centuries). Its beginnings reach the XVIII century when the Austrians built, around the town, fortifications, consisting of earth embankments, walls and ditches. The Prussians, who seized Koźle in February 1741, made further extension of the fortifications. Until it was liquidated in 1873, the fortress was systematically modernized. Up to now, the fragments of the fortifications on the left bank of Odra River were preserved, which include the centre of Koźle, and also embankments on the right bank, dispersed on a large enough area, among others, on the Koźle island. From the left bank fortifications, it is worth seeing the five corners of the main bulwark, fragments of inner circumference of fights and front bulwark with several powder shed. Almost in complete shape, the front slope with moat, converted in town park (Planty) in the XX century was preserved. Also partially, Większyce Redoubt was preserved together with remains of casemates.
  
• The most precious remains of the right bank fortifications of the Koźle fortress is the Montalembert’s Tower, located within so called Frederick Wilhelm’s Fort in Portowa Street – “ the latest fashion” of the engineering art from the break of the XVIII and the XIX centuries - the round tower (so called Rondel - barbican). It is 33,9 meter wide at the base and 24,5 meter high and could accommodate 28 cannons on every floor together with crew, ammunition and stocks. Up to the moment of the siege of the Koźle fortress by the Napoleon’s army in 1807, only the main body of the tower - fort was erected, surrounded by moat and earth embankment. The building was finally completed in 1829.
  
• The monumental Kłodnica Canal, connecting Koźle with Gliwice (Kłodnica) is one of the oldest European navigation canals, built in the years 1792 - 1812, equipped with chamber locks. The section passing Kędzierzyn-Koźle is one of the best preserved.
  
• Park – palace complex in Sławęcice (streets: Sławięcicka, Sadowa) -. Here the nineteenth century landscape park was well preserved (one of the biggest park in Opole province) and gardener’s house, built in about 1803 of the late Classicism style. Also the garden pavilion so called “Belvedere” of 1802 avoided war damage as well as the main entrance to the palace.
   
  
• The church under the invocation of Saint Sigmund and Saint Hedwig in Koźle (Złotnicza Street) – mentioned in 1295, extended in the XV century, partially rebuilt in the XVII – XIX centuries – Gothic style with the Gothic – Renaissance tower, three naves, pseudo hall. In the side chapel of the Blessed Virgin, a picture of Our Lady with Jesus the child, so called Koźle Lady – dated at the beginning of the XV century.
  
• The post convent church under the invocation of the Assumption in Koźle (Czerwińskiego Street) – baroque, built in the years 1751 – 1753. It was changed into a storage house in 1810. Beside the temple, a complex of buildings is located of the former Franciscan cloister of 1753.
• The church under the invocation of Saint Nicolas in Kędzierzyn (Judyma Street) – new Gothic, built in the XIX century. The baroque picture of Saint Antonio of the XVIII century end is worth of attention.
  
• The church under the invocation of Saint Catherine in Sławęcice (Staszica Street) – new Gothic, built in the years 1864 – 1869. The vicarage (late Classicism of 1852, rebuilt after 1945) the economic house of half of the XIX century and summer house in the garden of 1800 are also monumental.
  
• The evangelical church (Głowackiego Street) – new Gothic of the XIX century.
• The harbour complex in Koźle – Port (Żeglarska Street). It was built in stages in the years 1891 – 1908 has got three basins, divided by piers. Up to now, the original quays and loading devices co called wagon tipplers are preserved in almost unchanged condition. The building of the harbour master’s office is also an interesting historical monument. The Koźle Canal Lock (Łukasiewicza Street) – built in 1830 with elements of wooden former lock of 1812. It was thoroughly reconstructed in 1997 after flood.
  
• The building of the crematorium of the Nazi camp in Sławęcice (Spacerowa Street).
• The villein chapel (Wyspiańskiego Street) – built in 1814 to celebrate the liberation of Kłodnica peasants from the villein service.
• The siphon in Lenartowice (Nowowiejska Street) – here Kłodnica River flows under the Gliwicki Canal; there are only a few such places in Europe where a river flows under canal.