Świdnik
The first recorded mention of Świdnik comes from 1392 when Władysław Jagiełło
conferred Świdnik Major administration office upon Peter of Moszyna. Then, the
village started functioning under German law (so far, it had had Polish law) and
the village administrator was obliged to join the cavalry during wars.
Świdnik Major consisted of two feuds together with meadows and an inn. Over
the following centuries, together with changes of owners of the villages, the
names Świdnik Major and Świdnik Minor appeared in written sources quite often.
The present form of the name: Świdnik originated only in the second half of the
18th century. Before, the town was known as "de Swidniki" (1417) or
"Swydnyk" (1470). The name itself comes from a plant (lat. Cornus
Sanguinea) growing on wet soil.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries various specific advantages of Świdnik
were discovered - a tourist site and health resort whose microclimate had a
curing effect in rheumatic illnesses were founded near the railway station. Thus
many Lublin citizens were eager to visit this place.
The Świdnik airport was built even before the 2nd World War. This fact is
probably the reason why the post-war Ministry of Industry and Commerce decided
to build factories and residential districts there. On January 1st 1951
the Transportation Equipment
Factory ( WSK ) was founded.
Barracks where the factory workers lived gave rise to the later town. On
October 7th 1954 an Order of the Prime Minister was issued. It treated about
"granting a number of communities town status". According to the 3rd
item of the above order the community of Adampol became a town of Świdnik (the
name originates from the above mentioned villages).
The post-war history of the town is closely linked with the WSK history. In
1954 it was decided that helicopters would be produced there, and the first
Polish Mi-1 took off from the nearby airport in the summer of 1956. Helicopters
came to be the symbol of the town. In 1965 the first Mi-2 model - the most
popular Świdnik helicopter - was test-flied. In the following years, two modern
models, Kania and Sokół, went into production. The later model is a genuine
Polish construction whose advantages are appreciated all over the world (biaxial
control system, double engine anti-acing system) Already, over 7200 helicopters
have been produced in Świdnik.
With the development of the WSK residential areas increased. The town moved
eastward and southward. 2 new districts, as well as shops, schools, churches,
sports and recreational center, the "LOT" cinema, were created. This
seemingly typical socialist town knew when to rebel. On July 8th 1980 the W-340
department of the WSK went on strike. This strike initiated the "Lublin
July" and the famous "August 80".
The citizens remained unmoved under the Martial Law. The whole Poland admired
the so called "Świdnik Walks" - people turning out on streets during
the TV news. The town was awarded one of the prestigious prizes by the
underground National Council of "Solidarność" for its social
attitude in 1982.
Finally, the reform of the
local administration system in 1990 was of great importance to Świdnik. The
fact that 10 years later Świdnik became the major town in the region proves
that the chance was not wasted. Now Świdnik administrative district covers the
area of Świdnik, Mełgiew, Rybczewice, Trawniki, Piaski.
Last modified:
2002-10-24 06:19
WebAdmin
e-mail: info@swidnik.um.gov.pl
