Opoki, Poland

Coordinates: 52°50′N 18°35′E / 52.833°N 18.583°E / 52.833; 18.583
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Opoki
Village
Opoki is located in Poland
Opoki
Opoki
Opoki is located in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Opoki
Opoki
Coordinates: 52°50′N 18°35′E / 52.833°N 18.583°E / 52.833; 18.583
Country Poland
VoivodeshipKuyavian-Pomeranian
CountyAleksandrów
GminaGmina Aleksandrów Kujawski
Population
277
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Vehicle registrationCAL

Opoki [ɔˈpɔkʲi] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Aleksandrów Kujawski, within Aleksandrów County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland.[1] It lies approximately 9 kilometres (6 mi) south-west of Aleksandrów Kujawski and 23 km (14 mi) south of Toruń. It is located in the region of Kuyavia.

History[edit]

In 1292, Władysław I Łokietek allowed Bishop Tomasz Tomka to build a castle in Opoki.[2] In 1454, Opoki was the place of gathering of the Polish Army at the beginning of the Thirteen Years' War and King Casimir IV Jagiellon stayed there for over two weeks.[3] In the late 19th century, the village had a population of 318, predominantly Catholic by confession.[3]

During World War II, Opoki was occupied by Germany. The Germans renamed it to Groß Ottingen in attempt to erase traces of Polish origin. In 1939–1940, they carried out expulsions of Poles, whose farms were then handed over to Germans as part of the Lebensraum policy.[4] Expelled Poles were either deported to the General Government in the more eastern part of German-occupied Poland or enslaved as forced labour of German colonists in the area.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Central Statistical Office (GUS) – TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal)" (in Polish). 2008-06-01.
  2. ^ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XV Część II (in Polish). Warsaw. 1902. p. 413.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ a b Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VII (in Polish). Warsaw. 1885. p. 559.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Wardzyńska, Maria (2017). Wysiedlenia ludności polskiej z okupowanych ziem polskich włączonych do III Rzeszy w latach 1939-1945 (in Polish). Warsaw: IPN. p. 177. ISBN 978-83-8098-174-4.