Prudnik

History

Traces of human presence in the area of the present-day town of Prudnik, confirmed by archaeological research, date back to the Paleolithic era. The oldest settlements near Prudnik were formed by groups of hunters who exploited the surrounding flint deposits. Their products, found during excavations, are typical of the Acheulean culture, from the interglacial era. The local population of early Slavs held trade contacts with Rome, as documented by Roman coins found in Prudnik dating back to 700 BC–1250 AD. On a hill by the Złoty Potok river, in the western part of town, the remains of a warrior of the Germanic Vandals tribe, who died in the 4th century AD, were excavated. The area of present-day Prudnik was located at the borderlands between the local West Slavic tribes of Golensizi and Opolans. The earliest written information regarding settlements near Prudnik were included in the 1233 will of a Silesian nobleman Johannes Sibote, the owner of nearby villages of Jasiona, Skrzypiec, Krzyżkowice, Czyżowice and Lubrza. In 1253, the area was captured by the Czechs during a revenge campaign for the invasion of Opavian Silesia by Polish dukes Vladislaus I of Opole and Bolesław V the Chaste. In the Autumn of 1255, King Ottokar II of Bohemia instructed Vok of Rosenberg to help new settlers move into the borderland. Between 6 November and the middle of December of that year, Vok founded the Wogendrüssel castle in the defensive bend of the Prudnik river. The castle controlled the trade route between Nysa and Opava. The foundation of the castle in this place is equivalent to the foundation of Prudnik as a settlement. Prudnik was the northernmost stronghold of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Vok's son, Henry I of Rosenberg, obtained Magdeburg rights for the town in 1279. After Henry's…

Geography

Prudnik lies in the south-western part of Poland, in the Opole Voivodeship. It is a seat of the Prudnik County and Gmina Prudnik. It is the capital and the largest town of the Prudnik Land historical region. The other towns of the Prudnik Land are Biała, Głogówek and Strzeleczki. Along with nearby Vrbno pod Pradědem in the Czech Republic, Prudnik is a capital of Euroregion Praděd. Originally belonging to Moravia, the town has been a part of the historical region of Silesia (Upper Silesia) since 1337. Prudnik is situated away from Opole, away from Ostrava, away from Wrocław, away from Katowice, away from Prague, away from Bratislava, away from Vienna and away from Warsaw. The town is located at the borderline between the Silesian Lowlands and the Opawskie Mountains (Eastern Sudetes). According to Krzysztof Badora's 2017 physical and geographical division of Opole Voivodeship, Prudnik is situated in four microregions: Prudnik Valley (Dolina Prudnika), Prudnik Depression (Obniżenie Prudnickie), Głuchołazy–Prudnik Foreland (Przedgórze Głuchołasko-Prudnickie) and Długota Mountains (Wzgórza Długockie). The town lies at the confluence of the Prudnik river and its Złoty Potok tributary. There are several mountains within the administrative boundaries of the town: Czyżykowa Góra, Kapliczna Góra, Kozia Góra, Okopowa, Szubieniczna Góra, Święta Góra, Wróblik. The town's lowest elevation is situated at , and the highest elevation is at .

Most-observed species

• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  251
• Eurasian Marsh-Harrier

  Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  241
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  208
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  185
• Barn Swallow

  Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  171
• Mute Swan

  Cygnus olor (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  166
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  151
• Yellowhammer

  Emberiza citrinella Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  135

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2026-04-09
  1 km WNW of Radlin, Poland
• M 2.9 — 2025-04-29
  4 km WSW of Bytom, Poland
• M 3.2 — 2025-01-27
  1 km NE of Radlin, Poland
• M 2.9 — 2024-07-11
  4 km N of Jejkowice, Poland
• M 2.8 — 2023-01-12
  2 km ENE of Karviná, Czechia
• M 2.7 — 2022-04-23
  4 km NE of ?wierklany Górne, Poland