POLSKA	POLAND
województwo: Dolnośląskie	voivodship: Lower Silesia
powiat: Kłodzko	county: Kłodzko

map →

Polanica-Zdrój is situated at an elevation of 420 m in the southern slopes of the Stołowe Mountains (Polish: Góry Stołowe, German: Heuscheuergebirge), about 11 km southwest of the district town Kłodzko and 89 km southwest of the regional capital Wrocław. The municipality has a population of about 6,200 (2020).

Polanica-Zdrój was first documented in 1347 under the name Heyde, when it was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. In 1645 it was destroyed by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). In 1742 the settlement — like all the area — was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. The settlement grew quickly during the 19th century, becoming a popular health resort in the 1870s. In 1890 a rail connection to Glatz (Kłodzko) was completed. The town became part of Poland after World War II and was granted town rights in 1945. Until 1972, the Catholic parishes of Polanica-Zdrój were part of the diocese of Hradec Králové; (Czechoslovakia), but in June of that year were re-allocated to the archbisphopric of Wrocław. In 1925, Altheide was officially renamed Altheide, Bad (popularly Bad Altheide). After Worls War II the village became part of Poland and was renamed Puszczyków-Zdrój. In 1945 it was granted the status of a town and was given the present name, Polanica-Zdrój. The German-speaking part of the population was subsequently expelled and replaced by relocated Polish people from those part of Poland that after the war had become part of the Soviet Union. Until 1974 Polanica-Zdrój was part of the voivodeship Wrocław, since then it is part of the voivodeship Wałbrzych.

The picture on glass no. 4128 [left] shows a view of the Kurhaus (spa hotel). The firstv description of the mineral springs already dates from 1625. The first, modest spa facilities had been created in 1828. Further facilities opened in the second half of the 19th century. Following the opening of the railway line from Glatz (Kłodzko) to Rückers (Szczytne) in 1890 (until 1905 extended to Bad Kudowa (Kudowa-Zdrój) the number of spa guests increased considerably. Before and after World War I, Bad Altheide was one of the best-known spa towns in Silesia.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polanica-Zdr%C3%B3j, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polanica-Zdr%C3%B3j; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnstrecke_K%C5%82odzko%E2%80%93Kudowa_Zdr%C3%B3j]