Andrychow webcams online - cities of Poland

Andrychów webcams can be viewed online on our website and allow you to plunge into the history of one of the most ancient settlements, founded at the end of the 13th century. The first mention of it is found in records from 1344, when it was known as Henrichov (ecclesia de Henrichov). In the past, the settlement was also called Jindrichuv and Gendrichuv. During the German occupation of Poland it was renamed Andrichau. Historians believe that the name of the city comes from the Polish name Jędrzej (Andrzej).

According to the records of Peter's Pence of 1344, Andrychów was a small village in the Duchy of Zator, although its church was already mentioned in 1325.

The population of Andrychów in 1345 was about 105 people, and the area was 27.2 km2. Most likely, the first inhabitants were immigrants from Klatovy in southern Bohemia. In his book Liber beneficiorum, Jan Dlugosz names the town of Hendrichow and describes it as a small village in the Silesian Duchy of Zator. In 1440, Zator Castle was captured by Polish troops, and the duchies of Zator and Auschwitz were incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in 1564.
During the reign of Zygmunt August, Andrychów became the administrative center of the district. It belonged to the Schilling family, who supported the Protestant Reformation. During the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655, Andrychów was burned by Swedish units. In 1704 an attempt was made to grant it city status, but without success. The village was burned by the Swedes again during the Great Northern War. After the destruction, the owner of Andrychów attracted weavers from Silesia, Belgium and Saxony, and therefore Andrychów became a weaving center. In 1767 he received a city charter from King Stanisław August Poniatowski.
In the summer of 1772, Andrichów was captured by Austrian troops. The new authorities changed its name to Andrichau, and it remained part of the Austrian province of Galicia until November 1918. For some time, both the village of Andrychów and the town of Andrychów existed. In 1778, the population of the village was 598 people, and the city - 2475 people. In 1791, the first school opened in the city. In the mid-1800s, the industrial revolution reached Andrychów. And with the arrival of Jewish settlers, a synagogue was built (in 1884). In 1868, the town and village were united, and two years later Andrychów received its first railway connection. In 1893, most of the city was destroyed by fire.

In the Second Polish Republic, Andrychów was part of the Kraków Voivodeship.

The city was electrified in 1926, and infrastructure improvements were carried out between 1934 and 1939, including sewerage, a road system, a swimming pool and a municipal stadium. The first petrol station opened in 1929, and since 1926 the city has had regular bus services to Krakow and Bielsko-Biala.
The city of Andrichow, which came under the influence of German aggression at the beginning of World War II, was incorporated into the Third Reich by the Wehrmacht on September 4, 1939. As a result of this sad event, on November 24, 1939, the local synagogue was completely destroyed by fire. The Jewish population of Andrychow was subjected to violence and abuse by the German invaders. Jews were forced into forced labor, and their representatives were subjected to beatings and torture by the Nazis, who persistently demonstrated their cruelty. In September 1941, a Jewish ghetto was created in the poor areas of the city, in which Poles, evicted from their homes, were forced to settle together with Jews. Despite all the difficulties, the Jewish community steadily continued to perform its services, create underground schools for children, organize kindergartens and public kitchens to help the hungry. However, in July 1942, the Germans launched a raid on the ghetto, where about 100 sick people were sent to Wadowice and brutally murdered there. Another 40 people were sent to Auschwitz, where most of them died from starvation, beatings or disease. More than 100 people were forced to go through labor camps.

Subsequently, some surviving Jews from the Wadowice ghetto were returned back to Andrychow, as the city needed their labor.

In July 1943, the men from this group were transferred to other camps, and in November the women were sent to Auschwitz. It is known that about 25 Jews from Andrychow were able to survive the Holocaust.
On January 26, 1945, as German troops retreated to the west, Andrichów was liberated by the Red Army. In the Polish People's Republic, the city became an important center for the textile industry, with a large cotton mill, Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego. Another significant enterprise was the Andrychowska Fabryka Maszyn, based on the German military factory Areo-Stall Werke from World War II.In the post-war years, Andrychów continued to develop as an industrial center. In the 1960s, a new cotton mill was built, which became one of the largest in Poland. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the communist regime, many enterprises were privatized and became private companies.
Today Andrychów remains an important industrial center, specializing in the textile and mechanical engineering industries. The city also has a museum dedicated to the history of the Holocaust in the region.
Andrychów is also a popular tourist destination due to its rich history, architecture and natural attractions. The city is located near the Carpathian Mountains, making it an ideal place for hiking and mountain walking.

One of the famous attractions of Andrychów is the Janusz Wisłański Castle, which was built in the 18th century and is a fine example of Baroque architecture.

Overall, Andrychów combines rich history, industrial development and natural beauty, making it an interesting place to visit. You can watch the life of this unique city using Andrychow webcams, which you can watch online on our website in real time.