Jelcz Laskowice

Jelcz-Laskowice [ˈjɛlt͡ʂ laskɔˈvʲit͡sɛ] is a town in Oława County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Jelcz-Laskowice. It lies on the Odra (Oder) river, approximately 12 kilometres (7 mi) north of Oława, and 24 kilometres (15 mi) south-east of the regional capital Wrocław. As at 2006, the town has a population of 15,196.

Map of Jelcz-Laskowice, Poland

The town was created on January 1, 1987 as a union of the former municipalities of Jelcz (German: Jeltsch) and Laskowice (Laskowitz). It was best known for its Mercedes-Benz W201 and large bus factory, owned by the company Jelcz S.A., though since the bankruptcy of that company the largest employers have been Toyota and the Mechanical Institute.

Jelcz was first mentioned as Jalche in a 1245 deed, when Pope Innocent IV granted it to the Archdiocese of Wrocław. In 1277 Duke Bolesław II the Bald of Legnicka here captured and arrested his nephew Duke Henryk IV Probus of Wrocław. Bolesław's grandson, Duke Bolesław III of Legnicka had a castle erected on an island in the Oder river about 1331.

The village of Laskowice was founded in 1293 by the Dukes of Wrocław. Between 1943 and 1945 the nearby hamlet of Miłoszyce was the site of the Fünfteichen subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, where forced labourers built 145 mm (6 in) howitzers for the Berthawerke, a branch of the Krupp company. Testing grounds still feature concrete installations 2 km (1.2 miles) East of Nowy Dwor. Howitzers were hauled on rails from the branch Berthakrupp via Laskowice, Piekary and North of Nowy Dwor. Since 1945 Soviets sent over 160 railway sorties, presumably to Smolensk leaving very little behind them. Since 1949 Polish Ministry of Defence run production of Mobile Repair Vehicles and Ambulances for military purpose. Bus production by Jelcz S.A. started in 1952.

In 1945 the area according to the results of the Potsdam Conference became part of Poland.