Country Poland Gmina Zwierzyniec Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 4.82 km² Population 3,344 (2006) | County Zamość Elevation 215 m (705 ft) Postal code 22-470 Local time Sunday 6:03 PM Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship | |
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Weather 22°C, Wind SW at 13 km/h, 32% Humidity Points of interest Roztocze National Park, Ośrodek Edukacyjno‑Muzealny Roztocza, Zwierzyńczyk, Budynek Zarządu Ordynacji | ||
Zwierzyniec [zvjɛˈʐɨɲɛt͡s] is a town on the Wieprz river in the Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. It has 3,324 inhabitants (2004).
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Map of Zwierzyniec, Poland
Zwierzyniec is the northernmost town of the Roztocze National Park. The park comprises some of the last remaining sections of the primordial forest of Central Europe, especially spectacular stand of ancient beech trees (Bukowa Gora). It also is a rail junction, located along the Rejowiec Fabryczny - Hrebenne - Munina connection, with a branch line going westwards, to Stalowa Wola, via Biłgoraj.
History
The Zwierzyniec settlement was established in the 16th century by the Zamoyski family. One of the features here is an artificial lake with a number of small islands - one of them contains monuments of the hounds belonging to the Polish Queen Marysieńka Sobieska (primo voto Zamoyska).
On another island the Zamoyskis built a baroque chapel, which became later the main church of the local Catholic parish. It is now known as the St John Nepomucene's parish church - renovated and expanded in early 1960s by father Dutkowski. The access to the chapel island is now via a bridge.
World War II
During the occupation of Poland in World War Two, Nazi Germans set up a transit camp in Zwierzyniec for the province-wide Action Zamość. The camp processed 20,000-24,000 Poles, with many victims sent to death camps at Auschwitz and Majdanek.
Race selections based on forcible abduction of children were conducted at Zwierzyniec. The term "Children of Zamojszczyzna" originates from this programme.