Paczków Town Hall
English: Paczków is a town in Nysa County, Opole Region, Poland. It is one of the few towns in Europe in which medieval fortifications have been almost completely preserved. Located in the southeastern outskirts of the historical province of Lower Silesia, along the medieval road from Lesser Poland to Klodzko Valley and Prague, Paczków is called the "Polish Carcassonne", thanks to its well-preserved medieval fortifications. However, while the famous French Carcassonne is a nineteenth century reconstruction, all historic buildings of Paczków are authentic. The old town and its medieval fortifications are listed as one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), which listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. Paczków (the name comes from the old Slavic first name Pakoslaw) was officially founded on March 8, 1254, when the Bishop of Wrocław, Tomasz I gave permission for the location of a new town. It was placed near the ancient village of Paczków, and henceforth, the name of the village was changed to Old Paczków. Paczków quickly grew, becoming not only a market town, but also a stronghold, guarding the southwestern borders of the mighty ecclesiastical Duchy of Nysa. It was granted the so-called Flemish rights, based on the Magdeburg rights. In the late Middle Ages and subsequent periods, Paczków shared the stormy fate of other towns of Silesia, with frequent disasters, such as hunger (1325), floods (1333, 1501, 1539, 1560, 1598, 1602), fires (1565, 1634), as well as epidemics - Black Death (1349), and cholera (1603–1607, 1633). Paczków also suffered during the Hussite Wars, when it was captured by the Hussites on March 17, 1428. The period of religious wars did not end until the late fifteenth century, and only then did Paczków begin to flourish again. With the financial support of the bishops of Nysa, new fortifications were constructed, with a defensive and towers. In 1526 Paczków, together with the whole of Silesia, passed to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty (see also Silesian Piasts). During the Thirty Years' War warring armies destroyed Paczków and adjacent areas. In 1742, after the Silesian Wars, Paczków was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia (see also Austrian Silesia), and it subsequently became part of the German Empire. Following the Potsdam Agreement, the town was placed under Polish administration, and its German population was largely replaced with Poles, most of whom came from ‘Western Ukraine’ (see: Kresy), from the areas of Lviv, Ternopil, and Volhynia. Besides its fortifications, Paczków is famous for renaissance, baroque, and neoclassic tenement houses, which surround the town square and the town hall. The oldest of these buildings dates back to around 1500, with the most visible being the so-called "House of the Executioner". Another interesting monument of the "Polish Carcassonne" is the Church of John the Evangelist, which is considered to be one of the most impressive fortified churches in Poland. Its construction began in 1350, and lasted for 30 years. The unique ‘Gothic’ church, which is made of stone and bricks displays a renaissance attic, and its mighty structure has been incorporated into the town's fortifications. The church stands out because of its immense size, and inside there are sculptures attributed to Wit Stwosz. Next to the complex there is the so-called Tatar well. According to a legend, a Tatar warrior (see Mongol invasion of Poland) was thrown into the well, after he had captured the daughter of a wealthy inhabitant of Paczków. The Scotch Mist Gallery contains many photographs of historic buildings, monuments and memorials of Poland. Polski: Galeria Mist Scotch zawiera wiele zdjęć zabytkowych budowli, pomników i miejsc pamięci w Polsce.