Online-Card - Strzelce Opolskie

Welcome to Strzelce Opolskie! Strzelce is an open town, friendly to its residents and guests. Today, its population is 21 thousand, while over 34 thousand people live in the whole commune. The biggest treasure and value of Strzelce Opolskie region are its residents – honest, open, tolerant and friendly people. We form the current and the future profile of the town for them and for next generations. We want them to find their “place on earth” here as well as opportunities for professional and social development. Strzelce Opolskie is a perfect place to start investments due to its location and local policy supporting business development. You can run successful business and relax here. There are almost endless recreation opportunities in Strzelce. The town and its region are very attractive to devotees of horse riding and nature (the town park covers the area of 61 ha, nature reserves) as well as fishing and hunting.

Economy Policy of local authorities has not changed since 1989 and aims at economic development of the commune. We guarantee fast, professional and reliable attendance to investors. Because of highly dynamic investments, the level of communal infrastructure constantly increases. We have a water treatment plant of the latest generation and modern waste dump. Low taxes and local charges result in the fact that the costs of living and running business here are lower than in other district towns. All these elements as well as preferences for investors contribute to perfect and stable conditions for business development. Many foreign investors has already situated their companies in Strzelce, for instance such as: Heidelberg Group, Lhoist Group, Intersilesia McBride, Kleinmann, Flamy Block. Over 2 thousand active business entities are registered in the commune. Many of them are potential partners for cooperation. Municipal authorities currently offer over 50 real estates, i.e. lands and facilities, for investment activity. We are open for various forms of cooperation. Municipal Office offers assistance in dealing with formalities related to investment process. It also provides information regarding available financing sources for businessmen. Information concerning actual investment offers is also available at our communal web site www.strzelceopolskie.pl

Now and before The earliest reference to Strzelce can be found in the sources written in the first half of the 13th century. However, the town was probably founded between the 10th and 12th century. Archaeological excavations prove that this region was populated in the age of the Lusatian culture. Strzelce was probably founded in 1281 when the prince of Opole, Boles³aw I, reconstructed the town destroyed during an incursion of Boles³aw Wstydliwy. In 1313, after death of Boles³aw I, Strzelce Opolskie Principality came into existence. In 1327, the town was enclosed by a wall with two towers and a water moat. Until the Thirty Years’ War, the town developed very successfully, particularly in the 14th century because of, among other things, location near significant mercantile routes. In the Antiquity, it was situated on the amber and salt route, which later became the so-called Hanseatic route leading from Hamburg to Kiev. In the second half of the 19th century, Strzelce developed into an important centre of limestone and engineering industry. Military operations in 1945 extensively ruined the town. However, once more Strzelce was reconstructed right after the war, similarly as it had often taken place before.

In 1998, Strzelce Opolskie was admitted into the group of cities forming the New Hanse, an organisation founded on the basis of the Medieval Hanse. It results not only from historical traditions of the town, but also contemporary achievements of Strzelce as a place open both to the west and to the east of Europe. This position can be confirmed by an intensive cooperation in various fields with the following partner towns: Soest in Germany, Druskininkai in Lithuania and Tysmienica in Ukraine. We also maintain friendly relations with: Lippstadt, Blankenhein, Hersberg, Heringen, Schmölln (Germany), Visby, Helsinborg (Sweden), Kampen (the Netherlands), Sárospatak (Hungary) and Chmielnica (Slovakia).