Wieluń in the context of "Kraków-Częstochowa Upland"

Przemysł II (Polish: [ˈpʂɛmɨsw] also given in English and Latin as Premyslas or Premislaus or in Polish as Przemysław; 14 October 1257 – 8 February 1296) was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków from 1290 to 1291, and Gdańsk Pomerania (Pomerelia) from 1294 to 1296, and then King of Poland from 1295 until his death. After a long period of Polish high dukes and two nominal kings, he was the first to obtain the hereditary title of king, and thus to return Poland to the rank of kingdom. A member of the Greater Poland branch of the House of Piast as the only son of Duke Przemysł I and the Silesian Princess Elisabeth, he was born posthumously; for this reason he was brought up at the court of his uncle Bolesław the Pious and received his own district to rule, the Duchy of Poznań in 1273. Six years later, after the death of his uncle, he also obtained the Duchy of Kalisz.

In the first period of his government, Przemysł II was involved only in regional affairs, first in close collaboration and then competing with the Duke of Wrocław, Henryk IV Probus. This policy caused the rebellion of the prominent Zaremba family and the temporary loss of Wieluń. Working with the Archbishop of Gniezno, Jakub Świnka, he sought the unification of the principalities of the Piast dynasty. Unexpectedly, in 1290, under the will of Henryk IV Probus, he managed to obtain the Duchy of Kraków and with this the title of High Duke of Poland; however, not having sufficient support from the local nobility (who supported another member of the Piast dynasty, Władysław I the Elbow-high) and faced with the increasing threats of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, Przemysł II finally decided to retreat from Lesser Poland, which was then under the rule of Přemyslid dynasty.

Krakowskie Przedmieście (Polish) (Polish pronunciation: [kraˈkɔfskʲɛ pʂɛdˈmjɛɕt͡ɕɛ] , lit. 'Kraków Fore-town') is one of the best knownstreets of Poland's capital Warsaw, surrounded by historic palaces, churches and manor-houses. It constitutes the northernmost part of Warsaw's Royal Route, and links the Old Town and Royal Castle (at Castle Square) with some of the most notable institutions in Warsaw, including, proceeding southward, the Presidential Palace, Warsaw University, and the Polish Academy of Sciences headquartered in the Staszic Palace. The immediate southward extension of the street along the Royal Route is New World Street.

Several other Polish cities also have streets named Krakowskie Przedmieście. In Lublin, it is the main and most elegant street. Other cities include Piotrków Trybunalski, Bochnia, Krasnystaw, Olkusz, Sieradz and Wieluń.

The bombing of Wieluń is considered by many to be the first major act of World War II, and the September Campaign. After Luftwaffe air units moved into Polish airspace in the early morning of 1 September, they reached the town of Wieluń by 04:40–45. Around this time, the first strikes on the town were conducted, with a total of 46,000 kg of bombs being dropped on civilian targets for nine hours. Elsewhere, the Battle of Westerplatte and Danzig skirmishes began around the same time (04:45), starting the well-coordinated Invasion of Poland.

Located near the German border, the town of Wieluń was completely undefended, lacking anti-air capabilities and a military garrison. Despite Wieluń having no military targets, airstrikes continued. German intelligence reports had stated there was a Polish cavalry brigade stationed in the town. The Luftwaffe had reportedly bombed a "clearly marked" hospital, and strafed fleeing civilians, and also bombed the nearby towns of Działoszyn, Radomsko, and Sulejów, which also had no military targets.

Wieluń Land (Polish: ziemia wieluńska; Latin: Terra Velumensis), originally known as Ruda Land (Polish: ziemia rudzka; Latin: terra Rudensis, territorium Rudense), was a land of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and a part of the historical Sieradz-Łęczyca Land (Polish: ziemia łęczycko-sieradzka). Wieluń Land for centuries was part of Sieradz Voivodeship in the Province of Greater Poland.

Wieluń Land covers current the counties of Wieluń, Ostrzeszów, Wieruszów and Kępno (the eastern half, with the capital), as well as some locations in the counties of Olesno, Pajęczno, Kłobuck, and also Częstochowa (an exclave). It covers about 3,000 km and has 200,000 inhabitants.

Gmina Wieluń is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Wieluń County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. Its seat is the town of Wieluń, which lies approximately 88 kilometres (55 mi) south-west of the regional capital Łódź.

The gmina covers an area of 131.2 square kilometres (50.7 sq mi), and as of 2006 its total population is 32,882 (out of which the population of Wieluń amounts to 24,347, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 8,535).

Wieluń County (Polish: powiat wieluński) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland. It came into being on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Wieluń, which lies 88 kilometres (55 mi) south-west of the regional capital Łódź.

The county covers an area of 927.69 square kilometres (358.2 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 78,260, out of which the population of Wieluń is 24,347 and the rural population is 53,913.