# Wadowice

> town of Poland

**Wikidata**: [Q212856](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q212856)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadowice)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/wadowice

## Summary
Wadowice is a town in southern Poland, located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It serves as the seat of Gmina Wadowice and is historically significant as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. As of the 2021 census, the town has a population of 17,905 residents.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Instance of a city (town) in Poland.
- **Location:** Coordinates 49.883333°N, 19.5°E; located in Gmina Wadowice, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Europe.
- **Area:** 12.98 square kilometres.
- **Population (2021):** Total 17,905; male 8,345; female 9,560. Data from the Polish census of 2021.
- **Postal Code:** 34-100.
- **Local Dialing Code:** 33.
- **Vehicle Registration Plate Code:** KWA.
- **Timezone:** Standard Central European Time (UTC+01:00); Daylight Saving Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00).
- **Elevation:** 450 metres above sea level.
- **UN/LOCODE:** PLWAD.
- **Historical Mentions:** Described in "Otto's encyclopedia" and "Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)".
- **Twin Towns:** Assisi (Italy), San Giovanni Rotondo (Italy), Pietrelcina (Italy), Carpineto Romano (Italy), Sona (Italy), Canale d'Agordo (Italy), Chicago Heights (USA), Marktl (Germany), Kecskemét (Hungary).
- **Notable Association:** Birthplace of Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła).
- **Wikipedia:** Article exists in 45 languages, including Polish (pl), English (en), German (de), and Italian (it).

## FAQs
**Where is Wadowice located?**
Wadowice is a town in southern Poland, within the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Małopolskie). It is the administrative seat of Gmina Wadowice and lies at geographical coordinates 49.883333°N, 19.5°E.

**What is the population of Wadowice?**
According to the official Polish census conducted on March 31, 2021, Wadowice had a total population of 17,905 inhabitants, comprising 8,345 males and 9,560 females.

**With which towns is Wadowice twinned?**
Wadowice maintains international twinning relationships with nine cities: Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, Pietrelcina, Carpineto Romano, Sona, and Canale d'Agordo (all in Italy); Chicago Heights (United States); Marktl (Germany); and Kecskemét (Hungary).

**Why is Wadowice historically notable?**
Wadowice is historically notable as the birthplace of Pope John Paul II (born Karol Wojtyła in 1920). It has also been documented in major historical reference works, including Otto's encyclopedia and Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (4th edition, 1885–1890).

**What administrative unit is Wadowice part of?**
Wadowice is the seat of the urban-rural Gmina Wadowice. It is situated within Wadowice County (Powiat wadowicki) in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Its official territorial code (TERC) is 1218094.

## Why It Matters
Wadowice matters primarily as the birthplace and childhood home of Pope John Paul II (1920-2005), one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. This connection makes it a major site of religious tourism and pilgrimage, significantly impacting its local economy and global recognition. The town preserves this legacy through dedicated museums and memorials, anchoring its identity in modern Catholic history. Furthermore, its long-standing documentation in European encyclopedias like Meyers Konversations-Lexikon underscores its historical role as a settled community in the region. Administratively, it functions as a local hub (gmina seat) for the surrounding area, providing services and governance for its municipality.

## Notable For
- **Birthplace of a Pope:** The primary global distinction of Wadowice is being the birthplace of Pope John Paul II.
- **Historical Documentation:** Its entry in the 19th-century *Meyers Konversations-Lexikon* highlights its established status as a notable town in historical gazetteers.
- **Cultural Pilgrimage Site:** The town's identity and tourism are centered on the papal heritage, including the family home and parish church.
- **International Ties:** Its network of nine twin towns spans Europe and North America, reflecting its diplomatic and cultural outreach.
- **Preserved Heritage:** It maintains a distinct historical town layout, evidenced by its market square (Rynek) and coat of arms.

## Body

### Geography and Location
Wadowice is situated in southern Poland, within the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Województwo małopolskie). Its precise geographical coordinates are latitude 49.883333°N and longitude 19.5°E. The town covers a total area of 12.98 square kilometres. It lies at an elevation of 450 metres above sea level. Administratively, it is the seat of Gmina Wadowice, an urban-rural municipality. The town's UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is PLWAD, used for logistical and trade identification.

### Demographics
The most recent official population data comes from the Polish national census performed on March 31, 2021. The total population of Wadowice was recorded as 17,905. This figure is broken down into 8,345 male residents and 9,560 female residents. The determination method for these statistics is explicitly cited as the "Polish census of 2021."

### Administration and Infrastructure
Wadowice functions as the seat of its namesake gmina (municipality). It falls under the jurisdiction of Wadowice County (Powiat wadowicki). The town's official postal code is 34-100. For telecommunications, the local dialing code is 33. Vehicles registered in the town carry the licence plate code KWA. The town observes Central European Time (UTC+01:00) during standard time and Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00) during daylight saving periods.

### Historical and Cultural Context
Wadowice has been recorded in major European historical reference works. It is described as a subject entry in "Otto's encyclopedia" (referenced via Q64024030) and in "Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th edition (1885–1890)" (referenced via Q130738712). A historical gazetteer identifier for the town is WADICEJN99RV. The town is categorically associated with people born, lived, and died there through dedicated Wikipedia categories: Category:Births in Wadowice, Category:People from Wadowice, and Category:Deaths in Wadowice.

### International Relations
Wadowice maintains formal twinning relationships (partnerstwo) with nine municipalities abroad. These twin towns are: Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, and Pietrelcina (Italy); Carpineto Romano and Sona (Italy); Canale d'Agordo (Italy); Chicago Heights (United States); Marktl (Germany); and Kecskemét (Hungary).

### Digital and Library Identifiers
The town is catalogued in numerous global authority files and databases. These include:
- **GND ID:** 4330857-0 (German National Library).
- **VIAF ID:** 150173872 (Virtual International Authority File), with additional cluster IDs 315940421, 6310164539792632240002, 247359101, 113148570726924312415.
- **FAST ID:** 1248654 (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology).
- **Geonames ID:** 3082722.
- **Freebase ID:** /m/022m7b.
- **MusicBrainz Area ID:** 2128abb8-b37b-465d-a4a0-cb542802ee8a.
- **OpenStreetMap Relation ID:** 2766024.
- **Who's On First ID:** 101841497.
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n85359280.
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007564871105171.
- **Slovak National Library (via VIAF) ID:** vtls002203074.
- **Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija ID:** wadowice.
- **Museum Digital Place ID:** 83226.
- **Yale Lux ID:** place/cb67b341-e12f-4ff7-b2b6-f5206585a851.
- **FactGrid Item ID:** John Domingue.
- **SIMC Place ID ( Poland):** 0926921.
- **TERC Municipality Code:** 1218094.
- **Curlie ID:** Regional/Europe/Poland/Provinces/Malopolskie/Counties/Wadowice/.
- **GNS Unique Feature ID:** -534197.
- **NSK ID:** 981005697128909366.
- **NL CR AUT ID:** ge302806 (with label "Wadowice (Polsko)").
- **SNARC ID:** Old Nubian (note: this appears to be a generic or placeholder value).
- **Facebook Location ID:** 110954775592640.

### Media, Categories, and Online Presence
The official town website is http://www.wadowice.pl/. Wikimedia Commons hosts a dedicated gallery and category for Wadowice. The town's market square is depicted in the image `Wadowicki_rynek.jpg`, and its coat of arms is available as `Wadowice_herb.svg`. A page banner for Wikivoyage is `Wadowice_Wikivoyage_banner.jpg`. The main Wikipedia article title is "Wadowice," which exists across 45 language editions, including Polish (pl), English (en), German (de), French (fr), Italian (it), and Spanish (es). The Wikidata description for the entity is "town of Poland." The town is the main subject of the category "Category:Gmina Wadowice."

### Aliases and Alternate Names
An historical alias for Wadowice is "Wadowitz," reflecting German-language exonym usage.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. [Source](https://www.worlddata.info/europe/poland/timezones.php)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. MusicBrainz
6. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/011212318094-0926921?var-id=1639616&format=jsonapi)
7. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/011212318094-0926921?var-id=1639618&format=jsonapi)
8. [Source](https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/api/v1/data/localities/by-unit/011212318094-0926921?var-id=1639617&format=jsonapi)
9. GeoNames
10. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/pl.htm)
11. Quora