Editing Opole (section)

=== World War II ===
[[File:WK15 Opole Główne (45) Lichen99.jpg|thumb|left|Plaque at the main railway station commemorating deportations of Poles from Opole to concentration camps in 1939]]
On August 31, the day before the German [[invasion of Poland]] that began [[World War II]], the Germans began mass arrests of prominent Poles in the city, which were continued in September.<ref>Cygański, p. 32</ref> Among the arrested Poles were activists, entrepreneurs, journalists, editors, scout leaders, the director of the local Polish bank and the director of the local Polish library.<ref>Cygański, p. 32–34</ref> The ''Nowiny Codzienne'' newspaper was closed down on September 1, and its editorial team, including editor-in-chief Jan Łangowski, was deported to [[Nazi concentration camps|concentration camps]].<ref>Cygański, p. 33</ref> In September 1939, local Polish organizations were closed down by the German police and ''Gestapo'', and the assets of the local Polish bank were confiscated.<ref>Cygański, p. 32–33</ref> On 13 September and 4 October 1939, arrested Poles were deported from the city to concentration camps, men to [[Buchenwald concentration camp|Buchenwald]] and women to [[Ravensbrück concentration camp|Ravensbrück]].<ref>Cygański, p. 32, 35</ref> Some local Poles avoided arrest by escaping earlier to Poland.<ref name=mc30>Cygański, p. 30</ref>

The German [[10th Army (Wehrmacht)|10th Army]] and [[14th Army (Wehrmacht)|14th Army]] attacked Poland from the city, and the ''[[Einsatzgruppen|Einsatzgruppe]]'' I and II followed the armies from Opole to various Polish cities to commit [[Nazi crimes against the Polish nation|crimes against the Polish people]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2009|title=Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]|page=58}}</ref> After the defeat of Poland, Polish Eastern Upper Silesia was re-annexed to the Province of Upper Silesia and Oppeln lost its status as provincial capital to German-occupied [[Katowice]] (renamed ''Kattowitz'').

Polish prisoners from the city co-founded the secret resistance movement in Buchenwald, while Polish escapees from the city participated in the [[Polish resistance movement in World War II|Polish resistance]] in [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|occupied Poland]].<ref>Cygański, p. 60–62</ref> Local members of the Polish resistance were expelled from the city.<ref>Cygański, p. 59</ref>

During the war, the Nazis operated thirteen [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] subcamps of the [[Stalag VIII-B|Stalag VIII-B/344]] [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II|prisoner-of-war camp]] for [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] POWs in the city, and two in the present-day district of Groszowice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lamsdorf.com/working-parties.html|title=Working Parties|website=Lamsdorf.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029103834/https://www.lamsdorf.com/working-parties.html|access-date=12 November 2021|archive-date=29 October 2020}}</ref>

The New Synagogue was built in 1893–1897, designed by Felix Henry. During the [[Kristallnacht]] on 9–10 November 1938 Nazis forced Rabbi Hans Hirschberg to set the building on fire.

[[File:Oppeln-Rathaus-Aussen-vNorden-IMG 6080-5x5B-360x180G-PanoS-06-08-2024 (cropped)3.jpg|thumb|right|Architecture of the Main Marketplace]][[File:Opole - katedra i Most Piastowski.jpg|thumb|right|[[Piast dynasty|Piast]] Bridge and Opole Cathedral in the background with its two iconic [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] towers]]