Apart from the town proper and its two districts (Jaśkowice and Zawada) Orzesze has seven sołectwos:[3]
Orzesze dates back to the Middle Ages, however, for centuries it remained a village, as it was not granted town rights until 1962.
During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II, the town was captured by Germany on September 3, 1939[4] after Polish defense. The Germans immediately carried out mass arrests of Polish activists, scouts and insurgents of the Silesian Uprisings of 1919–1921.[4] On September 3, Wehrmacht troops massacred 12 Poles in the present-day districts (sołectwos) of Zawiść and Zgoń, and on September 4, the Freikorps massacred 29 Poles from Orzesze in the nearby Pasternik forest.[5] The victims of the latter massacre were 28 men (foresters, railwaymen, workers, farmers, retirees, a musician, editor, photographer, teacher, local official, barber, miner, janitor) and one woman.[5] On September 8, 1939, German troops executed Józef Szindler, the commander of the local insurgent unit.[6] The Polenlager No. 28, a forced labour camp for Poles, was established in the town in 1942.[7] German occupation ended in 1945.
In 1820 the first school in a renovated farm was funded. In 1838, due to development of industry number of inhabitants started to grow rapidly. New school was built, at which 389 children were taught in 2 rooms. In 1868 new school arose in the building of the current post office. In that year Lutherans started education in their own school. In 1903, a modern school was built.
Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. p. 131.
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