Mielec
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Mielec is a town in south-eastern Poland with 63,300 inhabitants (2003).
Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Rzeszow Voivodship (1975-1998).
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Education
Sports
- Telenet Polska Autopart Mielec - women's volleyball team playing in Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League: 3rd place in 2003/2004 season.
History
First mentioned in a papal bull in 1229. In 1457 it obtained its city charter. Mielec became part of the Austrian Empire in 1772, in which it remained until Poland regained its independence in 1918.
In the years 1937-1939 a large aviation factory of the PZL company was set up in the town. It developed further after 1945 into the largest aviation factory in Poland under the name WSK Mielec (Wytwornia Sprzetu Komunikacyjnego, in english Transport Equipment Manufacturing Centre) . At first, the factory produced Soviet-designed planes under license. Thus it was the primary production site of the widely used An-2 transport plane. It also manufactured Polish versions of the Mig-15 and Mig-17 fighters. The factory also built planes designed in Poland such as the trainer plane TS-11 Iskra used by Poland and India. In 1998 the company changed its name to PZL-Mielec (Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze, in english Polish Aviation Works). After 1989 and the economic changes due to the fall of communism, the factory orders declined and it has encountered serious financial difficulties. It continues to produce successful aircraft types, but at much lower volumes than during the Cold War. Mielecs has formal friendship links with Newark-on Trent, Nottinghamshire,UK. Newark is the original burial place of General Sikorski the Polish war time leader who was buried amongst many of his fellow Poles who gave their lives fighting for freedom. General Sikorskis remains have now been returned to Poland where they are interred with other heroes in Krakow.
External Links:
- Mielec home page (in Polish) (http://www.mielec.pl/)
- PZL aviation factory in Mielec (http://www.pzl-mielec.pl/ang/index1.php)