Opacz Wielka

Opacz Wielka is a neighbourhood, and City Information System area, in the city of Warsaw, Poland. It is a residential area consisting of single-family detached homes.

Opacz Wielka
Neighbourhood and a City Information System area
Houses at Aksamitna Street in Opacz Wielka, in 2017.
Opacz Wielka in the map of the City Information System areas of the district of Włochy.
Coordinates: 52°10′54″N 20°55′16″E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
City county	Warsaw
District	Włochy
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code	+48 22

The oldest records that mention it date to the early 16th century. In 19th century, from Opacz Wielka was separated the village of Salomea. The area was incorporated into the nearby Warsaw in 1951.

History

First known records of Opacz Wielka come from the begging of the 16th century. By 1528, it was owned by the Opacki family of the heraldic clan of Prus, and its estate had an area of 6 lans, which equals to around 100 ha. The settlement was located in the area of the present Jutrzenki Street.

In the 18th century, the village became property of Arnold Anastazy Byszewski, who was a general and aide-de-camp in the Crown Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. By the end of the century, it had 24 households, and in 1827, 12 households.

In 19th century from the northwestern portion of the village was separated the settlement of Salomea.

In the late 19th century, to the southeast from Opacz Wielka were formed three small artificial lakes, known as Załuski Clay Pits. They were formed from flooded clay pits, that were left after the excavation of clay by the local brickworks industry.

Between 1883 and 1890, to the northeast of Opacz Wielka, was built the Fort V. It was part of the series of fortifications of the Warsaw Fortress, built around Warsaw by the Russian Imperial Army. The building restrictions imposed on the neighbouring settlements, including Opacz Wielka, had stopped their developments. In 1909, it was decided to decommission and demolish the fortifications of the Warsaw Fortress, and Fort V was partially demolished in 1913. Following that, the village again begun developing.

In 1927, between Opacz Wielka and Salomea was built the Warszawa Salomea railway station, operated by the Electric Commuter Railway (now operated by the Warsaw Commuter Railway). Soon after, along Szyszkowa Street (then known as Klonowa Street), to the southewest of Opacz Wielka, was settled Opacz-Kolonia (originally known as Opacz), which acted as its extension. It had around 40 households. On 1 April 1939, from it was separated the settlement of Opacz-Parcela.

On 6 March 1944, while Opacz Wielka was under German occupation during the Second World War, six officers of the Home Army were captured there by the Volksdeutsche Nazi sympathisers, and executed by the Field Police Corps. In May 1944, a division of the Directorate of Diversion of the Home Army, had executed four people responsible for the capture of Polish resistance soldiers, and two more were killed in the following weeks.

On 15 May 1951, the municipality of Okęcie, including Opacz Wielka and Opacz-Parcela, were incorporated into the city of Warsaw. Opacz-Kolonia remained as a separate village.

On 19 May 2004, the district of Włochy was subdivided into areas of the City Information System, with Opacz Wielka being one of them.

Between 2010 and 2013, in the neighbourhood were built two intersecting expressways that form part of the ring road around Warsaw. They are the Salomea–Wolica Route in the east, and the expressway S2 in the south. During their construction, the entirety of largest pond, and portion of the second largest pond of the Załuski Clay Pits, were drained and built over.

Characteristics

One of two artificial lakes of the Załuski Clay Pits located in the southeastern portion of Opacz Wielka.

Opacz Wielka is a low-rise residencial area, consisting of the single-family detached homes. It also includes instances of storage and manufacture buildings, and farmland.

In the southeastern portion of the neighbourhood, near Emaliowa Street, are located Załuski Clay Pits, two small artificial lakes.

In southern Salomea, at the boundary with Opacz Wielka, is located the Warszawa Salomea railway station operated by the Warsaw Commuter Railway.

At the southern and eastern boundary of Opacz Wielka are located two intersecting expressways that form part of the ring road around Warsaw. They are the Salomea–Wolica Route in the east, and the expressway S2 in the south.

Location and administrative boundaries

Opacz Wielka is a City Information System area, located in the city of Warsaw, Poland, within the southwestern portion of the district of Włochy. Its northern border is determined in a horizontal like to the south of the Warszawa Salomea railway station, stretching between Badylarska Street and Działkowa Street. Its eastern border is determined by Działkowa Street, and in a straight line continuing to the south to Finałowa Street. To the south, its border is determined by the city boundary with the municipality of Raszyn, particularly based on Finałowa Street, around the Załuski Clay Pits, and Rebusowa Street, and by the boundary of the municipality of Michałowice, partially based on Rebusowa Streer. The western boundy is determined by Badylarska Street.

It borders Salomea to the north, Okęcie, and Załuski to the east, municipality of Raszyn to the south, and the municipality of Michałowice to the south-west, and Skorosze to the north-west. Its northwestern boundary forms border with the district of Ursus, while its southern boundary forms the city border, with Pruszków County.