Korfantów
Korfantów  (), formerly known in Polish as Fryląd, is a town in the Opole Voivodeship of southwestern Poland, with 1,857 inhabitants (2015). In 1946 the town was renamed in honour of politician and activist Wojciech Korfanty, however, the previous name Fryląd is still in use.

Geography

Korfantów is located in the Niemodlin Plain (Równina Niemodlińska), in the historical region of Silesia. The total area inside the town's boundary is 10,23 km².

Etymology

The former name for the settlement was Hurtlanth or Hurthland. Other documents relate to the town as: Fredland, Fredelant, Fredlandt, Fridland, Freijland, Stadt Friedland and Friedland. Over time, the locality's Polish name was remodelled to its German counterpart, and was namely referred to as: Ferląd, Ferlondt, Frydląd, Fyrląd, and officially as Fryląd. After World War II, due to the town's German etymology, the settlement was renamed after Wojciech Korfanty.

History
Until the 15th century the area was in the possession of Polish princes of the Silesian Piast Dynasty. Simultaneously, an influx of German settlers caused the town to develop; it became the property of wealthy German and Silesian nobles. In 1632, the Swedes plundered Friedland and surrounding villages during the Thirty Years' War. Over the next decades the town also suffered due to plagues and fires. At that time, Friedland was part of the Habsburg Monarchy, however, it was ceded to Prussia after Frederick II the Great emerged victorious in the Silesian Wars. It remained in German hands until the end of World War II, when, under the Potsdam Agreement, it was reassigned to Poland.

Economy

In the interwar period, there were 152 registered businesses in Korfantów, namely: services, trade and food production. After World War II, the town lost its former importance as the agricultural centre in the Nysa County. This was largely the effect of war losses, requisitioning, plunder and the Red Army's war commissar's rule over the locality in 1945, as well as poor political decisions. Later, the regime of the Polish People's Republic caused much impoverishment and financial instability, therefore, it was not until the reintroduction of the free market in 1989 that economic growth began to return. As of 2015, 52% of the Gmina Korfantów populace lives off the agricultural sector.

Notable residents
 Carl Friedrich von Pückler-Burghauss (1886-1945), Waffen SS General 
 Emelie Mayer (1812-1883), composer