Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland, situated 33 kilometres southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula and Soła rivers. Oświęcim dates back to the 12th century, when it was an important castellan seat. From 1315 to 1457 it was the seat of a local line of the Piast dynasty, and from 1564 to 1772 it was a royal city of the Kingdom of Poland, with the Ducal and Royal Castle and several medieval Gothic churches among the city's landmarks. Located on the east-west trade route, it was an important hub for trade, especially in salt from Wieliczka. In the interwar period, Oświęcim was a garrison town for the Polish Army, and during the German occupation of Poland in World War II, the former barracks were expanded to host the infamous German Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp, now the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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