 Polish activist were persecuted since 1937, and, after the German invasion of Poland, which started World War II, the assets of the Polish bank were confiscated.In 1936, the town had 7,742 inhabitants.During the Second World War, the town was the base for a working party (E600) of British and Commonwealth prisoners of war, under the administration of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp at Lamsdorf (currently Łambinowice).