Middle Ages The market settlement of Strzeleczki was founded in the early 13th century, when it was part of fragmented
Piast-ruled Poland. It was established presumably during duke
Vladislaus I reign in the
Duchy of Opole and Racibórz. Archeological researchers found remainings of a medieval
hillfort in the territory of present-day Strzeleczki, as well as pieces of 13th-century clay vessels. Strzeleczki was first recorded as a town and
Catholic parish in a 1327 document. The town, owned by the duke, was not surrounded by defense walls. Its inhabitants worked as farmers and craftsmen. A school in Strzeleczki was established in 1375, as one of the first schools in Upper Silesia. The town was a part of the Duchy of
Niemodlin. Next, it was located in the
Duchy of Głogówek and Prudnik. In 1427,
Bolko V the Hussite, duke of Głogówek and Prudnik, confirmed the earlier privilege allowing
Jews to settle in Prudnik,
Biała,
Głogówek, and Strzeleczki. On 13 March 1428, the town was looted and burned by the
Hussites, After the
First Silesian War, it was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia was incorporated into
Prudnik County (
Großkreis Neustadt). In that same year, Strzeleczki, along with Ścinawa Mała, were deprived of their town rights and became market settlements. They were considered to be "second-rank towns" of Prudnik County. The residents were still considered townsmen, but they did not pay town taxes. In 1783,
Frederick the Great bought the Chrzelice castle and Strzeleczki. On 16 February 1813, a fire destroyed two-thirds of all buildings in Strzeleczki, along with the church and school. Since 21 until 28 January and since 4 until 18 February 1832, there was a
cholera epidemic in Strzeleczki. In 1861, 15 Jews lived in the settlement. In the mid-19th century, it housed a distillery and a royal forest department. In 1890, Strzeleczki had a population of 1,428, of whom 1,404 were Catholic, 17
Protestant, and 7 Jewish. On 1 April 1894,
Interwar period After the
First World War, a monument dedicated to people from Strzeleczki who died in the war, was erected in the settlement. Several Polish organizations were established in Strzeleczki. It stopped being regarded as a market settlement in 1919, becoming a village instead. During the
Second Silesian Uprising, Polish insurgents were transported to Strzeleczki via the Prudnik–Gogolin railway. Only a portion of Prudnik County participated in the
1921 Upper Silesia plebiscite, which was supposed to determine ownership of the
Province of Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland. Strzeleczki found itself in the eastern part of the county, within the plebiscite area. The village was the seat of the Polish Plebiscite Committee for Prudnik County, after its premises in Prudnik were attacked. 1,381 people of Strzeleczki voted to remain in Germany, and 198 voted to secede for Poland. In the end, the area of Prudnik, along with Strzeleczki, remained in Germany. During the Third Silesian Uprising, the village became a centre of the
Polish Military Organisation for Prudnik County, which recruited people for the insurgent units. Polish insurgents from Strzeleczki served in the 3rd Prudnik Company. A Polish library was founded in the village. The number of Strzeleczki's residents began to decline due to emigration in search of work in the industrial centres of Upper Silesia.
World War II 209 men from Strzeleczki died at the front during the
Second World War. Retreating
Wehrmacht soldiers killed Polish farm workers because they expressed joy at the approaching Soviet
Red Army. In March 1945, Strzeleczki was one of the localities of Prudnik County that were adapted by the Germans to defend against the Red Army. Field-type fortifications were built on the surrounding farmlands. The Red Army captured Strzeleczki on 19 March 1945 while on its way to Prudnik as part of the
Upper Silesian offensive. Most residents were evacuated or fled before the arrival of the Soviets. The village was not heavily damaged by the fightings. During the battle of Prudnik in April and May 1945, Soviets temporarily evacuated German and Polish civilians of Prudnik and surrounding villages to Strzeleczki.
Modern Poland Following the Second World War, from March to May 1945
Prudnik County was controlled by the Soviet military commandant's office. On 11 May 1945, it was passed on to the Polish administration. Autochthonous inhabitants of Strzeleczki, who either spoke
Silesian or knew Polish, were allowed to remain in the village. Some German families were expelled in June 1946. The village became a part of
Silesian Voivodeship in 1945. It belongs to Opole Voivodeship since 1950. In the years 1945–1954, the village was the seat of Gmina Strzeleczki in Prudnik County. From 1954 until 1973, it was the seat of a local
gromada (the lowest tier of local government). There was a post office in the village. School Inspectorate in Prudnik opened the primary school in Strzeleczki on 9 July 1945. A cultural centre was established in 1946, and in 1947, a library was opened. In 1950, the management of the hospital in Prudnik founded a maternity ward in Strzeleczki. A textile factory was established in 1953. The village was incorporated into Krapkowice County in 1956. Since 2022, local authorities have been trying to re-grant Strzeleczki town status. Their efforts were successful, and Strzeleczki became a town again on 1 January 2024. == Demographics ==