Sadek [ˈsadɛk] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szydłowiec, within Szydłowiec County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland.
Location and Geography
Sadek lies approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-east of Szydłowiec and 114 km (71 mi) south of Warsaw. It is situated at coordinates 51°12′N 20°54′E, at an elevation of approximately 252 metres (830 feet) above sea level.
Administrative Division
The village is subdivided into several informal settlements and official parts, including:
- Duży Sadek (Greater Sadek)
- Mały Sadek (Lesser Sadek)
- Komorniki
- Podlas
- Polanki
- Mały Szydłowiec (Szydłowiec PKP railway station area)
The village also includes the forest settlement of Jarzębia within its sołectwo (administrative village unit).
Demographics
As of the 2021 National Census, Sadek had a population of 847 (414 males, 433 females). Earlier data (from the English Wikipedia) cites a population of 981. The population has declined by approximately 25% between 1998 and 2021. The age structure is: 15.0% pre-working age, 57.7% working age, and 27.3% post-working age.
History
Sadek was historically a private noble village (wieś szlachecka), located in the second half of the 16th century in the Radom County of the Sandomierz Voivodeship. The 19th-century Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland, Vol. X, p. 195) records that in 1827 the village had 26 houses and 217 inhabitants; by the time of the dictionary's publication it had grown to 68 houses and 446 residents (including 3 Jewish residents), with the folwark (manorial estate) forming a state majorat of Baron Mengden.
During World War II, on 10 July 1944, two local Home Army (AK) members — Jan Bąk and Aleksander Szymański — were executed by German occupiers near the Podlas area. A stone with a commemorative plaque was placed at their forest grave in 2001. Additionally, a cross was erected in 2009 at the burial site of two Polish soldiers (Władysław Napora and Błażej Żywina) who fell on approximately 8 September 1939, likely from the 7th Infantry Regiment of Częstochowa, which fought in the Battle of Barak as part of the 36th Reserve Division.
The Dąbrowa forest between Sadek and Szydłowiec was a concentration point for insurgent units on the night of 22 January 1863, before their attack on Russian troops stationed in Szydłowiec during the January Uprising, under the command of Colonel Marian Langiewicz.
Infrastructure and Economy
- Education: The village is home to the Public Primary School named after Janusz Kusociński (Publiczna Szkoła Podstawowa im. Janusza Kusocińskiego), which in 2024 had 12 students across 2 classes.
- Religion: Sadek is the seat of the Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of Sorrows (Matki Boskiej Bolesnej). The church was built between 1983 and 1988, designed by engineer Stanisław Dworak of Szydłowiec. A rectory and a cemetery with a funeral home were subsequently established.
- Industry: The village hosts a metal industry production plant (COMES Sokołowscy sp. j.) and a sandstone extraction and processing facility.
- Economy: Most residents are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, with a minority employed in forestry, industry (metal and mining sectors), and other fields.
- Transport: Sadek is connected to the Szydłowiec railway station to the east via road 34479, and to national road E-7 (expressway S7) via road 34878 to the west. The village lies near national roads DK 7 and DK 42, and the Warsaw–Kraków railway line (Line 8) passes through the area.
Culture and Events
Since 1989, the annual "Ogólnopolski Bieg Uliczny Sadek" (All-Polish Sadek Street Run) has been held in the village, with notable Polish athletes such as Irena Szewińska invited as guests. In the interwar period, Sadek served as a summer resort for residents of Szydłowiec and the surrounding area due to its pine forests.
References
- Central Statistical Office (GUS) – TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal)
- Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego, Tom X, str. 195, Warszawa 1889
- Główny Urząd Statystyczny, Narodowy Spis Powszechny Ludności i Mieszkań 2021
