Wieluń [ˈvjɛluɲ] (German:Welun) is a city in central Poland with 24,347 inhabitants (2006). Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), it was previously in Sieradz Voivodeship (1975–1998). Wieluń has a long and rich history. In the past, it used to be one of the most important urban locations of the Kingdom of Poland, and the capital of the Land of Wieluń (Ziemia wieluńska). Several Polish kings and notables visited the town, but following the catastrophic Swedish invasion of Poland (1655–1660), Wieluń declined and never regained its status. In September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland, it was bombed by the Luftwaffe. The Bombing of Wieluń is considered to be one of the first bombings in Europe in this war. It killed an estimated 1,300 civilians, injured hundreds more and destroyed 90 percent of the town centre.