At the end of the 13th century, there were guilds of bakers, weavers, potters, shoemakers, furriers and tailors in Świdnica.

[7] The city suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48) as a result of sieges, fires and epidemics.

In 1803 the city was visited by Polish jurist, poet, political and military activist Józef Wybicki, best known as the author of the lyrics of the national anthem of Poland.

[7] Among the prisoners was Lesław Bartelski, Polish writer and resistance member, who fought in the Warsaw Uprising.

[13] In January 1945, a German-perpetrated death march of Allied POWs from the Stalag Luft 7 passed through the city.

[14] After the defeat of Germany in 1945, the town, like most of Silesia, became again part of Poland under border changes agreed at the Potsdam Conference.

The Gothic Cathedral of St. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus from the 14th century has the highest tower in Silesia, standing 103 meters tall; it hosts an image of "Our Lady Health of the Sick".

[3] The Evangelical Church of Peace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Historic Monument of Poland,[4] was built in 1656–57.

The 16th-century town hall has been renovated numerous times and combines Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architectural elements.

Świdnica is home to a College of Data Communications Technology (Wyższa Szkoła Technologii Teleinformatycznych).

In 2003, Świdnica hosted a session of the Warsaw-based International Chapter of the Order of Smile, when a Child Friendship Centre was established.