Kamienna Góra
Encyclopedia
Kamienna Góra k is a town in south-western Poland
with 21,440 inhabitants (2006). It is the seat of Kamienna Góra County
, and also of the rural district called Gmina Kamienna Góra
, although it is not part of the territory of the latter (the town forms a separate urban gmina
).
Kamienna Góra on the Bóbr
river is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship
(from 1975–1998 it was in the former Jelenia Góra Voivodeship
) between the Stone Mountains
and the Rudawy Janowickie
at the old trade route from Silesia
to Prague
, today part of the National Road No. 5
. It lies approximately 95 kilometre south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.
In 1254 the Piast
Duke Bolesław II the Bald of Legnica
gave the area to the Benedictine
monastery of Opatovice
, who already had established Grüssau Abbey
at nearby Krzeszów
. When the abbey passed to the Cistercians in 1289, Kamienna Góra was acquired by Duke Bolko I the Strict
of Świdnica
, who extended it as a stronghold against Bohemia
. It received town privileges
by Duke Bolko II the Small in 1334. Nevertheless the duchy fell to the Bohemian crown with Bolko's death in 1368. It burnt down during the 1426 Hussite
campaign to Silesia.
After Frederick II of Prussia
had conquered Silesia in 1742, his fierce opponent Maria Theresa of Austria
once again stroke back in the course of the Seven Years' War
: In 1760 Austrian troops under the command of field marshal Laudon invaded the province and on June 23 defeated a Prussian corps under Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué
at the Battle of Landeshut.
The region passed to Poland from Germany
in 1945 following decisions approved at the Potsdam Conference
at the end of World War II
. For more information about the general history of the region, see Silesia
. The Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode
left the Renaissance
Grodztwo (Kreppelhof) castle that once belonged to the House of Schaffgotsch
, today in ruins.
with: Ikast
, Denmark
Trutnov
, Czech Republic
Vierzon
, France
Wolfenbüttel
, Germany
Bitterfeld
, Germany
Barcelos
, Portugal
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with 21,440 inhabitants (2006). It is the seat of Kamienna Góra County
Kamienna Góra County
Kamienna Góra County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. The county covers an area of...
, and also of the rural district called Gmina Kamienna Góra
Gmina Kamienna Góra
Gmina Kamienna Góra is a rural gmina in Kamienna Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Its seat is the town of Kamienna Góra, although the town is not part of the territory of the gmina....
, although it is not part of the territory of the latter (the town forms a separate urban gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
).
Kamienna Góra on the Bóbr
Bóbr
Bóbr is a river which runs through the north of the Czech Republic and the southwest of Poland, a left tributary of the Oder River, with a length of and a basin area of .The Bóbr originates in the Rýchory mountains in the southeast of the Karkonosze range, where the source is...
river is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
(from 1975–1998 it was in the former Jelenia Góra Voivodeship
Jelenia Góra Voivodeship
Jelenia Gora Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
) between the Stone Mountains
Stone Mountains
The Stone Mountains is a mountain range in Central Sudetes on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland....
and the Rudawy Janowickie
Rudawy Janowickie
The Rudawy Janowickie is a mountain range in Western Sudetes in Poland....
at the old trade route from Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, today part of the National Road No. 5
National roads in Poland
National road in Poland refers to a public trunk road controlled by the Polish central government authority, the General Directorship of National Roads and Motorways...
. It lies approximately 95 kilometre south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.
History
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
Duke Bolesław II the Bald of Legnica
Duchy of Legnica
The Duchy of Legnica or Duchy of Liegnitz was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Legnica in Lower Silesia....
gave the area to the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
monastery of Opatovice
Opatovice nad Labem
Opatovice nad Labem is a village in Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has cca 2,200 inhabitants. A large power station is located here.-External links:*...
, who already had established Grüssau Abbey
Grüssau Abbey
Grüssau Abbey also known as Krzeszów Abbey refers to a historical Cistercian monastery in Krzeszów in Lower Silesia, and to a house of the Benedictine Order in the town of Bad Wimpfen in Baden-Württemberg, where the German Grüssau community moved in 1947, after their former abbey had become...
at nearby Krzeszów
Krzeszów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Krzeszów is a village in the Middle Sudetes in south-western Poland. It is part of the administrative district of Gmina Kamienna Góra, within Kamienna Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship .The village lies approximately south of Kamienna Góra, and south-west of the regional capital Wrocław...
. When the abbey passed to the Cistercians in 1289, Kamienna Góra was acquired by Duke Bolko I the Strict
Bolko I the Strict
Bolko I the Strict also known as the Raw or of Jawor , was a Duke of Lwówek during 1278-81 and Jawor since 1278 , sole Duke of Lwówek since 1286, Duke of Świdnica-Ziębice since 1291.He was the second son of Bolesław II the Bald, Duke of Legnica by his first wife Hedwig, daughter of...
of Świdnica
Swidnica
Świdnica is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. It has a population of 60,317 according to 2006 figures. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh largest town in that voivodeship. From 1975–98 it was in the former Wałbrzych Voivodeship...
, who extended it as a stronghold against Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
. It received town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
by Duke Bolko II the Small in 1334. Nevertheless the duchy fell to the Bohemian crown with Bolko's death in 1368. It burnt down during the 1426 Hussite
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
campaign to Silesia.
After Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
had conquered Silesia in 1742, his fierce opponent Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
once again stroke back in the course of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
: In 1760 Austrian troops under the command of field marshal Laudon invaded the province and on June 23 defeated a Prussian corps under Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué
Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué
Ernst Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué was a Prussian general and confidant of King Frederick the Great. Fouqué held the title of Freiherr .-Early life:...
at the Battle of Landeshut.
The region passed to Poland from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1945 following decisions approved at the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For more information about the general history of the region, see Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. The Counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode
Stolberg-Wernigerode
The Principality of Stolberg-Wernigerode was a county of the Holy Roman Empire located in the Harz region around Wernigerode, now part of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-History:...
left the Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
Grodztwo (Kreppelhof) castle that once belonged to the House of Schaffgotsch
House of Schaffgotsch
The Schaffgotsch family is one of the oldest noble Silesian families extant, dating back to the thirteenth century. They were first mentioned in the St. Gallen book of documents in 804 and 809, when they were domiciled in the Margraviate of Meissen, Franconia, and the Tyrol...
, today in ruins.
Notable people
- Carl Gotthard LanghansCarl Gotthard LanghansCarl Gotthard Langhans was a Prussian builder and architect. His works are among the earliest buildings in the German classicism movement. His best-known work is the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.- Life :...
(1732–1808), architect - Walter ArndtWalter ArndtWalter Arndt was a German zoologist and physician.-Life:At the University of Breslau, Arndt studied medicine and zoology...
(1891–1944), zoologist - Viktor HamburgerViktor HamburgerViktor Hamburger was a German professor and embryologist. Hamburger lectured, among others, Nobel Prize-winning neurologist Rita Levi-Montalcini , who identified nerve growth factor along with Hamburger when they collaborated...
(1900–2001), biologist - Gosia DobrowolskaGosia DobrowolskaGosia Dobrowolska, real name Małgorzata Dobrowolska , an Australian actress, was born in Poland.She came to Australia in the 1980s.Her first Australian film was Silver City, and she played a Polish immigrant...
(born 1958), actress
Twin towns — Sister cities
Kamienna Góra is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Ikast
Ikast
Ikast is a Danish town in the Region Midtjylland. It has been part of the municipality of Ikast-Brande since 2007. It was the seat of the former Ikast Municipality.-External links:*...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Trutnov
Trutnov
Trutnov is a city in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population of 31,239 and lies in the Krkonoše in the valley of the Úpa River....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Vierzon
Vierzon
Vierzon is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A medium-sized town by the banks of the Cher River with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld
Bitterfeld is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2007 it has been part of the town Bitterfeld-Wolfen. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Dessau, and 30 km northeast of Halle...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Barcelos
Barcelos
Barcelos Municipality is located in Braga District, in the north of Portugal. It has a total population of 123,831 and an area of 378.9 km². With 89 parishes, it is the municipality with the highest number of parishes in the country, as well as the city of Barcelos...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...