Legnica
Encyclopedia
Legnica AUD is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia
, in the central part of Lower Silesia
, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa
(left tributy of the Oder
) and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship
. It is currently the seat of the county. Since 1992 the city is the capital of the Diocese of Legnica.
ic and East Germanic tribes
. Tacitus
in his Germania and Ptolemy
recorded the Lugii
(Lygii) in Magna Germania, and mentioned their town of Lugidunum, which has been attributed to both Legnica and Głogów. When the East Germanic tribes left for southern Europe, West Slavic
tribes moved in and were the first group to settle it permanently.
The city was first officially mentioned in chronicle
s from 1004, although settlement dates to the 7th century. It was originally known as Lignica. It became the residence of the dukes of Lower Silesia
in 1163 and was the seat of a principality ruled from 1248-1675.
near the city on 9 April 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe
. The Christian army of the Polish duke Henry II the Pious
of Silesia, supported by the feudal nobility, included Poles, Bavarian miners and military orders, was decisively defeated by the Mongols
. Although the Mongols killed Henry and destroyed his forces, their advance into Europe was halted when they turned back to attend to the election of a new Khagan
(Grand Khan) following the death in the same year of Ögedei Khan
. Minor celebrations are held annually in Legnica to commemorate the battle.
in the Kaczawa
River between Legnica and Złotoryja (Goldberg).
during the 14th century and was included within the Holy Roman Empire. The Protestant Reformation
was introduced in the duchy as early as 1522 and the population became Lutheran
. After the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia at Mohács
in 1526, Legnica was inherited by the Habsburg Monarchy
of Austria. The first map of Silesia was made by native son Martin Helwig.
In 1676, Legnica passed to direct Habsburg
rule after the death of the last Silesian Piast duke, Georg Wilhelm (son of Duke Christian of Brieg
), despite the earlier inheritance pact by Brandenburg and Silesia, by which it was to go to Brandenburg. Silesian aristocracy was trained at the Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie
.
after King Frederick the Great's
defeat of Austria in the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1760 during the Seven Years' War
, Liegnitz was the site of the Battle of Liegnitz
when Frederick's army defeated an Austrian army led by Laudon
.
, the Prussians, under Field Marshal Blücher
, defeated the French
forces of MacDonald
in the Battle of Katzbach
nearby.
After the administrative reorganization of the Prussian state following the Congress of Vienna, Liegnitz and the surrounding territory (Landkreis Liegnitz) were incorporated into the Regierungsbezirk
(administrative district) Liegnitz, within the Province of Silesia
on 1 May 1816. Along with the rest of Prussia, the town became part of the German Empire
in 1871 during the unification of Germany
. On 1 January 1874 Liegnitz became the third city in Lower Silesia (after Breslau and Görlitz
) to be raised to an urban district
, although the district administrator of the surrounding Landkreis Liegnitz continued to have his seat in the city.
, 0.15 % German and Polish, 1.27 % Polish
, 2.26 % Wendish
, and 0.19 % Czechs. On 1 April 1937 parts of the Landkreis Liegnitz communities of Alt Beckern, Groß Beckern, Hummel, Liegnitzer Vorwerke, Pfaffendorf und Prinkendorf were incorporated into the city of Liegnitz. After the Treaty of Versailles
following World War I, Liegnitz was part of the newly created Province of Lower Silesia
from 1919 to 1938, then of the Province of Silesia
from 1938 to 1941, and again of the Province of Lower Silesia from 1941 to 1945.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany
during World War II, Liegnitz and all of Silesia east of the Neisse river was transferred to Poland following the Potsdam Conference
in 1945. The German population was expelled
from between 1945 and 1947 and replaced with Poles and, as the medieval Polish name Lignica was considered archaic
, the town was renamed Legnica. The transfer to Poland decided at Potsdam
in 1945 was officially recognized
by East Germany in 1950, by West Germany
under Chancellor Willy Brandt
in the Treaty of Warsaw
signed in 1970, and finally by the reunited Germany by the Two Plus Four Agreement
in 1990. By 1990 only a handful of Polonized
Germans, prewar citizens of Liegnitz, remained of the pre-1945 German population. In 2010 the city celebrated the 65th anniversary of the "return of Legnica to Poland" and its liberation from the Nazis.
The city was only partly damaged in World War II. After 1965 most parts of the preserved old town with its precious town houses were demolished, the historical layout was abolished, and the city was rebuilt in modern forms.
From 1945 to 1990, during the Cold War
, the headquarters of the Soviet forces
in Poland, the so-called Northern Group of Forces
, was located in the city. This fact had a strong influence on the life of the city. For much of the period, the city was divided into Polish and Soviet areas, with the latter closed to the public. These were first established in July 1945, when the Soviets forcibly ejected newly arrived Polish inhabitants from the parts of the city they wanted for their own use. The ejection was perceived by some as a particularly brutal action, and rumours circulated exaggerating its severity, though no evidence of anyone being killed in the course of it has come to light. In April 1946 city officials estimated that they were 16,700 Poles, 12,800 Germans, and 60,000 Soviets in Legnica. The last Soviet units left the city in 1993.
and nickel
industries became a major factor in the economic development of the area. Legnica houses industrial plants belonging to KGHM Polska Miedź
, one of the largest producers of copper and silver in the world. The company owns a large copper mill on the western outskirts of town. There is a Special Economic Zone
in Legnica, where Lenovo was going to open a factory in summer 2008.
with five other European towns.
river; the Tarninow district is particularly attractive.
. The express road S3
building has been planned nearby.
The town has an airport
(airport code EPLE) with a 1600-metre runway, the remains of a former Soviet air base, but it is in a poor state and not used for commercial flights.
Until the winter of 2003, the longest osobowy (standard railway train stopping at every station, in contrast to fast and express train
s) train service in Poland ran from Katowice
to Legnica (via Kędzierzyn-Koźle
, Nysa
, and Jaworzyna Śląska
).
Przebacz (dir. M. Stacharski) - 2005
Anonyma - Eine Frau in Berlin (dir. M. Färberböck) - 2007
Wilki (dir. F. Fromm) - 2007
Little Moscow
(dir. W. Krzystek) - 2008
Moje życie (dir. D. Zahavi) - 2008[2]
-of-center town with a considerable influence of workers' unions
. The Municipal Council of Legnica (Rada miejska miasta Legnica) is the legislative branch of the local government and is composed of 25 members elected in local elections every five years. The mayor or town president (Prezydent miasta) is the executive branch of the local government and is directly elected in the same municipal elections.
constituency:
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...
, in the central part of Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa
Kaczawa
The Kaczawa is a river in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. It springs from the Kaczawskie Mountains near Kaczorów and flows north and northeast through the towns of Świerzawa, Złotoryja and Legnica...
(left tributy of the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
) and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship
Legnica Voivodeship
Legnica Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Legnica.-Major cities and towns :* Legnica...
. It is currently the seat of the county. Since 1992 the city is the capital of the Diocese of Legnica.
Population
Legnica has 104,178 inhabitants and is the third largest city in the voivodeship (after Wrocław and Wałbrzych) and 38th in Poland. It also constitutes the southernmost and the largest urban center of Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy with agglomeration of 448.617 inhabitants. Legnica is the largest city of the Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy conurbation. Legnica is a member of the Association of Polish Cities.Early history
The area of Legnica was at the intersection of travel routes of CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic and East Germanic tribes
East Germanic tribes
The Germanic tribes referred to as East Germanic constitute a wave of migrants who may have moved from Scandinavia into the area between the Oder and Vistula rivers between the years 600 and 300 BC. Later they went to the south...
. Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
in his Germania and Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
recorded the Lugii
Lugii
The Lugii, Lugi, Lygii, Ligii, Lugiones, Lygians, Ligians, Lugians, or Lougoi were an ancient Germanic tribe attested in the book Germania by the Roman historian Tacitus. They lived in ca...
(Lygii) in Magna Germania, and mentioned their town of Lugidunum, which has been attributed to both Legnica and Głogów. When the East Germanic tribes left for southern Europe, West Slavic
West Slavs
The West Slavs are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. They include Poles , Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Sorbs and the historical Polabians. The northern or Lechitic group includes, along with Polish, the extinct Polabian and Pomeranian languages...
tribes moved in and were the first group to settle it permanently.
The city was first officially mentioned in chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s from 1004, although settlement dates to the 7th century. It was originally known as Lignica. It became the residence of the dukes of Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
in 1163 and was the seat of a principality ruled from 1248-1675.
Battle of Legnica
Legnica became famous for the Battle of Legnica (or Battle of Wahlstatt) that took place at Legnickie PoleLegnickie Pole
Legnickie Pole is a village in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Legnickie Pole. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
near the city on 9 April 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Europe
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
. The Christian army of the Polish duke Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland as well as Duke of Southern Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. During 1238–1239 he also served as a regent of two other Piast duchies: Sandomierz...
of Silesia, supported by the feudal nobility, included Poles, Bavarian miners and military orders, was decisively defeated by the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
. Although the Mongols killed Henry and destroyed his forces, their advance into Europe was halted when they turned back to attend to the election of a new Khagan
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
(Grand Khan) following the death in the same year of Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan
Ögedei Khan, born Ögedei was the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire by succeeding his father...
. Minor celebrations are held annually in Legnica to commemorate the battle.
Duchy of Legnica
As the capital of the Duchy of Legnica at the beginning of the 14th century, Legnica was one of the most important cities of Central Europe, having a population of approximately 16,000 residents. The city began to expand quickly after the discovery of goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in the Kaczawa
Kaczawa
The Kaczawa is a river in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. It springs from the Kaczawskie Mountains near Kaczorów and flows north and northeast through the towns of Świerzawa, Złotoryja and Legnica...
River between Legnica and Złotoryja (Goldberg).
Holy Roman Empire
Legnica, along with other Silesian duchies, became a vassal of the Kingdom of BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
during the 14th century and was included within the Holy Roman Empire. The Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
was introduced in the duchy as early as 1522 and the population became Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. After the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia at Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
in 1526, Legnica was inherited by the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
of Austria. The first map of Silesia was made by native son Martin Helwig.
In 1676, Legnica passed to direct Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
rule after the death of the last Silesian Piast duke, Georg Wilhelm (son of Duke Christian of Brieg
Christian of Brieg
Christian of Brieg also known as of Legnica was a Duke of Legnica , Brzeg , Wołów and Oława...
), despite the earlier inheritance pact by Brandenburg and Silesia, by which it was to go to Brandenburg. Silesian aristocracy was trained at the Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie
Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie
The Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie or knight academy was a school for the schlesischen aristocracy established in the seventeenth century. It existed until 1945 and then became general High School.- History :...
.
War of the Austrian Succession
In 1742 most of Silesia, including Liegnitz, became part of the Kingdom of PrussiaKingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
after King Frederick the Great's
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...
defeat of Austria in the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1760 during 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...
, Liegnitz was the site of the Battle of Liegnitz
Battle of Liegnitz (1760)
The Battle of Liegnitz on August 15, 1760 saw Frederick the Great's Prussian Army defeat the Austrian army under Ernst von Laudon.The armies collided around the Prussian Silesian city of Liegnitz . Frederick split his army in 2, one part commanded by Field Marshal Zieten. Frederick heard the sound...
when Frederick's army defeated an Austrian army led by Laudon
Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon
Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon Baron Ernst Gideon von Laudon (German: Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon (originally Laudohn or Loudon) (Tootzen, now Latvia, February 2, 1717 – July 14, 1790 in Nový Jičín, now Czech Republic) was an Austrian field marshal, one of the most...
.
Congress of Vienna
In 1813 during the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the Prussians, under Field Marshal Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt , Graf , later elevated to Fürst von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall who led his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington.He is...
, defeated the French
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
forces of MacDonald
Étienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald
Étienne Jacques Joseph Alexandre MacDonald, 1st duke of Taranto was a Marshal of France and military leader during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Family background:...
in the Battle of Katzbach
Battle of Katzbach
The Battle of Katzbach on 26 August 1813, was an accidental engagement of the Napoleonic Wars between the forces of the First French Empire under Marshal MacDonald and a Russo-Prussian army of the Sixth Coalition under Prussian Marshal Graf von Blücher...
nearby.
After the administrative reorganization of the Prussian state following the Congress of Vienna, Liegnitz and the surrounding territory (Landkreis Liegnitz) were incorporated into the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
(administrative district) Liegnitz, within the Province of Silesia
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1919.-Geography:The territory comprised the bulk of the former Bohemian crown land of Silesia and the County of Kladsko, which King Frederick the Great had conquered from the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th...
on 1 May 1816. Along with the rest of Prussia, the town became part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871 during the unification of Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
. On 1 January 1874 Liegnitz became the third city in Lower Silesia (after Breslau and Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
) to be raised to an urban district
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
, although the district administrator of the surrounding Landkreis Liegnitz continued to have his seat in the city.
The 20th century
The census of 1910 gave Liegnitz's population as 95.86 % GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 0.15 % German and Polish, 1.27 % Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, 2.26 % Wendish
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
, and 0.19 % Czechs. On 1 April 1937 parts of the Landkreis Liegnitz communities of Alt Beckern, Groß Beckern, Hummel, Liegnitzer Vorwerke, Pfaffendorf und Prinkendorf were incorporated into the city of Liegnitz. After the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
following World War I, Liegnitz was part of the newly created Province of Lower Silesia
Province of Lower Silesia
The Province of Lower Silesia was a province of the Free State of Prussia from 1919 to 1945. Between 1938 and 1941 it was reunited with Upper Silesia as the Silesia Province. The capital of Lower Silesia was Breslau...
from 1919 to 1938, then of the Province of Silesia
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1919.-Geography:The territory comprised the bulk of the former Bohemian crown land of Silesia and the County of Kladsko, which King Frederick the Great had conquered from the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th...
from 1938 to 1941, and again of the Province of Lower Silesia from 1941 to 1945.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
during World War II, Liegnitz and all of Silesia east of the Neisse river was transferred to Poland following 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...
in 1945. The German population was expelled
Expulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...
from between 1945 and 1947 and replaced with Poles and, as the medieval Polish name Lignica was considered archaic
Archaism
In language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current. This can either be done deliberately or as part of a specific jargon or formula...
, the town was renamed Legnica. The transfer to Poland decided at Potsdam
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...
in 1945 was officially recognized
Treaty of Zgorzelec
The Treaty of Zgorzelec between the Republic of Poland and East Germany was signed on 6 July 1950 in Polish Zgorzelec, until 1945 the eastern part of the divided city of Görlitz.The agreement...
by East Germany in 1950, by West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
under Chancellor Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
in the Treaty of Warsaw
Treaty of Warsaw (1970)
The Treaty of Warsaw was a treaty between West Germany and the People's Republic of Poland. It was signed by Chancellor Willy Brandt and Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz at the Presidential Palace on 7 December 1970, and it was ratified by the German Bundestag on 17 May 1972.In the treaty, both...
signed in 1970, and finally by the reunited Germany by the Two Plus Four Agreement
Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
The Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany, was negotiated in 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic , and the Four Powers which occupied Germany at the end of World War II in Europe: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the...
in 1990. By 1990 only a handful of Polonized
Polonization
Polonization was the acquisition or imposition of elements of Polish culture, in particular, Polish language, as experienced in some historic periods by non-Polish populations of territories controlled or substantially influenced by Poland...
Germans, prewar citizens of Liegnitz, remained of the pre-1945 German population. In 2010 the city celebrated the 65th anniversary of the "return of Legnica to Poland" and its liberation from the Nazis.
The city was only partly damaged in World War II. After 1965 most parts of the preserved old town with its precious town houses were demolished, the historical layout was abolished, and the city was rebuilt in modern forms.
From 1945 to 1990, during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the headquarters of the Soviet forces
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in Poland, the so-called Northern Group of Forces
Northern Group of Forces
The Northern Group of Forces was the military formation of the Soviet Army stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fall of Soviet Union...
, was located in the city. This fact had a strong influence on the life of the city. For much of the period, the city was divided into Polish and Soviet areas, with the latter closed to the public. These were first established in July 1945, when the Soviets forcibly ejected newly arrived Polish inhabitants from the parts of the city they wanted for their own use. The ejection was perceived by some as a particularly brutal action, and rumours circulated exaggerating its severity, though no evidence of anyone being killed in the course of it has come to light. In April 1946 city officials estimated that they were 16,700 Poles, 12,800 Germans, and 60,000 Soviets in Legnica. The last Soviet units left the city in 1993.
Economy
In the 1950s and 1960s the local copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
industries became a major factor in the economic development of the area. Legnica houses industrial plants belonging to KGHM Polska Miedź
KGHM Polska Miedz
KGHM Polska Miedź is one of the largest producers of copper and silver in the world. The mining & metallurgy company is based in Poland in Lubin. KGHM Polska Miedź S.A...
, one of the largest producers of copper and silver in the world. The company owns a large copper mill on the western outskirts of town. There is a Special Economic Zone
Special Economic Zone
A Special Economic Zone is a geographical region that has economic and other laws that are more free-market-oriented than a country's typical or national laws...
in Legnica, where Lenovo was going to open a factory in summer 2008.
Education
Legnica is a regional academic center with seven universities enrolling approximately 16,000 students.- State-run colleges and universities
- Witelon University of Applied Sciences (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa im. Witelona) http://www.pwsz.legnica.edu.pl/
- Wrocław University of Technology http://www.pwr.legnica.pl/
- Foreign Language Teacher Training College http://www.nkjo-legnica.oswiata.org.pl/
- Other
- Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania / The Polish Open University http://www.wsz-pou.edu.pl/
- Wyższa Szkoła Menedżerska http://www.wsm.edu.pl/
- Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne http://www.wsd.legnica.opoka.org.pl/
Twin towns — Sister cities
As of 2007, Legnica 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 five other European towns.
| Blansko Blansko Blansko is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Blansko is the biggest town in Blansko District.Blansko was mentioned for the first time as a castle in 1141, while a town began to develop near it by 1277... , Czech Republic Drohobych Drohobych Drohobych is a city located at the confluence of the Tysmenytsia River and Seret, a tributary of the former, in the Lviv Oblast , in western Ukraine... , Ukraine Orenburg Orenburg Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m... , Russia Wuppertal Wuppertal Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land... , Germany Roanne Roanne Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:... , France |
Environment
Legnica is noted for its parks and gardens, and has seven hundred hectares of green space, mostly along the banks of the KaczawaKaczawa
The Kaczawa is a river in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Poland. It springs from the Kaczawskie Mountains near Kaczorów and flows north and northeast through the towns of Świerzawa, Złotoryja and Legnica...
river; the Tarninow district is particularly attractive.
Roads
To the south of Legnica is the A4 motorway. Legnica has also a district, which is a part of national road no 3National road 3 (Poland)
National road 3 is a route belonging to the Polish national road network. The highway connects the northwestern and southwestern regions of Poland, running from Świnoujście at the German border to Jakuszyce at the Czech border, traversing through the West Pomeranian, Lubusz and Lower Silesian...
. The express road S3
Expressway S3 (Poland)
Expressway S3 or express road S3 is major road in Poland which is planned to run from Świnoujście on the Baltic Sea through Szczecin, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Zielona Góra and Legnica, to the border with the Czech Republic, where it will connect to the D11 motorway...
building has been planned nearby.
Public transport
Legnica has public transport. In city there are 20 normal bus lines, 1 belt-line, 2 night lines and 3 suburban.The town has an airport
Legnica Airport
Legnica Airport in Poland serves the town of Legnica...
(airport code EPLE) with a 1600-metre runway, the remains of a former Soviet air base, but it is in a poor state and not used for commercial flights.
Until the winter of 2003, the longest osobowy (standard railway train stopping at every station, in contrast to fast and express train
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
s) train service in Poland ran from Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
to Legnica (via Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Kedzierzyn-Kozle
Kędzierzyn-Koźle is the capital city of Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Silesia, Poland. Kędzierzyn-Koźle is a place of a major river port, has rail connections with all major cities of Poland and serves western outskirts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union....
, Nysa
Nysa, Poland
Nysa is a town in southwestern Poland on the Nysa Kłodzka river with 47,545 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Nysa County. It comprises the urban portion of the surrounding Gmina Nysa, a mixed urban-rural commune with a total population of 60,123 inhabitants...
, and Jaworzyna Śląska
Jaworzyna Slaska
Jaworzyna Śląska is a town in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Jaworzyna Śląska. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany. The town lies approximately north of Świdnica, and south-west of the regional...
).
Sports
- Miedź LegnicaMiedz LegnicaMiedź Legnica is a Polish football club based in Legnica, Poland. Miedź was founded in 1971.As of the 2010/11 season they are playing in the II Liga west, at the 3rd tier of the Polish league system.- Current squad :...
- men's footballFootball in PolandFootball is the most popular sport in Poland. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, with millions more playing occasionally. The first professional clubs were founded in the early 1900s, and the Polish national football team played its first international match in 1921.There are hundreds of...
team (Polish CupPolish CupThe Polish Cup in football or officially Remes Puchar Polski, is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa title...
winner 1992; 3rd league in seasons 2003/04 and 2004/05)
Films produced in Legnica
In recent years Legnica has been frequently used as a film set for the following films as a result of its well preserved German built old town, proximity to Germany and low costs:Przebacz (dir. M. Stacharski) - 2005
Anonyma - Eine Frau in Berlin (dir. M. Färberböck) - 2007
Wilki (dir. F. Fromm) - 2007
Little Moscow
Little Moscow
Little Moscow was a term used to describe towns and villages in capitalist societies whose population appeared to hold extreme left-wing political values or communist views...
(dir. W. Krzystek) - 2008
Moje życie (dir. D. Zahavi) - 2008[2]
Municipal politics
Legnica tends to be a leftLeft-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
-of-center town with a considerable influence of workers' unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. The Municipal Council of Legnica (Rada miejska miasta Legnica) is the legislative branch of the local government and is composed of 25 members elected in local elections every five years. The mayor or town president (Prezydent miasta) is the executive branch of the local government and is directly elected in the same municipal elections.
Legnica - Jelenia Góra constituency
Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Legnica-Jelenia GoraJelenia Góra
----Jelenia Góra is a city in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland. The name of the city means "deer mountain" in Polish, Czech and German. It is close to the Krkonoše mountain range running along the Polish-Czech border – ski resorts such as Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba can be found...
constituency:
- Ryszard Bonda, SamoobronaSelf-Defense of the Republic of PolandSelf-Defence of the Republic of Poland , abbreviated to SRP, is an agrarian political party and trade union in Poland led by Andrzej Lepper. Its platform combines left-wing populist economic policies with religious conservative social policies....
- Bronisława Kowalska, SLD-UP
- Adam Lipiński, PiS
- Tadeusz Maćkała, PO
- Ryszard Maraszek, SLD-UP
- Olgierd Poniźnik, SLD-UP
- Władysław Rak, SLD-UP
- Tadeusz Samborski, PSL
- Jerzy Szmajdziński, SLD-UP
- Halina Szustak, LPR
- Michał Turkiewicz, SLD-UP
- Ryszard Zbrzyzny, SLD-UP .
Notable residents
- Henry II the PiousHenry II the PiousHenry II the Pious , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland as well as Duke of Southern Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. During 1238–1239 he also served as a regent of two other Piast duchies: Sandomierz...
(1196/1207-1241), ruler of several duchies - WiteloWiteloWitelo was a friar, theologian and scientist: a physicist, natural philosopher, mathematician. He is an important figure in the history of philosophy in Poland...
(1230-?), philosopher and scientist - Bolesław II the Bald (1220–1278), ruler of several Polish duchies
- Jerzy Liban (1464–1546), composer and philologist
- Hans von Schweinichen (1552–1616), court steward
- Hans Aßmann Freiherr von Abschatz (1646–1699), lyricist and translator
- Christian Josef Willenberg (1676–1731), military engineer
- Georg Rudolf BöhmerGeorg Rudolf BoehmerGeorg Rudolf Boehmer was a German botanist and physician who was born in Liegnitz.He studied botany at the University of Leipzig under Christian Gottlieb Ludwig . In 1752 he succeeded Abraham Vater as professor of botany and anatomy at the University of Wittenberg, where in 1782 became a...
(1723–1803), pharmacist and botanist - Benjamin BilseBenjamin BilseBenjamin Bilse was a German conductor and composer.Bilse was born in Liegnitz in the Prussian Silesia Province. He obtained a rich musical education, as at the Vienna Conservatory under violinist Joseph Böhm, and played in the orchestra of Johann Strauss I...
(1816–1902), conductor and composer - Wilhelm Haberling (1871–1940), doctor and historian of medicine
- Paul LöbePaul LöbePaul Löbe was a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .-Life and career:...
(1875–1967), social democratic politician - Horst Lange (1904–1971), author
- Erich von MansteinErich von MansteinErich von Manstein was a field marshal in World War II. He became one of the most prominent commanders of Germany's World War II armed forces...
(1887–1973) field marshal - Günter ReichGünter ReichGünter Reich , also spelled Günther Reich and Gunther Reich, was an Israeli baritone of German birth...
(1921–1989), opera singer - Hugo RühleHugo RühleHugo Ernst Heinrich Rühle was a German physician born in Liegnitz .From 1842 to 1848 he studied medicine in Berlin, where he came under the influence of Rudolf Virchow Benno Reinhardt and Ludwig Traube...
(1824–1888), physician - Peter Marzinkowski (born 1939), first Bishop of AlindaoAlindaoAlindao is a town and sub-prefecture located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Basse-Kotto. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alindao...
- Aleksandra KlejnowskaAleksandra KlejnowskaAleksandra Klejnowska is a Polish weightlifter.She represented Poland at the 2000 Summer Olympics, ranking fifth in the 58 kg category, with a total of 202.5 kg....
, weightlifter - Tomasz Kot, Actor
- Agnieszka Bernacka (born 1977), Designer and Artist
External links
- Map of Silesia with town of Li(e)gnitz in 1600
- Li(e)gnitz on HRE Germany map in 1600
- Municipal website
- Lca.pl
- City hall
- Legnica
