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Kamienna Góra (german: Landeshut, cs, Lanžhot or Kamenná Hora, szl, Kamiynnŏ Gōra) is a town in south-western
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
with 19,010 inhabitants (2019). 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 The gmina (Polish: , plural ''gminy'' , from German ''Gemeinde'' meaning ''commune'') is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over ...
). Kamienna Góra on the
Bóbr Bóbr ( cs, Bobr, german: Bober, ) is a river which carries water through the north of the Czech Republic and the southwest of Poland, a left tributary of the Oder. Course The Bóbr has a length of (3 in Czech Republic, 276 in Poland, 10th ...
river is situated in
Lower Silesian Voivodeship Lower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province, in southwestern Poland, is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divided. The voivodeship was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Wrocław, Legnica, Wałbr ...
(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 Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
to
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a tempera ...
, today part of the National Road No. 5. It lies approximately south-west of the regional capital
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, r ...
.


History

The area was part of the Great Moravian Empire in the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the M ...
, and became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century under its first ruler
Mieszko I of Poland Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was the first ruler of Poland and the founder of the first independent Polish state, the Duchy of Poland. His reign stretched from 960 to his death and he was a member of the Piast dynasty, a son of Siemomysł and a ...
. During the times of the
fragmentation of Poland The period of rule by the Piast dynasty between the 10th and 14th centuries is the first major stage of the history of the Polish state. The dynasty was founded by a series of dukes listed by the chronicler Gall Anonymous in the early 12th ce ...
it was part of the duchies of
Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
,
Legnica Legnica (Polish: ; german: Liegnitz, szl, Lignica, cz, Lehnice, la, Lignitium) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 197 ...
,
Jawor Jawor (german: Jauer) is a town in south-western Poland with 22,890 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975 to 1998 it was in the former Legnica Voivodeship). It is the seat of Jawor County, and lies appr ...
and
Świdnica Świdnica (; german: Schweidnitz; cs, Svídnice; szl, Świdńica) is a city in south-western Poland in the region of Silesia. As of 2019, it has a population of 57,014 inhabitants. It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, being the seventh larges ...
. In the early 13th century, Polish Duke
Henry the Bearded Henry the Bearded ( pl, Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, german: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all P ...
erected a defensive castle at the site, due to its proximity to the
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin scree ...
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech ...
border. The settlement was mentioned in documents from 1232 (as ''Landeshut'') and 1249 (as ''Landishute'' and ''Landishute forensis auch Camena Gora''). In 1254 the Piast Duke Bolesław II the Bald of
Legnica Legnica (Polish: ; german: Liegnitz, szl, Lignica, cz, Lehnice, la, Lignitium) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 197 ...
gave the area to the
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...
monastery of Opatovice (in eastern
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohe ...
), who already had established the Krzeszów Abbey at nearby Krzeszów. When the abbey passed to the
Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
in 1289, Kamienna Góra was acquired by Duke Bolko I the Strict of Świdnica, who extended it as a stronghold against the nearby
Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
and granted
town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...
in 1292. It received new privileges from Duke
Bolko II the Small Bolko II the Small (c. 1312 – 28 July 1368), was the last independent Duke of the Piast dynasty in Silesia. He was Duke of Świdnica from 1326, Duke of Jawor and Lwówek from 1346, Duke of Lusatia from 1364, Duke over half of Brzeg and Oł ...
in 1334. Nevertheless, the duchy fell to the
Bohemian crown The Lands of the Bohemian Crown were a number of incorporated states in Central Europe during the medieval and early modern periods connected by feudal relations under the Bohemian kings. The crown lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bo ...
with Bolko's death in 1368. It burnt down during the 1426
Hussite The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Huss ...
campaign to Silesia and in the 1460s it passed to the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
, before in 1490 it fell back to Bohemia, then under the rule of Vladislaus II, who erected new town walls. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
the town was plundered by Austrian and Swedish troops. As a result of the war, only two residents remained in the town in 1639. After
Frederick II of Prussia Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the S ...
had conquered Silesia with ''Landeshut'' in 1742, his fierce opponent
Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...
once again struck back in the course of the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...
. 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 town was not destroyed during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fight ...
and II, but during the latter, the Germans established and operated a subcamp of the
Gross-Rosen concentration camp , known for = , location = , built by = , operated by = , commandant = , original use = , construction = , in operation = Summer of 1940 – 14 February 1945 , gas cham ...
. Around 1,600 men, mostly
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland i ...
, and also smaller groups of other ethnicities, were imprisoned and used as
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of e ...
in the subcamp, and many of them died. There was also a forced labour camp for
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites"" ...
. It was captured by the
Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in th ...
on May 9, 1945, and after the war it became again part of Poland. According to the
Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement (german: Potsdamer Abkommen) was the agreement between three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union on 1 August 1945. A product of the Potsdam Conference, it concerned th ...
the German populace was expelled and the town was repopulated by
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland i ...
, expellees from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union and settlers from central Poland. Initially renamed to the 19th-century Polish name ''Kamieniogóra'', in 1946 the name ''Kamienna Góra'', which was first recorded in 1249, was adopted.


Sights

The main historic district of Kamienna Góra is the Old Town (''Stare Miasto'') with the Freedom (''Plac Wolności''), Grunwald Squares (''Plac Grunwaldzki'') and Brewery (''Plac Browarowy'') Squares, filled with numerous historic buildings. Among the historic sights of Kamienna Góra are: * Gothic churches of Saints Peter and Paul and Corpus Christi *
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary * Town Hall * Weaving Museum ('' Muzeum Tkactwa'') * Lower Silesian Rehabilitation Center ('' Dolnośląskie Centrum Rehabilitacji'') * Culture Centre (''Centrum Kultury'') * ZUS office * preserved medieval town walls * ruins of the Grodztwo Castle * numerous historic townhouses and buildings, incl. the train station, tax office, high school, courthouse, etc. There are also several monuments dedicated to the victims of the local branch of the Nazi German
Gross-Rosen concentration camp , known for = , location = , built by = , operated by = , commandant = , original use = , construction = , in operation = Summer of 1940 – 14 February 1945 , gas cham ...
.


Gallery

File:PL Kamienna Góra, centrum miasta.jpg, Kamienna Góra with Karkonosze mountain range File:Kamienna Góra, pl. Wolności DSCF2786.jpg, Historic townhouses at the Freedom Square File:KAMIENNA GÓRA, AB-139.jpg, Town Hall File:Kamienica, ob. Muzeum Tkactwa Dolnośląskiego, XVIII, XIX.jpg, Weaving Museum (''Muzeum Tkactwa'') File:Dolnośląskie Centrum Rehabilitacji - Aw58 - 27 maja 2009 r. DSC05217.jpg, Lower Silesian Rehabilitation Center File:Kościół pw. śś Apostołów Piotra i Pawła - Aw58 - 4 lutego 2010 r. DSC01006.jpg, Gothic Church of Saints Peter und Paul File:Kamienna Góra, kościół pw. Matki Bożej Rażańcowej (Aw58) SDC11032.JPG,
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary File:Kamienna Góra, Centrum Kultury, ul. Kościuszki 4.jpg, Culture Centre File:Kamienna Góra, plac Wolnośći 6.jpg, Architectural decorations of one of the old townhouses File:Kamienna Góra, al. Wojska Polskiego 14, ZUS (2014)(02).jpg, ZUS office File:Budynek Zespołu Szkół Ogólnokształcących w Kamiennej Górze..jpg, High school ('' Liceum ogólnokształcące'') File:Dworzec kolejowy w Kamiennej Górze.jpg, Train station File:Kamienna Góra, ruiny zamku - 27 kwietnia 2012 r..JPG, Grodztwo Castle ruins File:Kamienna Góra - pomnik męczenników AL Landeshut.jpg, Memorial to murdered prisoners of the local branch of the Nazi German
Gross-Rosen concentration camp , known for = , location = , built by = , operated by = , commandant = , original use = , construction = , in operation = Summer of 1940 – 14 February 1945 , gas cham ...
File:Kamienna Góra, Kościół pw. Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa - 23.06.2011 r. (MW).JPG, Sacred Heart of Jesus Church File:Kamienna Góra, sąd rejonowy 2020.09.16. 125136-001.jpg, Courthouse


Notable people

* Walter Arndt (1891–1944), zoologist * Gosia Dobrowolska (born 1958), actress * Rudolf Hamburger (1903–1980), architect and spy * Viktor Hamburger (1900–2001), biologist *
Carl Gotthard Langhans Carl Gotthard Langhans (15 December 1732 – 1 October 1808) was a Prussian master builder and royal architect. His churches, palaces, grand houses, interiors, city gates and theatres in Silesia (now Poland), Berlin, Potsdam and elsewhere bel ...
(1732–1808), architect, designer of the
Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...


Twin towns – sister cities

Kamienna Góra is twinned with: *
Bitterfeld-Wolfen Bitterfeld-Wolfen () is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in south-eastern Saxony-Anhalt, west of the river Mulde, in an area that is dominated by heavy industry and lignite mining. The town was form ...
, Germany *
Dvůr Králové nad Labem Dvůr Králové nad Labem (, german: Königinhof an der Elbe) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 15,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Elbe river valley. Dvůr Králové nad Labem is know ...
, Czech Republic * Ikast-Brande, Denmark *
Trutnov Trutnov (; german: Trautenau) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 29,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative parts Trutnov i ...
, Czech Republic *
Vierzon Vierzon () is a commune in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some northwest ...
, France *
Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest ...
, Germany


References


External links


Official town website

Jewish Community in Kamienna Góra
on Virtual Shtetl
Satellite photo from Google MapsNews from local area
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamienna Gora Cities and towns in Lower Silesian Voivodeship Kamienna Góra County Cities in Silesia