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 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county and since 1992 the city has been the seat of a

Diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

. As of 2021, Legnica had a population of 97,300 inhabitants. The city was first referenced in chronicles dating from the year 1004, although previous settlements could be traced back to the 7th century. The name "Legnica" was mentioned in 1149 under High Duke of Poland Bolesław IV the Curly. Legnica was most likely the seat of Bolesław and it became the residence of the high dukes that ruled the Duchy of Legnica from 1248 until 1675. Legnica is a city over which the

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branc ...

reigned the longest, for about 700 years, from the time of ruler Mieszko I of Poland after the creation of the Polish state in the 10th century, until 1675 and the death of the last Piast duke George William. Legnica is one of the historical burial sites of

Polish monarchs Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...

and consorts. Legnica became renowned for the fierce

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

that took place at Legnickie Pole near the city on 9 April 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. The Christian coalition under the command of the Polish Duke Henry II the Pious, supported by nobles, knights, and mercenaries, was decisively defeated by the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

. This, however, was a turning point in the war as the Mongols, having killed Henry II, halted their advance into Europe and successfully surrounded

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

, which Mongol forces entered through

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. Th ...

. During the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD ...

, Legnica was one of the most important cities of

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the ...

. The city began to rapidly develop after the sudden discovery of gold in the Kaczawa River between Legnica and the town of Złotoryja. In 1675 it was incorporated into Habsburg ruled

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 ...

. In 1742 the city was annexed by the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) constituted the German state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: ...

after King Frederick the Great's victory over Austria in the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George' ...

. Subsequently, it was part of German Empire from 1871, and later

Weimar Republic The German Reich, commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic,, was a historical period of Germany from 9 November 1918 to 23 March 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is also r ...

and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

until the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, when majority of Lower Silesia east of the Neisse (Nysa), was transferred to Poland under border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference in 1945, when Poland was granted the Recovered Territories. Legnica is an economic, cultural and academic centre in Lower Silesia, together with

Wrocław Wrocław (; , . german: Breslau, , also known by other names) is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, roughly ...

. The city is renowned for its varied architecture, spanning from early

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

to modern period, and its preserved Old Town with the Piast Castle, one of the largest in Poland. According to the Foreign direct investment ranking (FDI) from 2016, Legnica is one of the most progressive high-income cities in the

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 spli ...

n region.

Population

Legnica has 102,708 inhabitants and is the third largest city in the voivodeship (after

and Wałbrzych) and 38th in Poland. It also constitutes the southernmost and the largest urban center of a copper deposit (''Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy'') with agglomeration of 448,617 inhabitants. Legnica is the largest city of the conurbation and is a member of the Association of Polish Cities.

History

Pre-history

Archaeological research conducted in eastern Legnica in the late 1970s, showed the existence of a bronze

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals ...

and the graves of three metallurgists. The find indicates a time interval about year 1000 BC. A settlement of the Lusatian culture people existed in the 8th century B.C. After invasions of Celts beyond upper Danube basin, the area of Legnica and north foothills of Sudetes was infiltrated by Celtic settlers and traders.

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

and

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of import ...

recorded the ancient nation of Lugii (Lygii) in the area, and mentioned their town of Lugidunum, which has been attributed to both Legnica and Głogów.

Early Poland

Battle of Legnica1241-From Legend of Saint Hedwig

Slavic Lechitic tribes moved into the area in the 8th century. The city was first officially mentioned in chronicles from 1004, although settlement dates to the 7th century.

Dendrochronological Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and at ...

research proves that during the reign of Mieszko I of Poland, a new fortified settlement was built here in a style typical of the early

. It is mentioned in 1149 when High Duke Bolesław IV the Curly funded a chapel at the St. Benedict monastery. Legnica was the most likely place of residence for Bolesław and it became the residence of the high dukes of Poland in 1163 and was the seat of a principality ruled from 1248 until 1675. Legnica became famous for the

that took place at Legnickie Pole near the city on 9 April 1241 during the First Mongol invasion of Poland. The Christian army of the Polish duke Henry II the Pious of Silesia, supported by feudal nobility, which included in addition to Poles, Bavarian miners and military orders and Czech troops, was decisively defeated by the

. The Mongols killed Henry and destroyed his forces, then turned south to rejoin the rest of the Mongol armies, which were massing at the Plain of Mohi in

via

against a coalition of King Bela IV and his armies, and Bela's Kipchak allies. Legnica 1 lo 10100010

After the war, nonetheless, the city was developing rapidly. In 1258 at the church of St. Peter, a parish school was established, probably the first of its kind in Poland. Around 1278 a Dominican monastery was founded by Bolesław II the Horned, who was buried there as the only monarch of Poland to be buried in Legnica. Already by 1300 there was a city council in Legnica. Duke

Bolesław III the Generous Boleslaw III the Wasteful ( pl, Bolesław III Rozrzutny; 23 September 1291 – Brieg, 21 April 1352), was a Duke of Legnica, Brzeg (Brieg) from 1296 until 1342, and Duke of Wrocław from 1296 until 1311. He was the eldest son of Henry V the ...

granted new trade

privileges Privilege may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Privilege'' (film), a 1967 film directed by Peter Watkins * ''Privilege'' (Ivor Cutler album), 1983 * ''Privilege'' (Television Personalities album), 1990 * ''Privilege (Abridged)'', an alb ...

in 1314 and 1318 and allowed the construction of a town hall, and in 1337 the first waterworks were built. In the years 1327–1380 a new

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

church of Saint Peter (today's Cathedral) was erected in place of the old one, and is one of Legnica's landmarks since. Also by the 14th century the city walls were erected. In 1345 the first coins were produced in the local mint. In 1374, the potters' guild was founded, as one of the oldest in Silesia. Queen consort of Poland Hedwig of Sagan died in Legnica in 1390 and was buried in the local collegiate church, which has not survived to this day.

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 nearly 16,000 residents. The city began to expand quickly after the discovery of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

in the Kaczawa River between Legnica and Złotoryja (Goldberg). Unfortunately, such a growth rate can not be maintained long. Shortly after the city reached its maximum population increase, wooden buildings which had been erected during this period of rapid growth were devastated by a huge fire. The fire decreased the number of inhabitants in the city and halted any significant further development for many decades. Legnica, along with other Silesian duchies, became a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

of the

during the 14th century and was included within the multi-ethnic

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, however remained ruled by local dukes of the Polish

. In 1454, a local rebellion prevented Legnica from falling under direct rule of the Bohemian kings. In 1505, Duke Frederick II of Legnica met in Legnica with the duke of nearby Głogów, Sigismund I the Old, the future king of Poland. Liegnitz-Mausoleum-1

The

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

was introduced in the duchy as early as 1522 and the population became

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

. In 1526, a Protestant university was established in Legnica, which, however, was closed in 1529. In 1528 the first printing house in Legnica was established. After the death of King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia at Mohács in 1526, Legnica became a fief of the Habsburg monarchy of Austria. The first map of Silesia was made by native son Martin Helwig. The city suffered 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 battl ...

. In 1633 a plague epidemic broke out, and in 1634 the Austrian army destroyed the suburbs. In 1668 Duke of Legnica

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

presented his candidacy to the Polish throne, however, in the

1669 Polish–Lithuanian royal election The 1669 Polish–Lithuanian royal election was an election to decide on the new candidate for the Polish–Lithuanian throne. Background On 16 September 1668, King John II Casimir abdicated the Polish–Lithuanian throne. He left for France a ...

he wasn't chosen as King. In 1676, Legnica passed to direct Habsburg rule after the death of the last Silesian Piast duke and the last Piast duke overall, George William (son of Duke Christian), despite the earlier inheritance pact by Brandenburg and Silesia, by which it was to go to Brandenburg. The last Piast duke was buried in the St. John's church in Legnica in 1676.

18th and 19th centuries

Silesian aristocracy was trained at the

Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie The Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie or knight academy was a school for the sons of the silesian aristocracy and landed gentry established in early 18th century, shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Altranstädt (1707). The school was erected in ...

, established in the early 18th century. One of two main routes connecting

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...

and

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

ran through the city in the 18th century and Kings Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III of Poland traveled that route many times. The postal milestone of King Augustus II comes from that period. In 1742 most of Silesia, including Liegnitz, became part of the

after King Frederick the Great's defeat of Austria in the

. In 1760 during 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– ...

, Liegnitz was the site of the Battle of Liegnitz when Frederick's army defeated an Austrian army led by

Laudon Laudon may refer to: * Laudon Symphony, a symphony by Joseph Haydn in C major * Laudon (river), a river that feeds Lake Annecy * Mount Laudon, Antarctica People with the surname * Adolf Laudon (1912–1984), Austrian football player * Ernst Gi ...

During the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and Polish national liberation fights, in 1807 Polish

uhlan Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

s were stationed in the city, and in 1813, the Prussians, under Field Marshal Blücher, defeated the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

forces of

MacDonald Macdonald, MacDonald or McDonald may refer to: Organisations * McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants * McDonald & Co., a former investment firm * MacDonald Motorsports, a NASCAR team * Macdonald Realty, a Canadian real estate brokerage f ...

in the

Battle of Katzbach A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(Kaczawa) nearby. After the administrative reorganization of the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n state following the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

, Liegnitz and the surrounding territory (''Landkreis Liegnitz'') were incorporated into the Regierungsbezirk (administrative district) of 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 The unification of Germany (, ) was the process of building the modern German nation state with federal features based on the concept of Lesser Germany (one without multinational Austria), which commenced on 18 August 1866 with adoption of ...

. 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'' of Liegnitz continued to have his seat in the city. Its military garrison was home to Königsgrenadier-Regiment Nr. 7 a military unit formed almost exclusively out of Polish soldiers.

The 20th century

The census of 1910 gave Liegnitz's population as 95.86% German, 0.15% German and Polish, 1.27% Polish, 2.26% Wendish, and 0.19% Czech. On 1 April 1937 parts of the ''Landkreis'' of Liegnitz communities of Alt Beckern (Piekary), Groß Beckern (Piekary Wielkie), Hummel, Liegnitzer Vorwerke, Pfaffendorf (Piątnica) und Prinkendorf (Przybków) were incorporated into the city limits. After the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1 ...

following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, 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

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

came to power in Germany, as early as 1933, a boycott of local

Jewish 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""The ...

premises was ordered, during the ''

Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's Sturmabteilung, (SA) paramilitary and Schutzstaffel, (SS) paramilitary forces along ...

'' in 1938 the synagogue was burned down, and in 1939 the local Polish population was terrorized and persecuted. A Nazi court prison was operated in the city with a forced labour subcamp. During

, the Germans established two forced labour camps in the city, as well as two

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

labor subcamps of the prisoner of war camp located in

Żagań Żagań (French and german: Sagan, hsb, Zahań , la, Saganum) is a town in western Poland, on the Bóbr river, with 25,731 inhabitants (2019). The town is the capital of Żagań County in the historic region of Silesia. Previously in the Ziel ...

(then ''Sagan''), and one labor subcamp of the Stalag VIII-A POW camp in Zgorzelec (then ''Görlitz''). Legnica, kaplica cmentarna - 9 grudnia 2008 r

After the defeat of

during

, Liegnitz and all of Silesia east of the Neisse was preliminarily transferred to Poland following the Potsdam Conference in 1945. Majority of the German population was either expelled or fled from the city. The city was repopulated with Poles, some of whom were expelled from pre-war

eastern Poland Eastern Poland is a macroregion in Poland comprising the Lublin, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie, and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships. The make-up of the distinct macroregion is based not only of geographical criteria, but also economic ...

after its annexation by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. Also

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, Albania, Greeks in Italy, ...

, refugees of the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

, settled in Legnica in 1950. As the medieval Polish name ''Lignica'' was considered

archaic Archaic is a period of time preceding a designated classical period, or something from an older period of time that is also not found or used currently: *List of archaeological periods **Archaic Sumerian language, spoken between 31st - 26th cent ...

, the town was renamed Legnica. The transfer to Poland decided at

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

in 1945 was officially recognized by

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

in 1950, by

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

under Chancellor

Willy Brandt Willy Brandt (; born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm; 18 December 1913 – 8 October 1992) was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and served as the chancellor of West Ge ...

in the Treaty of Warsaw signed in 1970, and finally by the reunited Germany by the

Two Plus Four Agreement The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (german: Vertrag über die abschließende Regelung in Bezug auf Deutschland; rus, Договор об окончательном урегулировании в отношении Ге� ...

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 Nazi Germany. Castle in Legnica4

The city was only partly damaged in World War II. In June 1945 Legnica was briefly the capital of the Lower Silesian (Wrocław) Voivodship, after the administration was moved there from Trzebnica and before it was finally moved to

. In 1947, the Municipal Library was opened, in 1948 a piano factory was founded, and in the years 1951-1959 Poland's first copper smelter was built in Legnica. After 1965 most parts of the preserved old town with its town houses were demolished, the historical layout was abolished, and the city was rebuilt in modern form. 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 there were 16,700 Poles, 12,800 Germans, and 60,000 Soviets in Legnica. In October 1956, the largest anti-Soviet demonstrations in Lower Silesia took place in Legnica. The last Soviet units left the city in 1993. In 1992 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legnica was established,

Tadeusz Rybak Tadeusz Rybak (October 7, 1929 – March 7, 2017) was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop. He served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Legnica between 1992 and 2002; he was also titular bishop of Benepota between 1977 and 1992. Ordained to t ...

became the first bishop of Legnica. New local newspapers and a radio station were founded in the 1990s. In 1997, Legnica was visited by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. The city suffered in the

1997 Central European flood The 1997 Central European flood or the 1997 Oder Flood of the Oder and Morava river basins in July 1997 affected Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, taking the lives of 114 people and causing material damages estimated at $4.5 billio ...

Climate

Legnica has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

: ''Cfb'').

Sights

Legnica is a city with rich historical architecture, ranging from Romanesque and

through the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

and Baroque to Historicist styles. Among the landmarks of Legnica are: * the Piast Castle, former seat of the local dukes of the

* Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul * Market Square (''Rynek'') with: ** Baroque Old Town Hall (''Stary Ratusz'') ** Helena Modrzejewska Theatre ** ''Kamienice Śledziowe'' ("

Herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

Houses") ** ''Dom Pod Przepiórczym Koszem'' ("Under the Quail Basket House") * former Dominican and later Benedictine monastery, founded by Bolesław II the Horned, who was buried there as the only monarch of Poland to be buried in Legnica; nowadays housing the ''I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Tadeusza Kościuszki'' (high school) * Saint John the Baptist Church with a mausoleum of the last Piast dukes * New Town Hall (''Nowy Ratusz''), seat of city authorities * Saint Mary church * Copper Museum (''Muzeum Miedzi'') * Medieval Chojnów and Głogów Gates, remnants of the medieval city walls * Former Knight Academy, now housing municipal offices and a branch of the Copper Museum * Public Library and archive * Park Miejski ("City Park"), the oldest and largest park of Legnica There is also a monument of

and a postal milestone of King Augustus II the Strong from 1725 in Legnica. LEGNICA ZAMEK dziedziniec.jpg, Piast Castle courtyard Dom mieszkalny „śledziówka”.jpg, ''Kamienice Śledziowe'' at the Market Square Legnica - Teatr im. Heleny Modrzejewskiej.jpg, Helena Modrzejewska Theatre Legnica - Kościół Marii Panny.jpg, Saint Mary church Legnica - Główna siedziba Muzuem Miedzi.jpg, Copper Museum Legnica, Dom Pod Przepiórczym Koszem, Rynek 38.jpg, Under the Quail Basket House

Economy

In the 1950s and 1960s the local

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...

and

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...

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 Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

in the world. The company owns a large copper mill on the western outskirts of town.

Legnica Special Economic Zone Legnica Special Economic Zone is a special economic zone in Poland, situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in the southwest of the country. Cited by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency as "one of the most dynamically developing regions in Poland ...

was established in 1997.

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''

** Wrocław University of Technologybr>
** Foreign Language Teacher Training College in Legnic

* Other ** ''Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania / The Polish Open University'

**

Legnica University of Management Legnica University of Management (Polish: "Wyższa Szkoła Menedżerska w Legnicy") is a university in Legnica, Poland, specialising in subjects related to management. History The university was established in 1997, and has promoted over 1,600 gr ...

br>
** ''Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne / Seminary'

SM Legnica Piastowska22 (1) ID 593272

Environment

Legnica is noted for its parks and gardens, and has seven hundred hectares of green space, mostly along the banks of the Kaczawa; the Tarninow district is particularly attractive.

Roads

To the south of Legnica is the A4 autostrada (Poland), A4 motorway. Legnica has also a district, which is a part of national road no 3. The express road S3 building has been planned nearby.

Public transport

In the city there are 20 regular bus lines, 1 belt-line, 2 night lines and 3 suburban. The town has an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

(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 train service in Poland ran from

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most populo ...

to Legnica (via Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Nysa, and

Jaworzyna Śląska Jaworzyna Śląska (German: ''Königszelt'') is a town in Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Jaworzyna Śląska. The town lies approximately ...

Sports

* Miedź Legnica – men's football team ( Polish Cup winner 1992; played in the Ekstraklasa in season 2018–19)

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 Old Town, proximity to Germany and low costs: *''Przebacz'' (dir. M. Stacharski) – 2005 *'' A Woman in Berlin'' (dir. M. Färberböck) – 2007 *''Wilki'' (dir. F. Fromm) – 2007 *'' Little Moscow'' (dir. W. Krzystek) – 2008 *' (dir. D. Zahavi) – 2008 *''Die Wölfe'' (dir. F. Fromm) – 2009 *'' Jack Strong'' (dir. W. Pasikowski) – 2014

Politics

Municipal politics

Legnica tends to be a left-of- center town with a considerable influence of workers' unions. The Municipal Council of Legnica (''Rada miejska miasta Legnica'') is the

legislative branch A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

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 The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

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 Gora constituency: * Ryszard Bonda, Samoobrona * 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 PSL may refer to: Sport *Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 cricket league in Pakistan *Philippine Super Liga, professional volleyball league in the Philippines *Pilipinas Super League, a professional basketball league in the Philippines * Philipp ...

* Jerzy Szmajdziński, SLD-UP * Halina Szustak,

LPR LPR may refer to: *Laryngopharyngeal reflux, a form of acid reflux *Lawful permanent resident * Lazarus Program file *Libertarian Party of Russia * License plate recognition *Line Printer Daemon protocol (RFC1179) * Line Printer Remote service *'' ...

* Michał Turkiewicz, SLD-UP * Ryszard Zbrzyzny, SLD-UP

Notable people

* Henry II the Pious (1196/1207–1241), High Duke of Poland * Witelo (1230–died 1280–1314), philosopher and scientist * Bolesław II the Bald (1220–1278), High Duke of Poland * Hans Aßmann Freiherr von Abschatz (1646–1699), lyricist and translator * Georg Rudolf Böhmer (1723–1803), physician and botanist * Johann Wilhelm Ritter (1776–1810), scientist, philosopher, discoverer of ultraviolet radiation * Heinrich Wilhelm Dove (1803–1879) physicist *

Benjamin Bilse Benjamin Bilse (17 August 1816 – 13 July 1902) was a German conductor and composer. Bilse was born in Liegnitz (present-day Legnica) in the Prussian Silesia Province. He obtained a rich musical education, as at the Vienna Conservatory under v ...

(1816–1902), conductor and composer *

Karl von Vogelsang Karl Freiherr von Vogelsang (3 September 1818 – 8 November 1890), a journalist, politician and Catholic social reformer, was one of the mentors of the Christian Social movement in Austria-Hungary. Life He was born in Liegnitz in the Siles ...

(1818–1890), Catholic journalist, politician and social reformer * Leopold Kronecker (1823–1891), mathematician *

Hugo Rühle Hugo Ernst Heinrich Rühle (12 September 1824 – 11 July 1888) was a German physician born in Liegnitz (today Legnica, Poland). From 1842 to 1848 he studied medicine in Berlin, where he came under the influence of Rudolf Virchow (1821–19 ...

(1824–1888), physician * Gustav Winkler (1867–1954), textile manufacturer *

Wilhelm Schubart Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Schubart (21 October 1873 – 9 August 1960) was a German ancient historian. He was leading authority in the field of papyrology. Shubart was born on 21 October 1873 in Liegnitz, then part of the German Empire. He studi ...

(1873–1960) classical philologist, historian and papyrologist * Paul Löbe (1875–1967), social democratic politician *

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...

(1887–1973) field marshal *

Gert Jeschonnek Gert Gustav Paul Jeschonnek (30 October 1912 – 18 April 1999) was an officer in the ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. Following World War II, he became commander (Inspector of the Navy) of the post-war German Navy The German Navy (, ) ...

(1912–1999), an officer of the Navy, Vice Admiral, Chief of Navy * Hans-Heinrich Jescheck (1915–2009), jurist * Günter Reich (1921–1989), opera singer (baritone) *

Claus-Wilhelm Canaris Claus-Wilhelm Canaris (1 July 1937 – 5 March 2021) was a German jurist. Until his retirement in 2005 he was professor of Private Law, Commercial law and Labour law the University of Munich. Life Canaris was born in Liegnitz, Germany. His fa ...

(born 1937), jurist and legal philosopher * Uta Zapf (born 1941), politician (SPD), member of the Bundestag from 1990 to 2013 * Anna Dymna (born 1951), TV, film and theatre actress *

Jacek Oleksyn Jacek Oleksyn (; born 26 April 1953, Legnica) is a Polish biologist specializing in tree biology and forestry, Professor of Biological Sciences, director of the Institute of Dendrology at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Kórnik, a corres ...

(born 1953), biologist *

Włodzimierz Juszczak Włodzimierz Roman Juszczak OSBM (born 19 July 1957 in Legnica, Poland) is the current bishop ordinary of the Wrocław-Gdańsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Biography Włodzimierz Juszczak parents were deported from the villa ...

(born 1957), bishop of the Eparchy of Wroclaw–Gdansk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church *Marzena Kipiel-Sztuka (born 1965), actress *

Beata Tadla Beata Edyta Tadla (born 14 June 1975 in Legnica) – is a Polish radio and TV journalist and TV presenter. Biography She is a graduate of I Tadeusz Kościuszko High School in Legnica. She then went to Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań where sh ...

(born 1975), journalist and TV presenter * Tomasz Kot (born 1977), actor * Marek Pająk (born 1977), musician * Popek (born 1978), rapper and MMA fighter * Mariusz Lewandowski (born 1979), footballer player *

Aleksandra Klejnowska Aleksandra Jadwiga Klejnowska-Krzywanska (born 17 December 1982 in Legnica) is a Polish weightlifter. Life and career She was born in 1982 in Legnica. She represented Poland at the 2000 Summer Olympics, ranking fifth in the 58 kg catego ...

(born 1982), weightlifter * Marcin Robak (born 1982), football player * Jagoda Szmytka (born 1982), composer *

Jakub Popiwczak Jakub Popiwczak (born 17 April 1996) is a Polish professional volleyball player who plays as a libero for Jastrzębski Węgiel and the Poland national team. Popiwczak won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championship. Career In 2012, he joine ...

(born 1996), volleyball player *

Joanna Jarmołowicz Joanna Jarmołowicz (born 19 April 1994) is a Polish actress. Biography In 2013 Jarmołowicz played a small role in short movie Strażnicy, although her feature film debut was in 2016 in the movie ''Planet Single''. Selected filmography * '' ...

(born 1994), actress *

Łukasz Poręba Łukasz Poręba (born 13 March 2000) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 2. Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. Club career On 1 July 2022, Poręba joined French side Lens on a free transfer, signing a five-year cont ...

(born 2000), football player

Twin towns – sister cities

Legnica is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: * Blansko, Czech Republic * Drohobych, Ukraine * Meissen, Germany * Roanne, France *

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; "'' Wupper Dale''") is, with a population of approximately 355,000, the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the 17th-largest city of Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the cities and to ...

, Germany

In fiction

Legnica and its then ruler Count Conrad figure prominently in the alternate history series ''The Crosstime Engineer'', set in the period of 1230 to 1270, by Leo Frankowski.