Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska;
Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of
Silesia;
Upper Silesia is to the southeast.
In the
Middle Ages
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 ...
Lower Silesia was part of
Piast-ruled Poland. It was one of the leading regions of Poland, and its capital
Wrocław was one of the main cities of the Polish Kingdom. Lower Silesia emerged as a distinctive region during the fragmentation of Poland, in 1172, when the Duchies of
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city loc ...
and
Racibórz, considered Upper Silesia since, were formed of the eastern part of the Duchy of Silesia, and the remaining, western part was since considered Lower Silesia. During the
Ostsiedlung
(, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had al ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
settlers were invited to settle in the sparsely populated region, which until then had a
Polish majority. As a result, the region became largely
Germanised in the following centuries.
In the late
Middle Ages
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 ...
the region fell under the overlordship of 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 ...
, however large parts remained under the rule of local Polish dukes of the Piast dynasty, some up to the 16th and 17th century. Briefly, under the suzerainty of 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 Stephe ...
, it fell to the Austrian
Habsburg monarchy in 1526.
In 1742, Austria ceded nearly all of Lower Silesia to 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: ...
in the
Treaty of Berlin, except for the southern part of the
Duchy of Nysa. Within the Prussian kingdom, the region became part of the
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
. In 1871, Lower Silesia was integrated into the
German Empire. After
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, ...
, the region became a
separate province within the
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 ...
.
After 1945, the main part of the former Prussian province fell to the
Republic of Poland, while a smaller part west of the
Oder-Neisse line remained within
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 ...
and historical parts of Austrian Lower Silesia (Jesenicko, Opavsko regions) remained as a part of
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
. By 1949, almost the entire pre-war German population
was expelled.
The region is known for an abundance of historic architecture of various styles, including many castles and palaces, well preserved or reconstructed
old town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
s, numerous
spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, B ...
s, and historic 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 __NOTOC__
Consort may refer to:
Music
* "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses''
* Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles
* Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...
(in Wrocław,
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 19 ...
and
Trzebnica).
Geography
Lower Silesia is located mostly in the basin of the middle
Oder River with its historic capital in
Wrocław.
The southern border of Lower Silesia is mapped by the mountain ridge of the
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
* Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that i ...
and
Central Sudetes
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
, which since 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 ...
formed the border between Polish Silesia and the historic
Bohemian region of the present-day Czech Republic. The
Bóbr and
Kwisa rivers are considered being the original western border with the
Lusatias, however, the Silesian
Duchy of Żagań reached up to the
Neisse river, including two villages (
Pechern and Neudorf) on the western shore, which became Silesian in 1413.
The later
Silesian Province
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an officia ...
of Prussia further comprised the adjacent lands of historic
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to th ...
ceded by the
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in French period, Napoleonic through German Confederation, post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was ...
after 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 ...
in 1815, its westernmost point could be found as far west as the small village of
Lindenau (now belonging to the German state of
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square ...
). To the north, Lower Silesia originally stretched up to
Świebodzin and
Krosno Odrzańskie, which was acquired by the
Margraves of Brandenburg
This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary constituent states of the ...
in 1482. The
Barycz river forms the border with historic
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...
in the northeast, the Upper Silesian lands lie to the southeast.
Administratively Polish Lower Silesia is shared between
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, Wałb ...
(except for the Upper Lusatian counties of
Lubań and
Zgorzelec, and former Bohemian
Kłodzko
Kłodzko (; cz, Kladsko; german: Glatz; la, Glacio) is a historic town in south-western Poland, in the region of Lower Silesia. It is situated in the centre of the Kłodzko Valley, on the Eastern Neisse river.
Kłodzko is the seat of Kłodzk ...
), the southern part of
Lubusz Voivodeship
Lubusz Voivodeship, or Lubuskie Province ( pl, województwo lubuskie ), is a voivodeship (province) in western Poland.
It was created on January 1, 1999, out of the former Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra Voivodeships, pursuant to the Pol ...
(i.e. the counties of
Krosno Odrzańskie,
Nowa Sól,
Świebodzin,
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 ...
and
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (2021). Zielona Góra has a favourable geographical position, being close to the Polish-German border and on several international road ...
with the city of
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (2021). Zielona Góra has a favourable geographical position, being close to the Polish-German border and on several international road ...
, as well as western
Opole Voivodeship
Opole Voivodeship, or Opole Province ( pl, województwo opolskie ), is the smallest and least populated voivodeship (province) of Poland. The province's name derives from that of the region's capital and largest city, Opole. It is part of Upper S ...
(the counties of
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German language, German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole V ...
,
Namysłów
Namysłów (pronounced , german: Namslau) is a historic town in southern Poland, within Opole Voivodeship. Located along the Widawa River, it is the capital of Namysłów County. Its population was 16,551 in 2019.
History
The town began to deve ...
and
Nysa).
The tiny part of the former Duchy of Żagań on the western shore of the Neisse is today part of the
Krauschwitz municipality in the
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and is the largest town in Upper Lusa ...
district of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, the larger Upper Lusatian parts of Prussian Silesia ("Silesian Upper Lusatia") west of the Neisse comprised the town of
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and is the largest town in Upper Lusa ...
and the former district of
Hoyerswerda, which today forms the northern part of the Saxon Görlitz and
Bautzen
Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Bu ...
districts as well as the southern part of the
Oberspreewald-Lausitz district in Brandenburg. The southern part of the former Duchy of Nysa, which fell to Austrian Silesia in 1742, namely the
Jeseník District and
Heřmanovice, Mnichov and Železná, as well as parts of
Vrbno pod Pradědem
Vrbno pod Pradědem (; german: Würbenthal) is a town in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages and hamlets of Bílý Potok, Mnichov, Vidly and Žele ...
in the
Bruntál District, today belongs to the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...
.
Sudetes
The
Sudetes
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
are a geologically diverse
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
that stretches for from the
Lusatian Highlands in the west and to the
Moravian Gate in the east. They are topographically divided into
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
* Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that i ...
,
Central and
Eastern Sudetes.
The Lower Silesian section of the Sudetes comprises the
Jizera Mountains (highest peak:
Wysoka Kopa
Wysoka (german: Wissek; 1942-45 Weißeck) is a town in Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,760 inhabitants (2004). The current Mayor is Marek Madej.
History
The oldest known mention Wysoka comes from 1260, when it was gr ...
, ), where the tripoint with
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to th ...
and
Bohemia is located near the
Smrk
Smrk may refer to:
* Smrk (Jizera Mountains), the highest mountain in the Jizera Mountains of Bohemia, Czech Republic at 1124m
* Smrk (Moravian-Silesian Beskids)
Smrk is a massif and a mountain in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids range in the Czec ...
summit, along with the adjacent
Karkonosze
The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše or Karkonosze (Czech: , Polish: , german: Riesengebirge) are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Mas ...
Krkonoše (german: Riesengebirge, also known as in en, Giant's Mountains) (highest: border peak of
Sněžka Śnieżka – highest mountain of Czech Republic, );
Rudawy Janowickie (
Skalnik, );
Owl Mountains (
Wielka Sowa
Wielka Sowa ("Great Owl", german: Hohe Eule) with a height of is the highest peak of the Owl Mountains, a range of the Central Sudetes. The mountain is located in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland.
Geograph ...
, );
Stone Mountains (
Waligóra );
Wałbrzych Mountains
The Wałbrzyskie Mountains or Waldenburg Mountains ( pl, Góry Wałbrzyskie; german: Waldenburger Bergland), sometimes called the Wałbrzyskie Highlands or Waldenburg Highlands, is one of the three mountain ranges that form the western part of the ...
(
Borowa ) and the
Kaczawskie Mountains
The Katzbach Mountains or Kaczawskie Mountains ( pl, Góry Kaczawskie; german: Katzbachgebirge) are a mountain range, roughly 30 kilometres long, in the Western Sudetes in Poland. It is located within the Polish province of Lower Silesia. It ...
(
Skopiec, ) with
Ostrzyca, - they surround the
Jelenia Góra valley, ;
Ślęża Massif
The Ślęża (; german: Zobten or ''Zobtenberg'', later also ''Siling'') is a mountain in the Sudeten Foreland ( pl, Przedgórze Sudeckie) in Lower Silesia, from Wrocław, southern Poland. This nature reserve built mostly of granite is 718 ...
(
Mount Ślęża ), massive of
Orlické hory,
Králický Sněžník south of historical Kladsko pl, Klodzsko),
Rychlebské hory
The Golden Mountains ( pl, Góry Złote; cs, Rychlebské hory; german: Reichensteiner Gebirge) are a mountain range in the Sudetes on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic. Various ores
Ore is natural Rock (geology), rock o ...
and
Jeseníky (german: Totesgebirge en, Ashes mountains (
Praděd
Praděd (; german: Altvater; pl, Pradziad; literally "great grandfather") () is the highest mountain of the Hrubý Jeseník mountains, Moravia, Czech Silesia and Upper Silesia and is the fifth-highest mountain of the Czech Republic. The highest ...
, ) .
Silesian Lowland
The adjacent Silesian Lowland includes the
Silesian Lowlands and the
Silesian-Lusatian Lowlands. These two lowlands are separated with each other by
Dolina Kaczawy
Dolina (or Dolyna in Ukraine) is a Slavic toponym, meaning "valley" or "dale". It may refer to:
Places
;Austria
* Dolina (Grafenstein), a village in the Municipality of Grafenstein, Carinthia, southern Austria
;Bosnia and Herzegovina
*Dolina, Za ...
, and from the
Sudetes
The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...
by a steep morphological edge located along the Sudeten Marginal Fault, extended from
Bolesławiec (the Northwest) to
Złoty Stok (the Southeast). The southern part of the Lowland includes The
Sudeten Foreland, consisting of quite low
Wzgórze Strzegomskie, , Grupa Ślęży (
Mount Ślęża, ), and Wzgórza Niemczańsko-Strzelińskie (
Gromnik Mountain
Gromnik is a village in Tarnów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Lesser Poland Voivodeship or Lesser Poland Province (in pl, województwo małopolskie ), also known as Małopolska, is a voivodeship (province), in southern Poland. It has an ...
, ). Lower hills occur also in areas of Obniżenie Sudeckie,
Świdnik
Świdnik () is a town in southeastern Poland with 40,186 inhabitants (2012), situated in the Lublin Voivodeship, southeast of the city of Lublin. It is the capital of Świdnik County. Świdnik belongs to the historic province of Lesser Polan ...
, and
Kotlina Dzierżoniowska Kotlina may refer to:
the following places in Poland:
* Kotlina in Gmina Mirsk, Lwówek Śląski County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (SW Poland)
*Other places
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy ...
. The eastern part of Silesian Lowland consists of the wide
Silesian Lowlands, located along banks of the
Oder River. The eastern part includes also
Równina Wrocławska with its surrounding lands: Równina Oleśnicka, Wysoczyzna Średzka, Równina Grodkowska and Niemodlińska. Dolina Dolnej Kaczawy (Kotlina Legnicka) separates the Silesian Lowlands from the Silesian-Lusatian Lowlands, which includes Wysoczyzna Lubińsko-Chocianowska, Dolina Szprotawy, and wide areas of Bory Dolnośląskie, located to the north from the Bolesławiec-Zgorzelec road. From the North, the lowlands are delimited by Wał Trzebnicki, consisting of hills that are long and over high, in comparison to neighboring lowlands, Kobyla Mountain, . The range of hills includes Wzgórza Dalkowskie, Wzgórza Trzebnickie, Wzgórza Twardogórskie, and Wzgórza Ostrzeszowskie. Obniżenie Milicko-Głogowskie, with Kotlina Żmigrodzka and Milicka, is located in the northern part, within the hills.
The region of the lowlands is coated with a thick layer of glacial elements (
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a soil texture, textur ...
,
gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classif ...
,
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay part ...
) that covers more diverse relief of the older ground. Generally flat and wide bottoms of the valleys are padded with river settlements. Slopes of the hills over are coated with fertile clays and therefore, to begin with, the
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
era, they became the lands for people to settle and cultivate intensively. The later form of the economy caused almost complete
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then land conversion, converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban area, urban ...
of the slopes. Not only fertile grounds, but also the mild climate is conductive to the development of agriculture and market gardening. The annual average temperature of the
Wrocław area is . The average temperature of the hottest month (July) is , and of the coldest month (January). The average amount of rainfall is , with its maximum in July and minimum in February. The snow layer disappears after 45 days. The winds, similar to those appearing in the West side of Poland, are West and Southwest.
Sudeten rivers are characterized by changeable water rates, and high pollution resulting from large industrialization of the area. The greatest rivers are
Nysa Kłodzka, which is the source of drinking water for Wrocław (the water is drawn by special channel);
Stobrawa,
Oława,
Ślęza,
Bystrzyca with its tributaries—
Strzegomka and
Piława;
Widawa,
Średzka Woda
The Średzka Woda (''Średzianka'', German: Neumarkter Wasser) is a second-order river in the Lower Silesia province of Poland, a left-bank tributary of the Oder, 32.33 km long with the catchment area of 326.76 km2.
The river flows out ...
,
Kaczawa with
Nysa Szalona and
Czarna Woda. There is also the largest right-bank tributary of the area,
Barycz. The other quite large rivers, Bóbr, Kwisa, and Lusatian Neisse, flow into the Oder River beyond Lower Silesian borders. The majority of the rivers is regulated and their basins are improved, which is conductive to the proper water economy. The characteristic feature of the landscape of the lowland is the lack of lakes. The region 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 19 ...
is the only place where a dozen or so of small lakes survived, but the majority of them is already disappearing. The largest one is Jezioro Kunickie (), Jezioro Koskowickie (), Jezioro Jaśkowickie () and Tatarak (). In contrast to the number of lakes, there are large groups of artificial ponds founded in the Barycz basin, in the Middle Ages. Their total area amounts around , and the largest ponds (Stary Staw, Łosiowy Staw, Staw Niezgoda, Staw Mewi Duży, and Grabownica) come to .
The primeval flora has been transformed significantly as a result of
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then land conversion, converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban area, urban ...
and cultivation. The largest forest complexes are Bory Dolnośląskie (), Bory Stobrawskie in
Stobrawa and
Widawa areas, and smaller fragments of forests in
Barycz and
Oder River valleys. These forests are kind of multi-species
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...
forests, occurring in fertile grounds. The Oder River valley is reach in groups of mixed forests (
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
,
oak,
hornbeam
Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin of names
The common English name ''hornb ...
,
sycamore maple
''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, to ...
, and
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
). These forests, with protected status, are:
Zwierzyniec,
Kanigóra near
Oława, Dublany,
Kępa Opatowicka Kępa may refer to the following places in Poland:
*Kępa, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west Poland)
* Kępa, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (north-central Poland)
*Kępa, Chełm County in Lublin Voivodeship (east Poland)
*Kępa, Lublin Count ...
near
Wrocław,
Zabór near
Przedmoście, and
Lubiąż. The other forest areas are The Natural Park in Orsk, the areas of Jodłowice, Wzgórze Joanny near Milicz, and Gola near Twardogóra. Such types of forest like those which are the mainstay for wild game or nurseries, are inaccessible because of permanent fire hazard. Territories partly accessible (marked specially) are located in areas of Góra Śląska, Oborniki Śląskie, Wołowa, in the Oder River valley, and in Wzgórza Niemczańsko-Strzelińskie.
Flora
The flora of Lower Silesia is specific and different for each zone. From the bottoms to the top, plants form groups that are arranged in wide or narrow belts, called floral zones. Subsequently, these zones are divided into narrower belts, called vegetation belts.
The zone of mountain forest is divided into two belts:
subalpine and lower subalpine forest. Above, there is a forestless zone divided into the subalpine belt with dwarf pine, and the alpine belt without shrubs. This vegetation is
glacial; the former vegetation—from the
Tertiary
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non- avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
—was destroyed by the climate of the
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
. Along with glaciation from the North, some tundra plants appeared, for example
downy willow (''Salix lapponum'') and
cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus).
The flora of Lower Silesia is strongly influenced by geological and climatic history. The vegetation is formed by species deriving from various geographic regions. Particular regions are represented by:
* Central European species:
fir
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
(
Abies alba),
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
(Fagus silvatica),
oak (
Quercus petraea),
maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since ht ...
(
Acer pseudoplatanus)
* European Syberian species: European
spindle-tree
''Euonymus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Common names vary widely among different species and between different English-speaking countries, but include spindle (or spindle tree), burning-bush, strawb ...
(Evonymus europaea),
alder
Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
(Alnus glutinosa),
wicker (Salix purpurea)
* Boreal-Sub arctic species:
cress (Cardamine pratensis),
yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris),
liverleaf (Hepatica nobilis)
* Boreal-Arctic species:
bearberry
Bearberries ( indigenous kinnickinnick) are three species of dwarf shrubs in the genus '' Arctostaphylos''. Unlike the other species of ''Arctostaphylos'' (see manzanita), they are adapted to Arctic and Subarctic climates, and have a circumpo ...
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi),
dwarf willow (Salix herbacea),
black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum),
Sudetic Lousewort
''Pedicularis sudetica'', common names of which are fernweed, Sudeten lousewort, Sedetic lousewort, and Sudetic lousewort is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is native to Poland, the former Czechoslovakia, and north ...
(Pedicularis sudetica),
alpine saxifrage (Micranthes nivalis),
cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus),
lake quillwort
''Isoetes lacustris'', the lake quillwort or Merlin's grass, is a boreal Isoëtes, quillwort native on both sides of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Synonym (taxonomy), Synonyms include ''Isoetes hieroglyphica''.
Description
The lake quillwort has ...
(Isoëtes lacustris)
* Alpine species: Alpine bastard toadflax (Thesium alpinium),
Alpine coltsfoot (Homogyne alpina),
mountain avens (Geum montanum),
mountain pine (Pinus mugo)
* Sudetic and Sudetic-Carpathian species:
mossy saxifrage (Saxifraga moschata ssp. Basaltica),
Sudetic lousewort
''Pedicularis sudetica'', common names of which are fernweed, Sudeten lousewort, Sedetic lousewort, and Sudetic lousewort is a species of flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is native to Poland, the former Czechoslovakia, and north ...
(Pedicularis sudetica)
Lower subalpine forest
Lower subalpine forest ( pl, Regiel Dolny), , is characterized by deciduous or mixed forest. The fragments of forests similar to natural complexes of
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
-
fir
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
-
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
with admixture of
larch
Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains furt ...
,
sycamore maple
''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, to ...
and
lime occur near the Szklarski waterfall, in the Jagniątkowski complex, and
Chojnik
Chojnik Castle (pronounced , german: Kynast, 1945–1948 pl, Chojnasty) is a castle located above the town of Sobieszów, today part of Jelenia Góra in southwestern Poland. Its remains stand on top of the Chojnik hill () within the Karkonosze N ...
Mountain. Particular species of trees have different climatic requirements. The lowest parts are covered with oak and ash, up to . On the level of 500– occurs pine; in the higher parts, up to , there occurs
European larch; and above 800 m, fir and beech.
Despite transformation of the basic tree vegetation, the same form of undergrowth survived. There occurs:
daphne mezereum,
red elderberry
''Sambucus racemosa'' is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to Europe, northern temperate Asia, and North America across Canada and the United States. It ...
,
hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999 ...
,
platanthera bifolia,
sweet woodruff
''Galium odoratum'', the sweet woodruff or sweetscented bedstraw, is a flowering perennial plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to much of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Russia, as well as Western Siberia, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, China an ...
,
Herb Paris
''Paris quadrifolia'', the herb Paris or true lover's knot, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It occurs in temperate and cool areas throughout Eurasia, from Spain to Yakutia, and from Iceland to Mongolia. It prefers ...
,
cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus '' Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species '' Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranber ...
,
wood sorrel,
chickweed wintergreen
''Lysimachia europaea'' (formerly known as ''Trientalis europaea'') is a flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower. It is a small herbaceous perennial plant with one ...
,
Common Cow-wheat and
lily of the valley
Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' (), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate N ...
. The parts over 800 m are mainly covered with grasses, purple small-reeds, cranberries, and
willow gentian
''Gentiana asclepiadea'', the willow gentian, is a species of flowering plant of the genus ''Gentiana'' in the family (biology), family Gentianaceae, native plant, native to central and eastern Europe from primarily mountain (montane) woodland th ...
.
In highlighted places, on meadows, and along roads, there occurs:
spotted orchid
''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae.
''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is one of Europe's commonest wild orchids. It is widespread across much of Europe, with the range ...
,
bugleweed,
yellow archangel
''Lamium galeobdolon'', commonly known as yellow archangel, artillery plant, aluminium plant, or yellow weasel-snout, is a widespread wildflower in Europe, and has been introduced elsewhere as a garden plant. It displays the zygomorphic flower m ...
,
arnica montana,
sword-leaved helleborine
''Cephalanthera longifolia'', the narrow-leaved helleborine, sword-leaved helleborine or long-leaved helleborine, is a rhizome, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is native to light woodland, and widespread acr ...
,
rosebay willowherb,
groundsel, and
foxglove. Along riversides, there occurs white
butterbur.
Pine forests are rich in spruces, which are permanently weakened by atmospheric factors. Frayed roots are easily infected by harmful
fungus
A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...
and
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s. The most damaging is
honey mushroom
''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the '' A. mellea'' species known as honey fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armillarias'' are lon ...
, with edible
specimen
Specimen may refer to:
Science and technology
* Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount
* Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
, which grows in pulp, between the
bark
Bark may refer to:
* Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick
* Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog)
Places
* Bark, Germany
* Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland
Arts, ...
and
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including Beam (structure), beams and plank (wood), planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as fini ...
, causing the death of tree. The other damaging fungus is
bracket fungus, which destroys roots and trunks from the inside. The honey mushroom devastates the tree within a few months, and the bracket fungus, within a few years, as a result of mechanic changes in wood structure.
History
Ancient history
At the close of the
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
, the first man appeared at the
Silesian Lowland. In the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymo ...
(7,000 years ago), the first nomadic people settled in Lower Silesia, living in caves and primitive chalets. They were collectors, hunters, and fishers, and used weapons and other tools made of stone and wood. In the
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coi ...
, the oldest human remains of the nomadic people, which were 40,000 years old, were found in a tomb in
Tyniec
Tyniec is a historic village in Poland on the Vistula river, since 1973 a part of the city of Kraków (currently in the district of Dębniki). Tyniec is notable for its Benedictine abbey founded by King Casimir the Restorer in 1044.
Etymology
T ...
on the river
Ślęża
The Ślęża (; german: Zobten or ''Zobtenberg'', later also ''Siling'') is a mountain in the Sudetes, Sudeten Sudeten Foreland, Foreland ( pl, Przedgórze Sudeckie) in Lower Silesia, from Wrocław, southern Poland. This nature reserve built mos ...
.
In the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...
(4000–1700 BC), began the process of transformation into a settled way of life. The first rural settlements were made, as people began to farm and breed animals. Mining, pottery, and weaving are dated to this period.
Serpentinite quarries came into existence, of which Silesian hatchets were made, and near
Jordanów Śląski
Jordanów Śląski (; german: Jordansmühl) is a village in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Jordanów Śląski.
It lies approximately south ...
, people extracted nephrite that was transformed into diverse tools. In the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(1700–1500 BC), the evolution of different cultures developed to the existence of
Unetice culture that affected the existence of
Trzciniec culture
The Trzciniec culture is a Bronze-Age archaeological culture in East-Central Europe (c. 1600 – 1200 BC). It is sometimes associated with the Komariv neighbouring culture, as the Trzciniec-Komariv culture.
History
The Trzciniec culture develop ...
. In the next periods since , it encompasses all of Europe.
Early history
In the
La Tène culture
The La Tène culture (; ) was a European Iron Age culture. It developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BC to the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC), succeeding the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture without any defi ...
period, Lower Silesia was inhabited by the
Celts
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...
, who had their main place of cult on the
Mount Ślęża. Their stony statues situated on and around this hill were later worshipped by the
Slavic tribes
This is a list of Slavic peoples and Slavic tribes reported in Late Antiquity and in the Middle Ages, that is, before the year AD 1500.
Ancestors
*Proto-Indo-Europeans (Proto-Indo-European speakers)
** Proto-Balto-Slavs (common ancestors of Bal ...
that came here around the sixth century AD. ''
Magna Germania
Germania ( ; ), also called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman province of the same name, was a large historical region in north-c ...
'' (second century) records that between the Celtic and the Slavic period, Lower Silesia was inhabited by a number of
Germanic tribes. Among them, are the
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area be ...
, the
Lugii, and the
Silingi, who might have given the Silesia region its name, though it is unclear and thus disputed. With the Germanic tribes leaving westward during the
Migration Period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roma ...
, a number of new peoples arrived in Silesia from
Sarmatia,
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
, and the Asian steppes from the beginning of the sixth century.
The
Bavarian Geographer The epithet "Bavarian Geographer" ( la, Geographus Bavarus) is the conventional name for the anonymous author of a short Latin medieval text containing a list of the tribes in Central- Eastern Europe, headed ().
The name "Bavarian Geographer" was ...
() referred to the West Slavic
Ślężanie (the other possible source of the region's ''Śląsk'' and later ''Silesia'' name), centered on
Niemcza, and
Dziadoszanie tribes, while a 1086 document issued by Bishop
Jaromir of Prague listed the
Zlasane,
Trebovane,
Poborane, and
Dedositze. At the same time, Upper Silesia was inhabited by the
Opolanie
Opolans ( pl, Opolanie; cs, Opolané; german: Opolanen) were the West Slavic tribe that lived in the region of upper Odra. Their main settlement ( gord) was Opole. They were mentioned in the Bavarian Geographer, under the name Opolini, as one of ...
,
Lupiglaa, and
Golenshitse tribes. In the late 9th century, the territory was subject to the
Great Moravia
Great Moravia ( la, Regnum Marahensium; el, Μεγάλη Μοραβία, ''Meghálī Moravía''; cz, Velká Morava ; sk, Veľká Morava ; pl, Wielkie Morawy), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavs, Wes ...
n realm of Prince
Svatopluk I and from about 906 came under the rule of the
Přemyslid duke
Spytihnev I of Bohemia and his successors
Vratislaus I, the alleged founder of Wrocław ( cs, Vratislav), and
Boleslaus the Cruel.
Piast Kingdom of Poland
Meanwhile, the West Slavic
Polans had established the first duchy under 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 ...
in the adjacent
Greater Polish lands in the north. About 990 Silesia was conquered and incorporated into the
first Polish state by the Piast duke
Mieszko I, who had gained the support of Emperor
Otto II against the Bohemian duke
Boleslaus II.
In 1000 his son and successor
Bolesław I Chrobry founded the
Diocese of Wrocław, which, together with the
Bishoprics
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 associate ...
of
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...
and
Kołobrzeg, was placed under the
Archbishopric of Gniezno in
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...
, founded by Emperor
Otto III
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu.
Otto III was crowned as King ...
at the
Congress of Gniezno in the same year. The ecclesial suzerainty of
Gniezno
Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...
over Wrocław lasted until 1821. After a temporary shift to Bohemia in the first half of the 11th century, Lower Silesia continued to be an integral part of the Polish state until the end of its fragmentation period when all Polish claims on this land were finally renounced in favor of the
Bohemian kingdom in 1348.
Various Polish defensive battles against the invading Germans took place in the region in the Middle Ages, including the victorious battles
of Niemcza in 1017 and
Głogów and
Psie Pole
Psie Pole () ( polish: ''Dog Field'') is one of the five administrative districts of Wrocław, Poland. Before 1928, it was an independent city. Its functions were largely taken over on 8 March 1990 by the Municipal Office of the newly establis ...
in 1109. In the early 12th century,
Wrocław was named one of the three major cities of the
Polish Kingdom
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
*Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...
alongside
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...
and
Sandomierz
Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Provi ...
in the oldest Polish chronicle, ''
Gesta principum Polonorum''. One of the largest battles of medieval Poland, the
Battle of Legnica, during the
first Mongol invasion of Poland
The Mongol Invasion of Poland from late 1240 to 1241 culminated in the Battle of Legnica, where the Mongols defeated an alliance which included forces from fragmented Poland and their allies, led by Henry II the Pious, the Duke of Silesia ...
was fought in the region 1241.
Also a leading region of medieval Poland. The first-ever granting of
town privileges
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 Polish history, happened there, when
Złotoryja was granted such rights in 1211 by
Henry the Bearded, and in the 13th century the ''
Book of Henryków'', a chronicle containing the oldest known text in Polish, was created in the region.
The
Duchy of Silesia
The Duchy of Silesia ( pl, Księstwo śląskie, german: Herzogtum Schlesien, cs, Slezské knížectví) with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Pi ...
was first split into lower and upper parts in 1172 during the period of
Poland's feudal fragmentation, when the land was divided between two sons of former High Duke
Władysław II. The elder
Bolesław the Tall ruled over Lower Silesia with his capital in Wrocław (then known as Vratislav, Wrotizla, or Prezla), and younger
Mieszko Tanglefoot ruled over Upper Silesia with his capital at first in
Racibórz, from 1202 in
Opole. Later Silesia was divided into as many as 17
duchies
A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition.
There once existed an important difference between ...
. Main duchies of Lower Silesia:
*
Silesia–Wrocław
**
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 19 ...
, split off in 1248
***
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German language, German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole V ...
, split off from Legnica in 1311
***
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 ...
-
Jawor, split off from Legnica in 1274
****
Ziębice, split off from Świdnica in 1321
**
Głogów, split off from Legnica in 1251
***
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 ...
, split off from Głogów in 1274/1278
***
Oleśnica, split off from Głogów in 1313
****
Bierutów, split off from Oleśnica in 1412
***
Krosno
Krosno (in full ''The Royal Free City of Krosno'', pl, Królewskie Wolne Miasto Krosno) is a historical town and county in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in southeastern Poland. The estimated population of the town is 47,140 inhabitants as of 2 ...
-
Ścinawa
**
Nysa, established in 1290
Polish duchies, Bohemian Crown, Hungary, Austria, and Prussia
With the 1335
Treaty of Trentschin (
Trenčín
Trenčín (, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 55,000, which makes it the eighth largest munic ...
) and the 1348
Treaty of Namysłów
The Treaty of Namslau or Namysłów, also known as the Peace of Namslau/Namysłów, was a peace treaty between King Charles IV of Bohemia and King Casimir III of Poland. It was signed at Namysłów (german: Namslau) in Silesia, on 22 November 134 ...
, most of the Silesian duchies were ruled by the
Silesian Piast dukes under the feudal overlordship of the
Bohemian kings, and thus became part of the
Crown of Bohemia within the
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 ...
. Many duchies remained Polish-ruled under the houses of Piast,
Jagiellon
The Jagiellonian dynasty (, pl, dynastia jagiellońska), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty ( pl, dynastia Jagiellonów), the House of Jagiellon ( pl, Dom Jagiellonów), or simply the Jagiellons ( pl, Jagiellonowie), was the name assumed by a cad ...
and
Sobieski, some up to the 17th and 18th century. In 1469, Lower Silesia passed to
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 ...
, and in 1490 it fell back to Bohemia, then ruled by the
Jagiellonian dynasty
The Jagiellonian dynasty (, pl, dynastia jagiellońska), otherwise the Jagiellon dynasty ( pl, dynastia Jagiellonów), the House of Jagiellon ( pl, Dom Jagiellonów), or simply the Jagiellons ( pl, Jagiellonowie), was the name assumed by a cad ...
. In 1476, the Crossen district became part of the
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe.
Brandenburg developed out ...
, when the widow of the Piast ruler, Barbara von Brandenburg, daughter of Elector
Albert Achilles
Albrecht III (9 November 141411 March 1486) was Elector of Brandenburg from 1471 until his death, the third from the House of Hohenzollern. A member of the Order of the Swan, he received the cognomen ''Achilles'' because of his knightly qualiti ...
, inherited Crossen. It remained an important center of Polish culture. In 1475
Głogów-born Polish printer founded the (''Holy Cross Printing House'') in Wrocław, which published the ', the first
incunable
In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pr ...
in Lower Silesia, which also contains the first-ever text printed in the
Polish language
Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In add ...
.
In 1526 Silesia was acquired by
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
's
Habsburg monarchy after the death of King
Louis II of Bohemia. Brandenburg contested the inheritance, citing a treaty made with
Frederick II of Legnica
Frederick II, Duke of Legnica ( pl, Fryderyk II Legnicki) (12 February 1480 – 17 September 1547), also known as the Great of Legnica ( pl, Legnicki Wielki), was a Duke of Legnica from 1488 (until 1495 and 1505 with his brothers), of Brzeg from ...
, but Silesia largely remained under Habsburg control until 1742. In 1675 Duke
George William of Legnica died at the
Brzeg Castle
Brzeg Castle is located in Brzeg, Opole Voivodeship, within the Polish part of the Silesia region. Now a museum, the structures includes the Piast dynasty mausoleum.
Geography
Brzeg Castle is located on a cliff to the west of the Oder River, in ...
, as the last male member of 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 ...
, which founded the Polish state in the 10th century. He was buried in
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 19 ...
.
Most of Lower Silesia, except for the southern part of the Duchy of Nysa, became part of 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 the
First Silesian War
The First Silesian War (german: Erster Schlesischer Krieg, links=no) was a war between Prussia and Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria ...
by the 1742
Treaty of Breslau
The Treaty of Breslau was a preliminary peace agreement signed on 11 June 1742 following long negotiations at the Silesian capital Wrocław (german: Breslau) by emissaries of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria and King Frederick II of Prussia ...
. In 1815, it became part of the Prussian
Silesia Province, which was divided into the two Lower Silesian administrative regions (''
Regierungsbezirk
A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts.
Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
e'') of ''
Liegnitz
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 19 ...
'' and ''
Breslau'' (sometimes also referred to as
Middle Silesia), and Upper Silesian ''
Oppeln'' (including the Lower Silesian districts of
Neisse and
Grottkau). The western ''Liegnitz'' region had been enlarged by the incorporation of the
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to th ...
n districts of
Lauban,
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and is the largest town in Upper Lusa ...
,
Rothenburg and
Hoyerswerda, all seized from the
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in French period, Napoleonic through German Confederation, post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was ...
after 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 ...
. From 1871, Lower Silesia was part of the
German Empire.
As a result of long lasting
German colonization and
Germanisation, by the beginning of the 20th century Lower Silesia had a majority German-speaking population, with the exception of a small
Polish-speaking area in the northeastern part of the district of
Namslau (Namysłów),
Groß Wartenberg (Syców) and
Militsch (Milicz) and a Czech-speaking minority in the rural area around
Strehlen (Strzelin). There were also Polish communities in large cities such as Breslau (Wrocław) and
Grünberg (Zielona Góra). After the
First World War
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 fig ...
, the bulk of Lower Silesia remained within Germany, the Bohemian part was included within
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
, and a small part was reintegrated with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
, which just regained independence. The German part was re-organized into the
Province of Lower Silesia of the
Free State of Prussia
The Free State of Prussia (german: Freistaat Preußen, ) was one of the constituent states of Germany from 1918 to 1947. The successor to the Kingdom of Prussia after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, it continued to be the dom ...
consisting of the ''Breslau'' and ''Liegnitz'' regions. In the
interwar period, there were multiple instances of
anti-Polish
Polonophobia, also referred to as anti-Polonism, ( pl, Antypolonizm), and anti-Polish sentiment are terms for negative attitudes, prejudices, and actions against Poles as an ethnic group, Poland as their country, and their culture. These incl ...
violence in the German part, and already in 1920 a Polish consulate in Wrocław was attacked and demolished by German nationalists. In the 1930s Poles and Jews were increasingly persecuted in the German-controlled part of the region.
World War II
During
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 ...
the Germans established the
Gross-Rosen concentration camp with around 100
subcamps in the region, in which around 125,000 people of various nationalities, among them mostly
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""T ...
,
Poles and citizens of 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, ...
, were imprisoned, and around 40,000 died. Also several German
prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military priso ...
s, including
Stalag VIII-A,
Stalag VIII-C
Stalag VIII-C was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, near Sagan, Lower Silesia (now Żagań, Poland). It was adjacent to the famous Stalag Luft III, and was built at the beginning of World War II, occupying . It housed Allied POWs of vario ...
,
Stalag VIII-E
Stalag VIII-E (also known as Stalag 308) was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located next to the village of Neuhammer, Silesia (now Świętoszów, Poland). It was about south of the camps Stalag VIII-C and Stalag Luft III at Sagan, Sil ...
,
Stalag Luft III
, partof = ''Luftwaffe''
, location = Sagan, Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany (now Żagań, Poland)
, image =
, caption = Model of the set used to film the movie ''The Great Escape.'' It depicts a smaller version of a single compound in ''Stalag ...
, Oflag VIII-B,
Oflag VIII-F, with numerous
forced labour subcamps were located in the region, as well as various subcamps of the
Stalag VIII-B/344 POW camp. POWs of various nationalities were held in those camps, including Poles,
Frenchmen,
Belgians
Belgians ( nl, Belgen; french: Belges; german: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cult ...
,
Britons
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs m ...
,
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = Flag of Italy, The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, ...
,
Canadians
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
,
Americans
Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Amer ...
,
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, ...
,
Yugoslavians,
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
,
Australians
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the con ...
,
New Zealanders
New Zealanders ( mi, Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English). People of various ethnicities and national origins are citiz ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
ns,
Norwegians
Norwegians ( no, nordmenn) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation native to Norway, where they form the vast majority of the population. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegians are descended from the ...
,
Lithuanians
Lithuanians ( lt, lietuviai) are a Balts, Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another million or two make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the Lithuanian Ame ...
,
Slovaks
The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak.
In Slovakia, 4.4 ...
, etc. In the final stages of the war it was the site of several
death marches
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinguished in this way from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Conven ...
perpetrated by Nazi Germany.
In view of Polish claims to the area, a memorandum prepared by the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
in May 1945 recommended that the area stay with Germany because there was "no historic or ethnic justification" for granting this land to Poland.
However, according to Soviet insistence at 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 t ...
, in which 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, ...
annexed most of the eastern Poland, Lower Silesia went to the
Republic of Poland. These border shifts were agreed on pending a final peace conference with Germany which eventually never took place. Germany retained the small portion of the former Prussian
Province of Lower Silesia to the west of the
Oder-Neisse line.
Modern Poland
The remaining
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
population
was expelled from the bulk of Lower Silesia east of the Neisse in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.
Poles from Central Poland and the
Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union came to the region.
From 1945 to 1975 Lower Silesia was administered within the
Wrocław Voivodeship. As a result of the Local Government Reorganisation Act (1975), Poland's administration was reorganized into 49
voivodeship
A voivodeship is the area administered by a voivode (Governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in western medieval ...
s, four of them in Lower Silesia:
Jelenia Góra,
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 19 ...
,
Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych (; german: Waldenburg; szl, Wałbrzich; sli, label= Lower Silesian, Walmbrig or ''Walmbrich''; cs, Valbřich or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of W ...
, and
Wrocław Voivodeships (1975–1998). As a result of the Local Government Reorganisation Act of 1998, these four provinces were joined into the
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, Wałb ...
(effective 1 January 1999), whose capital is Wrocław.
Population
At the close of the
classical period the region was inhabited by
Germanic Tribes, who during the
Migration Period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roma ...
moved westward to the lands of modern Germany and France and were replaced in Lower Silesia by
Lechitic tribes. Centuries later, German settlers came to Lower Silesia during the Late Middle Ages, attracted by newly founded towns to develop the region. Over time, the autochthonous Polish population became partly
Germanised and took up the German language as well, however, notable Polish communities survived, especially in northern Lower Silesia, and in larger cities. In year
1819
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The Panic of 1819, the first major peacetime financial crisis in the United States, begins.
* January 25 – Thomas Jefferson founds the University of Virginia.
* January 29 – ...
, the Breslau Regency had 833,253 inhabitants, the majority of whom—755,553 (90%)—were German-speakers; with a Polish-speaking minority numbering 66,500 (8%); as well as 3,900 Czechs (1%) and 7,300 Jews (1%).
U.S. Immigration Commission in 1911 classified Polish-speaking Silesians as ethnic Poles. After World War II, German inhabitants that had not fled the area due to the war, were expelled, and the region was resettled by Poles from former eastern Poland, which was
annexed by the Soviet Union, as well as from other regions, making Polish minority majority again. In 1948–1954
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, ...
and
Macedonians,
refugees of the Greek Civil War, came to Lower Silesia. They were temporarily admitted in five towns and villages in the region and afterwards finally settled in various cities and counties, although in the next decades some returned to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
, and some emigrated to other countries. The largest Greek-Macedonian communities were located in
Zgorzelec, Wrocław,
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 ...
and
Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych (; german: Waldenburg; szl, Wałbrzich; sli, label= Lower Silesian, Walmbrig or ''Walmbrich''; cs, Valbřich or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of W ...
.
Cities and towns
Towns with over 20,000 inhabitants:
*
Wrocław
*
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (2021). Zielona Góra has a favourable geographical position, being close to the Polish-German border and on several international road ...
*
Wałbrzych
Wałbrzych (; german: Waldenburg; szl, Wałbrzich; sli, label= Lower Silesian, Walmbrig or ''Walmbrich''; cs, Valbřich or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of W ...
*
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 19 ...
*
Jelenia Góra
*
Lubin
Lubin (; german: Lüben, szl, Lubin) is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of ...
*
Głogów
*
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 ...
*
Bolesławiec
*
Nowa Sól
*
Oleśnica
*
Brzeg
Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German language, German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole V ...
*
Dzierżoniów
*
Oława
*
Bielawa
*
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 ...
*
Jawor
*
Świebodzice
*
Polkowice
*
Nowa Ruda
*
Świebodzin
*
Jelcz-Laskowice
Silesian traditions in Upper Lusatia
Eastern parts of
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to th ...
also formed part of Silesia in the early 14th century, as part of the
Duchy of Jawor of fragmented Poland,
[Gustav Köhler, ''Der Bund der Sechsstädte in der Ober-Lausitz: Eine Jubelschrift'', G. Heinze & Comp., Görlitz, 1846, p. 11] and again from 1815 to 1945, when the area was annexed from
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
by
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 ...
and included within the
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
and later of
Lower Silesia. During this time Silesian culture and the
Silesian German dialect spread into this region with its centre
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and is the largest town in Upper Lusa ...
. The expulsion of the Germans from the east of the Oder-Neisse line led to an additional settlement of German Silesians in this region.
Due to these facts, some of the inhabitants of this region still consider themselves
Silesian and cultivate Silesian customs. One of their special privileges is the right to use the Lower Silesian flag and coat of arms which is guaranteed to them by the Saxon Constitution of 1992. The
Evangelical Church of Silesia
The Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (german: Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz, EKBO) is a United Protestant church body in the German states of Brandenburg, Berlin and a part of Saxony ( ...
in Upper Lusatia, meanwhile, merged with the one of Berlin and Brandenburg to form the
Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia.
Towns
The main cities within the former province of Lower Silesia west of the
Oder-Neisse line are (Upper Sorbian names in italics):
*
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and is the largest town in Upper Lusa ...
(Zhorjelc)
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Hoyerswerda (Wojerecy)
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Weißwasser/O.L. (Běła Woda)
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Niesky (Niska)
The main Lusatian cities within the former Duchy of Jawor and province of Lower Silesia east of Lusatian Neisse, now within
Lower Silesian Voivodship are:
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Zgorzelec (formerly part of Görlitz)
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Lubań
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Bogatynia
Bogatynia (; German: ''Reichenau in Sachsen'') is a town in Zgorzelec County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 16,460.
Geography
The municipal area forms Poland's "Turoszów ...
Tourism
The international airport is located in
Wrocław –
Wrocław – Copernicus Airport.
The
A4 motorway and
A18 motorway run through Lower Silesia.
Lower Silesia is one of the most visited regions in Poland. It is famous for a large number of castles and palaces (more than 100), inter alia:
Książ Castle,
Czocha Castle,
Grodziec Castle,
Gola Dzierżoniowska Castle,
Oleśnica Castle,
Kamieniec Ząbkowicki Palace. There is also a lot in the
Jelenia Góra valley.
The most widely visited city is
Wrocław where the
Festival of Good Beer is held every year on the second weekend of June.
Other highlights:
Kłodzko Fortress,
Fort Srebrna Góra,
Project Riese,
Wambierzyce
Wambierzyce ( cs, Vambeřice, german: Albendorf) is a village and popular Catholic pilgrimage site in south-western Poland, in Gmina Radków, Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is situated at an altitude of 370–410 m in the pi ...
,
Legnickie Pole,
Oleśnica Mała
Oleśnica Mała (german: Klein Öls) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Oława, within Oława County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland.
It lies approximately south of Oława, and south-east of the regional ...
,
Lubiąż Abbey,
Krzeszów,
Henryków,
Vang Stave Church,
Churches of Peace,
Mount Ślęża,
Table Mountains,
Owl Mountains,
Karkonosze
The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše or Karkonosze (Czech: , Polish: , german: Riesengebirge) are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Mas ...
,
Main Sudetes Trail (440 km from
Świeradów Zdrój to
Prudnik
Prudnik (, szl, Prudnik, Prōmnik, german: Neustadt in Oberschlesien, Neustadt an der Prudnik, la, Prudnicium) is a town in southern Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship near the border with the Czech Republic. It is the ...
),
Barycz Valley Landscape Park.
Sport
Among the most accomplished sports clubs in Lower Silesia are football clubs
Śląsk Wrocław and
Zagłębie Lubin,
speedway clubs
Falubaz Zielona Góra and
Sparta Wrocław
Sparta (Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referred t ...
, basketball clubs
Śląsk Wrocław,
Basket Zielona Góra,
Górnik Wałbrzych and handball club
Śląsk Wrocław.
Every year in September,
Wrocław Marathon is organized.
See also
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Koleje Dolnośląskie
Koleje Dolnośląskie (Polish for ''Lower Silesian Railways''; KD) is a regional rail operator in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland.
The company was founded on 28 December 2007 by a decision of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik and i ...
*
Izera railway
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Silesia Walls
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Chrobry fortified village in Szprotawa
The Chrobry fortified village (Polish: ''Gród Chrobry'', German: ''Wallburg Chrobry'') is an archaeological earthwork and a historical monument near Szprotawa, in the Polish southwestern province of Lower Silesia. It is one of the largest of it ...
*
Project Riese
References
Sources
* Urbanek M., (2003), Dolny Śląsk. Siedem stron świata., MAK publishing, Wrocław, p. 240 + CD-ROM
* Śląsk na weekend – touristic guide, Pascal publishing
External links
Lower Silesian Voivodeship WebsiteLower Silesian official website for tourist information
{{authority control
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Czech geographic history
Historical regions in Poland