() is a village in the Beskid Śląski

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 aris ...

in Cieszyn County,

Silesian Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship ( ) is an administrative province in southern Poland. With over 4.2 million residents and an area of 12,300 square kilometers, it is the second-most populous, and the most-densely populated and most-urbanized region of Poland ...

, southern Poland. It is the highest village by elevation in the Silesian Beskids and lies in the historical region of

Cieszyn Silesia Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( ; or ; or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český Těšín and bisected by the Olza River. Since 1920 it has been divided betwe ...

. The village is primarily known for its tradition of intricate lace-making. The name is possessive in origin, derived from personal name ''Koniak''. It is thought that the name was conveyed by settlers from Koňákov (Koniaków) who supposedly established (or took part in the process of establishing of) the village.

History

The settlement on the territory of the village began in the first half of the 17th century. It was settled by inhabitants of Istebna looking for new pastures and meadows, and clearing trees in the local forests to create land for grazing. This was deemed illegal by the owners of the Duchy of Teschen, as the forest was a part of defensive system of the duchy in the times of

Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...

. Later ''chalupy na Koniakowie'' (cottages in ''Koniaków'') were being mentioned in the documents in the years 1695-1712. The year 1712 is nowadays accepted as the one the village was established, however it became independent from Istebna in 1816. The first inhabitants (from Koniaków?) were mainly cattle herders. After the 1848 Revolutions in the Austrian Empire, a modern municipal division was introduced in the re-established Austrian Silesia. The village as a municipality was part of the political district of

Cieszyn Cieszyn ( , ; ; ) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitants ( and lies opposite Český Těšín in the Czech Repu ...

and the legal district of Jablunkov. According to censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910, the population of the municipality grew from 857 in 1880 to 1,120 in 1910, with all the inhabitants being native Polish speakers. In terms of religion, in 1910 the majority were Roman Catholics (88.7%), followed by

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

(11.3%). The village was also traditionally inhabited by Silesian Gorals, speaking the Jablunkov dialect. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the fall of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, the Polish–Czechoslovak War and the division of

in 1920, it became a part of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and was transferred to Cieszyn County. It was then annexed by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

at the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war, it was restored to

Koniaków lace

The tradition of lace-making in Koniaków is more than 150 years old.KONI-art website
/ref> Koniaków laces are handmade by

crochet Crochet (; ) is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread (yarn), thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term ''crochet'', which means 'hook'. Hooks can be made ...

ing cotton thread, using motifs inspired by nature. Lace motifs are worked separately, then connected to form larger pieces. The lace additions began appearing in pillows, shirts, blouses, and tablecloths around 1900. Real fame was brought to Koniaków by lace tablecloths and table runners, which reached the tables of kings, aristocrats, and bishops. One was prepared for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and another for Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. There are many examples of Koniaków lace lying on altars in

and other countries. Lace-making became subject to anger and disapproval in 2003, dividing the small Koniaków society, when some young lace makers started to make underwear out of Koniaków lace. Some elders in Koniaków view this activity as a disgrace upon an ancient and respectful profession; however, the new twist on Koniaków lace was a big success. Koniaków

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

is a byproduct of the lace-making tradition in the village. Although traditional lace has always been a village staple for industry, it wasn't until lace makers turned their knitting needles to crafting

G-string A G-string is a garment consisting of a narrow piece of material that barely covers the genitals, a string-like piece that passes between the buttocks, and a very thin waistband around the hips. There are designs for both women and men. Men's G- ...

s, thongs and other lingerie items that the village had its products become more and more popular. Understanding that the Polish political system went through upheaval after the

fall of communism The revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, were a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. Th ...

in 1989, the $1,000 tablecloths became much harder to sell. Although considered heirlooms and taking more than a week to craft, tablecloths and

doilies A doily (also doiley, doilie, doyly, or doyley) is an ornamental mat, typically made of paper or fabric, and variously used for protecting surfaces or binding flowers, in food service presentation, or as a clothing ornamentation, as well as ...

weren't bringing in enough money for the village lace makers, which affected all aspects of life.

Footnotes

References

* {{Cieszyn Silesia Villages in Cieszyn County Cieszyn Silesia