Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of

Lower Silesia Lower Silesia ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical and geographical region mostly located in Poland with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany. It is the western part of the region of Silesia. Its largest city is Wrocław. The first ...

, on the Kaczawa River and the

Czarna Woda Czarna Woda is a town in Starogard County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, with 2,735 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is located within the ethnocultural region of Kociewie within Pomerania. The town's name translates to "Black ...

. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Legnica had a population of 97,300 inhabitants. The city was first referenced in chronicles dating from the year 1004, although previous settlements could be traced back to the 7th century. The name "Legnica" was mentioned in 1149 under

High Duke of Poland 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 Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

Bolesław IV the Curly Bolesław IV the Curly (; 1122 – 5 January 1173), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death in 1173. Early life Bolesław was the third son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth ...

. Legnica was most likely the seat of Bolesław and it became the residence of the

dukes of Legnica Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

from 1248 until 1675. Legnica is a city over which the

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule in Pol ...

reigned the longest, for about 700 years, from the time of ruler

Mieszko I of Poland Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was Duchy of Poland (966–1025), Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified History of Poland, Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was t ...

after the creation of the Polish state in the 10th century, until 1675 and the death of the last Piast duke George William. Legnica is one of the historical burial sites of Polish monarchs 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–early ...

. Legnica became renowned for the fierce

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

that took place at

Legnickie Pole Legnickie Pole (in 1945–1948 ''Dobre Pole'') is a village in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Legnickie Pole. It lies approximately southea ...

near the city on 9 April 1241 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 Testament of Bolesław III Wrymouth, fragmented Poland and their allies, led by Henry ...

, which ended in the defeat of the Polish-led Christian coalition by the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

. Legnica is an economic, cultural and academic centre in

, together with

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

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

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

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

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

n region.

Population

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

and

Wałbrzych Wałbrzych (; ; or ''Walmbrich''; or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, seat of Wałbrzych County. Wałbrzych lies approximately southwest of the voivodeship capital Wrocław and about from the Czec ...

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

History

Pre-history

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

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

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

and the graves of three metallurgists. The find indicates a time interval about year 1000 BC. A settlement of the

Lusatian culture The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age (1300–500 ) in most of what is now Poland and parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, eastern Germany and western Ukraine. It covers the Periods Montelius III (e ...

people existed in the 8th century B.C. After invasions of Celts beyond upper Danube basin, the area of Legnica and north foothills of

Sudetes The Sudetes ( ), also known as the Sudeten Mountains or Sudetic Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince of the Bohemian Massif province in Central Europe, shared by the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. They consist mainly of mountain rang ...

was infiltrated by Celtic settlers and traders.

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...

and

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

recorded the ancient nation of

Lugii The Lugii (or ''Lugi'', ''Lygii'', ''Ligii'', ''Lugiones'', ''Lygians'', ''Ligians'', ''Lugians'', or ''Lougoi'') were a group of tribes mentioned by Roman authors living in ca. 100 BC–300 AD in Central Europe, north of the Sudetes moun ...

(Lygii) in the area, and mentioned their town of Lugidunum, which has been attributed to both Legnica and

Głogów Głogów (; , rarely , ) is a city in western Poland. It is the county seat of Głogów County, in Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Głogów is the sixth largest town in the Voivodeship; its population in 2021 was 65,400. Among the oldest towns in Po ...

Early Poland

Battle of Legnica1241-From Legend of Saint Hedwig

Slavic Lechitic tribes moved into the area in the 8th century. The city was first officially mentioned in

chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...

s from 1004, although settlement dates to the 7th century. Dendrochronological research proves that during the reign of

, a new fortified settlement was built here in a style typical of the early

. It is mentioned in 1149 when High Duke

funded a chapel at the St. Benedict monastery. Legnica was the most likely place of residence for Bolesław and it became the residence of the high dukes of Poland in 1163 and was the seat of a

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

ruled from 1248 until 1675. Legnica became famous for the

that took place at

near the city on 9 April 1241 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 Testament of Bolesław III Wrymouth, fragmented Poland and their allies, led by Henry ...

. The Christian army of the Polish duke

Henry II the Pious Henry II the Pious (; 1196 – 9 April 1241) was Duke of Silesia and High Duke of Poland as well as Duke of South-Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. Between 1238 and 1239 he also served as regent of Sandomierz and Opole– Racibórz. He ...

of Silesia, supported by feudal nobility, which included in addition to Poles, Bavarian miners and military orders and Czech troops, was decisively defeated by the

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

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

via

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

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

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

Bolesław III the Generous Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to: People * Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name Geography * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz Coun ...

granted new trade privileges in 1314 and 1318 and allowed the construction of a town hall, and in 1337 the first waterworks were built. In the years 1327–1380 a new Gothic church of Saint Peter (today's Cathedral) was erected in place of the old one, and is one of Legnica's landmarks since. Also by the 14th century the city walls were erected. In 1345 the first coins were produced in the local mint. In 1374, the potters' guild was founded, as one of the oldest in Silesia.

Queen consort of Poland The wives of the rulers of the Kingdom of Poland were duchesses or queens consort of Poland. Two women ruled Poland as queens regnant, but their husbands were kings ''jure uxoris''. Wives of early Polish monarchs Duchesses of the Polans ...

Hedwig of Sagan Hedwig of Sagan (; before 1350 – 27 March 1390) was Queen of Poland as the fourth wife of Casimir III. Casimir's lack of male heir spelled the end of the Piast dynasty in the Kingdom of Poland.Jerzy Jan Lerski, Piotr Wróbel, Richard J. Kozic ...

died in Legnica in 1390 and was buried in the local collegiate church, which has not survived to this day.

Duchy of Legnica

As the capital of the Duchy of Legnica at the beginning of the 14th century, Legnica was one of the most important cities of Central Europe, having a population of nearly 16,000 residents. The city began to expand quickly after the discovery of

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

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

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

of the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

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

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, however remained ruled by local dukes of the Polish

. In 1454, a local rebellion prevented Legnica from falling under direct rule of the Bohemian kings. In 1505, Duke

Frederick II of Legnica Frederick II, Duke of Legnica () (12 February 1480 – 17 September 1547), also known as the Great of Legnica (), was a Duke of Legnica from 1488 (until 1495 and 1505 with his brothers), of Brzeg from 1521. The most notorious of all Legnica Pia ...

met in Legnica with the duke of nearby

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV of P ...

, the future king of Poland. Liegnitz-Mausoleum-1

The

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

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

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

. In 1526, a Protestant university was established in Legnica, which, however, was closed in 1529. In 1528 the first printing house in Legnica was established. After the death of King

Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia Louis II (; ; ; ; 1 July 1506 – 29 August 1526) was King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia from 1516 to 1526. He died during the Battle of Mohács fighting the Ottomans, whose victory led to the Ottoman annexation of large parts of Hungary. Earl ...

Mohács Mohács (; Croatian: ''Mohač''; ; ; ; ) is a town in Baranya County, Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube. Etymology The name probably comes from the Slavic ''*Mъchačь'',''*Mocháč'': ''mъchъ'' (moss, Hungarian ''moha'' is a loanword ...

in 1526, Legnica became a fief of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

of Austria. The first map of Silesia was made by native son Martin Helwig. The city suffered during the

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

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

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

presented his candidacy to the Polish throne, however, in the 1669 Polish–Lithuanian royal election he wasn't chosen as King. In 1676, Legnica passed to direct

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

rule after the death of the last Silesian Piast duke and the last Piast duke overall, George William (son of Duke Christian), despite the earlier inheritance pact by Brandenburg and Silesia, by which it was to go to Brandenburg. The last Piast duke was buried in the St. John's church in Legnica in 1676.

18th and 19th centuries

Silesian aristocracy was trained at the Liegnitz Ritter-Akademie, established in the early 18th century. One of two main routes connecting

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

and

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

ran through the city in the 18th century and Kings

Augustus II the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...

and

Augustus III of Poland Augustus III (; – "the Saxon"; ; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as List of rulers of Saxony, Elector of Saxony i ...

traveled that route many times. The postal milestone of King Augustus II comes from that period. In 1742 most of Silesia, including Liegnitz, became part of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

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

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

. In 1760 during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

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

During the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

and Polish national liberation fights, in 1807 Polish

uhlan Uhlan (; ; ; ; ) is a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. The uhlans started as Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Lithuanian irregular cavalry, that were later also adopted by other countries during the 18th century, including Polis ...

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

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

forces of MacDonald in the

Battle of Katzbach The Battle of the Katzbach on 26 August 1813, was a major battle of the Napoleonic Wars between the forces of the First French Empire under Marshal MacDonald and a Russo- Prussian army of the Sixth Coalition under Prussian Marshal Graf (Coun ...

(Kaczawa) nearby. After the administrative reorganization of the

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n state following the

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

, Liegnitz and the surrounding territory (''Landkreis Liegnitz'') were incorporated into the

Regierungsbezirk A ' (, 'governmental district') is a type of administrative division in Germany. Currently, four of sixteen ' (states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts ' (plural, ) serve as regional mid-level local gov ...

(administrative district) of Liegnitz, within the

Province of Silesia The Province of Silesia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1742 and established as an official province in 1815, then became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1919, as ...

on 1 May 1816. Along with the rest of Prussia, the town became part of the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

in 1871 during the

unification of Germany The unification of Germany (, ) was a process of building the first nation-state for Germans with federalism, federal features based on the concept of Lesser Germany (one without Habsburgs' multi-ethnic Austria or its German-speaking part). I ...

. On 1 January 1874 Liegnitz became the third city in Lower Silesia (after Breslau and

Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...

) to be raised to an

urban district An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...

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

The 20th century

The census of 1910 gave Liegnitz's population as 95.86%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 0.15% German and Polish, 1.27%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

, 2.26% Wendish, and 0.19%

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

. On 1 April 1937 parts of the ''Landkreis'' of Liegnitz communities of Alt Beckern (Piekary), Groß Beckern (Piekary Wielkie), Hummel, Liegnitzer Vorwerke, Pfaffendorf (Piątnica) und Prinkendorf (Przybków) were incorporated into the city limits. After the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

following

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 ...

, Liegnitz was part of the newly created

Province of Lower Silesia The Province of Lower Silesia (; Silesian German: ''Provinz Niederschläsing''; ; ) was a province of the Free State of Prussia from 1919 to 1945. Between 1938 and 1941 it was reunited with Upper Silesia as the Province of Silesia. The capita ...

from 1919 to 1938, then of the

from 1938 to 1941, and again of the province of Lower Silesia from 1941 to 1945. After the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

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

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

premises was ordered, during the ''

Kristallnacht ( ) or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from the Hitler Youth and German civilia ...

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

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

subcamp. During

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 ...

, several members of the Polish resistance movement were imprisoned and sentenced to death there. The Germans also established two forced labour camps in the city, as well as two prisoner of war labor subcamps of the

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...

located in

Żagań Żagań (French language, French and , ) is a town in western Poland, on the Bóbr river, with 25,731 inhabitants (2019), capital of Żagań County in the Lubusz Voivodeship, located in the historic region of Lower Silesia. Founded in the 12th ce ...

(then ''Sagan''), and one labor subcamp of the

Stalag VIII-A Stalag VIII-A was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, located just to the south of the town of Görlitz in Lower Silesia, east of the River Neisse. The location of the camp lies in today's Polish town of Zgorzelec, which lies over the r ...

POW camp in

Zgorzelec Zgorzelec (, , , , Lower Sorbian: ''Zgórjelc'') is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland, with 30,374 inhabitants (2019). It is the seat of Zgorzelec County and of Gmina Zgorzelec (although it is not part of the territory ...

(then ''Görlitz''). After the defeat of

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 ...

during

, Liegnitz and all of Silesia east of the

Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.

was preliminarily transferred to Poland following the Potsdam Conference in 1945. The majority of the German population was either expelled in accordance with the

Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...

or fled from the city. The city was repopulated with Poles, including expellees from pre-war

eastern Poland Eastern Poland () is a macroregion in Poland comprising the Lublin Voivodeship, Lublin, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Świętokrzyskie, and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Wa ...

after its annexation by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Also

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, refugees of the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

, settled in Legnica in 1950. As the medieval Polish name ''Lignica'' was considered archaic, the town was renamed Legnica. The transfer to Poland decided at Potsdam in 1945 was officially recognized by

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

in 1950, by

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

under Chancellor

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

in the 1970 Treaty of Warsaw, and finally by the reunited Germany by the Two Plus Four Agreement in 1990. By 1990 only a handful of

Polonized Polonization or Polonisation ()In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэяй. Польскі ...

Germans, prewar citizens of Liegnitz, remained of the pre-1945 German population. In 2010 the city celebrated the 65th anniversary of the return of Legnica to Poland and its liberation from Nazi Germany. Castle in Legnica4

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

Trzebnica Trzebnica (Polish pronunciation: ; , ) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in west-central Poland. It is the seat of Trzebnica County, and of the smaller administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Trzebnica. It lies within the eastern Trzebni ...

and before it was finally moved to

. In 1947, the Municipal Library was opened, in 1948 a piano factory was founded, and in the years 1951-1959 Poland's first copper smelter was built in Legnica. After 1965 most parts of the preserved old town with its town houses were demolished, the historical layout was abolished, and the city was rebuilt in modern form. From 1945 to 1990, during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the headquarters of the

Soviet forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...

in Poland, the so-called

Northern Group of Forces The Northern Group of Armed Forces (; ) was the military formation of the Soviet Army (Russian Ground Forces starting 1992) stationed in Poland from the end of Second World War in 1945 until 1993 when they were withdrawn in the aftermath of the fa ...

, was located in the city. This fact had a strong influence on the life of the city. For much of the period, the city was divided into Polish and Soviet areas, with the latter closed to the public. These were first established in July 1945, when the Soviets forcibly ejected newly arrived Polish inhabitants from the parts of the city they wanted for their own use. The ejection was perceived by some as a particularly brutal action, and rumours circulated exaggerating its severity, though no evidence of anyone being killed in the course of it has come to light. In April 1946 city officials estimated that there were 16,700 Poles, 12,800 Germans, and 60,000

Soviets The Soviet people () were the citizens and nationals of the Soviet Union. This demonym was presented in the ideology of the country as the "new historical unity of peoples of different nationalities" (). Nationality policy in the Soviet Union ...

in Legnica. In October 1956, the largest anti-Soviet demonstrations in Lower Silesia took place in Legnica. The last Soviet units left the city in 1993. Between 1 June 1975 and 1998 Legnica was the capital of the

Legnica Voivodeship Legnica Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Legnica. Major cities and towns (population in 1995) * Leg ...

. In 1992 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legnica was established, Tadeusz Rybak became the first bishop of Legnica. New local newspapers and a radio station were founded in the 1990s. In 1997, Legnica was visited by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (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 ...

. The city suffered in the

1997 Central European flood The 1997 Central European flood or the 1997 Oder Flood of the Oder and Morava (river), Morava river basins in July 1997 affected Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, taking the lives of 114 people and causing material damages estimated at $4. ...

Climate

Legnica has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Cfb'').

Sights

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

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

and

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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

* Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul * Market Square (''Rynek'') with: **

Old Town Hall (''Stary Ratusz'') **

Helena Modrzejewska Helena Modrzejewska (; born Jadwiga Helena Mizel; October 12, 1840 – April 8, 1909), known professionally in the United States as Helena Modjeska, was a Polish-American actress who specialized in William Shakespeare, Shakespearean and tragic ro ...

Theatre ** ''Kamienice Śledziowe'' ("

Herring Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes. Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...

Houses") ** ''Dom Pod Przepiórczym Koszem'' ("Under the Quail Basket House") * former Dominican and later Benedictine monastery, founded by Bolesław II the Horned, who was buried there as the only monarch of Poland to be buried in Legnica; nowadays housing the ''I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Tadeusza Kościuszki'' (high school) * Saint John the Baptist Church with a mausoleum of the last Piast dukes * New Town Hall (''Nowy Ratusz''), seat of city authorities * Saint Mary church * (''Muzeum Miedzi'') * Medieval Chojnów and Głogów Gates, remnants of the medieval city walls * Former

Knight Academy Knight academies were first established in Western European states in the late 16th century. They prepared aristocratic youth for state and military service. It added to the hitherto rudimentary education of the aristocratic youth natural science, ...

, now housing municipal offices and a branch of the Copper Museum * Public Library and archive * Park Miejski ("City Park"), the oldest and largest park of Legnica There is also a monument of

and a postal milestone of King

from 1725 in Legnica. LEGNICA ZAMEK dziedziniec.jpg, Piast Castle courtyard Legnica - Kościół Marii Panny.jpg, Saint Mary church Legnica - Katedra Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła.jpg, Cathedral of Saint Apostles Peter and Paul Dom mieszkalny „śledziówka”.jpg, ''Kamienice Śledziowe'' at the Market Square Legnica, Dom Pod Przepiórczym Koszem, Rynek 38.jpg, Under the Quail Basket House Legnica - Rynek - Dawny Ratusz 01.jpg,

Old City Hall Old City Hall may refer to: Asia In Hong Kong * Old City Hall (Hong Kong) Europe In Croatia * Old City Hall (Zagreb) In Denmark * Old City Hall (1479–1728), in Copenhagen * Old City Hall (1728–1795), in Copenhagen * Old City Hall (Aalborg ...

Legnica - Teatr im. Heleny Modrzejewskiej.jpg, Helena Modrzejewska Theatre Legnica - Główna siedziba Muzuem Miedzi.jpg, Copper Museum Legnica - Akademia Rycerska.jpg, Former knight academy Legnica, kościół św. Jana Chrzciciela SDC11706.jpg, Church of St. John the Baptist MOs810 WG 35 2015 Dolnoslaskie Zakamarki II (Mozaika, Rynek, Legnica, Kopernik).JPG, Nicolaus Copernicus mosaic on Market Square (1973)

Economy

In the 1950s and 1960s, the local

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

and

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

industries became a major factor in the economic development of the area. Legnica houses industrial plants belonging to

KGHM Polska Miedź KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. (Kombinat Górniczo-Hutniczy Miedzi), commonly known as KGHM (Polish pronunciation: ), is a Polish multinational mining corporation headquartered in Lubin, Lower Silesia, Poland. Founded in 1961 as a state enterprise, th ...

, one of the largest producers of copper and

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

in the world. The company owns a large copper mill on the western outskirts of town. Legnica Special Economic Zone was established in 1997.

Education

Legnica is a regional academic center with seven universities enrolling approximately 16,000 students. * State-run colleges and universities ** Witelon University of Applied Sciences (''Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa im. Witelona''

**

Wrocław University of Technology Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

br>
** Foreign Language Teacher Training College in Legnic

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

** Legnica University of Managementbr>
** ''Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne / Seminary'

Environment

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

Roads

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

Public transport

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

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

(airport code EPLE) with a 1600-metre runway, the remains of a former Soviet air base, but it is () in a poor state and not used for commercial flights.

Sports

Miedź Legnica Miedź Legnica () is a professional football club based in Legnica, Poland, that competes in the I liga, following relegation in 2023. Miedź was founded in 1971. In 2018, Miedź Legnica achieved promotion to the top flight for the first time ...

– men's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team (

Polish Cup The Polish Cup in Association football, football ( ) is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout football competition for Polish football club (association football), football clubs, held continuously since 1950, and is the second most i ...

winner 1992; played in the

Ekstraklasa (; meaning "Extra Class" in Polish), officially known as PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa due to its Sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is a professional association football league in Poland and the highest level of the Polish foo ...

in season 2018–19) *

White Eagle Municipal Stadium The White Eagle Municipal Stadium () is a football stadium in Legnica, Poland, located in the Legnica City Park, City Park along White Eagle Avenue. The owner of the facility is the city, and the stadium is managed by the Legnica Sports and Recre ...

Films produced in Legnica

In recent years Legnica has been frequently used as a film set for the following films as a result of its well preserved Old Town, proximity to Germany and low costs: *''Przebacz'' (dir. M. Stacharski) – 2005 *'' A Woman in Berlin'' (dir. M. Färberböck) – 2007 *''Wilki'' (dir. F. Fromm) – 2007 *''

Little Moscow Little Moscow was a term for towns and villages in capitalist societies whose population appeared to hold extreme left-wing political values or communist views. The places so named were typically in working class areas, normally with strong trade ...

'' (dir. W. Krzystek) – 2008 *' (dir. D. Zahavi) – 2008 *''Die Wölfe'' (dir. F. Fromm) – 2009 *'' Jack Strong'' (dir. W. Pasikowski) – 2014

Politics

Municipal politics

Legnica tends to be a

left Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * ''Left'' (Helmet album), 2023 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relativ ...

-of-

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

town with a considerable influence of workers' unions. The Municipal Council of Legnica (''Rada miejska miasta Legnica'') is the

legislative branch A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the authority, legal authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with th ...

of the local government and is composed of 25 members elected in local elections every five years. The mayor or town president (''Prezydent miasta'') is the

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

of the local government and is directly elected in the same municipal elections.

Legnica – Jelenia Góra constituency

Members of Parliament (

Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...

) elected from Legnica- Jelenia Gora constituency: * Ryszard Bonda,

Samoobrona The Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (, SRP) is a Christian socialism, Christian socialist, Populism, populist, agrarianism, agrarian, and Nationalism, nationalist list of political parties in Poland, political party and trade union in Pola ...

* Bronisława Kowalska, SLD-UP * Adam Lipiński, PiS * Tadeusz Maćkała, PO * Ryszard Maraszek, SLD-UP * Olgierd Poniźnik, SLD-UP * Władysław Rak, SLD-UP * Tadeusz Samborski,

PSL PSL may refer to: Sport *Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 cricket league *Palau Soccer League, top division association football league in Palau *Pilipinas Super League, a professional basketball league *Philippine Super Liga, a defunct profes ...

* Jerzy Szmajdziński, SLD-UP * Halina Szustak,

LPR LPR may refer to: *Laryngopharyngeal reflux, a form of acid reflux *Lawful permanent resident * Lazarus Program file * Libertarian Party of Russia *License plate recognition * Liga Puerto Rico, top division association football league in Puerto Ric ...

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

Notable people

(1196/1207–1241), High Duke of Poland *

Witelo Vitello (; ; – 1280/1314) was a Polish friar, theologian, natural philosopher and an important figure in the history of philosophy in Poland. Name Vitello's name varies with some sources. In earlier publications he was quoted as Erazmus C ...

(1230–died 1280–1314), philosopher and scientist *

Bolesław II the Bald Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to: People * Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name Geography * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz Coun ...

(1220–1278), High Duke of Poland * Hans Aßmann Freiherr von Abschatz (1646–1699), lyricist and translator * Georg Rudolf Böhmer (1723–1803), physician and botanist *

Johann Wilhelm Ritter Johann Wilhelm Ritter (16 December 1776 – 23 January 1810). was a German chemist, physicist and philosopher. He was born in Samitz (Zamienice) near Haynau (Chojnów) in Silesia (then part of Prussia, since 1945 in Poland), and died in Muni ...

(1776–1810), scientist, philosopher, discoverer of ultraviolet radiation *

Heinrich Wilhelm Dove Heinrich Wilhelm Dove (6 October 1803 – 4 April 1879) was a Prussian physicist and meteorologist. Early years Dove was born in Liegnitz in the Kingdom of Prussia. Dove studied history, philosophy, and the natural sciences at the University o ...

(1803–1879) physicist *

Benjamin Bilse Benjamin Bilse (17 August 1816 – 13 July 1902) was a German conductor, composer, and violinist. Biography Bilse was born in Liegnitz (present-day Legnica) in the Prussian Silesia Province. As a teenager, he had an apprenticeship with Scholz ...

(1816–1902), conductor and composer * Karl von Vogelsang (1818–1890), Catholic journalist, politician and social reformer *

Leopold Kronecker Leopold Kronecker (; 7 December 1823 – 29 December 1891) was a German mathematician who worked on number theory, abstract algebra and logic, and criticized Georg Cantor's work on set theory. Heinrich Weber quoted Kronecker as having said, ...

(1823–1891), mathematician * Hugo Rühle (1824–1888), physician *

Gustav Winkler Gustav Winkler (11 May 1867 in Liegnitz – 26 April 1954 in Berlin) was a German industrialist. He led the "Gustav Winkler Textilwerke" in Lauban and produced mostly textile hanckerchives. He cooperated with the Kaiser Wilhelm Society in the r ...

(1867–1954), textile manufacturer *

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

(1873–1960) classical philologist, historian and papyrologist *

Paul Löbe Paul Gustav Emil Löbe (14 December 1875 – 3 August 1967) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), a member and president of the Reichstag (Weimar Republic), Reichstag of the Weimar Republic, and member of the B ...

(1875–1967), social democratic politician *

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a Germans, German Officer (armed forces), military officer of Poles (people), Polish descent who served as a ''Generalfeld ...

(1887–1973), field marshal *

Hans Hayn Albrecht Johannes "Hans" Hayn (7 August 1896 – 30 June 1934) was a German officer in the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), the Nazi paramilitary organization, in which he attained the rank of SA-''Gruppenführer''. He was also a Nazi Party politician wh ...

(1896–1934), SA general and politician *

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

(1912–1999), an officer of the Navy, Vice Admiral, Chief of Navy *

Hans-Heinrich Jescheck __NOTOC__ Hans-Heinrich Jescheck (10 January 1915 – 27 September 2009) was a German professor of law at the University of Freiburg (1954–1980). He was also director of the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Fr ...

(1915–2009), jurist * Günter Reich (1921–1989), opera singer (baritone) * Claus-Wilhelm Canaris (1937–2021), jurist and legal philosopher * Uta Zapf (born 1941), politician (SPD), member of the Bundestag from 1990 to 2013 *

Anna Dymna Anna Dymna (née Dziadyk ; born 20 July 1951) is a Polish TV, film and theatre actress, foundress of a charity foundation Mimo Wszystko (Against the Odds). Career Anna Dymna intended to study psychology before she decided to take an entrance exa ...

(born 1951), TV, film and theatre actress * Jacek Oleksyn (born 1953), biologist * Włodzimierz Juszczak (born 1957), bishop of the Eparchy of Wroclaw–Gdansk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church *Marzena Kipiel-Sztuka (born 1965), actress * Beata Tadla (born 1975), journalist and TV presenter *

Tomasz Kot Tomasz Kot (Polish pronunciation: ; born 21 April 1977) is a Polish film, television, and theatre actor. He has appeared in more than 30 films and 26 plays as well as dozens of television series. He received the Polish Academy Award for Best Act ...

(born 1977), actor *

Marek Pająk Marek Pająk (born 26 November 1977) is a Polish musician. In 2010, he joined death metal band Vader as their rhythm guitarist. Pająk was endorsed by Ibanez and Schecter guitars. He currently uses Jackson Guitars, and DL David Laboga Cabinets ...

(born 1977), musician *

Popek Paweł Ryszard Mikołajuw (, born 2 December 1978), also known as Popek, Popek Monster and Król Albanii (''King of Albania''), is a Polish rapper and professional mixed martial arts fighter. In 2000, together with such rappers as Bosski Roman ...

(born 1978), rapper and MMA fighter *

Mariusz Lewandowski Mariusz Lewandowski (; born 18 May 1979) is a Polish professional football manager and former player. He was most recently in charge of Polish I liga club Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza. He was mostly a central defender and could also play as a d ...

(born 1979), football player *

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

(born 1982), weightlifter * Marcin Robak (born 1982), football player *

Jagoda Szmytka Jagoda Marta Szmytka (born 15 January 1982, Legnica) is a Polish composer. She has attracted attention for her style of music, which uses elements not only of sound, but also of the sense of space and visual arts, and also for her opera, ''Dla g� ...

(born 1982), composer *

Karol Welter Karol Welter is a Polish professional boxer. Professional career Welter made his professional debut on 20 January 2018 where he beat David Schwierz via majority decision (MD). His first title match came on 3 September 2021 where he fought ag ...

(born 1995) professional boxer * Jakub Popiwczak (born 1996), volleyball player * Joanna Jarmołowicz (born 1994), actress *

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

(born 2000), football player

Twin towns – sister cities

Legnica is twinned with: *

Blansko Blansko (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Svitava River on the border of the Moravian Karst. It is mainly an industrial town. Administrative division Blansko consi ...

, Czech Republic *

Drohobych Drohobych ( ; ; ) is a city in the south of Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In 1939–1941 and 1944–1959 it w ...

, Ukraine *

Meissen Meissen ( ), is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden and 75 km (46 mi) west of Bautzen on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, th ...

, Germany *

Roanne Roanne (; ; ) is a commune in the Loire department, central France. It is located northwest of Lyon on the river Loire. It has an important Museum, the ''Musée des Beaux-arts et d'Archéologie Joseph-Déchelette'' (French), with many Egypt ...

, France *

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, with a population of 355,000. Wuppertal is the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and List of cities in Germany by population, 17th-largest in Germany. It ...

, Germany

In fiction

Legnica and its then ruler Count Conrad figure prominently in the

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

series ''The Crosstime Engineer'', set in the period of 1230 to 1270, by Leo Frankowski.