Duchy of Legnica

The Duchy of Legnica (Polish: Księstwo Legnickie, Czech: Lehnické knížectví) or Duchy of Liegnitz (German: Herzogtum Liegnitz) was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Legnica (Liegnitz) in Lower Silesia.

Legnica Castle had become a residence of the Silesian dukes in 1163 and from 1248 was the seat of a principality in its own right, ruled by the Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty until 1675. Formed by Bolesław II the Bald, Duke of Lower Silesia at Wrocław, Legnica shared the fate of most of the others Silesian duchies, falling into Bohemian, Austrian and eventually - after the First Silesian War - Prussian spheres of influence.

History

Legnica became famous for the Battle of Legnica (or Battle of Wahlstatt) that took place at the nearby village of Legnickie Pole (Wahlstatt) near the city on 9 April 1241, during the Mongol invasion of Poland. The Christian army of the Polish High Duke Henry II the Pious, supported by the feudal nobility, included Poles, Bavarian miners and military orders, was decisively defeated by the Mongols. Although the Mongols killed Henry and destroyed his forces, their advance into Europe was halted when they turned back to attend to the election of a new Khagan (Grand Khan) following the death in the same year of Ögedei Khan. Minor celebrations are held annually in Legnica to commemorate the battle.

Legnica

Legnica [lɛɡˈɲit͡sa] (archaic Polish: Lignica, German: Liegnitz, Czech: Lehnice, Latin: Lignitium) is a town in southwestern Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa (left tributary of the Oder) and the Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county. Since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica.

Population

As of 31 December 2009 Legnica has 104,178 inhabitants and is the third largest city in the voivodeship (after Wrocław and Wałbrzych) and 38th in Poland. It also constitutes the southernmost and the largest urban center of Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy with agglomeration of 448,617 inhabitants. Legnica is the largest city of the Legnicko-Głogowski Okręg Miedziowy conurbation. Legnica is a member of the Association of Polish Cities.

History

Early history

A settlement of the Lusatian culture people existed in the 8th century B.C. Around the 5th century B.C. After Celtic invasions beyond upper danube basin the area of Legnica was inhabited by their tribes. Tacitus and Ptolemy recorded the Lugii (Lygii) in the area, and mentioned their town of Lugidunum, which has been attributed to both Legnica and Głogów.

Legnica (parliamentary constituency)

Legnica is a Polish parliamentary constituency in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It elects twelve members of the Sejm and three members of the Senate.

The district has the number '1' and is named after the city of Legnica. It includes the counties of Bolesławiec, Głogów County, Jawor, Jelenia Góra, Kamienna Góra, Legnica, Lubań, Lubin, Lwówek Śląski, Polkowice, Zgorzelec, and Złotoryja, and the city counties of Jelenia Góra and Legnica.

In its current form was created in 2001.

Election results

List of members

Senate

Sejm

Footnotes