Cieszyn
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| Cieszyn | |||
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| Motto: Amore et non dolore | |||
  Cieszyn
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship | Silesian | ||
| County | Cieszyn | ||
| First mentioned | 1155 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Bogdan Ficek | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 28.69 km² (11.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 36,014 | ||
| - Density | 1,255.3/km² (3,251.2/sq mi) | ||
| Postal code | 43-400 | ||
| Website: http://www.cieszyn.pl/ | |||
Cieszyn [ˈt͡ɕɛʂɨn] (
listen) (Czech: Těšín, German: Teschen) is a town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants (2004). Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín.
It is situated in the heart of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia. Until the end of World War I in 1918 it was a seat of the Duchy of Teschen. In 1920 Cieszyn Silesia was divided between the two newly created states of Poland and Czechoslovakia and the smaller western suburbs of Teschen were joined to Czechoslovakia as a new town of Český Těšín. Larger part of the town was joined to Poland as Cieszyn.
The town combines both Polish and Austrian peculiarities in the style of its buildings. Because of several major fires and subsequent reconstructions (the last one in the late 18th century), the picturesque old town is sometimes called Little Vienna. The only relic of the ancient castle is a square tower, dating from the 12th century and 10th century romanesque chapel.
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[edit] History
Teschen was the capital of the Duchy of Teschen and shared its history throughout the ages. It was in Teschen where Maria Theresa and Frederick II signed on 13 May 1779, the Teschen Peace Treaty, which put an end to the War of the Bavarian Succession.
Teschen was known for its national, religious and cultural diversity, comprising mostly of German, Polish, Jewish and Czech communities.[1]
There was also a small but lively Hungarian community in the town comprised mostly of officers and clerks.[2]
According to the Austrian census of 1910 the town had 22,489 inhabitants. Census asked people for their native language, 13,254 (61.5%) were German-speaking, 6,832 (31.7%) were Polish-speaking and 1,437 (6.7%) were Czech-speaking. Jews were not allowed to declare Yiddish, most of them thus declared the German language as their native. Most populous religious groups were Roman Catholics with 15,138 (67.3%), followed by Protestants with 5,174 (23%) and the Jews with 2,112 (9.4%).[3]
The town was divided in July 1920, by the Spa Conference, a body formed by the Versailles Treaty, leaving a sizeable Polish community on the Czechoslovak side. Its smaller westerns suburbs became what is now the town of Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. Both towns were joined together again in October 1938 when Poland annexed the Zaolzie area together with Český Těšín. In 1939 whole Cieszyn Silesia was annexed by German forces and during the World War II was a part of Nazi Germany. After war borders between Poland and Czechoslovakia were returned to the state from 1920.
On 19 July 1970, five Polish firefighters from Cieszyn died, when a bridge they were on fell into the Olza River, due to heavy flooding.
[edit] Culture
Since 19th century the Cieszyn Silesia has been an important centre of Polish Protestantism. Currently Cieszyn is also the site of the Cieszyn Summer Film Festival, one of the most influential film festivals in Poland. There is also a longer established Czech-Polish-Slovak film festival.
[edit] Industry
Cieszyn is an important centre of the electromechanical industry. It is also the site of the Olza Cieszyn sweets factory (where the famous Prince Polo wafers are made) and a Brackie brewery. The main source of income for many citizens is trade with the nearby Czech Republic and retail trade associated with transit across the two bridges over the Olza to Český Těšín.
[edit] Sites of interest
- Romanesque St. Nicholas' Chapel (Kaplica św. Mikołaja, a rotunda from the 11th century)
- Remnants of the Piast dynasty castle
- Piast castle tower (Wieża piastowska, mostly 14th century)
- Gothical St. Mary Magdalene Church (Kościół Marii Magdaleny, 13th century)
- Old Town Square (Rynek)
- bourgeoisie houses (15th-19th centuries)
- Town Hall (Ratusz, early 19th century)
- Former minting house (18th century)
- Museum of Cieszyn Silesia in the former Larisch family palace (Pałac Laryszów, Muzeum Śląska Cieszyńskiego, the first museum in Poland)
- Castle Brewery (Browar zamkowy, 1846)
- There are also plans to restore the 1840 Habsburg palace
- The protestant Church of Jesus (Kościół Jezusowy), with a baroque tower and statues of the Four Evangelists above the altar that liven up the plain interior.
[edit] Sister towns
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[edit] Gallery
 Rotunda in Cieszyn |
 Wieża Piastowska |
 Adam Mickiewicz Theatre |
 Hotel on the town square |
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Wawreczka et al 1999, 13.
- ^ Wawreczka et al 1999, 10.
- ^ Ludwig Patryn (ed): Die Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 31. Dezember 1910 in Schlesien, Troppau 1912.
[edit] References
- Wawreczka, Henryk; Janusz Spyra and Mariusz Makowski (1999). Těšín, Český Těšín na starých pohlednicích a fotografiích / Cieszyn, Czeski Cieszyn na starych widokówkach i fotografiach. Nebory, Třinec: Wart. ISBN 80-238-4804-6.
[edit] Further reading
- Długajczyk, Edward (1993). Tajny front na granicy cieszyńskiej. Wywiad i dywersja w latach 1919-1939. Katowice: Śląsk. ISBN 83-85831-03-7.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Museum of Cieszyn Silesia (Muzeum Śląska Cieszyńskiego)
- Cieszyn - Photo Gallery
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