Milicz
Milicz | |
|---|---|
 Main square | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Milicz | |
| Coordinates:51°32′N17°17′E/ 51.533°N 17.283°E | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Lower Silesian |
| County | Milicz |
| Gmina | Milicz |
| First mentioned | 1136 |
| Town rights | 1245 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Piotr Lech |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.50 km2(5.21 sq mi) |
| Population (2019-06-30[1]) | |
| • Total | 11,304 |
| • Density | 840/km2(2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Postal code | 56-300 |
| Car plates | DMI |
| Website | http:// milicz.pl |
Milicz[ˈmilit͡ʂ](German:Militsch) is a town inLower Silesian Voivodeship,in west-centralPoland.It is the seat ofMilicz Countyand ofGmina Milicz,part of the largerWrocław metropolitan area.
Geography[edit]
The town is situated in the historicLower Silesiaregion, near the border withGreater Poland.The centre is located on theBaryczriver, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of the regional capitalWrocław.From 1975 to 1998 Milicz belonged toWrocław Voivodeship.
TheMilicz Ponds,an important habitat and breeding ground for water birds, are anature reserveestablished 1963 and protected under theRamsar convention.Since 1996 they also formed part of a largerprotected areaknown as theBarycz Valley Landscape Park.
As of 2019, the town has a population of 11,304.
History[edit]
Milicz developed as route of the ancient Amber Trade Route known as theAmber Road.A settlement at the site was possibly established in the 11th century.MilichCastle was first mentioned in an 1136 deed byPope Innocent IIas a property of the cathedral chapter of theDiocese of Wrocław.The name possibly refers to a legendary founder or is derived fromPolish:miły,"pleasant", "friendly". It is listed as a possession of the PolishArchdiocese of Gnieznoin an 1154 deed issued byPope Adrian IV,it is later also mentioned under theLatinnameMiliciumin a 1249 document by DukePrzemysł I of Greater Poland.The Polish nameMyliczfirst appeared in theLiber fundationis episcopatus Vratislaviensis(Book of endowments of the Bishopric of Wrocław) manuscript written about 1305 at the behest of BishopHenry of Wierzbnej.
Upon the death of Polish DukeBolesław III Wrymouthin 1138, Milicz became part of the PolishDuchy of Silesia,ruled by DukeBolesław I the Tallfrom 1163, and was the seat of acastellany.The citizens receivedtown privilegesin 1245. In 1294 the area was conquered by DukeHenry III of Głogówand from 1313 belonged to the SilesianDuchy of Oels(Oleśnica), which itself became aBohemianfiefdom in 1329. In 1358 the Wrocław bishops finally sold their Milicz estates to thePiastdukeKonrad I,whose successors had aGothiccastle built. In 1432, the town was attacked by theHussites.[2]The Oleśnica dukes held the town until in 1492 the line became extinct and the duchy was finally seized as an expired fief by theBohemian Crown.In 1494 KingVladislas II of Bohemiagranted Milicz to hischamberlainSigismund Kurzbach, who installed the autonomous Silesianstate countryof Milicz andŻmigród(Trachenberg).The Milicz part was acquired by theMaltzannoble family in 1590.
Militsch was conquered by theKingdom of Prussiaupon theFirst Silesian Warin 1742, and was part of theGerman Empirefrom 1871. After Germany's defeat inWorld War I,Poland re-emerged as an independent country, and Milicz was close to the new border. After theRed Army'sVistula–Oder OffensiveandNazi Germany's defeat inWorld War II,Milicz became again part of Poland, although with a Soviet-installedcommunist regime,which stayed in power until the 1980s.
Sights[edit]
Milicz is the site of one of the sixChurches of Grace,which the SilesianProtestantswere allowed to build with the permission ofHabsburgemperorJoseph I,also King of Bohemia, given at theAltranstädt Conventionof 1707. Thehalf-timberedhouse of worship finished in 1714 today serves asCatholicparish church dedicated to SaintAndrew Bobola.
The castle of the Oleśnica Dukes erected in the 14th century was destroyed in World War II. TheMaltzahndynasty left aLate Baroque-Neoclassicalpalace erected in 1798 with anEnglish garden,the first in Silesia. Since 1963 the building is the seat of a secondary forestry college.
Demographics[edit]
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Notable people[edit]
- Maria von Maltzan(1909–1997),resistancefighter.Field MarshalWalther von Reichenaumarried her niece at the local church.
- Joachim Carl von Maltzan(1733–1817),Prussiandiplomatas Minister Plenipotentiary in London
- Oskar Obier(1876–1952), painter
- Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach(1888–1980), officer and show jumping rider
- Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand Guhr(1787–1848) conductor
- Damian Wojtaszek(born 1988), volleyball player
- Hermann Wassertrilling(Hirsch Wassertrilling),rabbi fromBoskovice,was active here in the 19th century
Twin towns – sister cities[edit]
Seetwin towns of Gmina Milicz.
References[edit]
- ^"Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2019. As of 30th June".stat.gov.pl.Statistics Poland. 2019-10-15.Retrieved2020-02-14.
- ^Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VI(in Polish). Warszawa. 1885. p. 343.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Dokumentacja Geograficzna(in Polish). Vol. 3/4. Warszawa: Instytut GeografiiPolskiej Akademii Nauk.1967. p. 30.
- ^Stan i struktura ludności oraz ruch naturalny w przekroju terytorialnym w 2010 r.(PDF)(in Polish). Warszawa: Główny Urząd Statystyczny. 2011. p. 48. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 November 2011.
External links[edit]
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