LIEGNITZ, the capital of a district of the same name in the Prussian province of Silesia, is picturesquely situated on the Katzbach, just above its junction with the Schwarzwasser, and 40 miles west-north-west of Breslau. It consists of an old town, surrounded by pleasant, shady promenades, and several well-built suburbs. The most prominent building is the palace of tho former dukes of Liegnitz, rebuilt after a fire in 1835, and now occupied by the administrative offices of the district. The Ritter Academie, founded by the emperor Joseph in 1708, for the education cf the young Silesian nobles, was reconstructed as a gymnasium in 1810. The Roman Catholic church, with two flue towers, contains the burial vault of the dukes. The principal Lutheran church dates from the 14th century. There are also several other churches and schools, and a number of benevolent institutions. The theatre, the barracks, the military hospital, and the townhouse are the most noteworthy of the remaining buildings. The manufactures of Liegnitz are considerable, the chief articles being cloth, wool, leather, tobacco, and pianos. Its trade in grain and its cattle-markets are likewise important The large market gardens in the suburbs grow vegetables to the value of £20,000 per annum. Population in 1880 37,168, about one-sixth being Roman Catholics....
Liegnitz is first mentioned in an historical document io the year 1004. In 1164 it became the seat of the dukes of Liegnitz, who greatly improved and enlarged it, especially in 1170 and 1175. The dukes were members of the illustrious Piast family, which gave so many kings to Poland. At Wahlstatt, near Liegnitz, the tide of Mongolian invasion was stemmed, in 1241, in a hard-fought battle between the Tartars and the Christian chivalry under the duke of Silesia. The victory, indeed, remained with the invaders, but the obstinate resistance deterred them from any further attack on Germany. During the Thiιty Years’ War Liegnitz was taken by the Swedes, but was soon recaptured by the Imperialists. The Saxon army also defeated the imperial troops near Liegnitz in 1634. On the death of the last duke of Liegnitz in 1675, the duchy came into the possession of Austria, which retained it until the Prussian conquest of Silesia in 1740-45. In 1760 Frederick the Great gained a decisive victory near Liegnitz over the Austrians under Laudon, and in 1813 the list of important battles in this neighbourhood was completed by Bliicher’s defeat of the French at the battle of the Katzbach. During the present century Liegnitz has been uniformly prosperous, and its population has increased fivefold since 1800.
See Schuchard, Die Stadt Liegnitz (Berlin, 1868); Sammter and Kraffert, Chronik von Liegnitz (Liegnitz, 1861-73).
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