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Lower Silesia
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Lower Silesia (; ; ) is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast. Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of medieval Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, and Germany, and after 1945 was split between Poland and Germany.
The southern border of Lower Silesia is mapped by the mountain ridge of the Sudetes, which are located on the Polish-Czech border.
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Lower Silesia (; ; ) is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast. Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of medieval Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, and Germany, and after 1945 was split between Poland and Germany.
The southern border of Lower Silesia is mapped by the mountain ridge of the Sudetes, which are located on the Polish-Czech border. The western border is outlined by the Lusatian Neisse River, the northern by the Barych River and the southern by part of Greater Poland.
Polish Lower Silesia, the bulk of the historical region, is located mostly along the Oder River and is divided between the Lower Silesian, Lubusz and Opole Voivodeships. Parts of the former Prussian Province of Lower Silesia on the western side of the Neisse are located in the Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis, the town of Görlitz and the former Hoyerswerda district within Oberspreewald-Lausitz in eastern Germany. That region historically belonged to Saxon Upper Lusatia, which became part of Prussian Silesia in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars.
History
Ancient history
At the close of the Ice Age, the first man appeared at the Silesian Lowland. In the Lower Paleolithic (7,000 years ago), the first nomadic people settled in Lower Silesia lived in caves and primitive chalets. They were collectors, hunters, and fishers, and use weapons and other tools made of stone and wood. In the Mesolithic (7000-4000 BC), the oldest human remains of the nomadic people, which were 40,000 years old, were found in a tomb in Tyniec on the river Sleza.
In the Neolithic (4000-1700 BC), the process of transformation into a settled way of life began. The first rural settlements were made. People began to breed animals and farm. Mining, pottery, and weaving were dated to this period. Serpentinite quarries came into existence, of which Silesian hatchets were made, and near Jordanów Slaski people extracted nephrite that was transformed into diverse tools. In the Bronze Age (1700-1500 BC), the evolution of different cultures developed to the existence of unetice culture that had an impact on the existence of Trzciniec culture. In next periods, since about 750 BC, it encompasses all of Europe.
Early history
Silesia was recorded in Magna Germania two thousand years ago with a number of Germanic tribes among them the Vandals, Lugii and the Silingi.
A number of groups of people came into eastern Magna Germania from Sarmatia, Asia Minor, and the Asian steppes during the Great Migrations at the beginning of the 6th century.
The Bavarian geographer (ca. 845) reported the Slezanie (from whom Silesia (Slask) probably takes its name) and Dziadoszanie tribes, while a document of the Bishopric of Prague (1086) listed the Zlasane, Trebovane, Poborane, and Dedositze tribes. At the same time Upper Silesia was inhabited by the Opolanie, Lupiglaa, and Golenshitse tribes. In the 9th and 10th centuries the territory was subject to the Great Moravian and then Bohemian rulers of the neighbouring area covered by today's Czech Republic. In 990 Silesia was conquered and incorporated into an area later called Poland by the duke Mieszko I.
Feudal fragmentation of Poland
Silesia was split into lower and upper parts in 1172 during the period of Poland's feudal fragmentation, when the land was divided between two sons of High Duke Wladyslaw II. Boleslaw the Tall ruled over Lower Silesia with his capital in Wroclaw (then known as Vratislav or Prezla) and Mieszko Platonogi ruled over Upper Silesia with his capital in Opole.
Later Silesia was divided into as many as 17 duchies.
Duchies of Lower Silesia in the 14th century (German names in italics):
The Bohemian Crown and Austria (1348-1742)
In 1348 most of the Silesian duchies were ruled by the Silesian Piast dukes under the feudal overlordship of the Bohemian kings, and thus became part of the Crown of Bohemia. In 1476 the Crossen district became part of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, when the widow of the Piast ruler, Barbara von Brandenburg, daughter of Elector Albert Achilles, inherited Crossen. In 1526 Silesia was acquired by Austria's Habsburg Monarchy after the death of King Louis II of Bohemia. Brandenburg contested the inheritance, citing a treaty made with Frederick II, Duke of Brieg, but Silesia largely remained under Habsburg control until 1742.
In Prussia (1742-1945)
Most of Silesia, including all of Lower Silesia, became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1742 after the First Silesian War and was turned into the Province of Silesia, divided into the districts of Lower Silesia (Liegnitz), Middle Silesia (Breslau), and Upper Silesia (Oppeln).
The area around Görlitz in Upper Lusatia was added to Lower Silesia in 1815 following the Napoleonic Wars.
By the beginning of the 20th century Lower Silesia had a predominantly German-speaking population. After World War I, Upper Silesia was divided between Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, while Lower Silesia remained in Germany. The Prussian Province of Silesia was reorganized into the Provinces of Lower Silesia and Upper Silesia.
After 1945
Following the end of World War II, Lower Silesia east of the Lusatian Neisse was placed under Polish administration according to the Potsdam Conference in 1945. The territory's German and Czech population was expelled and replaced with Poles, many of whom had themselves been expelled from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union.
The Red Army's Northern Group of Forces occupied part of the region till 1991, such as much of the city of Legnica, part of Swidnica, many air-fields, barracks, and one large proving ground.
From 1945-1975 Lower Silesia was administered within the Wroclaw Voivodeship. As a result of the
Local Government Reorganisation Act (1975), Poland's administration was reorganized into 49 voivodeships, four of them in Lower Silesia: Jelenia Góra, Legnica, Walbrzych, and Wroclaw Voivodeships (1975-1998). As a result of the Local Government Reorganisation Act of 1998, these four provinces were joined into the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (effective 1 January 1999), whose capital is Wroclaw.
The section of Lusatia belonging to Lower Silesia since 1815, west of the Lusatian Neisse, which remained in Germany is divided between the districts of Görlitz (urban) and Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis in Saxony and Oberspreewald-Lausitz in Brandenburg.
Towns
Towns with over 20,000 inhabitants:
Geography
Sudetes
The Sudetes are geologically diverse mountains that stretch for 280 kilometers to Brama Lózycka on the East and to Brama Morawska on the West. The Sudetes topographically are divided into West and East Sudetes. In the region of the Sudetes, the Jizera Mountains are spread (Wysoka Kopa, 1,126 m) along with Zaroslak, 560 m, the Karkonosze (Sniezka, 1,602 m), Rudawy Janowickie (Skalnik, 945 m) and the Kaczawskie Mountains (Skopiec, 724 m) with Ostrzyca, 501 m. They are surrounded by Kotlina Jeleniogórska (420-450 m).
Silesian Lowland
The Silesian Lowland includes Nizina Slaska and Nizina Slasko-Luzycka. These two lowlands are separated with each other by Dolina Kaczawy, and from the Sudetes by steep morphological edge located along the Sudetic Marginal Fault, extended from Boleslawiec (the Northwest) to Zloty Stok (the Southeast). The southern part of the Lowland includes The Sudeten Foreland, consisting of quite low Wzgórze Strzegomskie (232m), Grupa Slezy (Mount Sleza, 718m), and Wzgórza Niemczansko-Strzelinskie (Gromnik Mountain, 392m). Lower hills occur also in areas of Obnizenie Sudeckie, Swidnik, and Kotlina Dzierzoniowska. The eastern part of Silesian Lowland consists of wide Silesian Lowlands, located along banks of Oder River. The eastern part includes also Równina Wroclawska with its surroundig lands: Równina Olesnicka, Wysoczyzna Sredzka, Równina Grodkowska and Niemodlinska. Dolina Dolnej Kaczawy (Kotlina Legnicka) separates Nizina Slaska from Nizina Slasko-Luzycka, which includes Wysoczyzna Lubinsko-Chocianowska, Dolina Szprotawy, and wide areas of Bory Dolnoslaskie, located to the north from Boleslawiec-Zgorzelec road. From the North, the lowlands are delimited by Wal Trzebnicki, consisting of hills that are 200km long and over 150m high, in comparison to neighboring lowlands (Kobyla Mountain, 284m). The range of hills includes: Wzgórza Dalkowskie, Wzgórza Trzebnickie, Wzgórza Twardogórskie, and Wzgórza Ostrzeszowskie. Obnizenie Milicko-Glogowskie, with Kotlina Zmigrodzka and Milicka, is located in the northern part, within the hills.
The region of lowlands is coated with thick layer of glacial elements (sand, gravel, clay) that covers more diverse relief of the older ground. Generally flat and wide bottoms of the valleys are padded with river settlements. Slopes of the hills over 180-200m are coated with fertile clays and therefore, to begin with the Paleozoic era, they became the lands for people to settle and cultivate intensively. Later form of economy caused almost complete deforestation of the slopes. Not only fertile grounds, but also mild climate is conductive to development of agriculture and market gardening. Annual average temperature of Wroclaw area is 8 degrees Celsius. Average temperature of the hottest month (July) is 18 degrees Celsius, and -1.5 degrees Celsius of the coldest month (January). The average amount of rainfall is between 500-620mm, with its maximum in July and minimum in February. The snow layer disappears after 45 days. The winds, similar to those appearing in the West side of Poland, are West and Southwest.
Sudeten rivers are characterized by changeable water rates, and high pollution resulting from large industrialization of the area. The greatest rivers are Nysa Klodzka, which is the source of drinking water for Wroclaw (the water is drawn by special channel); Stobrawa, Olawa, Sleza, Bystrzyca with its tributaries – Strzegomka and Pilawa; Widawa, Sredzka Woda, Kaczawa with Nysa Szalona and Czarna Woda. There is also the largest right-bank tributary of the area - Barycz. The other guite large rivers - Bóbr, Kwisa, and Nysa Lózycka – flow into Oder River beyond Lower Silesia borders. Majority of the rivers is regulated and their basins are improved, which is conductive to the proper water economy. The characteristic feature of the lowlands landscape is the lack of lakes. Region of Legnica is the only place where a dozen or so of small lakes survived, but majority of them is already disappearing. The largest one is Jezioro Kunickie (95ha), Jezioro Koskowickie (50ha), Jezioro Jaskowickie (24ha) and Tatarak (19.5ha) . In contrast to the number of lakes, there are large groups of artificial ponds founded in Barycz basin, in the Middle Ages. Their total area amounts around 80km square, and the largest ponds (Stary Staw, Losiowy Staw, Staw Niezgoda, Staw Mewi Duzy, and Grabownica) come to 200-300ha.
The primeval flora has been transformed significantly as a result of deforestation and cultivation. The largest forest complexes are Bory Dolnoslaskie (3 150 km˛), Bory Stobrawskie in Stobrawa and Widawa areas, and smaller fragments of forests in Barycz and Oder River valleys. These forests are kind of multi-species deciduous forests, occurring in fertile grounds. Oder River valley is reach in groups of mixed forests (beech, oak, hornbeam, sycamore maple, and pine). These forests, with protected status, are: Zwierzyniec, Kanigóra near Olawa, Dublany, Kepa Opatowicka near Wroclaw, Zabór near Przedmoscie, and Lubiaz. The other forest areas are: Natural Park in Orsk, the areas of Jodlowice, Wzgórze Joanny near Milicz, and Gola near Twardogóra. Such types of forest like those up to 1.2m high, which are the mainstay for wild game, or nurseries, are inaccessible because of permanent fire hazard. Territories partly accessible (marked specially) are located in areas of Góra Slaska, Oborniki Slaskie, Wolowa, in Oder River valley, and in Wzgórza Niemczansko-Strzelinskie.
Flora
The flora of Lower Silesia is specific and different for each zone. From the bottoms to the tops, plants form groups that are arranged in wide or narrow belts, called floral zones. Subsequently, these zones are divided into narrower belts, called vegetation belts.
The zone of mountain forest is divided into two belts: subalpine and lower subalpine forest. Above, there is forestless zone divided into subalpine belt with dwarf pine, and alpine belt without shrubs. This vegetation is Glacial, the former one – from Tertiary – was destroyed by the climate of Ice Age. Along with glaciation from the North, some tundra plants appeared, for example: Lapland Willow (Salix Lapponum) and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus).
The flora of Lower Silesia is strongly influenced by geological and climatic history. The vegetation is formed by species deriving from various geographic regions. Particular regions are represented by:
- Central European species: fir (Abies alba), beech (Fagus silvatica), oak (Quercus sessilis), maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
- European Syberian species: European spindle-tree (Evonymus europaea), alder (Alnus glutinosa), wicker (Salix purpurea)
- Boreal-Sub arctic species: cress (Cardamine pratensis), yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), liverleaf (Hepatica nobilis)
- Boreal-Arctic species: bearberry (Arctostaphylos uvaxursi), dwarf willow (Sal herbacea), black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), Sudetic Lousewort (Pedicularis sudetica), alpine saxifrage (Saxifraga nivalis), cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus), Lake Quillwort (Isoëtes lacustris)
- Alpine species: Alpine Bastard Toadflax (Thesium alpinium), Alpine coltsfoot (Homogyne alpina), mountain avens (Geum montanum), dwarf pine (Pinus mughus)
- Sudetic and Sudetic-Carpathian species: mossy saxifrage (Saxifraga moschata ssp. Basaltica), Sudetic lousewort (Pedicularis sudetica)
Lower subalpine forest
Lower subalpine forest (450-1000m) is characterized by deciduous or mixed forest. The fragments of forests similar to natural complexes of pine-fir-beech with admixture of larch, sycamore maple and lime occur near the Szklarski waterfall, in the Jagniatkowski complex, and Chojnik Mountain. Particular species of trees have different climatic requirements. The lowest parts are covered with oak and ash (up to 500m). On the level of 500-600m occurs pine; in the higher parts (up to 800m), there occurs European larch and above 800m – fir and beech.
Despite of transformation of the basic tree vegetation, the same form of undergrowth survived. There occurs: daphne mezereum, red elderberry, hazel, platanthera bifolian, sweet woodruff, herb paris, cranberry, wood sorrel, chickweed wintergreen, Common Cow-wheat and lily of the valley. The parts over 800m are mainly covered with grasses, purple small-reeds, cranberries, and willow gentian.
In highlighted places, on meadows, and along roads, there occurs: spotted orchid, bugleweed, yellow archangel, arnica montana, sword-leaved helleborine, rosebay willowherb, groundsel, and foxglove. Along riversides, there occurs white butterbur.
Pine forests are rich in spruces, which are permanently weakened by atmospheric factors. Frayed roots are easily infected by harmful fungus and insect. The most damaging is honey mushroom, with edible specimen, which grows in pulp – between the bark and timber - causing the death of tree. The other damaging fungus is bracket fungus, which destroys roots and trunks from the inside. The honey mushroom devastates the tree within a few months, and the bracket fungus – within a few years – as a result of mechanic changes in wood structure.
Sources
- Urbanek M., (2003), Dolny Slask. Siedem stron swiata., MAK publishing, Wroclaw, p. 240 + CD-ROM
- Slask na weekend – touristic guide, Pascal publishing
See also
External links
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