Legnica [key], Ger. Liegnitz, city (1992 est. pop. 106,300), Dolnośląskie prov., SW Poland, on the Kaczawa River. A center of a vegetable-growing region, it also has manufactures of metal goods, textiles, and foodstuffs. Chartered in 1252, it was until 1675 the capital of a duchy ruled by a branch of the Piast dynasty. In the War of the Austrian Succession it was acquired (1742) by Prussia. The city was heavily damaged in World War II, but it has retained its 11th-century castle (rebuilt 1835), parts of its medieval walls and towers, and two churches (13th–14th cent.), one of which contains the tombs of the Piasts.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Polish Political Geography
