Oleśnica (Polish:[ɔlɛˈɕɲit͡sa];German:Oels) is a town inLower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-westernPoland, within theWrocław metropolitan area.^[2] It is the administrative seat ofOleśnica County and also of the rural district ofGmina Oleśnica, although it is not part of the territory of the latter, the town being an urbangmina in its own right.

Oleśnica
From top, left to right: Market Square and town hall Oleśnica Castle Wrocław Gate Saint John the Evangelist Basilica Holy Trinity Church Public library
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Miasto wież i róż "A Town of Towers and Roses"
Oleśnica
Coordinates:51°12′N17°23′E / 51.200°N 17.383°E /51.200; 17.383
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lower Silesian Voivodeship
County	Oleśnica
Gmina	Oleśnica(urban gmina)
First mentioned	1189
Town rights	1255
Government
• Mayor	Jan Bronś
Area
• Total	20.96 km2 (8.09 sq mi)
Elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Population  (2019-06-30[1])
• Total	37,169
• Density	1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	56-400
Area code	+48 71
Car plates	DOL
Highways
Voivodeship roads
Website	http://www.olesnica.pl

The town is famed for its large 16th-centurycastle, which has previously been the seat of several dukes and lords. The castle's inner courtyardarcades, a masterpiece ofRenaissance architecture, are iconic in the region.

The town's name comes fromPolisholsza ("Alder");Olcha is anOld Slavic word for this common plant and tree.^[3][4] On 22 February 1255 theSilesian dukeHenry III the White, son of thePolish High DukeHenry II the Pious, vestedcivitas nostra Olsnicz ("our town Oleśnica") withtown privileges.^[5]

The town is situated in theSilesian Lowlands east of theTrzebnickie Hills, part of thehistorical region ofLower Silesia. It is situated on theOleśnica River, atributary ofWidawa. Located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of theSilesian capitalWrocław, it has been a stop on an importanttrade route to theGreater Poland region,Kalisz,Łódź andWarsaw; it had close ties withKraków viaNamysłów in the east.^{[citation needed]} It was the site of an importantprinting press andgymnasium.

The town quarters are Centrum, Serbinów, Lucień, Lucień Osiedle, Wądoły, Rataje (Stare, Nowe) and Zielone Ogrody.

ThePiast castle with a nearbyabbey and trading settlement was first mentioned in an 1189 deed. It was part of fragmentedPoland under thePiast dynasty. In 1255, it was grantedtown rights by DukeHenry III the White. From the 13th century onwards, the area was largely settled by Germans in the course of theOstsiedlung.^[6] From the 13th century, it had acoin mint. In the 13th century Oleśnica was part of theDuchy of Silesia, in 1294 it became part of theDuchy of Głogów^[7] and in 1313 it became capital of theDuchy of Oleśnica, just partitioned from Głogów. By that time a hospital already existed in Oleśnica, mentioned in a document from 1307.^[7] From 1320/21 the formercastellany served as the residence of the Piast dukeKonrad I of Oleśnica; his son DukeKonrad II the Gray also inheritedKoźle. The dukes of Oleśnica in the 14th century still claimed to be heirs of the entire Kingdom of Poland, even though they ruled only in their principality, which caused animosity from other Polish dukes in Silesia and monarchs of all Poland.^[7] Oleśnica was located on an important trade route which connected Wrocław with Kalisz and Toruń.^[7]

In 1329, Duke Konrad I was forced to accept the overlordship of theBohemian (Czech) Crown, although he retained vast autonomy.^[7] Local Polish dukes granted numerousprivileges to Oleśnica,^[7] and the Duchy of Oleśnica was still ruled from the town until the 1492 death of DukeKonrad X the White, last of the local Piasts. During theHussite Wars, Oleśnica was invaded by the Hussites in 1432, and later Polish–Hussite negotiations took place there.^[7] During theBohemian–Hungarian War local dukes switched sides several times. In 1469 they recognized the overlordship of KingMatthias Corvinus ofHungary, in the 1470s Duke Konrad X sided with Bohemian KingVladislaus Jagiellon, in 1480 he recognized Hungarian suzerainty again, and then revolted in 1489.^[7] Afterwards it was again a Bohemianfief.

According to an agreement from 1491, the duchy was supposed to pass to future Polish KingJohn I Albert, but eventually in 1495 it was sold to DukeHenry I of Münsterberg, son of the Bohemian (Czech) kingGeorge of Poděbrady.^[7] His grandson DukeJohn of Münsterberg-Oels established agymnasium at Oleśnica in 1530. When theCzechPodiebrad family became extinct in 1647, town and duchy were inherited by theSwabian dukes ofWürttemberg, and in 1792 by theWelf dukes ofBrunswick-Lüneburg.

On September 11, 1535, a violent F4 tornado completely destroyed part of the town. The written account of this tornado was done by Dr. Alfred Wegener, which is in the CLIMDAT archive located atLeipzig University and the F4 rating on theFujita scale was assigned by theEuropean Severe Storms Laboratory.^[8][9]

In the 17th century, the Polish-German language border ran close to Oleśnica, including the town to the territory dominated by the Polish language.^[10] Polish religious writersAdam Gdacius (nicknamedRey of Silesia) and Jerzy Bock published their works in Oleśnica.^[11]

In the 18th century, one of two main routes connecting Warsaw andDresden ran through the town and KingsAugustus II the Strong andAugustus III of Poland often traveled that route.^[12] As a result of theFirst Silesian War the Duchy of Oels (Oleśnica) came under suzerainty of theKingdom of Prussia in 1742. Following administrative reform in 1807 during theNapoleonic Wars, Oels became the seat ofLandkreis Oels in theProvince of Silesia, remaining capital of the Duchy of Oels (Oleśnica). In 1884 the duchy was incorporated into Prussia, itself part ofGermany since the 1871 Prussian-ledunification of Germany.

AfterWorld War I, Oels was included within theProvince of Lower Silesia. Nazi Germany operated a prison in the town,^[13] and aforced labour camp forItalian,English,Yugoslavian,Belgian andPolishprisoners of war duringWorld War II.^[14] Dozens ofPolish resistance members, including women, were held in the local prison, and at least 14 were sentenced to death in the town in 1942.^[15] The German administration evacuated almost the entire population, leaving only a few Germans and the forced laborers. The town was heavily damaged by theRed Army in 1945 in the final stages of World War II, having approximately 60-80% of its buildings destroyed. The city became part of Poland again after thePotsdam Conference under its historic Polish nameOleśnica. The remaining German-speaking population was subsequentlyexpelled in accordance to thePotsdam Agreement and the town wasresettled with Poles many of whom were expelled from formereastern Poland annexed in 1945 by theSoviet Union. Some 3,000 Italians remained in the town until the end of 1945, and organized artistic shows to which they invited young Polish activists.^[16]

The majority of monuments in the Old Town have been rebuilt since the 1960s.

The officially protectedtraditional food of Oleśnica, as designated by theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland, is the Oleśnica wheat and rye gingerbread.^[17]

Football clubPogoń Oleśnica is based in the town. It played at thePolish second division in the 1990s.

• Joachim of Münsterberg-Oels (1503–1562), Duke of Münsterberg and from 1536 to 1542 also Duke of Oels
• Hedwig of Münsterberg-Oels (1508–1531), Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach
• John, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (1509–1565), Duke of the Münsterberg from 1542 to 1565, Duke of Oels from 1548 to 1565 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1548 to 1565
• George II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (1512–1553), Duke of Münsterberg from 1536 to 1542 and Duke of Oels
• Henry III, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (1542–1587), Duke of Münsterberg from 1565 to 1574 and Duke of Bernstadt
• Karl II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (1545–1617), Duke of Oels from 1565 to 1617 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1604 to 1617
• Karl Christoph, Duke of Münsterberg (1545–1569), Duke of Münsterberg from 1565 to 1569
• Henry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-Bernstadt (1592–1639)
• Abraham von Franckenberg (1593–1652), mystic, born in nearbyBystre
• Karl Friedrich I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (1593–1647), Duke of Oels from 1617 to 1647 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1639 to 1647
• Elisabeth Marie, Duchess of Oels (1625–1686), German noblewoman
• Christian Ulrich I, Duke of Württemberg-Oels (1652–1704), German nobleman, Duke of Württemberg-Bernstadt from 1669 to 1697 and Duke of Oels-Württemberg from 1697 until his death
• Julius Siegmund, Duke of Württemberg-Juliusburg (1653–1684), was Duke of Württemberg-Juliusburg
• Eugen of Württemberg (1788–1857), general
• Carl Heinrich Zöllner (1792–1836), German composer
• Julius Hübner (1806–1882), painter
• Gustav Becker (1819–1885), clockmaker
• Willy Hellpach (1877–1955), physicist and politician
• Antoni Cieszyński (1882–1941), surgeon
• Werner Krolikowski (born 1928), East German politician
• Sigmar Polke (1941–2010), artist
• Piotr Czech (born 1986), kicker forPittsburgh Steelers
• Wojciech Bartnik (born 1967), boxer, Olympic bronze medallist
• Kasia Glowicka (born 1977), composer
• Jerzy Rogalski (born 1948), film and theatre actor
• Rafał Dębski (born 1969), Polish writer
• Babatunde Aiyegbusi (born 1989), Polish-Nigerianprofessional wrestler and formerAmerican football player

Oleśnica istwinned with:^[18]

•  Chrudim, Czech Republic
•  Jaunay-Marigny, France
•  Warendorf, Germany

•  
  Saint John the Evangelist Basilica
•  
  A timber-framed house and the Holy Trinity Church
•  
  Holy Virgin Mary Church
•  
  Main post office
•  
  Former Officers' Mess
•  
  District court
•  
  Elementary school no. 7
•  
  Liceum Ogólnokształcące no. 2 (high school)
•  
  The Polish Veteran's Memorial
•  
  Polish Second Army Memorial
•  
  Old townhouses at the Market Square
•  
  Manhole cover with the Oleśnica coat of arms

• Municipal website
• Panorama Oleśnicka(in Polish)
• News from Oleśnica(in Polish)
• History of Oleśnica(in Polish)
• Old postcards from Oleśnica(in Polish)
• Jewish Community in Oleśnica on Virtual Shtetl