Crest of Brzeg / Poland

Can’t understand what’s written on the crest? Can't pronounce it? Don’t worry… It’s in Polish :)

To advertise my city of birth and make it more popular I decided to send its crest around the world. Please help me by taking this travel bug with you. Bring it to parts of the world where people have never heard about this beautiful Polish city (basically anywhere outside of Poland)! Or bring it back home to Brzeg. One more thing ... don't forget to take pictures!

Etymology of the city name

Brzeg was in earlier documents referred to as Civitas Altae Ripae, meaning "city at high banks" of the Oder (Odra) river; its name is derived from the Polish Brzeg (shore).

Etymology of the crest's design

The three-anchor symbol in the centre of the crest is identical to the flag of Brzeg. The symbol in the centre of the crest, has its origins tracing back from the foundation of Brzeg in 1248, when the symbol was imprinted on the town seal and coins. The symbol is also found on the location prerogative of the Silesian dukes, such as that of Henry III the White in 1250, and so the symbol stayed from then on. The symbol underlines the town's history, based around the town's harbour on the River Odra; the Latin name for the town - Alta Ripa - Latin for High Bank.

History of the city

The town received municipal rights in 1250 from the Wrocław Duke Henry III the White, and was fortified in 1297. From 1311-1675 Brzeg was the capital of a Lower Silesian duchy (Duchy of Brzeg) ruled by the Piast dynasty, a branch of the dukes of Lower Silesia, one of whom built a castle in 1341. Much of Silesia was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia during the Middle Ages. The town was burned by the Hussites in 1428 and soon afterwards rebuilt.

In 1595 Brieg was again fortified by Joachim Frederick of Brieg and Liegnitz. In the Thirty Years' War it suffered greatly; in the War of the Austrian Succession it was heavily bombarded by the Prussian forces; and in 1807 it was captured by Napoleon's army. When Bohemia fell to the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria in 1526, the town fell under the overlordship of the Habsburgs in their roles of Kings of Bohemia, although it was still ruled locally by the Silesian Piasts. Upon the extinction of the last duke George William of Legnica in 1675, Brieg came under the direct rule of the Habsburgs.

In 1537 the duke Frederick II of Legnica concluded a treaty with Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg, whereby the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg would inherit the duchy upon the extinction of the Silesian Piasts. On the death of George William the last duke in 1675, however, Austria refused to acknowledge the validity of the treaty and annexed the duchies and Frederick the Great of the Kingdom of Prussia used this treaty to justify his claim at the invasion of Silesia during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740. Brieg and most of Silesia were annexed by Prussia in 1741 during the First Silesian War. In 1807 the town's fortifications were pulled down by Napoleon's army. The Prussian Province of Silesia, and thus Brieg, consequently became part of the German Empire when it was proclaimed in 1871 on the unification of Germany.

During World War II, 60% of the town was destroyed and many of the town's inhabitants died during the severe winter of 1944-5 as they fled from the advancing Red Army, in its entire history the war had brought the most severe destruction to the town. Some of the town's population was evacuated by the German Army who moved its own population further into Germany for safety and declared Brieg "Festung Brieg" (Fortification Brieg), after the fall of the town to the Soviets the remaining German population were later subject to harassment and expulsion (see Expulsion of Germans after World War II). After the war, the Potsdam Conference placed Silesia, and thus the town, under Polish administration. Subsequently, Brzeg and Lower Silesia were repopulated by Polish whom Soviets expelled from the eastern part of prewar Poland.

Places of cultural and touristic interest

• Brzeg Town Hall (Rynek), see photograph,
• Old castle (Zamek), with an interesting adorned façade, host of the
• Muzeum Piastów Śląskich
• St. Nicholas's Church
• Holy Cross Church (on old castle square), baroque.
• River Boat Station (on the other side of the River Oder), built in 2012.
• Odrzańska Gate, part of the former fortifications

Brzeg is twinned with:

• Bourg-en-Bresse, France
• Goslar, Germany
• Beroun, Czech Republic

Official website

http://www.brzeg.pl/