LIEGNITZ  , a

town in Germany, in the Prussian province of Silesia, picturesquely situated on the Katzbach, just aboveits junction with the Schwarzwasser, and 40 M . W.N.W. of Breslau, on the main line of railway to Berlin via Sommerfeld . Pop . (1885) 43,347, (1905) 59,710 . It consists of an old town, surrounded by pleasant, shady promenades, and several well- built suburbs . The most prominent building is the palace, formerly the residence of the dukes of Liegnitz, rebuilt after a fire in 1835 and now used as the administrative offices of the district . The Ritter Akademie, founded by the emperor Joseph I. in 1708 for the education of the young Silesian nobles, was reconstructed as a gymnasium in 181o . The Roman Catholic church of St John, with two fine towers, contains the burial vault of the dukes . The principal Lutheran church, that of SS . Peter and Paul (restored in 1892-1894), dates from the 14th century . The manufactures are considerable, the chief articles made being cloth, wool, leather, tobacco, pianos and machinery . Its trade in grain and its cattle-markets are like-wise important .

The large

market gardens in the suburbs grow vegetables of considerable annual value . Liegnitz is first mentioned in an historical document in the year 1004 . In 1163 it became the seat of the dukes of Liegnitz, who greatly improved and enlarged it . The dukes were members of the illustrious Piast family, which gave many kings to Poland . During the Thirty 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 the Empire, which retained it until the Prussian conquest of Silesia in 1742 . On the i 5th of August 1760 Frederick the Great gained a decisive victory near Liegnitz over the Austrians, and in August 1813 Blucherdefeated the French in the neighbourhood at the battle of the Katzbach . During the 19th century Liegnitz rapidly increased in population and prosperity . In 1906 the German autumn manoeuvres were held over the terrain formerly the scene of the great battles already mentioned . See Schuchard, Die Stadt Liegnitz (Berlin, 1868) ; Sammter and Kraffert, Chronik von Liegnitz (Liegnitz, 1861—1893); Jander, Liegnitz in seinem Entwickelungs ange (Liegnitz, 1905) ; and F1ihree fur Liegnitz and seine Umgebung (Liegnitz, 1897) ; and the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Liegnitz bis 1455, edited by Schirrmacher (Liegnitz, 1866) .