Zielona Góra (; ; ) is the largest city in Lubusz Voivodeship, located in western Poland, with 140,403 inhabitants (). Zielona Góra is one of the two capital cities of Lubusz Voivodeship, hosting the province's elected assembly, while the seat of the centrally appointed governor is in the city of Gorzów Wielkopolski.

In 1222 Duke Henry the Bearded from the Piast dynasty brought the first settlers to the area.

History

Middle Ages

thumb|left|upright|Medieval Łazienna Gate

The first settlement in the area of Zielona Góra was built in the valley near the Złota Łącza stream during the reign of the Polish ruler Mieszko I. The oldest settlement was agricultural. It later developed into a trading point along routes from Poznań to Żagań and further to Lusatia.

The region received an influx of German burghers in the second half of the 13th century during the medieval Ostsiedlung. In 1323, the settlement became a city with Crossener Recht, a variation of Magdeburg rights. A document in the town archive of Thorn (Toruń) dating from before 1400 used a sigil with the name GRVNINBERG, an early form of the German name Grünberg. In 1477 the town defeated a 5,000-strong army from neighbouring Brandenburg which attempted to seize it during the succession war to the Duchy of Głogów. In 1488, Duke John II of Żagań, destroyed the castle to prevent his enemies from using it. although Polish king Sigismund I the Old still claimed his rights to the city in 1508. In 1641, King Władysław IV Vasa of Poland confirmed these rights. Another important branch of the city's economy at this time was winemaking.

thumb|left|A panorama of the city in the mid-18th century

The city converted to Lutheranism during the Protestant Reformation through the efforts of Paul Lemberg, Abbot of Sagan. The city declined during the 17th century, especially during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and following decades. Grünberg endured plundering, debts, emigration of burghers, and fires. it existed till 1935 when Lisowski was murdered by the Gestapo. In 1923 a branch of the Union of Poles in Germany was established. The city was first connected to the Glogau (Głogów)-Grünberg-Guben railway line in 1871, followed by connections to Christianstadt (Nowogród Bobrzański) in 1904, Wollstein (Wolsztyn) in 1905, and a local line to Sprottau (Szprotawa) in 1911. In January 1945, a German-perpetrated death march of Jewish women from Sława reached the city, and the remaining prisoners were also sent on death marches westwards. The Soviet Red Army occupied Grünberg with little fighting on 14 February 1945, during World War II. The following month, according to the post-war Potsdam Agreement, the town was placed under Polish administration under territorial compensation for the territories of former Eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union. The remaining German inhabitants who had not fled their homes from the Eastern Front were expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement. before the old Polish name Zielona Góra was restored. The 18th-century Protestant church was reconsecrated as a Catholic church (Kościół Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej). The city's first post-war mayor was Tomasz Sobkowiak,

Recent history

thumb|Wool factory in the 1960s

From 1950 to 1998 Zielona Góra was the capital of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship. The city's population rebounded quickly after the war. By 1950 it had more inhabitants than at any point in its history.

Wineries

The city has been known for its wines for centuries. It is now one of two places in Poland with wine grape cultivation mainly for white wines, the other being the wine growing region near the town of Warka in Masovia. The first wineries around the city were built in 1314. At the Paradyż Abbey near Zielona Góra, monks have been making wine since 1250. The number of vineyards at peak production is estimated at 4,000 in the region, with 2,500 in Zielona Góra itself.

During the communist era wine production was reduced, but since 1990 it has recovered. Since 1852, an annual wine festival has taken place in the town. Wine is no longer produced in Zielona Góra itself, with the last factory closed in the early 1990s.

Vodka Luksusowa (namely: Luxury vodka), made from potatoes rather than grain, is produced in distillery in Zielona Góra. Jarzębiak, a Polish fruit vodka made from rowan berries and other fruit ingredients, registered as a regional traditional beverage by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland, is also produced in Zielona Góra.

Another officially designated traditional beverage is the Zielona Góra beer, with local brewing traditions dating back to the 18th century.

Climate

The climate is oceanic (Köppen: Cfb). Despite being some distance from the sea, western standards as well as air masses are still predominant in the western than eastern, not very different from German cities near the border.

Demographics

Sights

Among the landmarks of Zielona Góra are:

  • Market Square (Rynek) with the town hall
  • Co-cathedral church of St Hedwig of Silesia - Gothic with later modifications
  • Our Lady of Częstochowa church - timber-framed from 18th century, formerly protestant
  • Łaziebna tower - part of the former city walls
  • Palm house

<gallery mode="packed">

RatuszZG.jpg|Market Square (Rynek) with the town hall

Zielona Góra, konkatedra św. Jadwigi.jpg|Co-cathedral church of St Hedwig of Silesia

Kościół Matki Boskiej.jpg|Our Lady of Częstochowa church

Wieża GłodowaZG.jpg|Łaziebna tower

Mozaika ZG Gagarin.jpg|Gagarin mosaic on the aula of the University of Zielona Góra

</gallery>

Education

thumb|right|Music school

thumb|right|[[University of Zielona Góra]]

The city has a university and a College of International Trade and Finance. Currently there are 18,000 students studying in the city.

Secondary education

Secondary education is based on the high school type of educational facility.

  • I High School
  • III High School
  • IV High School
  • V High School
  • Seventh General Lyceum
  • Schools of Electronics
  • Schools of Economics

Universities and colleges

  • University of Zielona Góra Uniwersytet Zielonogórski
  • From 1997 until 2014: College of International Trade and Finance

Transport

Zielona Góra Airport is located at Babimost, north-east of the city. It is currently the eleventh busiest airport in Poland, in terms of traffic size. Formerly a military base, it has become an important transport hub for western Poland. LOT Polish Airlines currently offers daily flights to Warsaw.

thumb|right|[[Zielona Góra Główna railway station]]

The city lies at the junction of National Road 3, National Road 27 and National Road 32 and is a major interchange on S3 Expressway along European route E65.

Zielona Góra Główna railway station is the most important railway station of Zielona Góra. It has train connections to Gorzów Wielkopolski, Zbąszynek, Rzepin, Warsaw, Frankfurt (Oder) and Kraków, main cities of the surrounding regions: Poznań, Szczecin and Wrocław as well as direct international connections to Berlin, Vienna.

Events

  • June/July: Busker Bus Festival
  • August: Folk Song and Dance Festival Folk Festival
  • September: Winobranie (Wine Fest)

thumb|[[CRS Hall Zielona Góra, the city's main indoor hall, home venue of the Zastal Zielona Góra basketball team]]

Sports

Zielona Góra is home to many sports teams, both professional and amateur. Motorcycle speedway is considered the most popular sport in the city, with the local club, Falubaz Zielona Góra, being one of the most historic, successful, and well-supported teams in the country. The city is also represented by Zastal Zielona Góra, a basketball club that has enjoyed a period of significant success in recent years. In football, Lechia Zielona Góra competes in the lower tiers of the Polish league pyramid.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Professional sports teams in Zielona Góra

!Club

!Sport

!League

!Honours

!Venue

|-

|Falubaz Zielona Góra

|Speedway

|PGE Ekstraliga

|7 Polish Championships (1981, 1982, 1985, 1991, 2009, 2011, 2013)

|Swiss Krono Arena

|-

|Zastal Zielona Góra

|Basketball

|Orlen Basket Liga

|5 Polish Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020)

3 Polish Cups (2015, 2017, 2021)

|CRS Hall Zielona Góra

|-

|Lechia Zielona Góra

|Football

|Betclic III Liga

|None

|Stadion Piłkarski "Dołek"

|}

Notable people

thumb|upright=0.5|[[Rudolf Haym, 1902]]

thumb|upright=0.5|[[Maryla Rodowicz, 2023]]

  • Bartholomaeus Pitiscus (1561–1613), mathematician, theologian, astronomer
  • Abraham Scultetus (1566–1625), theologian
  • Tadeusz Kuntze (1727–1793), painter
  • Rudolf Haym (1821–1901), philosopher
  • Wilhelm Foerster (1832–1921), astronomer
  • Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865–1910), writer
  • Susanne Dessoir (1869–1953), soprano
  • Franz Mattenklott (1884–1954), general
  • Józef Zych (born 1938), lawyer and politician
  • Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia (born 1943) great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II
  • Maryla Rodowicz (born 1945), singer
  • Jürgen Colombo (born 1949), bicyclist
  • Janusz C. Szajna (born 1954), entrepreneur and University of Zielona Góra professor
  • Andrew Andrzej Twardon (born 1956), psychologist
  • Maria Gładkowska (born 1957), actress
  • Olga Tokarczuk (born 1962), writer (laureate of Nobel Prize in Literature)
  • Tomasz Lis (born 1966), journalist
  • Mariusz Linke (1969–2022), mixed martial arts fighter and world-class grappler
  • Grzegorz Halama (born 1970), comedian
  • Agnieszka Haupe-Kalka (born 1970), writer
  • Piotr Protasiewicz (born 1975), speedway rider
  • L.U.C (born 1981), rapper
  • Grzegorz Zengota (born 1988), speedway rider
  • Mateusz Kieliszkowski (born 1993), top international strongman competitor, 5 time Poland's Strongest Man
  • Antoni Kowalski (born 2004), first Polish man to compete at the World Snooker Championship

Twin towns – sister cities

thumb|upright|right|Zielona Góra's twin towns in 2013

Zielona Góra is twinned with:

  • L'Aquila, Italy (1996)
  • Bistriţa, Romania (2001)
  • Cottbus, Germany (1990)
  • Helmond, Netherlands (1993)
  • Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine (2000)
  • Kraljevo, Serbia (1974)
  • Nitra, Slovakia (1992)
  • Troyes, France (1970)
  • Verden an der Aller, Germany (1993)
  • Batumi, Georgia (2022)
  • Wuxi, China (2009)
  • Zittau, Germany (2010)

Friendly cities

  • Soltau, Germany (1997)

<gallery class="center" widths="170" heights="120">

File:Deptak Zielona Góra.jpg|Żeromskiego Street in the Old Town

File:Zielona Góra, Tkalnia przy Fabrycznej.jpg|Lofts in Zielona Góra

File:Al. Niepodległości, budynek nr 15.jpg|Local museum

File:Zielona Góra, Filharmonia (1).jpg|Zielona Góra Philharmonic

File:Plac Pocztowy,budynek nr 17.jpg|Tenement at Plac Pocztowy (Postal Square)

File:Obserr16.jpg|Astronomical observatory

File:Palmkg21.jpg|Palm house with restaurant on Wine Hill

File:Biblioteka norwid.jpg|Cyprian Norwid Provincial and Municipal Public Library

File:Lutheran church in Zielona Góra.jpg|Lutheran church

File:Kaplgjz12.jpg|14th-century chapel on Wine Hill

File:Pomnik Ignacego Łukasiewicza w Zielonej Górze.jpg|Ignacy Łukasiewicz Monument

File:Ogrod Botaniczny ZG1.JPG|Botanical Garden

File:Skansen Ochla 5.jpg|Ethnographic Open-Air Museum

File:Sąd Okręgowy ZG.jpg|Courthouse

File:Archiwum Państwowe Zielona Góra.jpg|State Archives

</gallery>

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Grünberg church records of births, marriages and deaths since 1582
  • Municipal website
  • Zielona Góra University
  • Jewish Community in Zielona Góra on Virtual Shtetl
  • The Death March through Zielona Góra to Volary, at Yad Vashem website
  • Grünberg Notgeld (emergency banknotes) depicting various episodes from the region's history.