Jelenia Góra

Sister cities

• Siverskodonetsk

History

Human settlement in the area dates back to prehistoric times, and cemeteries of the Lusatian culture were discovered within the city limits during archaeological excavations. Archaeological evidence attests to prehistoric activity in the area, including cemeteries of the Lusatian culture found within today’s city boundaries. In the Early Middle Ages the region was settled by West Slavic tribes, specifically the Bobrzanie, one of the old Polish tribes. In the 7th century it was possibly part of the short-lived Samo's Empire, and incorporated into the Duchy of Poland under Mieszko I around 990. A modest fortified hillfort (gród) of probable Piast-period origin existed on the hill known until 1945 as Hausberg (renamed Wzgórze Krzywoustego / Bolesław Wrymouth Hill only after 1945) during the 10th–12th centuries, which lies west of the area where the medieval town was later established. Later Polish tradition attributes the founding of a settlement to Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1108 and its use as a base for his 1110 campaign against Bohemia , as well as a fortification expansion by Duke Bolesław II the Horned in 1242 ; these claims lack contemporary documentation and are regarded as legendary. The Jelenia Gora Valley remained thinly populated and heavily forested, with no signs of continuous settlement or urban development until the high medieval period. The documented history of the place begins only in 1281, when it is first reliably mentioned in written records under its German name Hyrzberc as part of the German eastward expansion (Ostsiedlung). From this Middle High German form the name Hirschberg evolved and remained the official designation until 1945. In 1288 Duke Bolko I the Strict granted city rights, laying the foundation for the planned urban settlement…

Geography

The city is located in the northern part of the Jelenia Góra Valley. From the west, the city is surrounded by mountains and foothills of Izera Mountains, north Kaczawskie Mountains, east Rudawy Janowickie Mountains and in the south Karkonosze Mountains. The center is located about east from the place where the two rivers Bóbr (Beaver River) and Kamienna (Stone River) connects. Jelenia Góra has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb) using the isotherm or a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) using the isotherm.