Country Poland County Racibórz Time zone CET (UTC+1) | Voivodeship Silesian Gmina/Town Racibórz Area code(s) (+48) 032 | |
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Brzezie (German: Hohenbirken) is a dzielnica (district) of Racibórz, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It is located on the right bank of the Oder river, across the old city. It was a separate municipality but was amalgamated with Racibórz in 1975.
Contents
Map of Brzezie, Raciborz, Poland
History
The village was mentioned already in 1223. It became a seat of a Catholic parish in Żory deanery of Diocese of Wrocław, established probably in the second half of the 13th century, first mentioned in 1335 as Birkindorf in an incomplete register of Peter's Pence payment composed by Galhard de Carceribus.
Politically the village belonged initially to the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz, within feudally fragmentated Poland, ruled by a local branch of the Silesian Piast dynasty. In 1327 the Upper Silesian duchies became a fee of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which after 1526 became part of the Habsburg Monarchy. After Silesian Wars it became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia.
After World War I in the Upper Silesia plebiscite 733 out of 1,444 voters (plus 5 out of 40 in manor goods) in Brzezie voted in favour of joining Poland, against 707 (plus 35 in manor goods) opting for staying in Germany. In 1922 it became a part of Silesian Voivodeship, Second Polish Republic. It lay on the border with Germany, where Racibórz stayed. It was then annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II. After the war it was restored to Poland.