Country Poland Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 14 km² Local time Friday 5:45 PM | County Bielsko First mentioned 1452 Postal code 43-518 Population 4,454 (2008) Voivodeship Silesian Voivodeship | |
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Weather 12°C, Wind SW at 29 km/h, 46% Humidity | ||
Ligota (German: Ellgoth) is a village in Gmina Czechowice-Dziedzice, Bielsko County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has a population of 4,454 (2008). The village lies on the edge of the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
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Map of Ligota, Poland
Ligota is a common name for villages in Western Poland. The word refers to the medieval custom of village founders being exempt from paying duties to their lords for a period of 5-8 years.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1452 as Elgot. Politically the village belonged initially to the Duchy of Teschen, a fee of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which after 1526 became part of the Habsburg Monarchy.
According to Walter Kuhn the village was also known as Targersdorff (such a name of otherwise unknown village appeared in two documents from 1565 and 1571).
After Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire a modern municipal division was introduced in the re-established Austrian Silesia. The village as a municipality was subscribed to the political and legal district of Bielsko. According to the censuses conducted in 1880, 1890, 1900 and 1910 the population of the municipality grew from 1651 in 1880 to 1791 in 1910 with a majority being native Polish-speakers (at least 94.1% in 1880, at most 99.4% in 1890) accompanied by a small German-speaking minority (at most 96 or 5.9% in 1880). In terms of religion in 1910 majority were Roman Catholics (90.4%), followed by Protestants (142 or 7.9%), Jews (31 or 1.7%).
After World War I, fall of Austria-Hungary, Polish–Czechoslovak War and the division of Cieszyn Silesia in 1920, it became a part of Poland. It was then annexed by Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II. After the war it was restored to Poland.
Landmarks
There are several landmarks in the village including Catholic Church of the Divine Providence from 1801-1806 and old dwór (manor house).