Chojnów
- The word Haynau redirects here. For the Austrian general, please see Julius Jacob von Haynau.
| Chojnów | |||
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| Motto: Friendly city (Przyjazne miasto) | |||
  Chojnów | |||
| Coordinates: 51°16′N 15°56′E / 51.267°N 15.933°E | |||
| Country |
 Poland | ||
| Voivodeship | Lower Silesian | ||
| County | Legnica | ||
| Gmina | Chojnów (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 14th century | ||
| Town rights | 1333 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Jan Serkies | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 5.32 km2 (2.05 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 170 m (560 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 14,389 | ||
| • Density | 2,700/km2 (7,000/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 59-224, 59-225 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 76 | ||
| Car plates | DLE | ||
| Website | http://chojnow.eu/ | ||
Chojnów [ˈxɔjnuf] (
) (German: Haynau) is a small town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is located on the Skora river, a tributary of the Kaczawa at an average altitude of 170 m (560 ft) above sea level. Chojnów is the administrative seat of the rural gmina called Gmina Chojnów, although the town is not part of its territory and forms a separate urban gmina. As of 2006 it had 14,389 inhabitants.
Chojnów is located 18 km (11 mi) west of Legnica, 26 km (16 mi) east from Bolesławiec and 18 km (11 mi) north of Złotoryja, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the A4 motorway. It has railroad connections to Bolesławiec and Legnica.
History
The settlement of Haynow was mentioned in a 1272 deed. It was already called a civitas in a 1288 document issued by the Piast duke Henry V of Legnica, and officially received town privileges in 1333.
After World War II and the implementation of the Oder-Neisse line in 1945, the town passed to the Republic of Poland. The German population was expelled from the region.
Chojnów today
Chojnów is an industrial and agricultural town. Among local products are: paper, agricultural machinery, chains, metal furniture for hospitals, equipment for the meat industry, beer, wine, leather clothing, and clothing for infants, children and adults. The local government-run weekly newspaper is Gazeta Chojnowska, which has been published since 1992.
Among the interesting monuments of Chojnów are the 13th-century castle of the Dukes of Legnica (currently used as a museum), two old churches, the Baszta Tkaczy (Weavers' Tower) and preserved fragments of city walls.
The biggest green area in Chojnów is small forest Park Piastowski (Piast's Park), named after the Polish Piast dynasty. Wild animals that can be found in the Chojnów area are roe-deer (sarna, Capreolus capraea ?), foxes, rabbits and wild domestic animals, especially cats.
Every year in the first days of June, the Days of Chojnów (Dni Chojnowa) are celebrated. The Whole-Poland bike race Masters has been organized yearly in Chojnów for the past few years.
Notable people
- Johann Wilhelm Ritter, chemist and physicist, born December 16, 1776 in nearby Samitz, died January 23, 1810 in Munich
- Georg Michaelis, politician, former Minister President of Prussia, born September 8, 1857, died July 24, 1936 in Bad Saarow
- Horst Mahler, lawyer, former RAF militant, now Neo-Nazi activist, born January 23, 1936
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Chojnów is twinned with:
References
External links
- (Polish) City hall homepage
- (Polish) Chojnow social news portal
- (Polish) Chojnow Online
- (Polish) E-info about Chojnow
- (Polish) Chojnow social news portal
- (Polish) Chojnów on the Open Directory Project
- Jewish Community in Chojnów on Virtual Shtetl
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chojnów. |
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Coordinates: 51°16′N 15°56′E / 51.267°N 15.933°E