Leszno, Warsaw West County

Leszno [ˈlɛʂnɔ] is a village in Warsaw West County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Leszno.[1] It lies approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of Ożarów Mazowiecki and 28 km (17 mi) west of Warsaw.

For other places with the same name, see Leszno.
Leszno
Village
Łuszczewski Palace in Leszno
Coat of arms
Leszno
Coordinates: 52°16′N 20°36′E
Country Poland
VoivodeshipMasovian
CountyWarsaw West
GminaLeszno
Population
3,500
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Websitehttp://www.gminaleszno.pl/

The village has a population of 3,500.

Polish professional footballer Robert Lewandowski grew up in Leszno.[2] In 2016 he became an honorary citizen of Leszno.[2]

History

The history of Leszno dates back to the Middle Ages. It was mentioned in documents in 1423.[3] It was owned by various families, including the Łuszczewski family, which built a Baroque palace, which is the main landmark of the village.[3]

During the invasion of Poland, which started World War II, in early September 1939, the Germans captured Leszno.[4] On September 16, Poles recaptured the village for tactical purposes, while the Germans retreated in panic.[4] On September 17, the Germans occupied Leszno again, and carried out a massacre of around 50 inhabitants in an act of revenge.[5] Many men were transported to Błonie, from where they were to be deported to forced labor to Germany, but some managed to escape.[4] About 70% of the village was burned down.[4]

Sights

The main landmark of Leszno is the Baroque Łuszczewski Palace with an adjacent park. There are two historic churches, one Catholic and one Mariavite. In the village there is also a monument commemorating Polish soldiers, partisans and inhabitants killed during World War II.[3]

  • Architectural decorations on the facade of the Łuszczewski Palace
  • Park
  • Saint John the Baptist church
  • Gmina office

References
  1. "Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal)" (in Polish). 2008-06-01.
  2. "Robert Lewandowski honorowym obywatelem Leszna". ZachodnieMazowsze.info (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  3. "Wieś Leszno". Szlaki turystyczne Mazowsza (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. "79. rocznica spalenia Leszna". Stowarzyszenie Aktywne Leszno (in Polish). Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  5. Maria Wardzyńska, Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion, IPN, Warszawa, 2009, p. 97 (in Polish)



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