Town and its people
Symbols of Cieszyn
The representation of Cieszyn’s coat of arms evolved along with the development of the town itself. Cieszyn was granted town rights entitling it to make use of the privileges of internal self-governance relatively late, in 1374.
Cieszyn's Built Environment
The first part of Cieszyn to be inhabited was the Castle Hill. The town itself grew from the foot of the castle, initially on the facing hillside, developing along two parallel streets; ul. Polska (also called Tiefegasse ul. Głęboka) and Deutschegasse ul. Niemiecka (currently ul. Mennicza). At first the town centre was located at the site of the present Plac Teatralny, with the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, the town’s school and the mint of the Cieszyn Princes all concentrated around this point.
Town Administration
Cieszyn was initially run by the wójt (a historical word for the chief of a village or villages), a descendant of the town’s founder. After Cieszyn came under Magdeburg Law from the end of the 14th century it was administered by the Town Council which selected an Executive Board consisting of 4 councillors with a mayor at the head. They formed the Municipal Office in conjunction with the town scribe.
Honorary Citizens
It is natural that specific groups and communities of people reward those individuals who have made a particular contribution to the good of the group or community. This gratitude may take a material form or may be expressed in the form of some kind of honour.
Community through the Ages
In the beginning the townspeople of Cieszyn were all equal and the main features distinguishing them from peasants were; their individual freedom, their rights as citizens and that they earned their living other than by agriculture.
Hungarians in Cieszyn
For long centuries Cieszyn Silesia was situated on the crossroads of a number of important roads and trade routes, it also shared borders with several countries, each of which represented a slightly different culture and civilisation. Each of them left their mark on the history of the region around the River Olza.
Cieszyn - Little Vienna
Cieszyn is separated from Vienna by only 283 kms as the crow flies, so it is not surprising that contacts were lively for a long time, although in the beginning they concerned mainly the upper classes.
