Boleslawiec

Bolesławiec
Market Square and Town Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Miasto Ceramiki (Town of ceramics)
Bolesławiec
Coordinates: 51°16′N 15°34′E / 51.267°N 15.567°E / 51.267; 15.567
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lower Silesian
County	Bolesławiec County
Gmina	Bolesławiec (urban gmina)
Established	13th century
Town rights	1251
Government
• Mayor	Piotr Roman
Area
• Total	22.81 km2 (8.81 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	40,837
• Density	1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	59–700
Area code(s)	+48 75
Car plates	DBL
Climate	Dfb
Website	Bolesławiec.pl

Bolesławiec [bɔlɛˈswavʲɛt͡s] (German: Bunzlau; Silesian: Bolesławjec) is a town located on the Bóbr River in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwestern Poland, with 40,837 inhabitants (2006). It is the administrative seat of Bolesławiec County, and of Gmina Bolesławiec (although it is not part of the territory of the latter, the town being an urban gmina in its own right). Bolesławiec was previously in Jelenia Góra Voivodeship (1975–1998).

For its long-standing pottery-making tradition, Bolesławiec is celebrated as Miasto Ceramiki or "Town of Ceramics".

Bolesławiec celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2001. The name is derived from the Silesian duke Bolesław I the Tall. The castellany of Bolezlauez in Lower Silesia was first mentioned in a 1201 deed. According to tradition, its citizens took part in the Battle of Legnica during the Mongol invasion of Poland in 1241.

Following the 1241 invasion, a walled town began to take shape. In 1251, mention is made of Boleslawiec's town charter. Then a part of the Silesian Duchy of Legnica under Bolesław II the Bald, the town from 1297 belonged to the Duchy of Jawor under Bolko I the Strict. In 1316, in order to better protect the townspeople from hostile incursion, new walls were constructed around the town. The city seal, still used today, was also first used in 1316.