Brzeźce

Brzeźce
Village
Our Lady of Scapular church
Coat of arms
Location of Brzeźce within gmina Pszczyna
Brzeźce Location of Brzeźce within gmina Pszczyna
Coordinates: 49°58′N 18°49′E / 49.967°N 18.817°E / 49.967; 18.817Coordinates: 49°58′N 18°49′E / 49.967°N 18.817°E / 49.967; 18.817
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
County	Pszczyna
Gmina	Pszczyna
First mentioned	1326
Population	1,041
Website	http://www.brzezce.info

Brzeźce [ˈbʐɛɕt͡sɛ] (German: Brzestz) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pszczyna, within Pszczyna County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) west of Pszczyna and 35 km (22 mi) south-west of the regional capital Katowice.

The village has a population of 1,041.

The village was first mentioned in 1326 in the register of Peter's Pence payment among Catholic parishes of Oświęcim deanery of the Diocese of Kraków as Breze. It had an adnotation that a local priest, Konrad, does not play any taxes and is excommunicated.

Politically it belonged then to the Duchy of Racibórz, within feudally fragmented Poland, but a year later it became a fee of the Kingdom of Bohemia. During the political upheaval caused by Matthias Corvinus the land around Pszczyna was overtaken by Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn, who sold it in 1517 to the Hungarian magnates of the Thurzó family, forming the Pless state country. In the accompanying sales document issued on 21 February 1517 the village was mentioned as Brzezcze. The Kingdom of Bohemia in 1526 became part of the Habsburg Monarchy. In the War of the Austrian Succession most of Silesia was conquered by the Kingdom of Prussia, including the village.