Cieszyn is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitants, and lies opposite Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. Both towns belong to the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia, and formerly constituted the capital of the Duchy of Cieszyn as a single town.
Cieszyn market square in November 2016
Panorama of Cieszyn
Copper engraving by Matthäus Merian from c. 1640 depicting the town
The District Court of Cieszyn built in 1905, an ideal example of the town's long prosperous history and its impact on architecture
Silesian, occasionally called Upper Silesian, is an ethnolect of the Lechitic group spoken by part of people in Upper Silesia. Its vocabulary was significantly influenced by Central German due to the existence of numerous Silesian German speakers in the area prior to World War II and after. The first mentions of Silesian as a distinct lect date back to the 16th century, and the first literature with Silesian characteristics to the 17th century.
The Silesian language in public space: a banner at the 2022 gay pride in Katowice. "We want Silesia, where every boy can take a vow to his chosen one in the Silesian language."
The Silesian language in public space: a warning sign "Watch for trams" on the sidewalk in Chorzów
Goral Silesian lect and Czech in Cieszyn, Poland. The text notifies readers that people under the age of 18 will not be served alcohol.
Examples of books in Silesian, e.g. translations of The Hobbit, The Little Prince or A Christmas Carol
