See also: Sagan

Żagań is a town of Poland of approximately 26.700 inhabitants in the Voïvodie de Lubusz, of which the part of the south (including Żagań) belongs historically to Low-Silesia. Until 1999 it belonged to the voïvodie of Zielona Góra. It is on the Bober river roughly halfway between Cottbus and Wrocław. One notices the castle built about 1670 in style baroque. The city comprises great places for the exercise of the troops and the barracks with the command of the 11th division of tanks of the Polish army, named king Jan III Sobieski.

History

It is into 1202 that for the first Żagań time is mentioned in a document. Since 1285, it receives the Droits of Magdeburg. The city is a long time the seat of government of a principality Silesia. After as from 1252 it returns to the duchy of Glogau, it is of 1413 to 1472 sits of an autonomous principality belonging to the house of the Piast.

In 1284, a chapter of canons augustins is founded. Great arts center of the area at the end of the Middle Ages, the city is also an economic center based on weaving, the brewery and the industry of iron.

In 1472 prince Piast Jean II sold the principality and the city in Wettiner. Under the reign of the duke Henri the Piles (1539-1541), the Réforme is diffused without obstacle. In 1549 the Elector Palatine Moritz yielded Żagań to the king de Bohême Ferdinand I {{er}}. In 1627 Albrecht von Wallenstein enters in possession of the city. With his invitation the astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler work there of 1627 to 1630. In 1646, it is Wenzel Eusebius, prince of Lobkowicz, which acquires of it, it makes rebuild thereafter the castle according to the plans of the Italian architect Antonio beyond Carried.

In 1786 the stronghold of Sagan was acquired by Peter Biron, duke of Courlande, and thereafter, in 1843, passed to his/her Dorothée daughter, wife of Edmond de Talleyrand, a nephew of the large diplomat Talleyrand, which spent his last years there. A patent of king de Prusse, dated January 6th, 1845, instituted it duchess of Sagan, and Napoleon III recognized the title in France in favor of his/her Louis son.

Thus in France there are a prince and a duke of Sagan. The double title, Prussian and French, were used to ensure the duke of Sagan a neutral position during the second world war: its Château of Valençay could become a sure asylum for the treasures of Louvre during the German occupation.

It is in Żagań that, during this war, the Stalag Luft III and Stalag VIII were C of sad memory. During the Second world war was arranged not far from the city the Stalag Luft III and Stalag VIII C where 10.000 prisoners lived in transit. March 24th, 1944, 76 allied prisoners tried to escape by tunnel a 110 m depth length and 10 m, but the runaways were almost caught up with all at the exit of tunnel. Only three men managed to flee.

This episode of the history of the Stalag of Żagań was immortalisé by film of John Sturges: the great escape .

Twinnings

Simple: Zagan

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