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{{For|the town in Wołów County|Brzeg Dolny}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name =  Brzeg
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 270
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow = 1/2/1
| image1 = Brzeg Castle 01.jpg
| image2 = Brzeg, Poland - panoramio (45).jpg{{!}}Market Square
| image3 = Odrzańska Gate in Brzeg.jpg{{!}}Renaissance Odrzańska Gate
| image4 = SM Brzeg Ratusz (1) ID 609764.jpg{{!}}Renaissance Town Hall
}}
| image_caption = {{hlist|Left to right: [[Brzeg Castle]]|Market Square|[[Odrzańska Gate, Brzeg|Odrzańska Gate]]|[[Brzeg Town Hall|Town Hall]]}} 
| image_flag = POL Brzeg flag.svg
| image_shield = POL_Brzeg_COA.svg
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| nickname = ''The Garden Town'' <br/>''Miasto Ogrodów''<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia miejscowości - Informacje o mieście - Brzeg - Wirtualny Sztetl|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/pl/article/brzeg/3,historia-miejscowosci/| website=www.sztetl.org.pl|access-date=26 August 2017|language=pl}}</ref>{{force singular}}
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Opole Voivodeship|Opole]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Brzeg County|Brzeg]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = Brzeg <small>(urban gmina)</small>
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Violetta Jaskólska-Palus
| area_total_km2 = 16.0
| population_as_of = 31 December 2021<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/BDL/dane/teryt/jednostka|title=Local Data Bank|access-date=2022-06-02|publisher=Statistics Poland}} Data for territorial unit 1601011.</ref>
| population_total = 34778
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Brzeżan
| established_title = Town rights
| established_date = 1248
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|50|52|N|17|29|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| elevation_m = 150
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 49-300
| registration_plate = OB
| blank_name_sec2 = [[National roads in Poland|National roads]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[File:DK39-PL.svg|32px|link=National road 39 (Poland)]] [[File:DK94-PL.svg|32px|link=National road 94 (Poland)]]
| website = https://brzeg.pl
}}
'''Brzeg''' ({{IPAc-pl|AUD|Pl-Brzeg.ogg|b|ż|e|k}}; [[Latin]]: ''Alta Ripa'', [[German language|German]]: ''Brieg'', [[Silesian German]]: ''Brigg'', {{Langx|szl|Brzeg, Brzyg}}, {{Langx|cs|Břeh}}) is a [[town]] in southwestern [[Poland]] with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021)<ref name = population /> and the capital of [[Brzeg County]].{{TERYT}} It is situated in [[Silesia]] in the [[Opole Voivodeship]] on the left bank of the [[Oder]] river.

The town of Brzeg was first mentioned as a trading and fishing settlement within fragmented [[Piast dynasty|Piast]]-ruled Poland in 1234.<ref name="sztetl.org.pl">{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/brzeg/3,local-history/|title=Local history - Information about the town - Brzeg - Virtual Shtetl|access-date=6 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207114143/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/brzeg/3,local-history/|archive-date=7 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1248, Silesian Duke [[Henry III the White]] granted the settlement Magdeburg town rights and by the late 13th century the city became fortified. Sometimes referred to as "the garden town", the town's size greatly expanded after the construction of dwelling houses which were located on the city outskirts. From the early 14th to late 17th centuries, the town was ruled by the [[Piast dynasty]] as fiefs of the [[Bohemian Crown]] within the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Later, as the result of the [[Silesian Wars]], the town passed to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], and from 1871 to 1945 it was also part of Germany, before it became again part of Poland after [[World War II]].

==Etymology==
In older documents, Brzeg was referred to as ''Civitas Altae Ripae'', meaning 'city on the high banks' of the [[Oder]] River; its name is derived from Polish ''brzeg'' 'shore'. 
{{ill|Konstanty Damrot|pl}} (1841–1895), in his book of the etymology of [[Silesia]]n localities, states that in a [[Latin language|Latin]] document from 1234 the settlement's name was ''Visoke breg'' ({{langx|pl|Wysokibrzeg}}, {{langx|de|Wissokembreghe}}; literally 'high bank').

A native or resident of Brzeg is known as a ''brzeżan'', ''brzeżanin'' (male), ''brzeżanka'' (female), ''brzeżanie'' and ''brzeżaninie'' (plural).

==History==
===Prehistory===
[[File:Polana no północ od Brzegu, 2015.jpg|thumb|left|Agricultural fields to the north of Brzeg]]
The locality in and around present-day Brzeg has been settled by people since the [[Mesolithic]] era, with the earliest signs of settlement between 8000 and 4200 BC, as concluded from archaeological findings in [[Myślibórz, Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Myślibórz]], [[Kościerzyce]], [[Lubsza, Opole Voivodeship|Lubsza]] and [[Lipki, Opole Voivodeship|Lipki]]. The early human populace left behind traces of [[lithic flake]]s, [[flint]] flakes and other flint related tools. The earliest signs of [[History of Agriculture|agriculture]] come around during the [[Neolithic]] Era (4200–1700 BC). The Neolithic culture developed agriculture and [[Domestication|domesticated farm animals]]; this lifestyle led [[Nomadic]] cultures to settle in the locality. The era saw the development of [[weaving]], [[pottery]] and [[mining]] in the Brzeg Plain, with archaeological finds in Brzeg, [[Buszyce, Opole Voivodeship|Buszyce]], [[Prędocin, Opole Voivodeship|Prędocin]], [[Lewin Brzeski]], [[Małujowice]], Lipki, Myśliborze, [[Mąkoszyce, Opole Voivodeship|Mąkoszyce]] and [[Obórki, Opole Voivodeship|Obórki]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Długosz|first1=Jan|title=Historiae Polonicae libri XII|date=1867|location=Kraków}}</ref>

The time period of 1300–700 BC bears the existence of the [[Lusatian culture]] of the late [[Bronze Age]] and the early [[Iron Age]]. The culture settled in the region and in large continued to develop [[agriculture]] and the domestication of [[Ungulate|farm animals]]. The natural economy of the culture was based on weaving, pottery and [[Metalworking|metal works]]. The Lusatian culture's populace that inhabited the Brzeg Lands was identified by archaeological excavations, revealing 17 individual localities, including 3 [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] and 8 burial sites, namely a fortified wooden settlement in [[Rybna, Opole Voivodeship|Rybna]] and an open-pit [[Cremation#Ancient|crematory]] in [[Pisarzowice, Brzeg County|Pisarzowice]] (with 30 discovered burial sites).{{request quotation|date=April 2017}}

To follow the [[Lusatian culture]], which witnessed its decline around 500 BC, were the [[Celts]], around 400–300 BC in [[Silesia]], as identified with archaeological findings in Lubsza and [[Pawłów, Opole Voivodeship|Pawłów]] (located in the eastern vicinity of Brzeg). Around 100 BC, the peoples of Silesia (Celtic and Germanic tribes) began trading with the [[Roman Empire]], as evidenced through the findings of [[Roman currency]] in the locality. In the 7th century [[Slavic peoples]] started settling in the region. At the same time [[Hand tool|Iron tools]] and [[blacksmith]]-based hamlets found in [[Kantorowice, Opole Voivodeship|Kantorowice]] and [[Pępice, Opole Voivodeship|Pępice]] are evidenced for the first time in this region.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Surowiecki|first1=Piotr|title=Muzeum na Zamku w Brzegu|url=http://www.psur.pl/a.aspx?id=262|website=www.psur.pl|access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Dziewulski|first1=W.|title=Brzeg przedlokacyjny, Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|date=1954}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2017}}

===Early Middle Ages===
The period of AD 500–1000 saw the establishment of the early [[feudal]] system in [[Silesia]]. The era was characteristic of the establishment of gord settlements, towns and the continued development of [[trade]] and [[crafts]]. It is believed the permanent populace around modern-day Brzeg was set up by [[Silesian tribes]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Żabiński|first1=Ryszard|title=Zobacz grodziska ryczyńskie|url=http://www.gazetawroclawska.pl/artykul/147949,zobacz-grodziska-ryczynskie,id,t.html|website=Gazetawroclawska.pl|access-date=4 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref> The first mention of the Silesian tribes is made in the mid-ninth-century document known as the [[Bavarian Geographer]] ({{langx|la|Geographus Bavarus}}), which included the Silesian gord of Ryczyn, located {{convert|8.3|km|mi}} north-west of Brzeg, in the eastern [[Oława County]]. The Ryczyn gords became the main line of defence for the [[Silesians]], namely to protect the river trade routes along the [[Oder]] river and the land trade route between Ryczyn (the locality's administrative centre, home to a [[Castellans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|castellan]]) and Brzeg (being some {{convert|10|km|mi}} in length). The importance of the Ryczyn gords is demonstrated by [[Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry V]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]'s army halting their advancement before the gords in 1109.<ref>{{cite web|title=W ryczyńskim lesie|url=http://hiberni.blox.pl/2008/03/Na-ryczynskim-wzgorzu.html|website=Historia magistra vitae|access-date=4 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gmina Oława|url=http://www.gminaolawa.pl/index.php/zabytki_ryczyn|website=www.gminaolawa.pl|access-date=4 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205095757/http://www.gminaolawa.pl/index.php/zabytki_ryczyn|archive-date=5 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Between the ninth and early-tenth century, the Brzeg Lands, together with all of [[Silesia]], were part of [[Great Moravia]] until its demise in AD 906, after which, until 990 the region was under the rule of the [[Přemyslid dynasty|Premyslids]].

===Medieval Poland===
Around 990, [[Mieszko I of Poland#War against Bohemia; incorporation of Silesia and Lesser Poland|Silesia was incorporated into Mieszko I]]'s [[Poland in the Early Middle Ages#Mieszko's state and its origins|Poland]]. During the [[Fragmentation of Poland]] (1138 – {{circa|1314}}), the area of the Brzeg Lands, along with the rest of Silesia, came under the control of [[King of Poland]], [[Bolesław III Wrymouth]]'s oldest son, [[Władysław II the Exile]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia Brzegu|url=http://pit.brzeg.pl/historia/historia-brzegu/|website=pit.brzeg.pl|access-date=4 February 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Kostrzewski-1970">{{cite book|last1=Kostrzewski|first1=J|title=Pradzieje Śląska|date=1970|location=Wrocław}}</ref>

[[File:Water tower in Brzeg.jpg|thumb|View towards the present-day ''ul. Rybacka'' with [[Brzeg water tower|the town's water tower]]]]

The most favourable area for the settlement of Brzeg is located between the Castle Square (''Plac Zamkowy''), with elevated ground extending south-east towards the Square of the [[Polish Americans|American Polonia]] (''Plac Polonii Amerykańskiej''). Before the town's foundation, three separate settlements existed in its modern-day territory, with "Wysoki Brzeg" (''Alta ripa'') bearing the main administrative role in the region. Between the late-twelfth and early-thirteen century, the Dukes of Wrocław set up a [[curia]], led by a claviger. In 1235, [[Henry the Bearded]] occupied the area around [[Oława]], by which [[Walloons]] had to turn over a [[tribute]] of 1 [[Obsolete Polish units of measurement|scale]] of [[grain]] and of [[oat]] to the settlement of Brzeg, suggesting the existence of a [[granary]] and other outbuildings in the curia's established headquarters.<ref name="Kostrzewski-1970"/>

Some two hundred m south-west from the [[curia]] was the former location, on what was later to be called Mary's Hill (''Góra Marii''), of the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] St. Mary's Church (''Kościół Najświętszej Marii Panny''). During the [[Reformation]], the church was deconstructed, and its brickwork used for the construction of the town's fortifications. A sixteenth-century chronicle states it was "the first church", however, no more is known about the holy site. Historians believe the founder of the church may have been [[Bolesław I the Tall]] or [[Henry the Bearded]]. Around the peripheries of the settlement was the location of several hospital buildings.<ref name="Kostrzewski-1970"/> Towards the route to [[Wrocław]] in the town's west was the location of the Hospital of the Holy Ghost (''Świętego Ducha''), used both to cure the town's dwellers and as an inn for travellers along the Wrocław-[[Opole]] route the town of Brzeg was located in the middle of, with an average walking distance between each town taking one day. The area around the Holy Ghost Hospital, present-day [[Stanisław Moniuszko|Moniuszko]] Square (''Plac Moniuszki''), was the location of a major market, positioned by the cross roads of the [[Wrocław]]–[[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]] route, east of the Wrocławska Gate. By the end of the thirteenth century, the [[Duchy of Brzeg|Duke of Brzeg]] possessed 10 [[Slaughterhouse|shambles]]. The market is believed to be characteristic of other Silesian towns, commonly selling agricultural produce, namely bread, meat and shoes. Prior to the locality receiving its [[town charter]] in 1248 or 1250, the settlement had characteristics of a town and not of an ordinary fishing village, being referred to as "civitas" in an early [[Latin language|Latin]] document, as exemplified by the existence of the [[curia]], church and a major market, allowing the settlement to develop through the exchange of produce and [[barter]].<ref name="Kostrzewski-1970"/>

Prior to Brzeg receiving its [[town charter]], the [[Duke of Silesia|Duke of Wrocław]], [[Henry III the White]], received the settlement of Małkowice, (present-day Kępa Młyńska), in exchange of his [[Feudalism|feudal rights]] over [[Zębice]] (south-west from [[Oława]]). The [[fishermen]] living in Małkowice (present-day ''ul. Rybacka''), in accordance to ancient Polish law were charged with the task of protecting the [[Brzeg Castle|Ducal Castle]] along the riverside. By the turn of the thirteenth century, the defenceless populace living in the pastures of the Brzeg Plain began to relocate into the fortified ''Visoke breg'', building up a new [[osiedle]] around the present-day streets of: ''Łokietka'', ''Piastowska'' and ''Trzech Kotwic'' (extending south-east). The osiedle was documented as ''Stary Brzeg'' ([[Latin language|''Antiqua Brega'']]; [[German language|''Alt Brieg'']]), to be renamed Wieś Brzeska: [[German language|Brygischedorf]] (c. 1329) and [[Latin language|''villa Bregensis'']] in {{circa}} 1339. To the west of the fortified centre of Brzeg, the settlement of Rataje (a separate village until 1975) as the former village's etymology suggests, centered around the upkeep of the ducal pastures.<ref>{{cite web|title=Topographical map denoing the agricultural land and plots of Rataje.|url=http://portal.gison.pl/brzeg/|website=portal.gison.pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Po Ziemi Brzeskiej - Historia / Timeline|url=http://www.poziemibrzeskiej.strefa.pl/zb-kalen.htm|website=www.poziemibrzeskiej.strefa.pl|access-date=5 February 2017}}{{dead link|date=October 2025}}</ref><ref name="Dziewulski-1975">{{cite book|last1=Dziewulski|first1=Władysław|last2=Stelmach|first2=Jerzy|last3=Łuszczewska|first3=Barbara|last4=Dziubowa|first4=Maria|last5=Wilk|first5=Barbara|title=Brzeg|date=1975|publisher=Instytut Śląski w Opolu|location=Opole|pages=9–11}}</ref>
[[File:Town Plan of Brzeg c. 1400.png|thumb|Brzeg town plan, c. 1400]]

The town received German town law in 1250 from the [[Wrocław]] Duke [[Henry III the White]]. The foundation was carried out by the three lokators, Gerkinus of [[Złotoryja]], Ortlif and Heinrich of Reichenbach ([[Dzierżoniów]]).<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_qhU_AAAAcAAJ | title=Urkundensammlung zur Geschichte des Ursprungs der Städte | publisher=F. Perthes, 1832 | access-date=16 April 2017 | author=Gustav Tzschoppe, Gustav Stenzel| year=1832 }}</ref> From the emblem of Heinrich of Reichenbach the town also got its coat of arms. While in power, Henry III, granted the town (by a singular payment) the [[Stobrawa Landscape Park|forest]] around the locality of [[Lubsza, Opole Voivodeship|Lubsza]]. His successor, [[Henryk IV Probus|Henryk IV the Righteous]] regulated the town's church affairs, as well as renouncing his [[patronage]] over St. Mary's Church (''Kościół Św. Marii Panny''), located west of the town's western boundary. The church was granted to the [[Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)|Order of Saint John]], subsequently founding the [[St. Nicholas' Church, Brzeg|Church of St. Nicholas]] in 1292. The town was [[Defensive wall|fortified]] in 1297.

From 1311 to 1675 Brzeg was the capital of a [[Lower Silesia]]n duchy ([[Duchy of Brzeg]]) ruled by a local line of the Polish [[Piast dynasty]], one of whom built a castle in 1341. The Duchy became a [[fief]] of the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]] in 1329. The town was burned by the [[Hussite]]s in 1428 and soon afterwards rebuilt.

===Early modern period===
[[File:Brzeg Castle 03.jpg|thumb|Renaissance facade of the [[Brzeg Castle]], depicting members of the Piast dynasty, from the semi-legendary founder [[Piast the Wheelwright]] to Duke [[Frederick II of Legnica]]]]
At the beginning of the 16th century there were two schools in Brzeg, a collegiate and a municipal school, both influenced by the scientific, cultural and literary currents of the [[University of Kraków]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Barycz|first=Henryk|year=1974|title=Polacy w dawnym gimnazjum w Brzegu (w. XVI–XVIII)|journal=Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|publisher=[[Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich]], Wydawnictwo [[Polish Academy of Sciences|Polskiej Akademii Nauk]]|location=Wrocław|language=pl|volume=XXIX|issue=2|page=177}}</ref> In 1529 Duke [[Frederick II of Legnica]], in attempt to establish the town as a significant learning center, merged the two schools, but the town council, wanting to maintain control over the municipal school, led to the two being split again in 1534.<ref>Barycz, pp. 178–179</ref>

The town continued to flourish under the reign of Duke [[George II of Brieg|George II]]. George II maintained close contacts with the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] and its [[szlachta|nobility]], and rebuilt the [[Brzeg Castle|Ducal Castle]] in [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] style, built the Renaissance town hall, established a new mausoleum of the Piast dukes and built a new gymnasium, opened in 1569.<ref>Barycz, pp. 179, 181</ref> The libraries of the old schools were merged into the newly named Piast Library.<ref>Barycz, p. 179</ref> The gymnasium became popular among Polish nobility, whose children were often educated there.<ref>Barycz, p. 181</ref> Among the graduates were Polish Royal secretary and poet {{ill|Joachim Bielski|pl}} and reformer [[Samuel Hartlib]], co-founder of the [[Royal Society]] of London.<ref>Barycz, pp. 182, 185</ref>

In 1595 Brzeg was again fortified by [[Joachim Frederick of Brieg|Joachim Frederick of Brzeg and Legnica]]. In the [[Thirty Years' War]] it suffered greatly; in the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] it was heavily bombarded by the [[Prussian Army|Prussian forces]]; and in 1807 it was captured by [[Napoleon]]'s army. When Bohemia fell to the [[Habsburg monarchy]] of [[Austria]] in 1526, the town fell under the overlordship of the [[Habsburg]]s in their roles of Kings of Bohemia, although it was still ruled locally by the [[Silesian Piasts]]. Upon the extinction of the last duke [[George William, Duke of Liegnitz|George William of Legnica]] in 1675, Brieg came under the direct rule of the Habsburgs.

===Late modern and contemporary===
[[File:Kancjonal brzeg.jpeg|thumb|upright|Polish [[hymnal]] published in Brzeg in 1889]]
In 1537 Duke [[Frederick II of Legnica]] concluded a treaty with Elector [[Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg|Joachim II]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]], whereby the [[Hohenzollern]]s of Brandenburg would inherit the duchy upon the extinction of the Silesian Piasts{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}. On the death of George William the last duke in 1675, however, Austria refused to acknowledge the validity of the treaty and annexed the duchies and [[Frederick the Great]] of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] used this treaty to justify his claim at the invasion of Silesia during the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] in 1740. Brieg and most of Silesia were annexed by [[Prussia]] in 1741 during the [[Silesian Wars|First Silesian War]].<ref name="MWGD">Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition, p. 180</ref> In 1807 the town's fortifications were pulled down by Napoleon's army.<ref name="MWGD"/> The Prussian [[Province of Silesia]], and thus Brieg, consequently became part of the [[German Empire]] when it was proclaimed in 1871 on the [[unification of Germany]]. Despite Austrian, Prussian and German rule, the town was an important Polish printing center in the region.

During [[World War II]], the Germans operated two Nazi prisons with three [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] subcamps in the town and a fourth subcamp in [[Bielawa]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Konieczny|first=Alfred|year=1974|title=Więzienie karne w Kłodzku w latach II wojny światowej|journal=Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka|publisher=[[Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich]], Wydawnictwo [[Polish Academy of Sciences|Polskiej Akademii Nauk]]|location=Wrocław|language=pl|volume=XXIX|issue=3|page=371}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=546|title=Zuchthaus Brieg|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=10 December 2023|language=de}}</ref> In early 1945, some prisoners were sent on a [[Death marches during the Holocaust|death march]] to [[Kłodzko]].<ref>Konieczny, p. 377</ref> 202 Polish citizens were murdered by [[Nazi Germany]] in the town during the war.<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Zestawienie Miejsc Zbrodni Popełnionych na Ludności Cywilnej przez Okupanta Hitlerowskiego na Ziemiach Polskich w latach 1939–1945|year=2022|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=190|isbn=978-83-954388-3-7}}</ref> During the war, 60% of Brieg was destroyed and many of the town's inhabitants died during the severe winter of 1944–5 as they fled from the advancing [[Red Army]]. The war had brought the most severe destruction to the town in its entire history. Some of the town's population was evacuated by the [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]] who moved its population further west inside Germany for safety and declared Brieg a fortress. After the fall of the town to the Soviets the remaining German population were later [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] in accordance with the [[Potsdam Agreement]]. The town, under the historic Polish name ''Brzeg'' became again part of Poland and was repopulated by Poles whom Soviets expelled from the [[Kresy|eastern part of interwar Poland]].

=== Traditional Garrison Town ===
[[File:1351Aviki Brzeg. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|Market Square in Brzeg]]
From the late 19th century the then German town of Brieg had expanded into a traditional military [[garrison]] town, from 1897 until 1919 it was the home town base to [[Infantry]] Regiment No. 157 designated from 1902 the 4th Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 157 (''4. Schlesisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 157'') of the Royal [[Prussian Army]] and respectively the [[German Army (German Empire)|Imperial German Army]].<ref name="IR157B1">Book Title: Das 4. Schlesische Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 157. Nach den amtlichen Kriegstagebüchern bearbeitet (English: The 4th Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 157. Edited according to official war diaries.), Authors: Tiede (Generalleutnant), Himer (Hauptmann) and Röhricht (Oberleutnant), 1922, Publisher: Stalling, Oldenburg, Germany, in German.</ref><ref name="IR157B2">Book Title: Das 4. Schlesische Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 157 im Frieden und im Kriege 1897-1919 (English: The 4th Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 157 in peacetime and in wartime 1897-1919), Author: Hans Guhr (Generalmajor), Paul Tiede (General der Infanterie), 1934, Publisher: Bernhard Sporn, Zeulenroda (Thüringen), Germany, in German.</ref> In 1914 under the regiment's last peacetime commander [[Lieutenant General]] [[:de:Paul Tiede|Paul Tiede]] the regiment began mobilizing for the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] at the outbreak of [[World War I]] as part of [[VI Corps (German Empire)|VI Army Corps]] (''VI. Armee-Korps''), [[12th Division (German Empire)|12th Division]] (''12. Division''), 78th Infantry Brigade (''78. Infanterie-Brigade'').<ref name="IR157B1"/><ref name="IR157B2"/>
[[File:MapBzheg-1928-1724.jpg|thumb|Map of the town of Brzeg, 1928]]
At the end of World War I the garrison barracks at Brieg remained for some years after without a stationed military regiment.<ref name="IR157B2"/> The Imperial German Army Air Arm (''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'') military [[aerodrome]] (''Fliegerhorst'') found in nearby ''Grüningen'' was furthermore dismantled and destroyed as part of the [[Treaty of Versailles]]. It was not until 4 August 1930 that the 5th [[Squadron (army)|Squadron]] of [[Cavalry]] Regiment No. 8 (''5. Schwadron Reiterregiments Nr. 8'') of the German [[Reichswehr]] arrived in Brieg from Breslau-Carlowitz, other cavalry squadrons from [[Milicz|Militsch]] and [[Oleśnica|Oels]] followed shortly after. This resulted in the garrison's Tiede-Barracks (named after ''Generalleutnant Paul Tiede'') located in ''Moltke-, Sedan-, Roon- und Bismarck[[street|straße]]'' requiring some alterations to accommodate the new arrival of horse-cavalry residents. It was from Brieg garrison, the German Cavalry Captain (''[[Rittmeister]]'') [[Konrad Freiherr von Wangenheim]] became famous for securing a Gold medal win at the [[Equestrian at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]] in [[Berlin]] for the German equestrian team whilst suffering from a broken [[Clavicle|collarbone]]. In 1933 an airfield located in nearby ''Hermsdorf'' was also built and thereby a much larger military aerodrome was established. The new aerodrome was occupied by Flight Reconnaissance Group 113 (''Fliegeraufklärungsgruppe 113'').

Towards the end of [[World War II]], on 6 February 1945, the [[Red Army|Soviet army]] captured Brzeg, which resulted in moderate destruction of the town's buildings and infrastructure.<ref name="sztetl.org.pl"/> After Germany's defeat in the war, Brzeg became part of Poland. Since 1950 the reconstructed town has been a part of the [[Opole Voivodeship]].

===History of the Jewish population===
As the town was situated on the commercial route to [[Wrocław]], in which a colony of Jews had long resided, [[Jews]] settled there about 1324. The Jewish community of Brzeg had its separate place of worship from early times. In 1358 Jews lent money to local noblemen and the duke of Brzeg, Ludwig I, who granted the Jews freedom of movement in the duchy in that year. In the 14th century the Jews of Brieg were persecuted on account of their usurious practices; one outbreak of such violence occurred in 1362. In 1392 it was claimed that all debts of the duke had been discharged by the payments to a Jew of Brzeg (Jacob, the son of Moses), of a certificate of indebtedness. In 1398 the Brzeg Jews bought a letter of protection from the duke, whereby they were guaranteed the peaceful possession of their privileges. But in 1401 they were driven from the city, except [[Jacob von Reichenbach|Jacob]] and [[Seman von Reichenbach]], who had received a patent of protection from the duke's council for six years from May 1, 1399. In 1423, duke Ludwig II granted the Jews rights of residence on payment of an annual tax of 20 [[Rhenish guilder|gulden]], but they were expelled from the duchies of Brieg and [[Liegnitz]] in 1453 as a result of the inflammatory preachings of the [[Franciscan]] [[John Capistrano]]. Solomo, a capitalist, lent large sums of money to royal houses in the 15th century. In the 16th century, one of the local Jews served as a physician to the duke of Brieg.

With the decline of Wrocław as a trade center, the Jews of Brieg became little more than an isolated community; and in modern times they shared the lot of the other Silesian Jews. They carried on insignificant trade operations as a rule. The conquest of Silesia by [[Frederick the Great]] brought but slight change in their condition.

A [[Brzeg Synagogue|synagogue]] was built in Brieg in 1799, and a rabbi was first appointed in 1816. The Jewish population numbered 156 in 1785; 376 in 1843; 282 in 1913; 255 in 1933; and 123 in 1939. In the [[Kristallnacht]] pogroms of 1938 under [[Nazi Germany]] the interior of the synagogue was completely demolished and the [[Torah]] scrolls publicly burned; numerous shops were ransacked. During World War II, from 1940 to 1944, the Germans operated a forced labour camp for Jewish men in the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=547|title=Zwangsarbeitslager für Juden Brieg|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=10 December 2023|language=de}}</ref> The community was not reestablished after the [[Holocaust]].

==Geography==
===Status===
The shape of the town, including its neighbouring ''[[Osiedle|osiedla]]'', is comparable to that of a deformed [[rectangle]], elongated {{convert|3.54|km|abbr=off}} north-south and {{convert|4.10|km|abbr=off}} west-east. The area of the town, including the village of Rataje, which was incorporated into Brzeg on January 1, 1973, is some {{convert|16|km2|abbr=on}}. In comparison to Opole, with a total area of {{convert|48|km2|abbr=on}}; [[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]]'s {{convert|29|km2|abbr=on}} and [[Kędzierzyn-Koźle]]'s {{convert|23|km2|abbr=on}}; Brzeg is ranked fourth in the Opole Voivodeship by both population and area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Po Ziemi Brzeskiej - Odra|url=http://www.poziemibrzeskiej.strefa.pl/wody/odra.htm|website=www.poziemibrzeskiej.strefa.pl|access-date=3 February 2017}}{{dead link|date=October 2025}}</ref>

===Topography===
[[File:Brzeg_viewed_from_the_Piastowski_Bridge,_2021.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Oder]] and the old town]]
Brzeg, as the regional capital of [[Brzeg County]] (''Powiat Brzeski''), is located in the west of the [[Opole Voivodeship]], in the south-east of Poland. The settlement is located in the [[valley]] of the [[Oder]], located between [[Opole]] 38.5 [[km]] to its east and [[Wrocław]], {{convert|40.7|km|abbr=off}} to its north-west. The town has a predominantly flat [[relief]] (in comparison to the [[Cliff|river scarp]] on the eastern bank of the river). The River Oder, at low water levels (predominantly between June and early September)<ref>{{cite web|title=Wyborcza.pl|url=http://wroclaw.wyborcza.pl/wroclaw/1,35771,18299004,W_Odrze_tylko_kilka_cm_wody__Groza_nam_susza_i_powodz.html|website=wroclaw.wyborcza.pl|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Jóźwiak|first1=Radio Elka, Tomek|title=Żegluga rzeczna zamarła, ryby padają, zostały kaczki i bobry. Odra wysycha w oczach|url=http://miedziowe.pl/content/view/75569/78/|website=miedziowe.pl - portal Radia Elka|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> forms [[Braided river|eyots]] north of Jerzynowa, Kępa and Srebrna Islands.<ref>{{cite web|title=Forum Brzeg - Brzeskie wyspy|url=http://www.forumbrzeg.pl/ppadd/viewtopic.php?t=5933|website=www.forumbrzeg.pl|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> The locality is located in the Brzeg Plain (''Rownina Brzeska''), part of the [[Silesian Lowlands]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Grodka|first1=A.|title=Monografia Odry|date=1948|location=Poznań}}</ref> The Brzeg Plain's boundaries are outlined by the Oder river to its north, the [[Nysa Kłodzka]] Valley to its south-east, the [[hillock]]s of [[Grodków]] Hills and the [[Wawrzyszów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Wawrzyszów]] Hills to its south. The western boundary of the Brzeg Plain is marked by the [[Oława (river)|Oława]] Valley, along the Oder's [[River#Topographical classification|mid-course]].<ref>{{cite web|title=LOKALNA GRUPA DZIAŁANIA STOWARZYSZENIE BRZESKA WIEŚ HISTORYCZNA|url=http://www.brzeskawieshistoryczna.pl/archiwum/pdf/ZSRL.pdf|website=www.brzeskawieshistoryczna.pl|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204165919/http://www.brzeskawieshistoryczna.pl/archiwum/pdf/ZSRL.pdf|archive-date=4 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Brzeg Plain was formed by the [[Riss glaciation]] period (347,000 to 128,000 years ago), leaving behind remnants of a [[Moraine#Ground moraines|ground moraine]] from the [[last glacial period]]. The ground moraines have left two equally small hills, bearing characteristics of [[kame]]s. The kames form the [[Łosiów]] Range (''Wał Łosiowski''), between the confluence of the River Nysa Kłodzka and the Oława Valley. Small streams, having their sources around the range, are fed directly into the Oder in the region of [[Nysa Kłodzka]] and [[Oława (river)|Oława]].

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| location = Brzeg (1985–2015)
|metric first= Yes
|single line= Yes
|Jan high C= 2.0
|Feb high C= 4.0
|Mar high C= 9.0
|Apr high C= 15.0
|May high C= 20.0
|Jun high C= 22.0
|Jul high C= 25.0
|Aug high C= 25.0
|Sep high C= 20.0
|Oct high C= 15.0
|Nov high C= 8.0
|Dec high C= 3.0
|year high C= 14.0
|Jan mean C = -1.0
|Feb mean C = 1.0
|Mar mean C =  0.0
|Apr mean C =  12.0
|May mean C = 12.0
|Jun mean C = 17.0
|Jul mean C = 19.2
|Aug mean C = 18.4
|Sep mean C = 13.8
|Oct mean C = 9.1
|Nov mean C = 3.4
|Dec mean C = -0.7
|year mean C= 8.7
|Jan low C= -3.0
|Feb low C= -3.0
|Mar low C= 0.0
|Apr low C= 3.0
|May low C= 8.0
|Jun low C= 11.0
|Jul low C= 13.0
|Aug low C= 13.0
|Sep low C= 9.0
|Oct low C= 5.0
|Nov low C= 1.0
|Dec low C= -2.0
|year low C= 4.5
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm= 33
|Feb precipitation mm= 29
|Mar precipitation mm= 35
|Apr precipitation mm= 32
|May precipitation mm= 54
|Jun precipitation mm= 53
|Jul precipitation mm= 66
|Aug precipitation mm= 49
|Sep precipitation mm= 41
|Oct precipitation mm= 24
|Nov precipitation mm= 33
|Dec precipitation mm= 33
|year precipitation mm=482

| unit precipitation days =  
| precip days colour      = 
| Jan precipitation days  = 13.7
| Feb precipitation days  = 12.3
| Mar precipitation days  = 12.5
| Apr precipitation days  = 10.2
| May precipitation days  = 13.3
| Jun precipitation days  = 14.4
| Jul precipitation days  = 13.5
| Aug precipitation days  = 11.3
| Sep precipitation days  = 10.1
| Oct precipitation days  = 8.2
| Nov precipitation days  = 11.1
| Dec precipitation days  = 13.4
| year precipitation days = 144
| Jan sun  = 74.4
| Feb sun  = 62.4
| Mar sun  = 98.4
| Apr sun  = 151.2
| May sun  = 168.0
| Jun sun  = 132.0
| Jul sun  = 196.8
| Aug sun  = 204.0
| Sep sun  = 192.0
| Oct sun  = 189.6
| Nov sun  = 117.6
| Dec sun  = 79.2
| year sun = 1665.6
|source 1= meteoblue.com<ref>[https://www.meteoblue.com/pl/pogoda/prognoza/modelclimate/brzeg_polska_3102459 ] meteoblue.com</ref>}}

===Settlement and trade===
The settlement of Brzeg, historically located in the regional unit of [[Lower Silesia]] as opposed to [[Upper Silesia]], is due to the formation of a "przesieka" ("clearing"). The "clearing" was a [[Geometric terms of location|lateral]] formation, extending northerly from the former [[Sudetes]] Wildland to the southern [[foothill]]s of the [[Sudetes]] Mountains.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Czyżewski|first1=J.|title=Oblicze Ziem Odzyskanych: Krajobraz Niżu Śląskiego, Tom 1|date=1948|location=Warsaw, Wrocław}}</ref> The clearing's characteristics set it as a point for defence in the [[Lower Silesia]] region, lined with [[Barrage (dam)|barrages]] made out of cut down woodland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia miasta|url=http://www.pkulczycki.wodip.opole.pl/konkurs/historia.htm|website=www.pkulczycki.wodip.opole.pl|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> The Brzeg Plain was settled due to its [[fertile soil]], allowing for the earliest forms of [[History of Agriculture|agriculture]] to develop in the locality. The locality was first settled by [[Silesians|Silesian]] tribes and in later history, until 1675, by the [[Piast]] duchies of [[Duchy of Brzeg]], [[Duchy of Legnica|Legnica]] and Wołów, united under the Duchy of Legnica-Wołów-Brzeg. Presently, the region is spotted with numerous towns, including Brzeg, [[Grodków]] and [[Strzelin]], as well as villages, with [[Agriculture in Poland|agriculture]] providing the major source of income. The development of agriculture is met with a lack of forested areas, apart from the [[Stobrawa Landscape Park]], located 7.2 [[Kilometre|km]] to the north of Brzeg and the [[Oder]] river. The Stobrawa woodland, agriculture and the Oder (as a form of transport) provided Brzeg the necessary diversity to remain the regional trade capital in [[Silesia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia miejscowości - Informacje o mieście - Brzeg - Wirtualny Sztetl|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/pl/article/brzeg/3,historia-miejscowosci/|website=www.sztetl.org.pl|access-date=3 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref><ref name="Dziewulski-1975"/>

Brzeg's geographical position between two trade routes, running from west to east ([[Legnica]]–[[Opole]]) and north to south ([[Gniezno]]–[[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]]) and further on into the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]], additionally stimulated the town's demographic and economic expansion. Brzeg is in modern times located between the [[European route E67]] and [[European route E40|E40]].

==Environment==
[[File:Fontanna w Parku Centralnym w Brzegu..jpg|thumb|right|Central Park of J. Czajkowski (''Park Centralny im. J. Czajkowskiego'')]]
Brzeg has five [[public parks]], three of which encircle the Old Town (''Stare Miasto''), after the area was transformed into parkland with the deconstruction of the garrison town's fortifications during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in 1807. The parkland, surrounding the Old Town to its south, became known as the ''Planty''. The ''Planty'' constitute of the Central Park of J. Czajkowski (''Park Centralny im. J. Czajkowskiego''), with a total area of 6.1 [[Hectare|ha]]. The Central Park contains an [[artificial lake]] and a stream, connecting its waters to the western portion of the ''Planty'', the ''Park nad Fosą''. The Park by the Moat (''Park nad Fosą''), with a total area of 3.7 ha, is located south of the [[Brzeg Castle|Silesian Piasts' Castle]]. The third and largest by area parkland surrounding the Old Town is located by the [[Oder]] river, the Odranian Park (''Park Nadodrzański''), with a total area of 10.9 ha. The castle, together with the town's fortification remnants, the [[Odrzańska Gate (Brzeg)|Odrzańska Gate]] is located in the park.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gazeta Brzeska|url=http://www.gazetabrzeska.eu/Artykuly/Opowiesci_brzeskich_ulic/Miejski_park|website=www.gazetabrzeska.eu|access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref>

The largest parkland in Brzeg, located in the south-west of the town is the Park of Juliusz Peppel (Park im. Juliusza Peppela) and formerly Liberty Park (''Park Wolności'') having a total area of 68.8 ha.<ref>{{cite web|title=Burmistrz Peppel - zasłużony dla rozwoju miasta|url=http://hiberni.blox.pl/2007/11/Burmistrz-Peppel-zasluzony-dla-rozwoju-miasta-1.html|website=Historia magistra vitae|access-date=1 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref> The parkland was established after donations from the owners of [[Skarbimierz]] and the landed-elite family von Lobbecke donated the area to the town's authorities, to make way for a landscape park in the area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natura|url=http://brzeg.pl/ekologia/natura/|website=Urząd Miasta w Brzegu|access-date=1 February 2017|language=pl-PL}}</ref> The smallest of the five public parks in Brzeg is the ''Park Ptasi'', located in the south of the town, west of the [[osiedle]] of Westerplatte. The park has a total area of 1 ha.<ref>{{cite web|title=Parki miejskie|url=http://www.pkulczycki.wodip.opole.pl/konkurs/parki_miejskie.htm|website=www.pkulczycki.wodip.opole.pl|access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref>

==Demography==
===History===
Since the [[Early Middle Ages]], the territory was inhabited by [[Polish tribes]]. Later on, it experienced both [[Germans|German]] colonisation and [[Germanisation]] policies towards the indigenous [[Polish people|Poles]]. According to the Prussian census of 1905, the city of Brieg had a population of 27,486, of which 93% spoke [[German language|German]], 6% spoke [[Polish language|Polish]], and 1% were bilingual.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Belzyt|first=Leszek|url=https://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/search?isbn|title=Sprachliche Minderheiten im preussischen Staat: 1815 - 1914; die preußische Sprachenstatistik in Bearbeitung und Kommentar|date=1998|publisher=Herder-Inst.|isbn=978-3-87969-267-5|location=Marburg}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> After World War II, the town of Brzeg was part of the [[Polish population transfers (1944–46)|population transfers]] of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] and [[Polish People's Republic]]'s campaign to resettle Poles from [[Kresy]] (annexed by the [[USSR]]) to the newly regained territories by Poland from the defeated [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], as part of the [[Potsdam Agreement]]. Per the agreement, the German population of Brzeg was [[Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–50)|expelled]] to either [[West Germany|West]] or [[East Germany]]. The newly arrived population in Brzeg predominantly came from the countryside, being former peasants.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kosiński|first1=L.|title=Pochodzenie terytorialne ludności Ziem Zachodnich w 1950 r., "Dokumentacja Geograficzna"|date=1960}}</ref> The integration of the residents came in phases: education, communal work, marriages and the provision of material goods and items left behind by the former populace. By 1975, 37.9% of the population of Brzeg had settled in the town after 1960.<ref>{{cite web|title=Główny Urząd Statystyczny / Portal Edukacyjny / Historia statystyki / Historia spisów powszechnych / Spisy ludności w latach 1943-1950|url=http://stat.gov.pl/portal-edukacyjny/historia-statystyki/historia-spisow-powszechnych/spisy-ludnosci-w-latach-1943-1950/#!/strona-4|website=stat.gov.pl|access-date=3 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref>

[[File:Park Centralny, Brzeg.jpg|thumb|right|Central Park of J. Czajkowski (''Park Centralny im. J. Czajkowskiego'')]]
[[File:Brzeg Op.JPG|thumb|right|[[St. Jadwiga's Church, Brzeg|St. Jadwiga's Church]], part of [[Brzeg Castle]]]]
[[File:Brzeg Most Piastowski 3.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Piastowski Bridge]]
'''Breakdown of population origin of Brzeg in 1950''':

{| class=wikitable
!Population origin
!Population no.
!Percentage (%)
|-
|Total population
|12,771
|100.0
|-
|Local population
|824
|6.5
|-
|Migrant population
|11,947
|93.5
|}

'''Breakdown of migrant population origin of Brzeg in 1950''':<ref>{{cite book|title=Narodowy Spis Powszechny z dnia 3 grudnia 1950 4. Struktura Zawodowa i demograficzna Polski. Województwo opolskie|date=1954|location=Warsaw}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
!Population origin
!Population no.
!Percentage (%)
|-
|[[Warsaw]]
|469
|3.9
|-
|Warsaw Voivodeship
|365
|3.0
|-
|Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
|289
|2.4
|-
|Poznań Voivodeship
|533
|4.5
|-
|[[Łódź]]
|75
|0.6
|-
|Łódź Voivodeship
|529
|4.4
|-
|Kielce Voivodeship
|749
|6.3
|-
|Lublin Voivodeship
|387
|3.2
|-
|Białystok Voivodeship
|144
|1.2
|-
|Katowice Voivodeship
|747
|6.3
|-
|Kraków Voivodeship
|911
|7.6
|-
|[[Soviet Union]]
|5,144
|43.1
|-
|Other countries
|200
|1.7
|-
|Remaining
|1,405
|11.8
|}

'''Population change''':<ref name = population />

{| class=wikitable
!Year
!Population
!Year
!Population
|-
|2002
|38 841 {{decrease}}
|2003
|38 781 {{decrease}}
|-
|2004
|38 550 {{decrease}}
|2005
|38 379 {{decrease}}
|-
|2006
|38 163 {{decrease}}
|2007
|37 842 {{decrease}}
|-
|2008
|37 625 {{decrease}}
|2009
|37 609 {{decrease}}
|-
|2010
|37 346 {{decrease}}
|2011
|37 329 {{decrease}}
|-
|2012
|37 261 {{decrease}}
|2013
|36 980 {{decrease}}
|-
|2014
|36 675 {{decrease}}
|2015
|36 469 {{decrease}}
|-
|2016
|36 381 {{decrease}}
|2017
|36 110 {{decrease}}
|-
|2018
|35 930 {{decrease}}
|2019
|35 709 {{decrease}}
|-
|2020
|35 226 {{decrease}}
|2021
|34 778 {{decrease}}
|}

==Main sights==
[[File:SM_Brzeg_KościółPodwyższeniaKrzyżaŚwiętego_(5)_ID_609748.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Church of the Holy Cross, Brzeg]]
[[File:Brzeg centre sights.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Historic town centre with main sights]]
* The Renaissance [[Brzeg Town Hall]] (Rynek), surrounded by thirteenth-century townhouses.
* [[Brzeg Castle|Old Castle (Zamek)]], with an interesting adorned façade, host of the [[Brzeg Castle|Muzeum Piastów Śląskich]]. The Brzeg Castle is referred to as the Silesian [[Wawel]]. The castle-complex includes the Chapel of St. [[Jadwiga of Poland]]. 
* [[St. Nicholas's Church (Brzeg)|St. Nicholas's Church]] (Gothic architectural style).
* [[Holy Cross Church (Brzeg)|Holy Cross Church]] (on old castle square), (Baroque architectural style).
* [[St. Jadwiga's Church, Brzeg|St. Jadwiga's Church]], located by the castle.
* [[St. Luke's Church, Brzeg|St. Luke's Church]], a church built in the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] architectural style.
* [[Saints Peter and Paul Church, Brzeg|Saints Peter and Paul Church]], a [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] church built in the thirteen-century.
* [[Christ's Resurrection Church, Brzeg|Christ's Resurrection Church]], a garrison church built in the [[Baroque]] architectural style.
* Baroque figures of [[John of Nepomuk]] and [[Jude the Apostle]] from 1722, standing by the façade of the Holy Cross Church.
* Statue of the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]] (on old castle square), raised in 1731.
* Piast Gimnasium (''Gimnazium Piastowskie'') founded in 1569.
* [[Odrzańska Gate (Brzeg)|Odrzańska Gate]], part of the former fortifications; located in the ''Park Odrzański'' (Odranian Park).
* [[Brzeg water tower|Water tower]] (''Wieża ciśnień'') by Rybacka Street (''ul. Rybacka''), from 1877.
* Residential townhouses:
** Rynek 19, Renaissance façade from 1621 (reconstruction).
** Chopina 1, Renaissance from 1597.
** Jabłkowa 5, Baroque townhouse from 1715.
** Jabłkowa 7, [[Empire style|Empire]] architectural style from 1797.
* Old Garrison buildings (''Stare Koszary'') from the [[Frederick the Great]] colonisation period.
* ''Planty'' - remaining [[bastion]] fortifications around the medieval town. The fortifications were deconstructed in 1807, with the area transformed into the ''Planty'' Park. 
* [[Brzeg Synagogue|Synagogue]] from 1799.
* River Boat Station (''Brzeg Marina'') (on the east bank of the Oder), built in 2012.

==Economy==
[[File:Brzeg city budget income sources 2015.png|thumb|Brzeg city budget's income sources {{As of|2015|lc=y}}.]]

===Industry===
Brzeg is the centre for industry and production in the [[Brzeg County]]. The town's industries include the production of [[agricultural machinery]], electric engines, [[margarine]] and sugar production.<ref>{{cite web|title=Main Page|url=http://www.grupaotmuchow.pl/en/|website=Grupa Otmuchów|access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

The largest concentration of industry in Brzeg is located in the town's eastern quarter, south of the [[Oder]], with numerous manufacturers, including: the [[Economy of Germany|German]] Bartling [[GmbH]] ([[plastic]] packaging company);<ref>{{cite web|title=Bartling - The company|url=http://www.bartling-verpackungen.de/en/das-unternehmen/|website=www.bartling-verpackungen.de|access-date=2 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> "BESEL" ([[Economy of Poland|Polish]] [[electric engine]] company, founded in the town in 1950),<ref>{{cite web|title=Besel - electric motors, AC induction motors, industrial motors, brake motors, elektromotor, ie2 motor, ie3 motor, 3 phase motor, general purpose motors, high voltage motor, single phase motor, components, tools|url=http://site.cantonigroup.com/en/motors/besel/|website=site.cantonigroup.com|access-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203080734/http://site.cantonigroup.com/en/motors/besel/|archive-date=3 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> and CIK car accessories plant.<ref>{{cite web|title=CIK Company|url=http://cikcar.pl/english.html|website=cikcar.pl|access-date=2 February 2017}}</ref> All three industries are located between Ciepłownicza Street (''ul. Ciepłownicza'') and Składowa Street (''ul. Składowa'').

Brzeg is also home to one of the largest [[confectionery]] companies in [[Poland]], [[Otmuchów Group#Dependent companies|PWC Odra S.A.]] (founded in 1946). Presently, the firm is part of the [[joint-stock company]] [[Otmuchów Group]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia - PWC Odra S.A. - Spółki zależne - O grupie - Grupa Otmuchów|url=http://www.grupaotmuchow.pl/historia-1.php|website=www.grupaotmuchow.pl|access-date=9 November 2017|language=pl}}</ref> The production plant is located by Starobrzeska Street (''ul. Starobrzeska'').

===Tourism===
{{As of|2015}}, Brzeg had the lowest number of [[Tourism in Poland|foreign tourists]] in the [[Opole Voivodeship]], with some 95% being national tourists. Per 1000 of the population, there are 1.60–3.89 available accommodations, which is behind nine of the eleven regional capitals (being at level with [[Kędzierzyn-Koźle]]) in the [[Opole Voivodeship]], including [[Opole]], with 3.90–5.89 tourist accommodations per 1000 of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Turystyka w województwie opolskim|url=http://opole.stat.gov.pl/infografiki/infografiki/turystyka-w-wojewodztwie-opolskim,9,1.html|website=opole.stat.gov.pl|access-date=4 February 2017|language=pl-pl}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Primary school No. 3, Brzeg.jpg|thumb|Jan Kochanowski Primary School No. 3 by Kamienna Street.]]
Brzeg has a total of 7,826 citizens in the potential education age group (3-24 year of age). The number of city dwellers in Brzeg that have completed [[higher education]] is at 14.4% of the population, which is similar to the statistical average of the number of people obtaining [[higher education]] in the [[Opole Voivodeship]], being at 15.1%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brzeg|url=http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Brzeg#edukacja-i-szkolnictwo|website=www.polskawliczbach.pl|access-date=31 January 2017|language=pl}}</ref> Data from 2015 indicates that 2.5% of the population of Brzeg have completed post-[[lyceum]] (''policealne'') education, with Brzeg having two post-[[lyceum]] schools (''szkoły policealne''): Medyczne Studium Zawodowe by [[Katyń Massacre|Ofiar Katynia]] Street (medical practice institution); Policealne Studium Zawodowe – Zespół Szkół Ekonomicznych by [[John Paul II|Jan Paweł II]] Street (higher school of economics).<ref>{{cite web|title=Szkoły policealne|url=http://brzeg.pl/oswiata/szkoly-policealne/|website=Urząd Miasta w Brzegu|access-date=31 January 2017|language=pl-PL}}</ref> The population of Brzeg that is in the age of potential further education (aged 19–24) is 26.8%, out of which 27.1% are women and 26.6% are men.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wydział Oświaty, Kultury i Kultury Fizycznej – Starostwo Powiatowe w Brzegu|url=http://brzeg-powiat.pl/powiat-brzeski/wydzial-oswiaty-kultury-i-kultury-fizycznej/|website=brzeg-powiat.pl|access-date=1 February 2017|language=pl-PL}}</ref>

Some 22.4% of the population of the town of Brzeg ({{As of|2015|lc=y}}) has some sort of work-related further education (i.e. [[scholarship]] or [[college]] course). In 2015, 5.3% of the town's population participated in [[secondary education]], while some 19.6% have attended [[primary education]] in that same year. The city council of Brzeg spends 33.3% of its annual budget on education, amounting to 35.2 million [[Polish zloty|zlotys]] annually.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brzeg|url=http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Brzeg#finanse-publiczne|website=www.polskawliczbach.pl|access-date=31 January 2017|language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=www.ideo.pl|first1=ideo -|title=Główny Urząd Statystyczny|url=http://stat.gov.pl/|website=stat.gov.pl|access-date=31 January 2017|language=pl}}</ref>

'''Post-secondary education institutions''':<ref>{{cite web|title=Brzeg, post-secondary schools|url=http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Brzeg#szko%C5%82y-ponadgimnazjalne|website=www.polskawliczbach.pl|access-date=1 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
!Name
!Address
!Faculty no.
!Student no.
!Teacher no.
!Website
|-
|[[Technikum (Polish education)|Technikum]] No. 1 in Brzeg
|Słowiańska 18
|21
|466
|–
|–
|-
|Technikum No. 2 in Brzeg
|Jana Pawła II 28
|14
|370
|–
|–
|-
|I Liceum ogólnokształcące (Bolesław Chrobry)
|Armii Krajowej 7
|10
|320
|31
|[http://lo1brzeg.szkolnastrona.pl/ Official Website]
|-
|II [[Liceum ogólnokształcące]] (Zbigniew Herbert)
| 1 Maja 7
|13
|341
|36
|[http://www.wodip.opole.pl/~LO2BRZEG Official Website]
|-
|[[Vocational school|Zasadnicza Szkoła Zawodowa]] No. 3 (Książę Jerzy II Piast)
|Kamienna 3
|9
|261
|–
|[http://www.zsbbrzeg.pl/ Official Website]
|-
|Technikum No. 3 (Książę Jerzy II Piast)
|Kamienna 3
|8
|207
|–
|[http://www.zsbbrzeg.pl/ Official Website]
|-
|[[State school|Państwowa]] [[Music school|Szkoła Muzyczna]] Level 1 (Józef Elsner)
|Piastowska 18
|–
|161
|20
|[http://www.psmbrzeg.pl/ Official Website]
|}

'''Public gymnasium (secondary school) institutions''':<ref>{{cite web|title=Brzeg|url=http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Brzeg#edukacja-i-szkolnictwo|website=www.polskawliczbach.pl|access-date=2 February 2017|language=pl}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
!Name
!Address
!Faculty no.
!Student no.
!Teacher no.
!Website
|-
|[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]] No. 3 ([[Lwów Eaglets|Orlęta Lwowskie]])
|Bohaterów Monte Cassino 14
|12
|343
|35
|[http://g3brzeg.wodip.opole.pl Official Website]
|-
|Gymnasium No. 2
|Poprzeczna 16
|12
|317
|—
|—
|-
|Gymnasium No. 1 ([[Józef Piłsudski]])
|Oławska 2 
|9
|225
|26
|[http://g1brzeg.wodip.opole.pl/ Official Website]
|-
|Gymnasium No. 4
|Lompy 1
|6
|142
|—
|—
|}

==Transport==
[[File:Brzeg railway station.jpg|thumb|right|[[Brzeg railway station]]]]
Brzeg is located at the crossroads of the [[National road 39 (Poland)|National Road]] [[File:DK39-PL.svg|30px|National road 39 (Poland)]] (northbound to [[Namysłów]] and [[Kępno]]; southbound to [[Wiązów]] and [[Strzelin]]) and the National Road [[File:DK94-PL.svg|30px]] (westbound to [[Oława]], [[Wrocław]], [[Bolesławiec]] and [[Zgorzelec]]; eastbound to [[Opole]], [[Strzelce Opolskie]], [[Bytom]], [[Kraków]], [[Tarnów]], [[Jarosław]] and [[Korczowa]]. The interchange to the [[File:A4-PL.svg|30px|A4 autostrada (Poland)]] [[A4 autostrada (Poland)|Motorway]] (''Węzeł Przylesie'') is located 14 [[Kilometres|km]] south of Brzeg.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kolejne opóźnienia na budowie autostrady A4 na Podkarpaciu|url=http://www.nowiny24.pl/wiadomosci/podkarpacie/art/6170053,kolejne-opoznienia-na-budowie-autostrady-a4-na-podkarpaciu,id,t.html|website=Nowiny24|access-date=5 March 2016|date=2012-09-21}}</ref>

Brzeg has well developed railway and bus transportation services. The [[Polish State Railways|PKP]] [[Brzeg railway station]] is operated by [[PKP Intercity]] and [[Przewozy Regionalne]]. The town has direct connections to [[Opole]], [[Wrocław]], [[Kraków]], [[Warsaw]], [[Katowice]], [[Poznań]], [[Szczecin]], [[Zielona Góra]], [[Lublin]], [[Kielce]], [[Przemyśl]], [[Zamość]], [[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]], and other cities. The Brzeg bus service is operated by [[Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Samochodowej|PKS]] Brzeg, with ten bus lines around the town and Gmina Brzeg. The important routes are to [[Wrocław]], [[Opole]], [[Grodków]], [[Namysłów]], [[Nysa, Poland|Nysa]], [[Karpacz]], [[Strzelin]], [[Wiązów]], and others. On Sunday, there is a special route to [[Szklarska Poręba]].

In 2013, a hospital [[helipad]] was opened by Mossora Street (''ul. Mossora'').<ref>{{cite web|title=Miejsca lądowania śmigłowców ratunkowych|url=http://www.lpr.com.pl/pl/ladowiska.html#s227|website=IPR|access-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192356/http://www.lpr.com.pl/pl/ladowiska.html#s227|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Sports==
* [[KS Cukierki Odra Brzeg]] – women's basketball team, 8th place in [[Sharp Torell Basket Liga]] in 2003/2004 season

==Notable people==
{{further|Category:People from Brzeg}}
* [[C. de Bridia]] (born 1247), Minorite friar, wrote the '' Tartar Relation'' (de Bridia meaning "of Brzeg") 
* [[Melchior Adam]] (ca.1575 in Grottkau – 1622), a German Calvinist literary historian.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Adam, Melchior |volume = 1 |last= |first= |author-link= |page= 172 |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Johann Heermann]] (1585–1647), German [[poet]] and [[hymnodist]]
* [[Georg Gebel (the younger)|Georg Gebel the younger]] (1709–1753), Prussian general 
* [[Leopold Wilhelm von Dobschütz]] (1763–1836), Prussian general 
* [[Karl Otfried Müller]] (1797–1840), a professor, scholar of classical Greek studies and [[philodorian]].<ref>{{cite EB9 |wstitle = Karl Otfried Müller |volume= XVII | page= |short= 1}}</ref>
* [[Julius Müller (theologian)|Julius Müller]] (1801–1878), a German Protestant theologian.<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Müller, Julius |volume = 18 |last= |first= |author-link= |page= |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Wilhelm Schuppe]] (1836–1913), German [[Positivism|positivist]] [[philosopher]]
* [[Max Friedlaender (musicologist)|Max Friedlaender]] (1852–1934), German [[musician]] and [[composer]]
* [[Oskar Moll]] (1875-1947), German painter
* [[Max Obal]] (1881–1949), German actor, [[screenwriter]] and [[film director]]
* [[Alfred Kurella]] (1895–1975), German [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany|SED]] functionary
* [[Johannes Brockt]] (1901–1980), German-Austrian [[musicologist]] and [[Conducting|conductor]]
* [[Franciszek Gajowniczek]] (1901–1995), Polish [[Auschwitz]] survivor
* [[Otto Thorbeck]] (1912–1976), German lawyer
* [[Kurt Masur]] (1927–2015), German musician and conductor<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/233766,Polish-town-remembers-famous-conductor-Kurt-Masur|title=Polish town remembers famous conductor Kurt Masur|work=Radio Poland|access-date=21 December 2015}}</ref>
* [[Mieczysław Domaradzki]] (1949–1998), Polish [[archaeologist]] and [[thracologist]]
* [[Adrian Tekliński]] (born 1989), Polish [[road bicycle racing|road]] and [[Track cycling|track cyclist]]
* [[Kamil Bednarek]] (born 1991), Polish [[reggae]] and [[dancehall]] musician and composer. 
* [[Bartosz Białek]] (born 2001), Polish [[association football|football]] player
* [[Paweł Salacz]] (born 1997), Polish handball player

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}
Brzeg is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Miasta partnerskie|url=https://brzeg.pl/miasto/miasta-partnerskie/|website=brzeg.pl|publisher=Brzeg|language=pl|access-date=2020-03-04|archive-date=2021-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415020939/https://brzeg.pl/miasto/miasta-partnerskie/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Beroun]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bourg-en-Bresse]], France
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Goslar]], Germany

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="180" heights="120">
File:Brzeg Op.JPG|Most characteristic building of Brzeg, Silesian Piasts Castle
File:Brzeg Castle 06.jpg|Northern side of the castle's courtyard
File:Brzeg Op zamek 02.JPG|Southern side of the castle
File:Fragment stawu w Parku Wolności w Brzegu..jpg|Juliusz Peppel Park, the largest public park in town
File:Brzeg, Poland - panoramio (20).jpg|Long Street, main high street
File:Brzeg Marina viewed from Piastowski Bridge.jpg|Marina by the River Oder
File:Brzeg, Poland - panoramio (45).jpg|Town square and tower
File:Brzeg_town_hall.jpg|Town Hall
File:Brzeg, Kościół św. Mikołaja - fotopolska.eu (261406).jpg|St. Nicholas Church and Brzeski Dom Kultury cultural centre
File:Brzeg kosciol sw Mikolaja 04.jpg|Interior of the church
File:Brzeg, Poland - panoramio (1).jpg|Holy Cross Church
File:1225m Brzeg, kościół św. Krzyża. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|Interior of the Holy Cross Church
File:Poland Brzeg - Johann Kuben art in Feast of the Cross church.jpg|Church ceiling
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography of Jewish Encyclopedia===
* Brann, ''Geschichte der Juden in Schlesien'';
* ''Jahrbuch des Deutsch-Israelitischen Gemeindebundes''

:{{JewishEncyclopedia|title=Brieg|first1=Gotthard |last1=Deutsch|author-link1=Gotthard Deutsch|first2=A. M.|last2=Friedenberg|url=https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3707-brieg|volume=3|page=384}}

{{commons}}

==External links==
* [http://www.forumbrzeg.pl Forum Brzeg]
* {{Official website|http://www.brzeg.pl}}
* [http://brzeg24.pl Dziennik Brzeski]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080412010613/http://www.brzeg.vel.pl/ Foto Brzeg]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130920091420/http://komornikbrzeg.com Komornik Brzeg]}}
* [http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/city/brzeg/ Jewish Community in Brzeg] on Virtual Shtetl

{{Spoken Wikipedia|Brzeg audiofile.ogg|date=2017-08-24}}

{{Brzeg County}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Silesia]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Opole Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Brzeg County]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Poland]]
[[Category:Populated riverside places in Poland]]
[[Category:Capitals of former nations]]