Silesia

Silesia (-Latin, Polish ?l?sk, German Schlesien, Czech Slezsko) is a historical region in central Europe. Most of it is now within the borders of Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Silesia is located along the upper and middle Oder River (Odra) and along the Sudetes mountain range. In the local Silesian language or dialect, the region is called ?lonsk or ?lunsk. The largest city of Silesia is Wroc?aw.

Name of the region

One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, which most likely were a Vandalic people, who supposedly lived south of the Baltic Sea along the Elbe, Oder, and Vistula rivers in the 2nd century. When the Silingi moved from the area during the Migration Period, they left remnants of their society behind.

Related Topics:
Vandalic - Baltic Sea - 2nd century - Migration Period

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The most evident remnants are in the names of places, which were adopted (in Slavic form) by the new inhabitants, who were in fact Slavic (Polish ?l?sk, Old Polish ?l??sk , Old Slavic *S?l????sk? , from Old Vandalic *Siling-isk ). These people became associated with the place, and were henceforth known as Silesians (using a Latinized form of the name, Pol. ?l??anie), even though they had little in common with the original Silingi. Archeological finds from the 7th and 8th centuries also uncovered former largely populated areas, protected by a dense system of fortifications from the West and South. The lack of such systems from the North or East supports the notion that Silesia was part of a larger state populated by early Slavic tribes.

Related Topics:
7th - 8th - Slavic tribes

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