Węgliniec

Virgin Mary Queen of Poland church in Węgliniec

The oldest known historical mention of the settlement dates back to 1502 [2] in the context of medieval German Ostsiedlung, receiving the name Kohlfurt.[3] In 1742 it was annexed by Prussia. It was plundered by different armies during the Third Silesian War (1756–1763).[4] In 1846 a railway line connecting Wrocław and Berlin, running through the village, was opened.[2] In 1847 a line to Dresden was built, and in 1865 to Lubań.[2] The settlement became an important railway junction. During World War II, the Germans located there two prisoner-of-war labor subcamps and a forced labor camp.[2] Near the end of World War II, in February 1945, the almost completely abandoned village was captured by the Soviets.[4] After World War II the region was placed preliminary under Polish administration according to the post-war Potsdam Agreement. It was repopulated with Poles, some of whom were from the Eastern Borderlands, which were annexed by the Soviet Union.

Węgliniec was granted town rights in 1967.[2]

Węgliniec railway station remains a major railway junction, located on strategic passenger and freight routes between Poland and Germany, with regular cross-border passenger services to Görlitz/Dresden and a limited service to Cottbus/Berlin.

See twin towns of Gmina Węgliniec.