# Kożuchów

- **Country:** Poland
- **Coordinates:** 51.750000, 15.600000
- **Location Text:** Lubusz Voivodeship

Kożuchów is a historic town located in Nowa Sól County within the Lubusz Voivodeship of western Poland. Originally founded in the 12th century as part of the Kingdom of Poland, it received official town rights in 1273 during the period of Ostsiedlung. The settlement features a preserved medieval urban layout, characterized by defensive walls and Gothic architecture. Among its most notable structures is a castle historically associated with the Piast and Jagiellon dynasties, which ruled the Duchy of Głogów until the early 16th century. The town's skyline remains defined by these ancient fortifications and the Church of the Purification of Saint Mary.

The location holds significant historical importance, particularly regarding its cultural and military past. During the Baroque era, while under Austrian Silesia, the town became a focal point in German literature. In 1632, amidst the Thirty Years' War, the renowned poet Andreas Gryphius witnessed the devastating pillaging and burning of the city by Swedish forces, an event he immortalized in his work Fewrige Freystadt. Later, the town was annexed by Frederick the Great into the Kingdom of Prussia during the Silesian Wars and remained part of the German Empire until the conclusion of World War II.

Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, the town was reintegrated into Poland and reverted to its historic name, Kożuchów, replacing its German designation of Freystadt in Schlesien. This transition involved the expulsion of the German-speaking population and the resettlement of ethnic Poles displaced from former eastern territories. Today, Kożuchów stands as a testament to its turbulent history, maintaining its medieval defensive walls and architectural heritage as key features of the modern municipality.

![Photo of Kożuchów](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Wie%C5%BCa_ko%C5%9Bcio%C5%82a%2C_mury_obronne_w_Ko%C5%BCuchowie.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kożuchów (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)