CIESZYN

German Teschen, Czech Ten city, Bielsko-Biala wojewdztwo (province), southwestern Poland, on the Olza River in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Situated on the PolishCzech border, the city is essentially divided by the Olza; the newer Czech side is known as Cesk Ten. A primary Polish Silesian stronghold in the 12th century, Cieszyn, with the other Silesian Piast principalities, was attached to Bohemia in the 14th century. Bohemia, in turn, passed to the Austrian Habsburg dynasty in 1526; the last Piast prince of Cieszyn died in 1625. The settlement of territorial disputes after World War I awarded Cieszyn to Poland. The whole region was annexed by Germany in 1939, but at the end of World War II Cieszyn was returned to Poland. Cieszyn manufactures metallurgical and electrotechnical products, as well as clockworks and paper. It has a regional museum containing a fine collection of ethnic costumes. Pop. (1982 est.) 34,600.