The Duchy of Löwenberg (German: Herzogtum Löwenberg) or Duchy of Lwowek (Polish: Księstwo Lwóweckie) was one of the Duchies of Silesia established in 1281 as a division of the Duchy of Jawor. The duchy of Lwowek was ruled by the Silesian Piast, Bernard the Lightsome, with its capital at Lwowek Slaski (German: Löwenberg) in Lower Silesia, which gained town rights in 1217.

Quick Facts Księstwo Lwóweckie (pl)Herzogtum Löwenberg (de), Status ...

Duchy of Löwenberg Księstwo Lwóweckie (pl) Herzogtum Löwenberg (de)
1281–1286
Coat of arms
Silesia in 1284: Lwowek Duchy in burgundy
Status	Silesian duchy
Capital	Lwowek Slaski
Religion	Catholic
Government	feudalism
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Partitioned from Jawor	1281
• Annexed by Jawor	1286
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Jawor Duchy of Jawor

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The original duchy was located in the south-western part of Lower Silesia on the current lands of Lwowek Sląski County with the southern part of the duchy covering most of the modern Jelenia Gora County. Lwowek Slaski was the biggest town (around 11.000 inhabitants.^[1]) and also the capital of the duchy. The town of Lwowek had its own mint^[2][3] and coin.^[4][5] The town had double walls and two big churches. Some other important towns located within the lands of the duchy were: Wlen (German: Lähn), Gryfow Sląski (German: Greiffenberg) and Jelenia Gora (German: Hirschberg).^[6] The main factor of the rapid development of the area was gold surrounding Lwowek Slaski and the trade road Via Regia. Some sources say that a few tons of gold were excavated in the Middle Ages from the mines around Lwowek.^[7] After the exhaustion of the gold mines the citizens started to earn from cloth producing, weaving, crafts, trade and sandstone processing.

Bernard the Lightsome was the only ruler of the duchy of Lwowek. He was the youngest son of the Silesian prince Boleslaw II Rogatka and Hedwig, daughter of Henry I, Count of Anhalt. He became the ruler 3 years after his father died, in 1281 when Bernards' brother Bolko I the Strict partitioned the Duchy of Jawor and granted him western part of the duchy with its capital in Lwowek Slaski. The Duchy of Jawor and the duchy of Lwowek cooperated as brothers ruled in the two duchies. Bernard died unmarried and childless in 1286 and because of a lack of heirs the duchy of Lwowek was annexed and ruled by the Duchy of Jawor again by Bernard's brother Bolko I.^[8][9][10]

There were several castles guarding the lands of the duchy. The most important were those located in Wlen, Gryfow and Lwowek.

• Medieval bas-relief on the south wall of the town hall in Lwowek Slaski - a symbol of the town, with a sentence written in latin which means "Fair as a lion"
• Medieval coat of arms of the town of Lwowek Slaski
• Modern coat of arms of the town of Lwowek Slaski
• Medieval fortifications of Lwowek Slaski
• Tower of Lubanian Gate - a place of a former town gate in Lwowek Slaski
• The high town wall of Lwowek Slaski (of double surrounding walls in general)
• Tower of Boleslawieckan Gate in Lwowek Slaski
• Tower of Złotoryjan Gate in Lwowek
• Guard tower in Rakowice Wielkie
• Big church in Lwowek
• Church of st. Hedwig in Gryfow
• Town walls of Gryfow
• Houses in Gryfow
• Church in Wlen