BRIEG

brieg, a town of germany, in the prussian province of silesia, on the left bank of the oder, and on the breslau and beuthen railway, 27 m. s.e. of the former city. pop. (1900) 24,090. it has a castle (the residence of the old counts of brieg), a lunatic asylum, a gymnasium with a good library, several churches and hospitals, and a theatre. its fortifications were destroyed by the french in 1807, and are now replaced by beautiful promenades. brieg carries on a considerable trade, its chief manufactures being linen, embroideries, cotton and woollen goods, ribbons, leather, machinery, hats, pasteboard and cigars. important cattle-markets are held here. brieg, or, as it is called in early documents, _civitas altae ripae_, obtained municipal rights in 1250 from duke henry iii. of breslau, and was fortified in 1297; its name is derived from the polish _brzeg_ (shore). burned by the hussites in 1428, the town was soon afterwards rebuilt, and in 1595 it was again fortified by joachim frederick, duke of brieg. in the thirty years' war it suffered greatly; in that of the austrian succession it was heavily bombarded by the prussian forces; and in 1807 it was captured by the french and bavarians. from 1311 to 1675 brieg was the capital of an independent line of dukes, a cadet branch of the polish dukes of lower silesia, by one of whom the castle was built in 1341. in 1537 frederick ii., duke of liegnitz, brieg and wohlau, concluded with joachim