Linden Street

Lipowa is a village in Poland, located in the Silesian Voivodeship, within Żywiec County, and serves as the administrative seat of the gmina (municipality) of the same name. It covers an area of 4052 hectares and had a population of 4812 in 2020. The name of the village derives from the linden tree (Tilia) and was first mentioned in the years 1470–1480 by Jan Długosz. The history of Lipowa dates back to the end of the 13th century. The village was associated with the Radwanici family and functioned as an agricultural settlement. The first church was established here and recorded in 1350. Lipowa witnessed various historical events, including resistance by its inhabitants against German occupation in 1939, which led to the arrest of local resistance leaders. The architectural monument of the highest value is the parish church of St. Bartholomew from 1896, which is the third building on this site, following earlier structures, the oldest of which dates back to 1350. The church houses a valuable triptych of the Holy Family from around 1540, as well as numerous liturgical artifacts. Other significant sites include a 17th-century chapel in Dolna Lipowa and a school complex. In the interwar period, the Lipowa manor farm was one of the leading agricultural estates in Poland, part of the Habsburg estate, where modern farming methods were introduced. In 1951, the farm was transferred to the Polish Academy of Learning and later to the Polish Academy of Sciences. Lipowa also preserves traces of historical turmoil and resistance against invaders, making it an important point on the cultural map of the region.