Zawada – zapomniana wieś przy Drogomyślu

The settlement network of the Duchy of Cieszyn is well-researched and has a rich literature. The problem in painting a full picture lies in places that have deteriorated, have been considered lost or absorbed by neighboring, more resilient urban organisms. One of the towns in Cieszyn Silesia that have been considered lost is Zawada near Drogomyśl. Unfortunately, its existence in literature has been ignored by both Polish and Czech researchers, with the exception of one scholar who was exceptionally distinguished in this field, Ladislav Hosák (who, however, was not aware of all sources mentioning Zawada – what is more, he attributed some dates from its history to another town of the same name, Zawada near Piotrowice). The first mention of Zawada dates back to 1454, when it is mentioned as inheritance left by Goch of Ochaby. In 1487 prince Kazimierz II confirmed its ownership to his marshal, Mikołaj Brodecki. In 1607, Prince Adam Wacław gifted the village to Jan Czelo, and in 1615 the same prince at the request of Jerzy Czelo set the border between Zawada and Zabłocie. Interestingly, in all these documents, Zawada is mentioned in the company of Drogomyśl, and the two are always owned by the same person. We think that after 1615, when all mentions of Zawada in literature cease, it became part of the larger Drogomyśl. However, the memory of Zawada survived among residents, who still use the name to refer to the area between Zabłocie and Drogomyśl. The aim of this article is to show that in the case of four mentions (from 1454, 1487, 1607 and 1615) there is nothing to suggest that they concern the Zawada near Piotrowice, but rather that they confirm the existence of the Zawada near Drogomyśl, especially in the case of the mention from 1615, where there is a clear definition of Zawada as a place between the noble estate of Drogomyśl and princely estate of Zabłocie.