The oldest historic mention of Piława Górna comes from the 12th century under the Latin namePilava Superius. Piława Górna was part of Piast-ruled Poland. Then the city came under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Hungary, again Bohemia and the Habsburg Monarchy. It was an agricultural village in Lower Silesia. After its annexation by the Kingdom of Prussia from Austria in the First Silesian War, German settlers developed a clothing industry in the village in 1743. A settlement congregation of the Moravian Brethren was built in Upper Peilau, i.e. Piława Górna, on the estate of the Austrian noble Ernst Julius, Count von Seydlitz. Imprisoned for his Protestant faith by the Habsburg rulers of Silesia, when he was freed following the Prussian seizure of Silesia, he named the new settlement Gnadenfrei to commemorate the event. Later on Gnadenfrei would be merged with Piława Górna. From 1871 to 1945 Peilau/Piława was part of Germany. It was for many years "the longest village in Germany", stretching for several miles along the Piława/Peila stream. By the beginning of the 20th century the village was almost completely German in ethnicity and Protestant in confession. In 1945 after World War II, it was transferred from Germany to Poland. Its German population was expelled and replaced with Roman Catholic Poles, themselves having been expelled from the Lwów region. In 1962 Piława Górna was granted town privileges.
Sights
Architectural sights include: the Saint Martin church, an 18th-century palace complex and the Educational Centre building from the 19th century.
Economy
Weaving mills and quarries were located in the vicinity of Piława Górna by the 14th century; the former state textile firm and quarry still exists in the town. In 2002 Piława Górna had 120 stone-working businesses, 27 textile businesses of various kinds, 172 trade companies, and 157 service industries. The agricultural industry is based on local farming and consists of 115 small businesses which mostly grow sugar beets, rapeseed, and grains. In order to promote tourism in the region, Piława Górna engages in agritourism.
