The area near the ancient
Amber Road had been settled since the
Neolithic era. Olesno was first mentioned in a 1226 deed by Bishop
Wawrzyniec of
Wrocław though it may refer to the neighbouring village of
Stare Olesno (Old Olesno). It was part of the duchies of
Opole,
Silesia and again Opole of fragmented
Piast-ruled
Poland. In 1229 it was acquired by Duke
Henry I the Bearded of Wrocław. Olesno became seat of a
castellan and received
town rights in 1275 from Duke
Władysław Opolski. A mint was also located in the town. It then was a part of the
Duchy of Opole which became a
fiefdom of the
Kingdom of Bohemia in 1327 and was incorporated into the
Holy Roman Empire by
Charles IV in 1355, however, it remained under the rule of local Polish dukes within the Duchy of Opole until its dissolution in 1532. The
Volksbote f. d. Kreise Kreuzburg u. Rosenberg was published as a local newspaper in Rosenberg. After the outbreak of
World War II in 1939, the German authorities arrested local Polish activists. On 21 January 1945 it was taken by the
Soviet troops of the 5th Guards Army. It became again part of Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which remained in power until the
Fall of Communism in the 1980s. The
Polish anti-communist resistance was active in Olesno, including the
Konspiracyjne Wojsko Polskie (Underground Polish Army) and
Wulkan (Volcano) organizations. The Olesno Regional Museum was founded in 1960. ==Notable people==