Cedynia [t͡sɛˈdɨɲa] (German: Zehden) is a town in Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Gryfino County. It lies close to the Oder River, near the border with Germany, and is the westernmost town in Poland. (Osinów Dolny lies 6 km even further to the west, right on the German border, but is classified as a village.) It has 1,639 inhabitants (2006).

The town is situated directly across the Oder River from the German town of Oderberg. A Communist-era monument to first historically recorded battle of Poland was erected in the town after Second World War.

Cedynia gives its name to the protected area known as Cedynia Landscape Park.

History

The first Slavic settlement came into existence in the 8th century. In the 12th/13th century it was a seat of Polish castellany.

According to the Cedynia website, the "Name of city appears in documents under oldest written records already in the year 972 as Cidini, in 1187 as Zedin and Cedene, in 1240 as Ceden. "

In 972, the first historically recorded battle, Battle of Cedynia, of the first duke of the Polans took place at this location on June 24. At this battle, duke Mieszko I of Poland and his brother Czcibor defeated Hodo I, the German margrave of the Northern March and Lusatia. Information about this battle is found in the Gall Anonim Chronicle and the Thietmar Chronicle. This was one of Mieszko's and his son Boleslaw I's numerous battles, that they took up in their conquests and conquest attempts in several neighboring countries, soon after they received positions as dukes.