Greater Poland
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Greater Poland
Wielkopolska | |
---|---|
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Primary airport | Poznań–Ławica Airport |
Highways |
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (pronounced
The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history. Since the
Like all the historical regions of Poland, i.e Pomerania, Warmia, Silesia, Mazovia or Lesser Poland and others, the Greater Poland region possesses its own folk costumes, architecture, cuisine, that make the region touristically and culturally interesting.
Name
Due to the fact that Greater Poland was the settlement area of the
Geography
Greater Poland comprises much of the area drained by the
The region's main metropolis is Poznań, near the centre of the region, on the Warta. Other cities are Kalisz to the south-east, Konin to the east, Piła to the north, Ostrów Wielkopolski to the south-east, Gniezno (the earliest capital of Poland) to the north-east, and Leszno to the south-west.
An area of 75.84 square kilometres (29.28 sq mi) of forest and lakeland south of Poznań is designated the
History
It has been suggested that this section be History of Greater Poland. (Discuss ) (November 2023) |
Medieval and early modern period
Greater Poland formed the heart of the 10th-century
In the
In 1264, Duke Bolesław the Pious issued the Statute of Kalisz in the region. It was a unique protective privilege for Jews during their persecution in Western Europe, which in the following centuries made Poland the destination of Jewish migration from other countries.
From the late 13th century, the region experienced first German invasions and occupations. In the late 13th century, the northwestern part of Greater Poland was occupied by the
In the reunited kingdom, and later in the
In 1655, Greater Poland was invaded by Sweden, and several battles were fought in the region, including at Ujście, Kłecko and Kcynia.
In the 18th century kings Augustus II the Strong and Augustus III of Poland often resided in Wschowa, and sessions of the Senate of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were held there, thus the town being dubbed the "unofficial capital of Poland".[4] In 1768 a new Gniezno Voivodeship was formed out of the northern part of Kalisz Voivodeship. However more far-reaching changes would come with the Partitions of Poland. In the first partition (1772), northern parts of Greater Poland along the Noteć (German Netze) were taken over by Prussia, becoming the Netze District. In the second partition (1793) the whole of Greater Poland was absorbed by Prussia, becoming part of the province of South Prussia. It remained so in spite of the first Greater Poland uprising (1794), part of the unsuccessful Kościuszko Uprising directed chiefly against Russia.
Partitions of Poland
More successful was the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, which led to the bulk of Greater Poland becoming part of the Napoleonic Duchy of Warsaw (forming the Poznań Department and parts of the Kalisz and Bydgoszcz Departments), whereas the northwestern and northern outskirts remained part of Prussia. However, following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Greater Poland was again partitioned, with the western part (including Poznań) going to Prussia. The eastern part (including Kalisz) joined the Russian-controlled Kingdom of Poland, where it formed the Kalisz Voivodeship until 1837, then the Kalisz Governorate (merged into the Warsaw Governorate between 1844 and 1867).
Within the Prussian Partition, western Greater Poland became the
In the Russian Partition, Russification policies were enacted, and Polish resistance was also active. The largest uprisings in Russian-controlled eastern Greater Poland were the November Uprising of 1830–31 and January Uprising of 1863–64.
During World War I, Germany also occupied eastern Greater Poland, and in August 1914, the German Army carried out the destruction of Kalisz. Germany planned the annexation of eastern Greater Poland as part of the so-called "Polish Border Strip" and expulsion of its Polish inhabitants to make room for German colonization in accordance with the Lebensraum policy.
Interbellum
Following the end of
World War II
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland starting World War II. During the attack the German army, Einsatzgruppen and Selbstschutz perpetrated various crimes against the Polish people in the occupied areas,[10] whereas the persecution of Poles of northern and western Greater Poland reached its climax with mass arrests of Polish activists, who were detained in temporary camps in Piła and Lipka, and then deported to concentration camps, expulsions and closure of Polish schools and enterprises.[11] The invading troops committed multiple massacres of Polish civilians and prisoners of war, including at Kłecko, Zdziechowa, Mogilno, Trzemeszno, Niewolno, Winiary, Wągrowiec, Mielno, Jankowo Dolne, Podlesie Kościelne and Obora.[12]
Afterwards, the occupiers launched the
The Germans continued the expulsion of Poles, now also in pre-war Polish territory, with the Special Staff for the Resettlement of Poles and Jews (Sonderstab für die Aussiedlung von Polen und Juden) established in Poznań in November 1939, soon renamed to Office for the Resettlement of Poles and Jews (Amt für Umsiedlung der Polen und Juden), and eventually to Central Bureau for Resettlement (UWZ, Umwandererzentralstelle).[20] The place of the Poles was taken by German colonists in accordance with the Lebensraum policy. Many Poles were also enslaved as forced labour and either sent to forced labour camps or German colonists in the region or deported to Germany and other German-occupied countries.[21] Over 270,000 Polish children aged 10–18 were subjected to forced labour in Greater Poland, which, in addition to German profits of 500 million marks, was aimed at the children's biological destruction.[22] The Germans also operated Germanisation camps for Polish children taken away from their parents in Kalisz, Poznań, Puszczykowo and Zaniemyśl.[23] The children were given new German names and surnames, and were punished for any use of the Polish language, even with death.[23] After their stay in the camp, the children were deported to Germany; only some returned to Poland after the war, while the fate of many remains unknown to this day.[23]
Jews from the region were also expelled and deported to other locations, including to Nazi ghettos, concentration camps and forced labour camps. From 1940, the occupiers also operated several forced labour camps for Jews in the region.[21] Due to poor feeding and sanitary conditions, epidemics spread in those camps, which, combined with frequent executions, led to a high mortality rate.[21] On the order of Heinrich Himmler, most of the camps were dissolved in 1943, and its surviving prisoners were sent to ghettos and death camps.[21]
Germany operated several prisoner-of-war camps, including Stalag XXI-B, Stalag XXI-C, Stalag XXI-D, Stalag XXI-E, Stalag 302, Oflag II-C, Oflag XXI-A, Oflag XXI-B, Oflag XXI-C and Oflag 64, for Polish, French, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander, Belgian, Dutch, Serbian, American, Italian, South African and other Allied POWs in the region. There were also multiple forced labour subcamps of the Stalag II-B, Stalag II-D and Stalag XX-A POW camps in the region,[24][25][26] a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Owińska,[27] a subcamp of the Stutthof concentration camp in Obrzycko, a subcamp of the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Kalisz Pomorski,[28] and a camp for Sinti and Romani people in Piła.[29] A particularly notorious prison camp was operated in Żabikowo, where mostly Poles were imprisoned, but also Luxembourgers, Dutch, Hungarians, Slovaks, Americans, Russians and deserters from the Wehrmacht, and many were tortured and executed.[30]
The
From August 1944 to January 1945, the Germans used hundreds of thousands of Poles as forced labour to build fortifications in the region ahead of the advancing Eastern Front.[21] In January 1945, before and during their retreat, the Germans committed several further massacres of Polish civilians, prisoners and Polish and other Allied POWs, including at Pleszew, Marchwacz, Żabikowo, Łomnica and Kuźnica Żelichowska and perpetrated several death marches.[39][40][41][42] Poznań was declared a fortress in the closing stages of the war, being taken by the Red Army in the Battle of Poznań, which ended on 22 February 1945.
Post-war period
After the war, Greater Poland was fully reintegrated with Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the 1980s. The region experienced several waves of anti-communist protests and strikes, including the 1956 Poznań protests and the 1980 strikes in various cities and towns,[43] which led to the foundation of the Solidarity organization, which played a central role in the end of communist rule in Poland.
With the reforms of 1975 it was divided into seven provinces, partially or wholly located in Greater Poland (the voivodeships of
voivodeships.Sights
The region is rich in historical architecture of various styles from Romanesque and Gothic through Renaissance and Baroque to Neoclassical and Art Nouveau.
Greater Poland boasts 13 Historic Monuments of Poland:
- Biskupin archaeological site
- Gorzeński Palace and park complex in Dobrzyca
- Renaissance Basilica on the Holy Mountain, Głogówko
- Royal Gniezno Cathedral
- Former Cistercian abbey in Gościkowo
- Manor and park complex in Koszuty
- Kórnik Castle and park complex with the All Saints' Church in Kórnik
- Ląd Abbey
- Benedictine Monastery with the Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Lubiń
- Ostrów Lednicki
- Poznań Old Town with the Ostrów Tumski, and the adjacent Park Cytadela and Fort Winiary
- Baroque Raczyński Palace and park complex in Rogalin
- Rydzyna Old Town with the Baroque Rydzyna Castle
Major museums include the Museum of Polish State Origins in Gniezno, and the National Museum and Wielkopolska Museum of Independence in Poznań. Several castles and palaces house museums, such as those in Dobrzyca, Gołuchów, Jarocin, Kołaczkowo, Koźmin Wielkopolski, Kórnik, Poznań, Rogalin and Śmiełów.
Poland's largest church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, is located in the region.
The oldest preserved European signpost beyond the boundaries of the former Roman Empire is located in Konin.
Cuisine
In addition to traditional nationwide
Notable centers of traditional meat production include Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Krotoszyn, Kruszewnia, Nowy Tomyśl, Rawicz, Trzcianka and Złotniki, whereas centers of traditional cheese and quark production include Wągrowiec, Gniezno, Oborniki, Witkowo, Witoldzin and Września.
A plethora of traditional Polish honey is produced in various places, especially in the Noteć and Warta river valleys in the north and west. Notable centers of honey production include Pszczew, Wałcz, Tuczno, Lubiszyn and Stare Drawsko in northern and western Greater Poland and Kopaszewo and Witosław in southern Greater Poland. The Saint Michael's Honey Fair is held annually in Gorzów Wielkopolski.
Grodzisk Wielkopolski is the place of origin of the Grodziskie beer style. Other traditional Polish beers, officially protected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland, are produced in Bojanowo, Czarnków, Miłosław, Nakło nad Notecią and Wschowa.
Sports
Football and speedway enjoy the largest following in Greater Poland. The most accomplished football teams are Lech Poznań and Warta Poznań. 18-times Team Polish Champions (as of 2023), Unia Leszno, is the most accomplished speedway team in Poland, and other accomplished teams in the region are Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski and Polonia Piła.
Main handball clubs are MKS Kalisz, KPR Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski, Nielba Wągrowiec, Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski, Grunwald Poznań and KPR Wolsztyniak Wolsztyn.
Field hockey enjoys less popularity, however, the region is dominant in the sport in Poland, with 80 of the 86 men's Polish Championships won by local teams (as of October 2023).
Main cities
The following table lists the cities in proper Greater Poland with a population greater than 25,000 (2015):
City | Population (2015)[44] | Voivodeship in 1750 | Voivodeship in 2016 | Additional information | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Poznań | 548,028 | Poznań
|
Greater Poland | Former capital of Poland, medieval royal city of Poland.
|
2. | Kalisz | 103,997 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Medieval provincial ducal capital in Poland, former voivodeship capital, historical capital of Greater Poland, former royal city of Poland. |
3. | Konin | 77,224 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former royal city of Poland. |
4. | Piła | 74,609 | Poznań | Greater Poland | Former royal city of Poland. |
5. | Ostrów Wielkopolski | 72,890 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former private town of the Przebendowski family. |
6. | Gniezno | 69,883 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former capital of Poland, medieval provincial ducal capital in Poland, former voivodeship capital, former royal city of Poland, ecclesiastical capital of Poland. |
7. | Leszno | 64,589 | Poznań | Greater Poland | Former private town of the Leszczyński family .
|
8. | Swarzędz | 31,084 | Poznań | Greater Poland | Former private town of the Grudziński family, part of the Poznań metropolitan area. |
9. | Luboń | 30,676 | Poznań | Greater Poland | Part of the Poznań metropolitan area. |
10. | Śrem | 30,152 | Poznań | Greater Poland | Former royal city of Poland. |
11. | Września | 29,552 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former private town. |
12. | Krotoszyn | 29,397 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former private town. |
13. | Jarocin | 26,311 | Kalisz | Greater Poland | Former private town. |
14. | Wałcz | 26,231 | Poznań | West Pomeranian | Former royal city of Poland. |
15. | Wągrowiec | 25,178 | Kalisz | Greater Poland |
-
Baroque St. Nicholas' Church in Leszno
-
Kalisz Town Hall
-
Renaissance Gołuchów Castle
-
Marian sanctuary inLicheń near Konin
See also
References
- ^ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom X (in Polish). Warszawa. 1889. p. 301.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kodeks dyplomatyczny Wielkopolski (in Polish). Vol. IV. Poznań: Biblioteka Kórnicka. 1881.
- ^ Rogalski, Leon (1846). Dzieje Krzyżaków oraz ich stosunki z Polską, Litwą i Prussami, poprzedzone rysem dziejów wojen krzyżowych. Tom II (in Polish). Warszawa. pp. 59–60.
- ISBN 978-83-947121-0-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 978-83-65681-93-5.
- ^ a b Cygański 1984, p. 45.
- ^ Cygański 1984, p. 46.
- ^ Cygański 1984, pp. 46, 48.
- ^ Cygański 1984, p. 47.
- ^ Wardzyńska 2009, pp. 56–57, 60.
- ^ Cygański 1984, pp. 48–50.
- ^ Wardzyńska 2009, pp. 90–92, 94–95.
- ^ Wardzyńska 2009, pp. 193–198, 191–192, 199, 205–206, 211.
- ISBN 978-83-88693-73-1.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 83-85003-97-5.
- ^ Od socjaldemokracji do "Solidarności": organizacje robotnicze w Wielkopolsce w XIX i XX wieku, do roku 1990 Edmund Makowski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza, p. 155 (1991)
- ^ "Kraj Warty" 1934–1945: studium historyczno-gospodarcze okupacji hitlerowskiej, Czesław Łuczak, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 1972
- ^ Wardzyńska 2009, pp. 163–164, 191–192, 199, 205–206, 211.
- ^ Wardzyńska 2009, pp. 216–217.
- ISBN 978-83-8098-174-4.
- ^ ISBN 83-85003-97-5.
- Biblioteka Jagiellońska. p. 74.
- ^ a b c d Krystyna Dobak-Splitt; Jerzy Aleksander Splitt. ""Dom wychowawczy" dla polskich dzieci w Kaliszu". Kalisz.info (in Polish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Les Kommandos". Stalag IIB Hammerstein, Czarne en Pologne (in French). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ISSN 0137-5199.
- ISSN 0557-2177.
- ^ "Subcamps of KL Gross-Rosen". Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoźnica. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Anlage zu § 1. Verzeichnis der Konzentrationslager und ihrer Außenkommandos gemäß § 42 Abs. 2 BEG" (in German). Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Lager für Sinti und Roma Schneidemühl". Bundesarchiv.de (in German). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "68 lat temu zlikwidowano obóz hitlerowski w Żabikowie". Poznań Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ Pietrowicz 2011, pp. 28–33.
- ^ Pietrowicz 2011, pp. 34, 36.
- ^ Pietrowicz 2011, pp. 23–26, 31–32.
- ^ Pietrowicz 2011, p. 23.
- ^ Aleksandra Pietrowicz. ""Dorsze" z Poznania". Przystanek Historia (in Polish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ISSN 0137-5377.
- ^ Pietrowicz 2011, p. 26.
- ^ Ledniowski, Krzysztof; Gola, Beata (2020). "Niemiecki obóz dla małoletnich Polaków w Łodzi przy ul. Przemysłowej". In Kostkiewicz, Janina (ed.). Zbrodnia bez kary... Eksterminacja i cierpienie polskich dzieci pod okupacją niemiecką (1939–1945) (in Polish). Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Biblioteka Jagiellońska. pp. 147, 158–159.
- ^ Encyklopedia konspiracji Wielkopolskiej 1939–1945. p. 147.
- ^ Anna Czuchra (30 January 2016). "71. rocznica mordu na mieszkańcach Marchwacza". Wielkopolski Urząd Wojewódzki w Poznaniu (in Polish). Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "75. rocznica likwidacji i ewakuacji więźniów obozu karno-śledczego w Żabikowie". Muzeum Martyrologiczne w Żabikowie (in Polish). 19 January 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ISSN 0031-3130.
- ISSN 1641-9561.
- ^ "Lista miast w Polsce (spis miast, mapa miast, liczba ludności, powierzchnia, wyszukiwarka)". polskawliczbach.pl.
Bibliography
- Cygański, Mirosław (1984). "Hitlerowskie prześladowania przywódców i aktywu Związków Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1939–1945". Przegląd Zachodni (in Polish) (4).
- Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN.
- Pietrowicz, Aleksandra (2011). "Konspiracja wielkopolska 1939–1945". Biuletyn Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej (in Polish). No. 5–6 (126–127). ISSN 1641-9561.