Konin ' is a town in central Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 on the Warta river. It is the capital of Konin County

Konin County

Konin County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Konin, although the city...

. Since 1999, it has been in the Greater Poland Voivodeship

Greater Poland Voivodeship

Wielkopolska Voivodeship , or Greater Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła and Leszno Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998...

. Previously, it was the capital of Konin Voivodeship

Konin Voivodeship

Konin Voivodeship - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its capital city was Konin.-Major cities and towns :* Konin * Turek...

 (1975–1998). In 2006, the population was 81,233.

Prehistory

The oldest remains of human habitation in Konin have been dated to the Paleolithic

Paleolithic

The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...

. On the dunes near the Warta river in Konin various ancient flint tools and implements were found, among them knives, burins, and tanged points. These earliest artefacts belong to the Swiderian culture

Swiderian culture

Swiderian culture, also published in English literature as Sviderian and Swederian, is the name of Final Palaeolithic cultural complexes in Poland and the surrounding areas. The type-site is Świdry Wielkie, in Otwock. The Swiderian is recognized as a distinctive culture that developed on the sand...

 (Kultura świderska) from 9000 - 8000 BC.

Ancient times

The beginnings of permanent settlements near Konin were connected with the Amber Route leading from the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

 to the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

 through the area of present-day town.
Though there was no settlement called Konin at that time, valuable record about the place remained on map drawn by Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...

. The place was described as Setidava

Setidava

Setidava, mentioned by Ptolemy in his Geography, was an outpost of Dacian nationality in northern regions. This town, with the typical Dacian name on -dava, was placed in Ptolemy's Germania, beyond Kalisia, e.g. north of the present Kalisz in Poland...

(or Getidava), a Dacian name using the form "-dava

Dava (Dacian)

Dava is a Geto-Dacian name for a city, town or fortress. Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified...

" and indicated probably a wading place in the Warta river, and an emporium

Marketplace

A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...

 - probably quite important place to merchants travelling along the Amber Route (information derived from Kalisz-Konin on The Amber Route written by Krzysztof Gorczyca). The biggest burial ground from that time was situated on the dunes, on the west from the centre of today's Konin and it belonged to the Przeworsk culture

Przeworsk culture

The Przeworsk culture is part of an Iron Age archaeological complex that dates from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. It was located in what is now central and southern Poland, later spreading to parts of eastern Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia ranging between the Oder and the middle and...

 (Kultura Przeworska) (2nd to 3rd centuries AD).

Middle ages

In the early Middle Ages

Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...

 a settlement called Gród Kaszuba was the most significant of fortified settlements near present town of Konin and, in fact, Konin town originates from it. Gród Kaszuba existed from 10th to 12th centuries AD, was situated on the meadows near Warta river and was left probably in consequence of a flood which damaged partly its fortifications. It is worth to mention, that the remains of Gród Kaszuba are still visible on the south bank of the Warta river, although little remained of it. The prevailing majority of the settlement has been already taken away by the river.

In the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

, since 12th to 13th centuries AD the centre of complex of settlements near Konin was situated in the place where there is a Stare Miasto

Stare Miasto, Konin County

Stare Miasto is a village in Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Stare Miasto. It lies approximately south-west of Konin and east of the regional capital Poznań...

 village today. There was a large settlement founded along the Polish law there with a market place and church build of sand-stone. Its name was Konin at that time - the name Stare Miasto apperaed in use later on, when Konin itself changed its location. What remained from that time is SS Peter's and Paul's parish church with magnificent carved portal and the solar clock on the south wall - probably the oldest solar clock in Greater Poland

Greater Poland

Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...

. In 1331 Settlement in Stare Miasto was plundered and burnt down by Teutonic Knights

Teutonic Knights

The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 (Krzyżacy) during one of their illegal sallies against Polish Kingdom spanning deep into the main body of Greater Poland. This what remained from the settlement was abandoned soon and the town of Konin was founded elsewhere, in much more defensible place - namely just there, where the Old Town of Konin is situated nowadays.

Since 13th century onward the town of Konin has been situated on marshy grounds of island between several branches of Warta river. The oldest available note confirming the location of the town of Konin is connected with the chief officer of a settlers named Gosław - it was written in 1293. It is supposed that the location of town based on a charter signed by Przemysł II (duke of whole of Greater Poland) while he visited to Konin personally, namely in 1284 and 1292. We know what size exactly the town had at that time - its North - South axis equalled 430 meters, while West - East axis equalled only 210 meters. The area of town equalled 8 hectares and its circumference 1100 meters. And so Konin was a town of medium size at that time.

In 14th century the significance of Konin is little by little growing. There are some temporary and separate records of Castellans from Konin. Castellan was a very significant office in feudal Poland and only the oldest towns in country were granted them. Approximately in the half of 14th century Konin became a capital of Judicial County in Kalisz Voivodeship. The town was connected with an office of Starost of the district. There must have been also a school in Konin at that time, because one student from Konin is on 14th century record of Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...

.

Second half of 14th and the whole 15th century are believed as the period of the rapid development of Konin. During the reign of Polish king Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), the king's castle was erected in Konin, and the town was encircled with walls and with moat. It was the beginning of the town of Konin as a king's town Well known Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło (1351(52) - 1434) was a frequent guest in Konin in years 1403, 1425 and 1433. This king managed to weaken and even to destroy partly the political and military power of Teutonic Knights. Polish-Lithuanian army won decisive Battle of Grunwald

Battle of Grunwald

The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...

 (15 July 1410). His last stay was the longest of all and lasted the whole summer while he lived in the king's castle in Konin waiting for the news about next Polish retaliatory sally against Teutonic Knights. During Thirteen Years War (Wojna trzynastoletnia) (1454–1466) still against Teutonic Order there was a common recruitment in Poland in 1458. Every Polish town was bounded to put up a quantity of soldiers - this was a conspicuous sign of a power of a given town how much soldiers it had to put up. With regard to Konin it was 15 infantrymen (Poznań

Poznan

Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

, the capital of Greater Poland was bounded to put up 60 ones, Kalisz

Kalisz

Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...

 - 30, nearby Słupca - 20, nearby Kłodawa - 20, Koło - 15). It means Konin was still the town of medium size. Notwithstanding the development of a town went on, which is recorded in the significant development of handi-crafts and in the enlargement of the area of Starosty District of Konin. Since 1425 Konin was given a charter allowing for two fairs each year.

Renaissance

The 16th century, the golden age

Golden Age

The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages, and then the present, a period of decline...

 of the Polish Nation, was a time of significant, economic, political, military, cultural and territorial growth. Konin was no exception. A description of the town written in 1557 lists 8 butchers, 14 bakers, 21 shoemakers and 4 fishermen. In town there was also a brickyard and a mill. Since 1504 the Kurów village was incorporated to town itself in spite of the fact it was situated on the other river bank than the main body of the town. During the time of Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

 the starost of Konin was Jakub Ostroróg - person of merit with regard to hawking about the very idea of Reformation and well disposed to apostates. Local parish-priest Stanisław Lutomirski was an eminent devotee of Reformation - it was he, who put into the matter of fact an amazing history of Reformation in the region of Konin. We can compare the power of towns of Eastern Greater Poland taking into account so called 'Szos' - it means global town's tax calculated along earnings and possessions of townspeople. Konin was obliged to pay 32 zlotych (Poznań (the capital of Greater Poland) - 1400 zlotych, Kalisz - 230 zlotych, nearby Słupca- 96 zlotych, both Koło and Pyzdry

Pyzdry

Pyzdry is a town in Września County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,163 inhabitants .- History :In 1390 the treaty of Pyzdry was signed there. In 1815 the town was the western most point of the Russian Empire. There was a narrow-gauge railway in Pyzdry....

 - 64 zlotych). It means, that Konin was one of the smallest towns at that time.

17th century

At the very beginning of 17th century there was a notable development of textile industry in Konin. In 1616 there were over 30 cloth workshops in town. About the 1630s conspicuous decline of the town began. The situation of Konin was not a special on the background of the whole Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...

 (Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów). In the 17th century, epidemics, fires and war with Sweden (see: Deluge (history)) brought about the decline of the country, of region and of the town of Konin itself. In 1628 a plague went off which lasted for three years decimating population of the town. To counteract the disaster, a charter was bestowed by the king Władysław IV in 1646, confirming that the town was allowed for two fairs a year and, in addition, ensuring every merchant willing to attend the fairs of special personal protection given for granted by the soldiers of the king. In 1652 an edict was issued by a Starost according of which Scottish community in Konin was allowed to erect their breweries and to brew beer. In 1655 great war with Sweden went off - so called Deluge (history). In 1656, as a result of The Siege of Konin in 1656 and occupation by Swedish army the town was deteriorated, devastated and damaged. (see also paragraphs below, namely The Castle in Konin and The Town Walls of Konin) In 1659 it was jotted down than from 127 houses which stood in Konin before the war only 25 remained. The next outburst of plague in 1662 significantly worsened tragic situation of the town. On the turn of 17th century the town which had been previously thriving was hardly larger than a mere village and the population of it was not larger than 200 people.

18th century

18th century began with the turmoil of Great Northern War

Great Northern War

The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...

 (III Wojna Północna). In 1707 the town of Konin was severely devastated again. It took the whole 18th century to restore it.
Second half of the century was a time of advanced crisis and, in consequence irreversible decline of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów) ended up in the Partitions of Poland

Partitions of Poland

The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...

 and in loss of national independence. Territory of Poland was divided into three parts between three, powerful neighbouring countries, namely Russia, Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

 and Austria. Three Partitions of Poland took place respectively in 1772, 1793 and 1795. As consequence of the second one in 1793, Konin was incorporated to Prussia - it was the end of role of Konin as a king's town. Population of the town equalled 780 people then, there were 165 houses there with only one made of brick. Inhabitants earned their living in agriculture and in handi-crafts. Amongst craftsmen 22 shoemakers constituted the majority. There were also 13 potters and 8 furriers. Each year 8 fairs took place together with round-up of cattle. There were four main national groups in Konin at that time, namely Poles

Poles

thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...

, Jews

Jews

The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...

, Germans

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 and Scottish people

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

. It is known that Konin joined first Polish insurrection, namely Kościuszko Uprising

Kosciuszko Uprising

The Kościuszko Uprising was an uprising against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania in 1794...

 (Insurekcja Kościuszkowska) in 1794 - the very act of joining is recorded in town's books form that time. The town was being taken over by Polish rebeliants several times e.g. in September 1794 when soldiers of corps of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski

Jan Henryk Dabrowski

-Biography:Dąbrowski was born to Jan Michal Dąbrowski and Sophie née von Lettow in Pierzchów, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth He grew up in Hoyerswerda, Electorate of Saxony, where his father served as a Colonel in the Saxon army...

 entered the town (Jan Henryk Dąbrowski is the main of few persons mentioned in Polish national anthem - so called Dąbrowski's mazurka). In 1796 the town was damaged in fire.

19th century

19th century started with general, European commotion of Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

. Eastern Greater Poland with region of Konin itself did not escape it. In the very beginning of 19th century Księstwo Warszawskie (Duchy of Warsaw

Duchy of Warsaw

The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...

) was created as Polish autonomous region entirely dependent on Napoleon I Bonaparte. Napoleonic Wars could arise great hope of Poles to regain the independence of their country and they supported Napoleon enthusiastically. And so, on 9 November 1806 Poles taken over the control over Konin. New management of the town was organised in a hurry, town's cash-box and ware-houses were provided-for. In 1807 the town was formally included to boundaries of Księstwo Warszawskie (Duchy of Warsaw) . The collapse of Napoleonic Empire after la Grande Armée

La Grande Armée

The Grande Armée first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain...

 attacked Russia ended up in the establishment of the new order in Europe, in Polish territories and in the town of Konin as well. Great European rulers met in Vienna in 1815 to discuss the subsequent political changes on the continent. According to conclusions and decrees of The Vienna Congress, Russia was given the majority of territories belonging formerly to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów). Since 1815 Konin was incorporated to Russia as a part of Królestwo Kongresowe (Congress Poland

Congress Poland

The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...

) - pseudo-autonomous region entirely dependent on Russia and with Russian tzar as a head of this region. Konin became a capital of a region in Gubernya of Kalisz. That Konin's region encompassed of two counties, namely Konin County and Pyzdry County. It means that from administrative point of view, region of Konin was the most westwardly advanced part of Russia. Never before and never after Russian territory spanned so far in the west. In 19th century since 1815 onwards, some kind of boom on the fields of trade and handicrafts was visible. The description of the town from 1820 stated that amongst 2456 of inhabitants, there were 161 craftsmen, 10 merchants and only 42 peasants. Throughout the 19th century the population of Konin increased in number: in 1850 it equalled 4195 people, while in 1896 it reached 7391 people. In Comparison with nearby Koło (in 1896 population was 8800 inhabitants) or Turek

Turek

Turek is a town in central Poland with 29 522 inhabitants . It is the capital of Turek County.Turek is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship ; it was previously in Konin Voivodeship .-History:...

 (in 1896 population was 9900) Konin was still one of the smallest towns. Fastly developing branch of industry in Królestwo Kongresowe (Congress Poland) was undoubtedly textile industry

Textile industry

The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....

. In the 19th century nearby Łódź became one of the most significant textile industrial centres in the world. In 1820 there were only 12 cloth workshops and little factories in Konin - it means development of this branch of industry in Konin was weak.
In 1830 Powstanie Listopadowe (November Uprising

November Uprising

The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...

) broke out. Konin was not directly involved in this Polish uprising, but - as every Polish town - was forced to suffer from political and cultural consequences of its failure. Those political consequences were immense especially on the domain of authonomy of Królestwo Kongresowe (Congress Poland) from the main body of Russia and in access of Poles to higher offices in the country. Both were significantly diminished. Cultural consequences were even worse - systematic rusification was carried into effect in both primary, and secondary schools (not to mention universities, but there was no high school in Konin at that time). Polish language were no longer formal language of the country.
In 1830s general regulation of the town of Konin was carried out - new streets and squares were traced, grounds for industry were prepared as foundations for further development of the town and old, shabby buildings were demolished.
In 1863 next Polish uprising, namely Powstanie Styczniowe (January Uprising

January Uprising

The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...

) broke out. From its very nature it was spontaineous folk rebellion because there was no Polish, regular army at that time. In practice it meant that the social class interested most in results of that uprising was Polish gentry leading their own peasants, people belonging to feudal properties of given family of the gentry. Nevertheless the uprising was widely supported in society as well. The course of that uprising in the region of Konin was fierce. As much as several tens of battles and skirmishes took place near Konin and even in town itself. There are still many monuments and crosses commemorating battles and important events of this Insurrection in the region of Konin and in the town too. Repressions of the Tsarist authorities were even more severe than in the case of November Uprising from 1830. Continual fighting lasted for more than a year and ended up in the series of deeply spanning social changes and subsequent reforms undertaken by Russian government.
It would be hard to say about industrial revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

 in Konin as early as in 19th century, but industrial development of the town was conspicuous beyond any doubts. And so at the end of the century there were 2 factories producing machines and special tools for agriculture - the larger of them belonged to L. Reymond, the citizen of Switzerland who settled down in Konin for good. His factory was perfectly equipped with steam engine (12 horses-power) and own foundry of cast iron.
Apart from those enterprises mentioned above there were yet 18 wind-mills, 4 tanneries, 4 workshops producing soap, 3 factories of vinegar, 2 small factories producing boilers, 2 breweries, 2 oil-mills, 1 factory of sparkling water, 1 distillery.

20th century

The beginning of 20th century was the period of rapid development on the field of culture, education, social life and so on. Jewish Library in Konin was founded and became soon one of the best in the Gubernya of Kalisz. In fact, the quantity of books and general number of readers significantly exceeded similar libraries in Kalisz in spite of the fact, Kalisz was much larger urban area.
Some worker's association were founded in Konin as well. In 1905, when a real revolution broke out in Polish industrial centres as Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

 and Łódź there were some minor strikes and turmoil in Konin as well.
A branch of Polish Gimnastic Society "Sokół" (Sokol

Sokol

The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...

) was founded in Konin - it was quasi-military association aimed in maintaining teenagers in form to improve their health and to turn them easily into skilled soldiers in the case of possible, national uprising or in other kind of need. Similar Jewish and German associations followed it.
Towarzystwo Muzyczne w Kaliszu Musical Society of Kalisz had as much as 72 members in Konin.
In 1908 the branch of famous Kaliskie Towarzystwo Wioślarskie Rowing-Club in Kalisz was founded in Konin. Its building with coat of arms of the club survived and one can still see it in The Old Konin, in Zofii Urbanowskiej street. In 1914 there were 95 members of that club.
In 1914 World War I broke out - not far from Konin battles of Russian and Prussian troops took place and soon the town was taken over by Prussian administration.

The economic situation of the town did not improve when Poland regained its independence in 1918 (see: Second Polish Republic

Second Polish Republic

The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...

). Living conditions of residents were still miserable. There was no network for distribution of water, and no sewers. The town did not benefit from the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

. The inter-war econonomic crisis was harshly felt. The situation did not begin to improve until the désenclavement of the town, thanks to the opening of the major railway Poznań-Warsaw, and the construction of the canal in the Gopło lake which relied on the Warta River, which borders the town.

Jews had represented 30% of Konin's population prior to the Second World War. During the war, Konin was part of the land annexed by Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 (Reichsgau Wartheland

Reichsgau Wartheland

Reichsgau Wartheland was a Nazi German Reichsgau formed from Polish territory annexed in 1939. It comprised the Greater Poland and adjacent areas, and only in part matched the area of the similarly named pre-Versailles Prussian province of Posen...

). In the town's surrounding forests, the Nazis carried out mass executions of Poles, mostly Jews. In August 1943, the Jews at the labour camp at Konin, led by Rabbi Joshua Moshe Aaronson, burned down the huts in the camp and tried to escape. Almost all of them were killed. The town survivors published, in 1968, an extensive "Yizkor Book" (803 pages) in memory in the flourishing Jewish community: Mendel Gelbart, ed., Kehilat Konin: Bi-Feriḥatah uve-hurbanah (Tel Aviv). The book was written in Yiddish, Hebrew and English. A descendant of Konin Jews, Theo Richmond, wrote Konin: A Quest, the most extensive history of Jewish life in the town ever to appear in English. The majority of Jews in Konin were Mitnagdim, though two small communities of Hasidim

Hasidic Judaism

Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...

 lived within the Konin Jewish community, mostly adherents to Gerer Hasidism

Ger (Hasidic dynasty)

Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....

, with a small group of Aleksander Hasidim

Aleksander (Hasidic dynasty)

The Aleksander chasidic movement flourished in Poland from 1880 until it was largely destroyed by Nazi Germany during World War II.Now nearly extinct, the Aleksander Hasidim were the second largest Hasidic group in pre-Holocaust Poland.Between the world wars, Hasidic Jews from all over flocked to...

.

Jewish community of Konin

The first written evidence of Jews settling in Konin dates to 1397. A wooden synagogue was built in 1763-1766. The current standing building was built in 1829. The first rabbi in Konin was Rabbi Amsterdam, between 1810-1849. In 1918, the first Jewish gymnasium was established. The community had a beit midrash, mikvaot, synagogues, a few praying halls (such as "Hevra Tehilim"), active youth movements, a library, a Jewish elementary school and a Jewish high school. In November 1941, 3000 Jews of Konin were murdered by the German SS in the forests of Kaziemesh (Kleczew), north of city.
ref: Mendel Gelbart, ed., Kehilat Konin: Bi-Feriḥatah uve-ḥurbanah (Tel Aviv, 1968);

Castles

The castle was built of brick with some details made of sandstone (probably taken from nearby quarry

Quarry

A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...

 from Brzeźno

Brzezno

Brzeźno is one of the quarters of the city of Gdańsk, Poland with a sandy beach and 130 m long pier....

 village) with the view of regular quadrangle. The main buildings were massive, octagonal watch-tower (put up in the south-east corner of the whole structure), and a kind of great hall (on the west side of the structure). The castle was encircled with a double wall and a moat adjoining to town wall. In the middle of 17th century it was partly damaged by Swedish army during Deluge (history) and then abandoned to the slow decay. In 19th century the derelict was taken apart and demolished (last larger parts disappeared probably between 1844–1855). Today there are no remains of the king's castle itself, except the name of the square situated approximately in the same place where former castle had stood, namely The Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy) Another castle in Konin in Gosławice district (former Gosławice village) was erected in 15th century and restored in the 1980s.

Ancient town walls

The construction of the town walls started (as in the case of the castle) in the second half of 14th century. They encircled the town as a defence line especially from the south, east and partly from the west side. The line of walls was never closed. There was no need to do it because of Warta river and its nearby marshy grounds and bogs - earthworks and retrenchments wrere good enough there. On the north side of the town there was a Toruńska Gatehouse (Brama Toruńska) just in front of the crossing of the river. On the south side was Kaliska Gatehouse (Brama Kaliska) - both named after two main towns, the destination points for merchants travelling through Konin. Town walls were strengthened by a chain of rectangular towers (with three walls, that means opened from inside of the town) creating bastion-like structures put forward out of the line of the wall itself. These fortifications were seriously damaged during Deluge (history), especially in The Siege of Konin in 1656. They were never repaired and restored afterwards, so on the turn of 18th century the authorities of the town decided to take them apart, to deconstruct and demolish if necessary. Last conspicuous parts disappeared after 1816. Nowadays there are no remains of the town walls in Konin.

Architectural landmarks

Konin County (Powiat Koninski) contains examples of Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

; Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

; Renaissance architecture

Renaissance architecture

Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...

; Mannerism

Mannerism

Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...

 and Manneristic architecture; Baroque architecture

Baroque architecture

Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...

; Rococo

Rococo

Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...

 art; architecture of XVIII-th century: Classicism

Classicism

Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...

; architecture of XIX-th century: Neogothic, Neoromanesque, Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...

, Eclecticism

Eclecticism

Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...

; architecture of XX-th century: Modernism

Modernism

Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...

, Nazi architecture, Socialist Realism

Socialist realism

Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...

, Post-modernism. Because of its strategic geographical situation, remains of the Defence Line of 'Poznań' Army, including reinforced concrete bunkers, can be seen near Konin.

The town of Konin is split up into two historical parts - Stary Konin (The Old Town), situated on the south bank of Warta River

Warta River

The Warta is a river in western-central Poland, a tributary of the Oder river. With a length of approximately it is the country's third longest river. The Warta has a basin area of 54,529 square kilometers...

 and Nowy Konin (The New Konin), outspread northwards from the river and built up mainly after 1945.

• Romanesque -
  1. Famous, oldest Polish stone sign-post made of local sandstone from quarry in Brzeźno village. It is well known as Stone Sign-Post of Konin. It was founded in 1151 AD by duke Piotr Włost Włostowicz or Piotr Stary Wszeborowic. There are magnificent examples of Romanesque inscription and letters themselves carved on it. According to some scholars and hypotheses this sign-post had been earlier Celtic sculpture
     Celtic art
     Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...
     
     . The Stone Sign-Post of Konin is the oldest European sign-post beyond the boundaries of Roman Empire
  2. St Bartholomew's parish church was rebuilt in the second half of XIV-th century, but Romanesque remains are still visible in external walls, especially in the north wall. They are dressed stones made of sandstone and massive stone cross built into the wall as well.
     

• Gothic -
  1. St Bartholomew's parish church is most beautiful example of Gothic architecture and art in Konin. There are beautiful, gothic net and stellar vaults inside the church and stained glasses in the chancel.
  2. St Andrew's church in the north district of Konin called Gosławice is a precious example of rural, Gothic church having unique view of Greek cross. The building has got a rare fan vault with the only sand-stone column in the middle of the floor. The sand stone bosses and other details are richly carved. In the external walls there are a few coats of arms built-in.
  3. Mediaeval Castle in Gosławice - at present Regional Museum of Konin was built by Poznań bishop Andrzej Łaskarz in 1418-1426. I was adjusted well to defence with the use of fire-arms. Even nowadays the set of historical buildings in Gosławice only is enough to draw attention to Konin, because there is a very rare example of old village with unique Gothic church, knight's, Mediaeval castle and old, Polish manor gathered in one place and being annexed to a larger organism of the Town of Konin itself.
     

• Renaissance
  Renaissance
  The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
  
   -
  1. Late, Renaissance chapel of Jan Zemełko(Zemelius) by the St. Bartholomew's parish church - Jan Zemełko was local physician, Renaissance man and well known member of the Middle class in Konin and Kalisz as well.
  2. The former house of Jan Zemełko (Zemelius) in the Plac Wolności. The house was refurbished completely many a time since the age of Zemelius but we can still see there amazingly thick wall on the ground floor (1,2 m) and the main hall with the original barrel vault in it.

• Mannerism -
  1. St. Bartholomew's parish church with Manneristic, magnificent, architectural tombstone of Stanisław Przyjemski on the north wall of the main nave seems to be the most characteristic example of local Mannerism.
  2. In chapel of Jan Zemełko (Zemelius) there are impressive, wooden stalls with inlaid work. They are rare example of Manneristic furniture.

• Baroque
  Baroque
  The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
  
   -
  1. St. Bartholomew's parish church with plenty of magnificent altars, epitaphs and stalls, late baroque wall crucifix in the porch, late baroque church organs from XVIII-th century.
  2. Monastery and St. Mary Magdalene's church of Reformed Franciscans built in 1631.
     

• Rococo -
  1. St. Bartholomew's parish church - a. Wall crucifix above the entrance to the porch on the north wall of the main nave. b. Main altar in chapel of Jan Zemełko (Zemelius).

• Classicism -
  1. The Town Hall built up in the very beginning of XIX-th century with beautiful façade encompassing four, tall Toscany Columns and large pediment on them. Above the pediment there is also little tower there (partly made of wood) with the tower clock and tall flag-staff as well. On the occasion of local and state festive days the flag with the Arms of Konin Town on it is usually hung on that flag-staff.
  2. The entire Old Town with many classicist tenement-houses and former bucher's shops by the town hall and elsewhere.
  3. Municipal Council Building on the north wall of Plac Wolności.
  4. Presbytery of Lutheran church of Holy Ghost is, in fact, classicist manor-house surprisingly situated in the small garden in the middle of the Old Town of konin.

• 19th and 20th century Neogothic -
  1. St Bartholomew's parish church has got Neogothic main altar made of wood with many Neogothic statues on it.
  2. St Andrew's church in Gosławice the north district of Konin is also, apart from old, Gothic parts and details, thoroughly refurbished according to Neogothic manner. The central turret and façades of chapels are built in 19th century as well.

• 19th and 20th century Eclecticism -
  1. Lutheran church of Holy Ghost from 1856 (rebuilt in 1901-1915, 1981–1985) can be great example of Eclecticism in Konin. It is built of the dark brick with massive main tower coverad with spire, many, decorative architectonical details and complete equipment of the interior from the 19th and the beginning of 20th century.art from architecture, the church itself constitutes magnificent link to unique history of Reformation in the region of Konin. It's worth to be noticed that as a result of The Partitions of Poland at the end of 18th and splitting the country in three parts divided between three, Polish neighbours, in 19th century region of Konin became a part of Russia (unlikely to the rest of Greater Poland being itself the part of Prussia). Because of those Russian connections we have splendid opportunity to observe in architecture of some buildings in Konin reminiscences of architecture of Russian Orthodox Churches. There are at least two churches in Konin where those far reminiscenses are visible - one of them it is Lutheran church of Holy Ghost being just at issue.
     
  2. St. Adalbert's church in Morzysław district - the church itself was built in 18th century (on the site of previous, probably wooden, smaller church and churchyard) but at the very beginning of 20th century it was completely refurbished, enlarged and changed. In result impressive, large temple was created with tall main tower and high spire on it. The brick walls was plastered. This is the second church in Koninm being under the slight influence of Russian Orthodox Churches' architecture.
  3. Many tenement-houses in Old Town of Konin have eclectic façades encompassing features of almost all, known architectural manners and styles.
  4. Very interesting example of Eclecticism in Konin is set of Jewish buildings, namely synagogue, ritual baths and Talmudic school house. Buildings were built in the 19th century and synagogue itself is considered as one of the most beautiful buildings of this kind in Greater Poland. It was erected in 1832, then enlarged and renewed in 1883. South façade refers to history of Ashkenazi Jews
     Ashkenazi Jews
     Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
     
      and comprises mix of architectural styles with predominance of Moor architecture and Neogothic. North façade is more composed and simple and refers mainly to Classicism with its huge pediment.

• 1. Romani (Gypsy) palaces in Stodolniana Street and Europejska Street in The Old Town with impressive onion-like domes, sculptures or shaped as if mediaeval castles in miniature and richly embellished are themselves very characteristic examples of Eclecticism in Konin. They were built at the very end of the 20th century mainly in 1980s and 1990s and are, so to speak, phenomena on the background of town constituting quite separate category of town's residences and villas.

• Modernism - Prewar Modernism (1920–1939) and After-war Modernism (1945 - up to 60s)

• Prewar Modernism in Konin is represented by quite a good deal of tenement-houses but let us emphasize here significance of two of them:
  
  1. Tenement-house in Szarych Szeregów street no.1 – This is impressive, renewed of last building with distinguished façade and breathtaking, terrific history. It was built in 1930s by local MP, after the outburst of II World War and defeat of Polish Army during the painful September Defensive Campaign in 1939, there were offices of Gestapo
     Gestapo
     The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
     
      (Secret State Police of Nazi Germany) located in this house. Building had an ill name because of torturing of prisoners being held in here. After 1945 in the very same building there were offices of Urząd Bezpieczeństwa (Communist Secret State Police) and ill name of the place went on. Now there are private apartments in the building.
  2. Tenement –house in 3 Maja street no. 48 – This is also good example of prewar Modernism in Konin. There is The Guild of Handi-Crafts (Cech Rzemiosł Różnych) situated there and various kinds of shops as well.
     

• After-war Modernism in Konin encompasses beautiful and precious examples of architecture being situated in The New Konin and all of them are examples of the Socialist Realism too.
  1. Town's Library (Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna - abbr. MBP) - Dworcowa street no.13 is best example of that what we deal with right here. This is truly Modernistic bulk having elaborated architectonical shape with its perpendicular ribs of concrete dividing windows into narrow quarters - black and white as main colours of building and deep green of greenery around it together with precisely cuboidal massive creates unique impression, indeed. The building is open to the public as library, entrance is free and visiting it is a game worth a candle not only because of books, but because of architecture of the interior as well. Before the building was taken over for granted by the library, a branch of National Bank of Poland
     National Bank of Poland
     Narodowy Bank Polski is the central bank of Poland. It controls the issuing of Poland's currency, the złoty. The Bank is headquartered in Warsaw, and has branches in every major Polish town...
     
      (Narodowy Bank Polski- abbreviation: NBP) took place in here.
     
  2. Former building of CENTRUM department store (now Dino supermarket) in Dworcowa street is interesting example of Modernistic architecture as well. The profile of its façade is curved a little and lifted up with huge window in the very centre of the front wall. It stands on two, solid concrete pillars and there are additional shop windows for on the ground floor below protruding massive of façade. Up to 1990s it was the most known and representative building in Konin.

• There are several examples of Nazi architecture in Konin. We can divide those Nazi remains into two, main assemblages of buildings. One is situated in the Kolejowa street in the New Konin. It encompasses a row of buildings being built purposely as a lodgings for railwaymen. Just across the street, several metres from those buildings there is a monument commemorating a tragic Mutiny of Jews in Konin in August 1943. Second assemblage of buildings being built by Nazis is situated in old part of the town - in The Old Town in the area near Szpitalna street. This place is called by local people HEIMAT as if to emphasize its German origin.

• The quantity of examples of Socialist Realism architecture in Konin is impressive and, without any mistake it can be stated that the gathering of the buildings of this kind in Konin is one of the largest assemblage in Poland. Almost the whole New Konin is built after 1945 and contains very few, separated examples of any other architecture than this socialist one. Polish Socialist Realism can be associated with the rule of Communists in Poland since 1945 till 1989. In Konin there are absolutely amazing, complete remains of what beliefs of Communists could bring to architecture - they are reflected in entire districts being built at that time with specifis array of streets and unique, morbid a little bit atmosphere of the town. Grey, rough concrete has been already covered with plaster and painted bright here and there, but large parts of the town are still untouched. This is short list with main examples of Socialist Realism in Konin:
• Aleje 1-go maja (The first of May street) - One of the earliest examples of Socialist Realism architecture in Konin being traced out and building over continually since 1960s (parts nearest to the railway station) till 1970s (closer to hospital with the hospital itself). It is the main street of Konin bristling with public offices, shops and so on.
  
• Osiedle 5 (Housing Estate no. 5) - Designed and built over during 1970s and early 1980s. It comprises characteristic blocks of flats put in regular rows and devoid of any architectural decoration. It is a mute record of financial troubles which Polish state was forced to deal with at the very beginning of its deep crisis.
• Zatorze District - entire area is built over in the decade of 1980s.It comprises characteristic, massive block of flats made of grey concrete in prefabricated elements. There are several public houses being designed at that time while the entire district was under planning and construction - these are shops, kindergartens, schools and so on. Rough appearance of the whole district is a reminder of the deep state of advanced econpomic crisis The People's Republic of Poland (PRL) had fallen into and which itself was enough to brought about the decline of the rule of Communists in Poland.

There are several examples of Postmodernism

Postmodernism

Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...

 and postmodernist architecture in Konin. We can find in the town a few newly built buildings with predominance of postmodernist features, but there are much more examples of building, houses and so on being rebuilt and refurbished partly and thus having conspicuous postmodernist character of its elements built in or inset as a part of larger entity belonging to older styles in architecture, mainly Socialist Realism (on average in New Konin) or Eclecticism (usually in The Old Town). Ten kilometres from Konin in Licheń Stary

Lichen Stary

Licheń Stary is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ślesin, within Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Ślesin, north-east of Konin, and east of the regional capital Poznań. The village has a population of 1,100.The...

 there is huge monastery with numerous churches and great basilica, an example of Catholic ecclesiastical Postmodernism in Poland.

• 1. PKO BP S.A. office and commercial building, 11-go Listopada Street, no. 20. That building with a branch of large, Polish bank in it, is erected in the 1990s as one of the first, public buildings in Konin after the decline of the regime of Communists in Poland. Having many features rooted in Socialist Realism it has however many elements going much beyond the boundaries of old style and constitutes a kind watershed auguring something new to appear. Because of disposition of offices in it, meticulously planned and shaped main hall of the bank on the ground floor with many details of its equipment designed purposely for that, particular place - because of all of those factors we are dealing with undoubtedly modern architecture here.
  2. SKARPA office and commercial building, Energetyka Street no. 6b Construction of this building was completed only a few years ago and so it is one of the most recent architectural achievements in Konin. Utilitarian character of both the body of building and its interior goes in accord with subtly adorned outer façades covered with wide strips and plates in colour of inox, airy, big window panes and sliding, glass doors. The outer pavement covered with granite cuboids and inner floors made of dark, granite plates fill the measure of unimpeachable solid wholeness.

PTTK (Polish Tourist Country-Lovers' Society)

Local branch of PTTK

PTTK

Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze, PTTK, is a Polish non-governmental tourist organization founded in 1950...

 (Polish Tourist-Sightseeing Society, Polish Tourist Country-Lovers' Society) is very active in Konin.

From a cultural point of view the situation of Konin county and Konin town itself is unique. The town is situated in the very point of junction of great geographic and historic lands, namely Greater Poland, Cuiavia, Mazovia

Mazovia

Mazovia or Masovia is a geographical, historical and cultural region in east-central Poland. It is also a voivodeship in Poland.Its historic capital is Płock, which was the medieval residence of first Dukes of Masovia...

, Łódzki Region. Westwards from Konin is the area belonging to that major part of Greater Poland, being, as a result of the Partitions of Poland, for over a hundred years (from 1793 to 1918) under the rule of Prussia. The region of Konin, being itself the part of Greater Poland as well, was detached from the main body of it and became the part of Russia. Going north-eastwards from Konin is the Cuiavia region. Going eastwards from Konin, beyond boundaries of Konin county but still within the administrative boundaries of Greater Poland, the characteristic features of Mazovia region prevail. Going south-eastwards from Konin are both geographical and cultural features belonging rather to Łódzki region than to Greater Poland.

In Konin County (Powiat Koninski) there are traces and monuments of many national minorities living in Poland:
Jews, Scots, Germans, Frenchmen, Russians

Russians

The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

, Romanis, Czechs, Swiss people, so called Olenderska community, Vietnamese

Vietnamese people

The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...

, Chinese

Chinese people

The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

, Romanians

Romanians

The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

, Negroes.
(Information about Scots derived from lectures given in Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna by Mr. Jerzy Łojko).

Konin is one of the main towns in Greater Poland on the Scottish Trail - the route leading through urban areas in Greater Poland and Lower Silesia connected with Scottish communities that settled in Poland in the course of history.

Education

• Wyższa Szkoła Kupiecka in Łódź, branch in Konin
• Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa - see http://www.pwsz.konin.edu.pl/
• Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna in Łódź, branch in Konin

Greenpeace Climate Rescue Station

Greenpeace

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...

 chose the town to set up its Climate Rescue Station. A four story energy self sufficient globe replica was erected beside the Jozwin IIB open-cast coal mine. The location of the Rescue Station was intended to draw attention to Poland's over-reliance on coal and formed part of Greenpeace's campaign to get its message across at the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

' Climate Change

Climate change

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...

 Conference in nearby Poznań.http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/news/china-poznan The presence of Greenpeace was generally well received by locals who came in the hundreds to participate in activities and listen to lectures about the environmental situation.http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/poland-coal-climate171108 The Rescue station moved to Poznań following its stay at Konin.

Politics

Members of Parliament (Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....

) elected from Konin constituency

• Paweł Arndt, PO
  Civic Platform
  Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
  
  
• Alfred Budner
  Alfred Budner
  Alfred Budner is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 16075 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej list.He was also a member of Sejm 2001-2005....
  
  , non-party
• Zbigniew Dolata
  Zbigniew Dolata
  Zbigniew Dolata is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 9880 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Prawo i Sprawiedliwość list.-External links:...
  
  , PiS
  PIS
  Pis or PIS may refer to:* Prawo i Sprawiedliwość , Polish political party* Manneken Pis, a sculpture of a urinating boy, a Brussels landmark* Poitiers - Biard Airport in France...
  
  
• Eugeniusz Grzeszczak
  Eugeniusz Grzeszczak
  Eugeniusz Grzeszczak is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 5181 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe list....
  
  , PSL
  Polish Peasant Party
  The Polish People's Party , is a centrist, agrarian, and Christian democratic political party in Poland. It currently has 31 members of the Sejm, one member of the Senate, and three Members of the European Parliament. It is the junior partner in a coalition with Civic Platform.The party was...
  
  
• Adam Hofman
  Adam Hofman
  Adam Hofman is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 10994 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Prawo i Sprawiedliwość list.-See also:*Members of Polish Sejm 2005-2007...
  
  , PiS
• Tomasz Nowak, PO
• Józef Pilarz
  Józef Pilarz
  Józef Pilarz was a Polish politician. Originally a farming contractor. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 6083 votes in 37 Konin district, as a candidate from Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej list...
  
  , non-party
• Andrzej Ruciński
  Andrzej Rucinski
  Andrzej Ruciński is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 2366 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej list.-External links:...
  
  , PiS
• Tadeusz Tomaszewski
  Tadeusz Tomaszewski
  Tadeusz Tomaszewski is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 12213 votes in 37 Konin district, candidating from Democratic Left Alliance list.He was also a member of Sejm 1993-1997, Sejm 1997-2001, and Sejm 2001-2005....
  
  , SLD
  Democratic Left Alliance
  Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
  
  

Twin towns — Sister cities

Konin is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with:

Wakefield Wakefield Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001.... , West Yorkshire West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.... , England Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the... , Germany Bryansk Bryansk Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk... , Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. Population: 1,278,087 .-History:... , Russia Akmene Akmene Akmenė is a city in northern Lithuania.Following the discovery of large reserves of limestone and clay in the region, in 1947 construction work began on one of the largest cement production complexes in the Baltic States... , Lithuania Chernivtsi Chernivtsi Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine... , Ukraine

Dobele Dobele Dobele is a town in the cultural region Zemgale in Latvia, and is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river Bērze. It received town rights in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied Courland Governorate during the First World War... , Latvia Hénin-Beaumont Hénin-Beaumont Hénin-Beaumont is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Hénin-Beaumont used to be a coalmining and is now a light industrial town situated some east of Lens, at the junction of the N43, D919 and the D39 roads... , Nord, France Karlovo Karlovo Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains... , Bulgaria Santa Susanna, Catalonia Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an... , Spain Sundsvall Sundsvall -External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall.... , Sweden

Notable residents

• Mieczysław G. Bekker
• Szymon Bobrowski
  Szymon Bobrowski
  Szymon Bobrowski is a Polish actor.Acted in tens of cinema and TV films, as well as theatre plays.-Filmography:*Magda M.*Hania*S@motność w sieci*Na dobre i na złe*Operacja "Koza"*Serce na dłoni*Złoty środek...
  
  
• Antoni Czubiński
  Antoni Czubinski
  Antoni Czubiński was a Polish historian and director of the Western Institute in Poznań from 1978 to 1990....
  
  
• Gosław - first known chief officer of group of settlers in Konin from 1293 AD
• Leopold Infeld
  Leopold Infeld
  Leopold Infeld was a Polish physicist who worked mainly in Poland and Canada . He was a Rockefeller fellow at Cambridge University and a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences....
  
  
• Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz
• Reni Jusis
  Reni Jusis
  Reni Jusis is a female Polish pop singer, songwriter and producer. At first, Jusis recorded R&B music, which evolved into electronic dance style in later albums. After ten years of career she recorded piano pop music.- Beginnings :Reni Jusis began performing on stage early as a child...
  
  
• Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
  Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
  Jan Andrzej Paweł Kaczmarek is a Polish composer who has lived and worked in the United States since 1989. He has written the scores for more than 50 feature films and documentaries, including Finding Neverland , for which score he won an Academy Award and National Board of Review award...
  
  
• Józef Lewandowski
  Jozef Lewandowski
  Józef Lewandowski was a Polish–Swedish historian.Józef Lewandowski was born in 1923 in Konin, Poland. In his youth he fought in World War II. After the war he studied at Warsaw University, with his doctoral thesis completed in 1961. He specialised in East-European history and national issues...
  
  
• Przemysł II - the prince of the whole Greater Poland who probably founded the town of Konin by signing up a charter to settlers in 1284 AD, or 1292 AD

Further reading

• Jerzy Łojko Digital Encyclopaedia of Greater Poland(Polonia maior - Fontes)
• "Konin" - Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Poland (Pinkas HaKehillot) http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_poland/pol1_00235.html

External links

• Official town website
• Town website of Old City - www.konin-starowka.pl
• "Konin" - Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Poland (Pinkas HaKehillot) - JewishGen.org
• Small Ads Konin