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Poznan
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Poznan
Poznan's cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave, King Mieszko II, Duke Casimir I the Restorer, Duke Przemysl I, and King Przemysl II.
History Mieszko I, the first known duke of the Polans, built one of his castles in Poznan. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest Polish cathedral, founded in Poznan during the latter half of the 10th century. The city would become the capital of Greater Poland. Mieszko I's son, Boleslaus the Brave, was crowned king in 1025 and the Kingdom of Poland was formed. Greater Poland became the 'cradle of the Polish state', and both Mieszko I and Boleslaus I are buried in Poznan.
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Timeline
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968 Foundation of first Polish bishopric in Poznan. Jordan became the first bishop.
1633 Jews of Poznan are granted a privilege of forbidding Christians to enter into their city quarter.
1945 World War II: Capitulation of German garrison in Poznan, city is liberated by Red Army and Polish forces.
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Encyclopedia
Poznan
Poznan's cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave, King Mieszko II, Duke Casimir I the Restorer, Duke Przemysl I, and King Przemysl II.
History Mieszko I, the first known duke of the Polans, built one of his castles in Poznan. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest Polish cathedral, founded in Poznan during the latter half of the 10th century. The city would become the capital of Greater Poland. Mieszko I's son, Boleslaus the Brave, was crowned king in 1025 and the Kingdom of Poland was formed. Greater Poland became the 'cradle of the Polish state', and both Mieszko I and Boleslaus I are buried in Poznan. Lubranski Academy, the second Polish university (not a "full" university, in fact, as science students had to go to Kraków) was established in 1519.
Poznan was the capital of the Greater Poland area when it came under the control of Prussia in 1793 and had its administrative area renamed to South Prussia. During the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, local Polish resistance fighters rebelled, thereby assisting the efforts of Napoleon while simultaneously driving out the occupying Prussian forces. The city became part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807 and was capital of the Poznan Department. Napoleon's defeat led to the Congress of Vienna, where the boundaries of Europe were redrawn by the victors. Greater Poland was returned to Prussia and became the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen. From the time of the Revolutions of 1848, Poznan was the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen. It became part of the German Empire during the unification of German states in 1871.
Shortly after Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919) occurred, leading to the creation of the Second Polish Republic, in which Poznan became the capital of Poznan Voivodeship. During World War II, Poland suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely repressed. In 1945, the city was declared a Festung (a fortified locale in which German forces were expected to conduct a last-ditch defense) by order of Hitler. As Poznan lay on the direct route from Warsaw to Berlin, the Red Army first besieged and then assaulted the German defenses, culminating in the assault on the Cytadela (citadelle) and resulting in serious damage to the city. Since the war's end, Poznan has been the capital of the surrounding area through administrative district boundary changes in 1957, 1975, and 1999; Poznan currently administrates Greater Poland Voivodeship, one of 16 provinces in the country.
Anti-communist protests in 1956 played a significant role in liberalising the post-war communist regime.Historical populationDetailed demographic tables: Historical population of Poznan
Historical population summary:
- 1600 : about 20,000 inhabitants
- 1732 : 4000 inhabitants
- 1793 : 15,000 inhabitants before
- 1918 : 156,091 inhabitants (from government data)
- 1939 : 274,155 inhabitants
- 1946 : 268,000 inhabitants
- 2000 : 572,900 inhabitants
- May 2002: 578,900 inhabitants
2020 population Forecast:
- Poznan City 584,500 (small increase)
- Poznan County 305,500 (significant increase)
- Poznan Metro Area 890,000
Geography - City area (2002)
- Geographical location:
- 52°17'34N - 52°30'27N
- 16°44'08E - 17°04'28E
- Highest point: Mt. Morasko asl
- Lowest point: Warta river valley: asl
Administrative division The Poznan metropolitan area, consisting of the autonomous towns of Poznan, Ostrów, Ostrówek, Srodka, Chwaliszewo, Lacina, was integrated into one city from 1793–1800. The rapidly growing city annexed the neighboring villages of Grunwald, Lazarz, Górczyn, Jezyce, Wilda, Winogrady in 1900, Piatkowo and Rataje in later years. Today, Poznan is divided into five districts, which are further divided onto several dozens of neighborhoods. The districts are:
Economy Poznan has been an important center of trade since the Middle Ages. Starting in the 19th century, local heavy industry began to grow. Several major factories were built, including the steel mill and railway factory of Hipolit Cegielski (see H. Cegielski - Poznan S.A.).
Today Poznan is one of the major centers of trade with Germany. Many Western European companies started their Polish branches in Poznan, or in the nearby localities of Tarnowo Podgórne and Swarzedz. It is the site of annual Poznan International Fair.
Most foreign investors are German and Dutch companies (see "Major corporations" above), with a few others. Investors are mostly from the food processing, furniture, automotive and transport & logistics industries. Foreign companies are primarily attracted by low labour costs, but also by the relatively good road and railway network, good vocational skills of workers and relatively liberal employment laws. As compared with Germany, there are far fewer restrictions, e.g. on shop opening hours.
For a list of major Poznan-based corporations see Major corporations in Poznan
Culture The annual Malta Theater festival is probably the most characteristic cultural event of the city. There are also Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and Classical Music Festival (annual).
Education Poznan is home to a few state-owned universities and a number of smaller, mostly private-run colleges and institutions of higher education. Adam Mickiewicz University (abbreviated UAM) is one of the most influential and biggest universities in Poland.
Scientific and regional organizations
Sports - KKS Lech Poznan - men's football team (Polish Champion: 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1993 ; Polish Cup winner 1982, 1984, 1988, 2004 ; Polish SuperCup winner 1990, 1992, 2004)
- Warta Poznan - men's football team (Polish Champion: 1929, 1947), (2nd league in season 2007/2008).
- AZS Poznan - women's basketball team playing in Torell Basket Liga: 2nd place in 2003/2004 season (formerly also called Danter AZS Poznan and Stary Browar AZS Poznan)
- AZS AWF Poznan - women's volleyball team playing in Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League: 8th place in 2003/2004 season.
- TPS Winogrady Poznan - men's football team
- Polonia Poznan - men's football team
- WKS Grunwald Poznan - sports club with sections in field hockey, shooting, wrestling, handball and tennis.
- KS Pocztowiec Poznan - men's field hockey team
- KTKFiT Blekitny Express Lech Poznan - men's field hockey team
- KS AZS AWF Poznan - men's field hockey team
- KS Energetyk - rhythmic gymnastics club
- MKS Dabrówka - rhythmic gymnastics club, synchronized swimming
- UKS Szóstka - synchronized swimming, football
- UKS Wanda - synchronized swimming
- SSW Malta Poznan - roller skating club
Politics Municipal politics Since the end of the communist era in 1989, Poznan municipality and metro area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially public transportation and improved administration. This has resulted in a massive investment from foreign companies in Poznan itself, as well as in communities west and south of Poznan (namely, Kórnik and Tarnowo Podgórne). Worth noticing is the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less annoying "red tape" than elsewhere in Poland.
City investment into transportation was mostly in the public transport area. While the number of cars since 1989 has at least doubled, the policy of improving public transport gave good effects. Limiting car access to the city center, building new tram lines (inc. Poznanski Szybki Tramwaj) and investing in new rolling stock (such as modern Combino trams by Siemens and Solaris low-floor buses) actually increased the level of ridership. This is a notable success, even considering the fact that Polish society only possesses about half of the "old EU"'s purchasing power, hence not everybody can afford to own a car.
Future investments into transportation include the construction of a "third ring road" around the city, and the completion of A2 (E30) highway towards Berlin. In the public transport area (and non-car transportation), further investment must be made into the development bicycle paths (and the linking of presently existing ones), and an attempt is presently made of developing Karlsruhe-style light rail system for commuters. All that is made more complicated (and more expensive) by the heavy neglect of transportation throughout communist era.
Constituency Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from Poznan constituency:
- Arkady Radoslaw Fiedler, PO
- Waldy Dzikowski, PO
- Maria Paslo-Wisniewska, PO
- Dariusz Lipinski, PO
- Michal Stuligrosz,PO
- Tomasz Górski, PiS
- Jan Filip Libicki, PiS
- Malgorzata Stryjska, PiS
- Jacek Tomczak, PiS
- Krystyna Lybacka, SLD
Members of European Parliament elected from Poznan constituency:
Twin townsPoznan is twinned with:
Assen, Netherlands; since 1992.
Brasov, Romania; since 2003.
Brno, Czech Republic; since 1966.
Hannover, Germany; since 1979.
Jyväskylä, Finland; since 1979.
Kharkiv, Ukraine; since 1998.
Nablus, Palestine; since 1997.
Nottinghamshire, England; since 1994.
Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; since 1992.
Rennes, France; since 1998.
Shenzhen, China; since 1993.
Toledo, United States; since 1991.
Gyor, Hungary; since 2008.
Notable residents - Anna Anderson (c. 1900 - 1984), pretender of Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia
- Lothar von Arnauld de la Peričre (1886 - 1941), German U-boat commander
- Isidor Ascheim (1891-1968), painter and printmaker
- Stanislaw Baranczak (born 1946), poet
- Herbert Baum (1912 – 1942) resistance fighter
- Zygmunt Bauman (born 1925), sociologist
- Bernhard Baumeister (1828-1917), actor
- Józef Brzezinski, biologist
- Brigitte Burmeister (died 1940), novelist
- Heinrich Caro (1834-1910), chemist
- Hipolit Cegielski (1815-1868), businessman
- Dezydery Chlapowski (1788-1848), general
- August Cieszkowski (1814-1894), philosopher
- Antoni Czubinski (1928-2003), historian
- Leopold Damrosch (1832 – 1885), conductor
- Ludwig Dessoir, (1810 - 1874), actor
- Franciszek Dobrowolski (1830-1896), theater director
- Tytus Dzialynski (1796-1861), political activist
- Malgorzata Dydek (born 1974), basketball player
- Akiva Eiger (1761-1837), Rabbi of Poznan (1815-1837)
- Jean Paul Ertel (1865-1933), composer
- Ewaryst Estkowski (1820-1856), teacher
- Fredrak Fraske (1872-1973), the last surviving United States veteran of the Indian Wars
- Jean Gebser (1905-1973), human consciousness scientist
- Eduard Gerhard (1795 - 1867), archaeologist
- Friedrich Goltz (1834 - 1902), physiologist
- Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934), Field Marshal and President of the Weimar Republic
- Maksymilian Jackowski (1815-1905), activist
- John Jonston (1603-1675), naturalist and physician
- Stefan Jurga (born 1946), professor and rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (1996-2002)
- Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (born 1954), composer
- Richard Kandt (1867-1918), doctor and explorer
- Ernst Hartwig Kantorowicz (1895-1963), historian
- Marek Karpinski, computer scientist
- Günther von Kluge (1882-1944), Field Marshal
- Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969), jazz musician
- Leo Königsberger (1837-1921), mathematician
- Antoni Kraszewski (1797-1870), politician
- Max Kretzer (1854-1941), writer
- Antoni Krzyzanowski, 19th century architect
- Gerard Labuda (born 1916), historian
- Arthur Liebehenschel (1901 - 1948), commandant of Auschwitz and Majdanek
- Paul Leonhardt (1877-1934), chess master
- Karol Libelt (1807-1875), philosopher
- Wlodzimierz Lecki (born 1937), politician and writer
- Andrzej Maleszka (born 1955), theatre and movie director
- Karol Marcinkowski (1800-1848), physician and social activist
- Wladyslaw Markiewicz (born 1920), sociologist
- Teofil Matecki (1810-1886), philosopher
- Heinrich Mendelssohn (1881-1959), building tycoon
- Karl-Friedrich Merten (1905 - 1993), U-boat commander
- Maciej Mielzynski (1799-1870), politician
- Julius Moses (1868-1942), politician
- Malgorzata Musierowicz (born 1945), novelist
- Andrzej Niegolewski (1787-1857), colonel
- Wladyslaw Niegolewski (1814-1880), politician
- Gustav Oelsner (1879-1956), architect
- Wladyslaw Oleszczynski (1809-1866), sculptor
- Lilli Palmer (1914-1986), actress
- Janusz Palubicki (born 1948), politician
- Kazimierz Piwarski, (1903-1968), historian
- Gustaw Potworowski (1800-1860), activist
- Tomasz Przybecki (born 1981), articled clerk
- Edward Raczynski (1786-1845), politician
- Cyryl Ratajski (1875-1942), mayor of Poznan
- Antoni Radziwill (1775-1833), aristocrat
- Richard Rothe ( 1799 - 1867), Lutheran theologian.
- Michal Sczaniecki (1910-1977), historian
- Józef Strus (1510-1568), scientist and mayor of Poznan
- Sir Pawel Edmund Strzelecki, Polish explorer and geologist
- Tiago Ferreira (born 1979), accountant
- Stefan Stuligrosz (born 1920), choral conductor
- Rafal Szukala (born 1971), butterfly swimmer
- Roman Szymanski (1840-1908), political activist
- Miroslaw Szymkowiak (born 1976) football player
- Lech Trzeciakowski (born 1931), historian
- Jan Weglarz (born 1947), computer scientist
- Piotr Wisniewski (born 1955), Statistician
- Zygmunt Wojciechowski, (1900-1955), historian and founder of the Western Institute
- Leon Wegner (1824-1873), economist
- Anna Wolff-Poweska, historian
- Tadeusz Zwiefka (born 1954), TV journalist
- Maciej Zurawski (born 1976), football player
Bibliography - collective work, Poznan. Dzieje, ludzie kultura, Poznan 1953
- Robert Alvis, Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse 2005
- K. Malinowski (red.), Dziesiec wieków Poznania, t.1, Dzieje spoleczno-gospodarcze, Poznan 1956
- collective work, Poznan, Poznan 1958
- collective work, Poznan. Zarys historii, Poznan 1963
- Cz. Luczak, Zycie spoleczno-gospodarcze w Poznaniu 1815-1918, Poznan 1965
- J. Topolski (red.), Poznan. Zarys dziejów, Poznan 1973
- Zygmunt Boras, Ksiazeta Piastowscy Wielkopolski, Wydawnictwo Poznanskie, Poznan 1983
- Jerzy Topolskiego (red.), Dzieje Poznania,Wydawnictwo PWN, Warszawa - Poznan 1988
- Alfred Kaniecki, Dzieje miasta woda pisane, Wydawnictwo Aquarius, Poznan 1993
- Witold Maisel (red.), Przywileje miasta Poznania XIII-XVIII wieku. Privilegia civitatis Posnaniensis saeculorum XIII-XVIII. Wladze Miasta Poznania, Poznanskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciól Nauk, Wydawnictwa Zródlowe Komisji Historycznej, Tom XXIV, Wydawnictwo PTPN, Poznan 1994
- Wojciech Stankowski, Wielkopolska, Wydawnictwo WSiP, Warszawa 1999
- Gotthold Rhode : Geschichte der Stadt Posen
See also
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