Szczecinek
Encyclopedia
Szczecinek [sz] is a city in Middle Pomerania
, northwestern Poland
with some 39,777 inhabitants (2007). Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship
(1950–1998), it has been the capital of Szczecinek County
in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
since 1999. It is an important railroad junction
, located along the main Poznań
- Kolobrzeg
line, which crosses there with the less important lines to Chojnice
, Słupsk and Runowo Pomorskie. Its population is more than 40 thousand inhabitants, as of January 2011. The city boundaries were expanded in 2009 to include Świątki and Trzesieka
, a total area of 48.63 km² (18.78 sq mi).
. It's located on border of Pojezierze Szczecineckie and Pojezierze Drawskie. Historically, it was included within Western Pomerania. In 2010, city boundaried with following villages located in Gmina Szczecinek: Gałowo, Marcelin
, Godzimierz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
, Turowo
, Parsęcko
, Buczek
and Zółtnica
.
by Duke Warcislaw IV of Pomerania
-Wolgast and modelled after Szczecin
which is situated about 150 km (93.21 mi) to the west. The initial name was "Neustettin" . It was also known as "Klein Stettin" . In 1707 the town was known in Polish
as Nowoszczecin, while the Mały Szczecin name gradually developed into the modern name Szczecinek.
The town was fortified to face the Brandenburgers
, with a wall and palisades. In 1356 Neustettin was hit by the plague. Thankful for their survival, the Dukes Bogislaw V, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V founded the Augustine monastery Marienthron, on the Mönchsberg on the southern bank of lake Streizigsee. Under Duke Wartislaw VII Neustettin was from 1376 to 1395 seat of his Duchy. Afterwards, it was ruled by pommeranian Duchy Rügenwalde (-1418), Wolgast (-1474) and Stettin (until 1618).
On 15 September 1423, the "great day of Neustettin", the Pomeranian dukes, the Hochmeister
of the Teutonic Order and Nordic king Eric VII of Denmark met to discuss defense against the union of Brandenburg and Poland. In 1461 Neustettin was sacked, looted and burned by Polish troops and Tatars because King Casimir IV
wanted to take revenge on Eric II of Pomerania-Wolgast who supported the Teutonic Knights.
At the end of the Thirty Years War Neustettin became part of Brandenburg, and in 1701 under the crown of Prussia
. In 1945, the Red Army occupied the town and put it under Polish administration.
1940: 19,900 inhabitants (mostly Germans
)
1945: 11,800 inhabitants (8,300 Poles
and 3,500 Germans)
1950: 15,100 inhabitants (mostly Poles)
1960: 22,800 inhabitants
1970: 28,700 inhabitants
1975: 32,900 inhabitants
1980: 35,700 inhabitants
1990: 41,400 inhabitants
1995: 42,300 inhabitants
2000: 38,928 inhabitants
, France
Neustrelitz
, Germany
Bergen op Zoom
, Netherlands
Middle Pomerania
The term Middle or Central Pomerania can refer to two distinct areas, depending on whether it is used as a translation of the corresponding German or Polish terms Mittelpommern or Pomorze Środkowe, respectively.-Mittelpommern, Mittelpommerscher Keil:Mittelpommern or Mittelpommerscher Keil in...
, northwestern 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...
with some 39,777 inhabitants (2007). Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship – a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–98, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Capital city: Koszalin Area: 8.500 km² Statistics :...
(1950–1998), it has been the capital of Szczecinek County
Szczecinek County
Szczecinek County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Szczecinek,...
in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
since 1999. It is an important railroad junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
, located along the main 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...
- Kolobrzeg
Kolobrzeg
Kołobrzeg is a city in Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland with some 50,000 inhabitants . Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast of the Baltic Sea...
line, which crosses there with the less important lines to Chojnice
Chojnice
Chojnice is a town in northern Poland with 39 670 inhabitants , near famous Tuchola Forest, Lake Charzykowskie and many other water reservoirs. It is the capital of the Chojnice County....
, Słupsk and Runowo Pomorskie. Its population is more than 40 thousand inhabitants, as of January 2011. The city boundaries were expanded in 2009 to include Świątki and Trzesieka
Trzesieka
Trzesieka is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately west of Szczecinek and east of the regional capital Szczecin....
, a total area of 48.63 km² (18.78 sq mi).
Location
Szczecinek lies in eastern part of West Pomeranian VoivodeshipWest Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
. It's located on border of Pojezierze Szczecineckie and Pojezierze Drawskie. Historically, it was included within Western Pomerania. In 2010, city boundaried with following villages located in Gmina Szczecinek: Gałowo, Marcelin
Marcelin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Marcelin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland.Before 1945 the area was part of Germany. For the history of the region, see History of Pomerania....
, Godzimierz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Godzimierz
Godzimierz may refer to the following places:*Godzimierz, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Godzimierz, Masovian Voivodeship *Godzimierz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship...
, Turowo
Turowo, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Turowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately south of Szczecinek and east of the regional capital Szczecin.Before 1648 the area was part of Duchy of Pomerania,...
, Parsęcko
Parsęcko
Parsęcko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately west of Szczecinek and east of the regional capital Szczecin.Before 1648 the area was part of Duchy of Pomerania,...
, Buczek
Buczek, Szczecinek County
Buczek is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Szczecinek and east of the regional capital Szczecin....
and Zółtnica
Żółtnica
Żółtnica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szczecinek, within Szczecinek County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Szczecinek and east of the regional capital Szczecin....
.
History and etymology
In 1310, the castle and town was founded under Lübeck lawLübeck law
The Lübeck law was the constitution of a municipal form of government developed at Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein after it was made a free city in 1226. The law provides for self-government. It replaced the personal rule of tribal monarchs descending from ancient times or the rule of the regional...
by Duke Warcislaw IV of Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
-Wolgast and modelled after Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
which is situated about 150 km (93.21 mi) to the west. The initial name was "Neustettin" . It was also known as "Klein Stettin" . In 1707 the town was known in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
as Nowoszczecin, while the Mały Szczecin name gradually developed into the modern name Szczecinek.
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, with a wall and palisades. In 1356 Neustettin was hit by the plague. Thankful for their survival, the Dukes Bogislaw V, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V founded the Augustine monastery Marienthron, on the Mönchsberg on the southern bank of lake Streizigsee. Under Duke Wartislaw VII Neustettin was from 1376 to 1395 seat of his Duchy. Afterwards, it was ruled by pommeranian Duchy Rügenwalde (-1418), Wolgast (-1474) and Stettin (until 1618).
Hochmeister
The grand master is the holder of the supreme office of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the grand master of other military orders and the superior general in non-military Roman Catholic religious orders...
of the Teutonic Order and Nordic king Eric VII of Denmark met to discuss defense against the union of Brandenburg and Poland. In 1461 Neustettin was sacked, looted and burned by Polish troops and Tatars because King Casimir IV
Casimir IV
Casimir IV may refer to:*Polish king Casimir IV Jagiellon*Casimir IV, Duke of Pomerania...
wanted to take revenge on Eric II of Pomerania-Wolgast who supported the Teutonic Knights.
At the end of the Thirty Years War Neustettin became part of Brandenburg, and in 1701 under the crown of 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...
. In 1945, the Red Army occupied the town and put it under Polish administration.
Education
- Wyższa Szkoła Kupiecka in Łódź, branch in Szczecinek
- Duchess Elizabeth Secondary School
- Vocational Schools of Economics in Szczecinek
- Vocational Technical Schools in Szczecinek
- Vocational Schools Agriculture in Świątki.
Historical population
1940: 19,900 inhabitants (mostly 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....
)
1945: 11,800 inhabitants (8,300 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...
and 3,500 Germans)
1950: 15,100 inhabitants (mostly Poles)
1960: 22,800 inhabitants
1970: 28,700 inhabitants
1975: 32,900 inhabitants
1980: 35,700 inhabitants
1990: 41,400 inhabitants
1995: 42,300 inhabitants
2000: 38,928 inhabitants
Notable residents
- Eckart AfheldtEckart AfheldtEckart Afheldt was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a Brigadegeneral in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
(1921–1999), general - Eberhard HederEberhard HederEberhard Heder was a Sturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II...
(b. 1918), Captain in the Waffen-SS during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, recipient of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross - Hans KrügerHans KrügerHans Krüger was a former member of the NSDAP party and other Nazi organizations who served as a judge in occupied Poland during Second World War. After the war he became West German politician of the Christian Democratic Union...
(1902–1971), politician - Ewa MingeEwa MingeEwa Minge is a fashion designer. Dubbed the "Next Couture", her collection has been shown globally, including on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Minge is one of Polands most well-known fashion designers...
, fashion designer - Małgorzata Ostrowska (born 1958), singer
- Gustav BehrendGustav BehrendGustav Behrend was a German dermatologist who was a native of Neustettin .In 1870 he received his medical doctorate at the University of Berlin, and during the Franco-Prussian War he served as an assistant at the Reserve Lazareth in Berlin...
(1847–1925), dermatologist - Lothar BucherLothar BucherLothar Bucher was a German publicist and trusted aide of German chancellor Otto von Bismarck.Bucher was born in Neustettin, Pomerania, his father being master at a gymnasium. After studying at the University of Berlin he adopted the legal profession...
(1817–1892), publicist - Artur BugajArtur BugajArtur Bugaj is a Polish football player who currently plays for Darzbór Szczecinek of the Polish fourth league.He initially was on the books at Wisła Kraków, but did not play a game there. He played in the second league for Cracovia in 1989/90...
(b. 1970), footballer - Aleksander WolszczanAleksander WolszczanAleksander Wolszczan is a Polish astronomer. He is the co-discoverer of the first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets.- Scientific career :...
(b. 1946), astronomer - Abraham Springer, great-grandfather of TV presenter Jerry SpringerJerry SpringerGerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
, was a prominent member of the town's Jewish community who launched an unsuccessful attempt to sue agitator Dr Ernst HenriciErnst HenriciCarl Ernst Julius Henrici was a German grammar school teacher, writer, colonial adventurer and anti-Semitic politician.-Life:...
in 1881, claiming that an inflammatory anti-semitic speech in the town led directly to the burning down of the synagogue on 18 February of that year.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Szczecinek is twinned with: Noyelles-sous-LensNoyelles-sous-Lens
Noyelles-sous-Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Administration:Noyelles-sous-Lens belongs to the intercommunality of Lens-Liévin, which consists of 36 communes, with a total population of 250,000 inhabitants.-Twin towns:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...