Zbaszynek
Encyclopedia
Zbąszynek z is a town in western Poland
, in Lubusz Voivodeship
, in Świebodzin County
. It has 5,185 inhabitants (2004).
as well as the Treaty of Versailles
, the railroad hub of Zbaszyn
(Bentschen) became part of newly re-created Poland
. In 1922, the government of Germany decided to create from scratch a new border station, a new rail hub (which replaced Zbaszyn) as well as a settlement for railroad workers. Within a few years, a large station was constructed, together with a modern garden-settlement, based on a project by architect Friedrich Veil. The town, named Neu Bentschen, was inhabited by ethnic Germans, railroad workers, who came there from different parts of the Weimar Republic
. There were two churches, a printing shop, a house of culture (Deutsches Haus), a school, a mail office and a bank. The settlement belonged to the Meseritz
county.
During World War II
the Germans opened there a work camp for POWs, in which different soldiers were kept - from Soviet Union
, France
, Italy
, as well as Jews from the Łódź Ghetto. Hundreds died of diseases and exhaustion, those who survived, worked on the rail infrastructure, which was necessary for transports to the eastern front.
In January 1945 German inhabitants of Neu Bentschen, fearing the advancing Red Army
escaped behind the Oder
, and the town was captured without fighting. As a result of the territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II following the Potsdam Conference
, it was part of the German territory annexed to Poland. It was briefly called Nowy Zbaszyn, some time in late 1940s, the name was changed.
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...
, in Lubusz Voivodeship
Lubusz Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lubusz Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties : 2 city counties and 12 land counties. These are further divided into 83 gminas....
, in Świebodzin County
Swiebodzin County
Świebodzin County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lubusz Voivodeship, 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 Świebodzin, which lies north...
. It has 5,185 inhabitants (2004).
History
The town was founded in the 1920s, when, as a result of the Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)
The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918–1919 or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region against Germany...
as well as the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, the railroad hub of Zbaszyn
Zbaszyn
Zbąszyń is a town in Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, in Nowy Tomyśl County. It has 7,319 inhabitants .-History:The town was first mentioned in historical sources from 1231, and it received its city charter before 1311. As a result of the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 it became part of...
(Bentschen) became part of newly re-created Poland
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...
. In 1922, the government of Germany decided to create from scratch a new border station, a new rail hub (which replaced Zbaszyn) as well as a settlement for railroad workers. Within a few years, a large station was constructed, together with a modern garden-settlement, based on a project by architect Friedrich Veil. The town, named Neu Bentschen, was inhabited by ethnic Germans, railroad workers, who came there from different parts of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. There were two churches, a printing shop, a house of culture (Deutsches Haus), a school, a mail office and a bank. The settlement belonged to the Meseritz
Miedzyrzecz
Międzyrzecz is a town in western Poland with 18,584 inhabitants . The capital of Międzyrzecz County, it was part of the Gorzów Wielkopolski Voivodeship from 1975–1998. Since the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998, Międzyrzecz has been situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship...
county.
During World War II
World War II
World 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...
the Germans opened there a work camp for POWs, in which different soldiers were kept - from Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, 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...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, as well as Jews from the Łódź Ghetto. Hundreds died of diseases and exhaustion, those who survived, worked on the rail infrastructure, which was necessary for transports to the eastern front.
In January 1945 German inhabitants of Neu Bentschen, fearing the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
escaped behind the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
, and the town was captured without fighting. As a result of the territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II following the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, it was part of the German territory annexed to Poland. It was briefly called Nowy Zbaszyn, some time in late 1940s, the name was changed.