Brodnica
Encyclopedia
Brodnica AUD is a town in northern Poland with 27,400 inhabitants . Previously part of Toruń Voivodeship
[a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
since 1999. It is the seat of Brodnica County
, and Brodnica Landscape Park
, a protected area
, also gets its name from Brodnica.
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Brodnica – the capital of the district, whose present quarter Michałowo, a settlement mentioned as early as in 1138 and then in 1240 as castrum Michałowo
, hides relics from Neolithic era. As it is confirmed in old documents Michałowo was the capital of the Masovian Castellany. The town was chosen owing to its good position on the Drwęca
(on the trade route leading from Masovia to Prussia
) and a customs house between Dobrzyń and Chełmno Land
(mentioned in 1252).
The first reference to the town of Brodnica dates from 1263. Brodnica received German town law
in 1298. Although the Teutonic rule ended here with the Treaty of Toruń
1466 (as on the entire Chełmno Land
), Brodnica remained in the hands of Teutonic Knights
until 1479. A favourable location on the intersection of important routes used for transportation of different goods (wood, fish, furs, animal skin, grain, wool) accelerated the development of the town, making it an important trading centre, the status still reflected in the number of well-preserved granaries along the Drwęca
. In the Teutonic state Brodnica was the seat of the Commander: in the Polish Republic it was the capital of the district starosty
, and the former Commander's lands were then royal property. Between 1486 and 1604 the town belonged to the Działyński family
, then between 1604 and 1625 to Anna Vasa of Sweden who was the royal sister of Sigismund III Vasa
, King of Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden. In later years it was the property Queen Cecily Renata
, Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński
, Queen Maria Casimira
, and Marshal Franciszek Bieliński
.
After a period of stagnation instigated by the wars of the 17th and 18th cc., the city's fortunes improved rapidly.
Brodnica was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia
in 1772, during the First Partition of Poland
, but in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars
, Brodnica became part of the Duchy of Warsaw
. Between 1815–1920 Brodnica was again under a Prussian administration as part of the Prussian-led German Empire
in 1871.
The 19th century saw 20 thousand Polish soldiers interned after the failure of the November Uprising
(1830–1831) and many townspeople and noblemen involved in the January Uprising
(1863). It is in Brodnica region too that Masovian insurgents sought refuge from Russian persecution after the failure of the January Uprising
.
Between 1886 and 1910 Brodnica received railway connections with Działdowo, Grudziądz
, Iława, Sierpc
and Jabłonowo Pomorskie, which made it an important railway junction and triggered the industrial progress. In 19th c. the Chełmno Land
(and Brodnica in particular) was a refuge of Polish patriots who contributed greatly to social, cultural and economic life of the region, like Ignacy Łyskowski.
In 1920, after the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles
was established, the town of Brodnica became part of Poland
.
During World War II approximately 1,000 Polish inhabitants were murdered by the SS
and the Selbstschutz
, and, after the war ended, an unknown number of German inhabitants were expelled or killed by the Red Army
during the expulsion of the Germans
.
soldiers who died on the same day were buried here as well. It is also a burial place for UB
people notorious for waging war with Polish anti-communist partisans after 1945.
with:
Strasburg
, Germany Brørup
, Denmark Kėdainiai
, Lithuania
Kristinehamn
, Sweden Chamalières
, France Koprivnica
, Croatia
Hummelo en Keppel
, Netherlands Sevan, Armenia
Torun Voivodeship
Toruń Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Toruń.-Major cities and towns :...
[a province], from 1975 to 1998, Brodnica has been situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea...
since 1999. It is the seat of Brodnica County
Brodnica County
Brodnica County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-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 and largest town is Brodnica,...
, and Brodnica Landscape Park
Brodnica Landscape Park
Brodnica Landscape Park is a protected area in north-central Poland, established in 1985, covering an area of ....
, a protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
, also gets its name from Brodnica.
Important dates in the history of Brodnica
- 1285–1370 – the construction of the parish church (Gothic Church of St. Catherine)
- 1298 – the foundation of the town of Brodnica
- 1303–1466 – the Michałowo land is occupied by the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe 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...
- 1310–1330 – the construction of the city walls
- 1312–1327 – the construction of a castle for the Teutonic Master
- 1550 – a great fire sweeps through the town and destroys the castle
- 1479–1818 – Michałowo, Brodnica's district at the time, is the seat of the local starost. In 1560 a court district of Michałowo comprising the Lubawa Land with Nowe Miasto LubawskieNowe Miasto LubawskieNowe Miasto Lubawskie is a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca. The population is 11,104 . Nowe Miasto Lubawskie is the capital of Nowe Miasto County and was assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in 1999.- History :...
is created - 1807 – Napoleon Bonaparte visits Brodnica
- 1840 – Frederick William IV of PrussiaFrederick William IV of Prussia|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
visits Brodnica - 1850 – a great fire destroys the oldest part of the town
- 18 January 1920 – General Haller's Blue Army arrives to the town
- 15–18 August 1920 – the eastern part of the district is seized by the Red ArmyRed ArmyThe 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...
, (Polish–Soviet War) - 18 August 1920 – Battle of Brodnica: great Polish victory over Red ArmyRed ArmyThe 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...
- 22 June 1924 – President of the Republic of PolandPresident of the Republic of PolandThe President of the Republic of Poland is the Polish head of state. His or her rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Poland....
Stanisław Wojciechowski visits Brodnica - 1919–1939 – Gazeta Brodnicka (Brodnica Newspaper) is published 3 times a week in the Kazimierz Wojciechowski printing house (in 1921 renamed Gazeta Michałowska (Michałowo Newspaper)
- 26 October 1939 – the Germans incorporate Brodnica into the Third ReichNazi GermanyNazi 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...
: PolesPolesthumb|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...
have status of slaves with no human rights - 23 January 1945 – the Red ArmyRed ArmyThe 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...
seizes Brodnica, more than 700 inhabitants of the town and neighborhood (mostly PolesPolesthumb|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...
) are deported to soviet camps (gulagGulagThe Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
s) - 2 July 2010 – Marshal of the Sejm Bronisław Komorowski visits Brodnica
History
Michelauer Land
The Michelauer Land or Michałowo Land is a historical region in central Poland, currently part of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship. During the Middle Ages, it was a disputed territory between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Knights.-Name:...
, hides relics from Neolithic era. As it is confirmed in old documents Michałowo was the capital of the Masovian Castellany. The town was chosen owing to its good position on the Drwęca
Drweca
The Drwęca is a river in northern Poland and a tributary of the Vistula river near Toruń, forming a part of the city's administrative boundary. It has a length of 207 km and a basin area of 5,344 km², all in Poland.Towns:...
(on the trade route leading from Masovia to 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 a customs house between Dobrzyń and Chełmno Land
Chełmno Land
Chełmno land or Chełmno region is a historical region of Poland, located in central Poland, bounded by the Vistula and Drwęca rivers....
(mentioned in 1252).
The first reference to the town of Brodnica dates from 1263. Brodnica received German town law
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1298. Although the Teutonic rule ended here with the Treaty of Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
1466 (as on the entire Chełmno Land
Chełmno Land
Chełmno land or Chełmno region is a historical region of Poland, located in central Poland, bounded by the Vistula and Drwęca rivers....
), Brodnica remained in the hands of 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...
until 1479. A favourable location on the intersection of important routes used for transportation of different goods (wood, fish, furs, animal skin, grain, wool) accelerated the development of the town, making it an important trading centre, the status still reflected in the number of well-preserved granaries along the Drwęca
Drweca
The Drwęca is a river in northern Poland and a tributary of the Vistula river near Toruń, forming a part of the city's administrative boundary. It has a length of 207 km and a basin area of 5,344 km², all in Poland.Towns:...
. In the Teutonic state Brodnica was the seat of the Commander: in the Polish Republic it was the capital of the district starosty
Starostwo
Starostwo , from the 14th century in the Polish Crown and later through the era of the joint state of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until the partitions of Poland in 1795, referred to the crown lands administered by the official known as starosta...
, and the former Commander's lands were then royal property. Between 1486 and 1604 the town belonged to the Działyński family
Działyński family
The Działyński Family was a Polish noble family whose name comes from their original place of settlement, Działyń in Dobrzyń Land. They used the Ogończyk coat of arms. The original head of the family was Piotr from Działyń . During the 16th century the members of the Działyński family began moving...
, then between 1604 and 1625 to Anna Vasa of Sweden who was the royal sister of Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
, King of Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden. In later years it was the property Queen Cecily Renata
Cecilia Renata of Austria
Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria was Queen of Poland as consort to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's King Władysław IV Vasa.-Biography:...
, Chancellor Jerzy Ossoliński
Jerzy Ossolinski
Prince Jerzy Ossoliński was a Polish szlachcic, Crown Court Treasurer from 1632, voivode of Sandomierz from 1636, Reichsfürst since 1634, Crown Deputy Chancellor from 1639, Great Crown Chancellor from 1643, starost of Bydgoszcz , Lubomel , Puck and Bolim , magnate, politician and diplomat...
, Queen Maria Casimira
Marie Casimire Louise de la Grange d'Arquien
Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien, in Polish: Maria Kazimiera, known also by the diminutive form "Marysieńka" was consort to King John III Sobieski, from 1674 to 1696.-Biography:...
, and Marshal Franciszek Bieliński
Franciszek Bielinski
Franciszek Bieliński of Junosza was a Polish politician and statesman. A Grand Marshal of the Crown, Marshal of Prussia and a voivode of Chełmno, he is best remembered as a strong proponent of the expansion and the modernisation of the city of Warsaw...
.
After a period of stagnation instigated by the wars of the 17th and 18th cc., the city's fortunes improved rapidly.
Brodnica was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
in 1772, during the First Partition 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...
, but in 1807, during the 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...
, Brodnica became part of the 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...
. Between 1815–1920 Brodnica was again under a Prussian administration as part of the Prussian-led German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871.
The 19th century saw 20 thousand Polish soldiers interned after the failure of the 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...
(1830–1831) and many townspeople and noblemen involved in the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
(1863). It is in Brodnica region too that Masovian insurgents sought refuge from Russian persecution after the failure of the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
.
Between 1886 and 1910 Brodnica received railway connections with Działdowo, Grudziądz
Grudziadz
Grudziądz is a city in northern Poland on the Vistula River, with 96 042 inhabitants . Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , the city was previously in the Toruń Voivodeship .- History :-Early history:...
, Iława, Sierpc
Sierpc
Sierpc is a town in Poland, in the north-west part of the Masovian Voivodeship, about 125 km northwest of Warsaw. It is the capital of Sierpc County. Its population is 18,777 . It is located near the national road No 10, which connects Warsaw and Toruń...
and Jabłonowo Pomorskie, which made it an important railway junction and triggered the industrial progress. In 19th c. the Chełmno Land
Chełmno Land
Chełmno land or Chełmno region is a historical region of Poland, located in central Poland, bounded by the Vistula and Drwęca rivers....
(and Brodnica in particular) was a refuge of Polish patriots who contributed greatly to social, cultural and economic life of the region, like Ignacy Łyskowski.
In 1920, after the end of World War I and 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...
was established, the town of Brodnica became part of 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...
.
During World War II approximately 1,000 Polish inhabitants were murdered by the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
and the Selbstschutz
Selbstschutz
Selbstschutz stands for two organisations:# A name used by a number of paramilitary organisations created by ethnic Germans in Central and Eastern Europe# A name for self-defence measures and units in ethnic German, Austrian, and Swiss civil defence....
, and, after the war ended, an unknown number of German inhabitants were expelled or killed by the 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...
during the expulsion of the Germans
Expulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...
.
War cemetery in Brodnica
Worth attention is the cemetery established by Germans during the World War I. 15 November saw a burial of 25 German soldiers killed in the Russian offensive. In 1920 31 Polish soldiers killed during the battle of Brodnica with the Bolsheviks on 18 August were laid to rest here. In 1943 German soldiers who died in the local hospital together with those who lost their lives on 21 January 1945 during the Soviet offensive were put in the ground. A curiosity is that the Red ArmyRed 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...
soldiers who died on the same day were buried here as well. It is also a burial place for UB
Ministry of Public Security of Poland
The Ministry of Public Security of Poland was a Polish communist secret police, intelligence and counter-espionage service operating from 1945 to 1954 under Jakub Berman of the Politburo...
people notorious for waging war with Polish anti-communist partisans after 1945.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Brodnica is twinnedTown 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:
Strasburg
Strasburg, Germany
Strasburg is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated in the historic Uckermark region, about west of Pasewalk, and east of Neubrandenburg....
, Germany Brørup
Brørup
Brørup is a town with a population of 4,442 in Vejen municipality, Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark.Until January 1, 2007, Brørup was also a municipality in Ribe County. The municipality covered an area of 107 km², and had a total population of 6,485...
, Denmark Kėdainiai
Kedainiai
Kėdainiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located on the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2008 was 30,214. Its old town dates to the 17th century....
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern...
, Sweden Chamalières
Chamalières
Chamalières is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.Chamalières is the third-largest town in the department and lies about from Lyon.-History:...
, France Koprivnica
Koprivnica
Koprivnica is a city in northern Croatia. It is the capital of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011 the city administrative area had a total population of 30,872, with 23,896 in the city itself.-Population:...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
Hummelo en Keppel
Hummelo en Keppel
Hummelo en Keppel is a former municipality in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It was created in 1818, when the municipalities of Hummelo and Keppel merged, and existed until 2005, when the area became a part of the new municipality of Bronckhorst....
, Netherlands Sevan, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
Famous people (lived in Brodnica and the Brodnica County)
- Martin Truchseß von Wetzhausen – Grand Master of the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe 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...
- Simon SyreniusSimon SyreniusSimon Syrenius was a pre-Linnean Polish botanist and academic. A native of Oświęcim, he taught at the Jagiellonian University. Anna Vasa served as his patron, and with her help, Syrenius published a botanic atlas in five volumes consisting of 1,540 pages describing 765 plants.-External links:...
– Polish botanist and academic - Anna Vasa of Sweden – Swedish princess
- Wojciech Dębołęcki – Polish monk, writer and composer
- Ignacy Łyskowski – Polish writer, educatiaon organizer and agronomist
- Małgorzata Birbach – Polish long-distance runner
- Łukasz Fabiański – Polish footballer
- Jakub WawrzyniakJakub WawrzyniakJakub Wawrzyniak is a Polish footballer currently playing as a defender for Legia Warsaw. He usually plays as a left-back or center-back. Earlier in his career, he also appeared a few times as a midfielder.- Club career :...
– Polish footballer - Robert Kłos – Polish footballer
- Jakub Zabłocki – Polish footballer
- Patryk KuchczyńskiPatryk KuchczynskiPatryk Kuchczyński is a Polish team handball player, currently playing for Vive Targi Kielce and on the Poland national handball team....
– Polish team handballTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player