Dabrówno
Encyclopedia
Dąbrówno d is a village and the seat of a gmina
(municipality) in Ostróda County
, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
in northern Poland. It lies approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ostróda
and 50 km (31 mi) south-west of the regional capital Olsztyn
.
By the 13th century the Old Prussians
had constructed a fort on a narrow between the Great
and Little Dąbrowa
lakes. The Teutonic Order began fortifying the area as Gilgenburg in 1316, and the developing settlement received its town charter in 1326. During the 15th century, it was repeatedly destroyed through warfare.
In 1818 Gilgenburg was included in Landkreis Osterode in Ostpreußen. Despite being on the railway between Osterode (Ostróda
) and Soldau (Działdowo), Gilgenburg remained a tiny town with no more than 1,000 residents. After the separation of Działdowo from East Prussia
, Dąbrówno became the southernmost town of the Masurian Oberland and was cut off from its regional connections.
Gilgenburg was heavily damaged during World War II
. As a result of the Potsdam Conference
, the town was transferred from Germany
to Poland in 1945 and had its German inhabitants expelled
and replaced with Poles
, many themselves expellees from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
. The settlement, renamed Dąbrówno, had its town charter revoked during the process. Because much of its medieval
layout still exists, including its church and parts of its fortifications, Dąbrówno began to be reconstructed during the 1990s.
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...
(municipality) in Ostróda County
Ostróda County
Ostróda County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern 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 Ostróda, which lies ...
, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...
in northern Poland. It lies approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Ostróda
Ostróda
Ostróda is a town in Ostróda County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland, with 33,603 inhabitants as of January 1, 2005. It lies in the Masurian Lake District and is a growing tourist site owing to its relaxing natural surroundings.-History:...
and 50 km (31 mi) south-west of the regional capital Olsztyn
Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
.
By the 13th century the Old Prussians
Old Prussians
The Old Prussians or Baltic Prussians were an ethnic group, autochthonous Baltic tribes that inhabited Prussia, the lands of the southeastern Baltic Sea in the area around the Vistula and Curonian Lagoons...
had constructed a fort on a narrow between the Great
Great Dabrowa
The Great Dąbrowa is a lake in Poland near the gmina Dąbrówno. The Little Dąbrowa lake is nearby....
and Little Dąbrowa
Little Dabrowa
The Little Dąbrowa is a lake in Poland near the gmina Dąbrówno. The Great Dąbrowa lake is nearby....
lakes. The Teutonic Order began fortifying the area as Gilgenburg in 1316, and the developing settlement received its town charter in 1326. During the 15th century, it was repeatedly destroyed through warfare.
In 1818 Gilgenburg was included in Landkreis Osterode in Ostpreußen. Despite being on the railway between Osterode (Ostróda
Ostróda
Ostróda is a town in Ostróda County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland, with 33,603 inhabitants as of January 1, 2005. It lies in the Masurian Lake District and is a growing tourist site owing to its relaxing natural surroundings.-History:...
) and Soldau (Działdowo), Gilgenburg remained a tiny town with no more than 1,000 residents. After the separation of Działdowo from East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, Dąbrówno became the southernmost town of the Masurian Oberland and was cut off from its regional connections.
Gilgenburg was heavily damaged 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...
. As a result of 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...
, the town was transferred from 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...
to Poland in 1945 and had its German inhabitants expelled
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...
and replaced with 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...
, many themselves expellees from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Immediately after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union invaded the eastern regions of the Second Polish Republic, which Poles referred to as the "Kresy," and annexed territories totaling 201,015 km² with a population of 13,299,000...
. The settlement, renamed Dąbrówno, had its town charter revoked during the process. Because much of its medieval
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
layout still exists, including its church and parts of its fortifications, Dąbrówno began to be reconstructed during the 1990s.
People
- Otto Brodde (born March 21, 1910, Gilgenburg, Ostpreußen - August 24, 1982, Hamburg) , musician