Dolsk
Encyclopedia
Dolsk d is a town of approximately 1,400 inhabitants (as of 2005) in the Greater Poland Voivodeship
of Poland
. A capital of a commune
within the powiat
of Śrem
, the town is a minor centre of trade and commerce. The town is located between two lakes, the Dolskie Wielkie and Dolskie Małe, both deriving their names from the name of the town. Geographically, the town lies in the Leszczyńska Uplands in Greater Poland
, close to its border with Lower Silesia
.
The town was first mentioned in one of the first documents written partially in the Polish language
, that is the Bull of Gniezno
of 1136. Back then it was a private property of the Bishops of Gniezno. In mid-13th century the town was transferred to the Bishops of Poznań, who remained the sole owners of the area until after the Partitions of Poland
. Located at the trade route linking Poznań
with Wrocław, the town drew significant income from the traders and merchants, who were obliged to sell their merchandise at the local market before proceeding down the trade route. In 1359 king Casimir III
granted the town with Środa Law, a local variant of the famous Magdeburg Law. In 1797 Dolsk was confiscated by the Prussian
authorities and gradually fell into dismay.
Currently the town is experiencing a period of growth due to increase in tourist traffic. Among the most notable tourist attractions are three local churches: the St. Michael's church (circa 1460, burnt and rebuilt in 1790, one of the most notable pieces of late gothic architecture in the area), St. Laurentius' church (17th century) and Holy Spirit's church (wooden church of 17th century, formerly a chapel for the local hospital). The area around the town is a mosaic of various types of landscape, mostly formed during the glacial age. Among the most notable features are dense forests, several lakes and healthy turf deposits.
Greater Poland Voivodeship
Wielkopolska Voivodeship , or Greater Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła and Leszno Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998...
of 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...
. A capital of a commune
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...
within the powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...
of Śrem
Srem
Śrem is a town on the Warta river in central Poland. It has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; from 1975 to 1998 it was part of the Poznań Voivodeship...
, the town is a minor centre of trade and commerce. The town is located between two lakes, the Dolskie Wielkie and Dolskie Małe, both deriving their names from the name of the town. Geographically, the town lies in the Leszczyńska Uplands in Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
, close to its border with Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
.
The town was first mentioned in one of the first documents written partially in the Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, that is the Bull of Gniezno
Bull of Gniezno
The Bull of Gniezno was a papal bull issued on July 7, 1136 by Pope Innocent II. The bull split Archbishop of Magdeburg from the rest of the Polish church. From a historical perspective, the bull is especially important as it contains the earliest written record of the Polish language...
of 1136. Back then it was a private property of the Bishops of Gniezno. In mid-13th century the town was transferred to the Bishops of Poznań, who remained the sole owners of the area until after the Partitions 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...
. Located at the trade route linking 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...
with Wrocław, the town drew significant income from the traders and merchants, who were obliged to sell their merchandise at the local market before proceeding down the trade route. In 1359 king Casimir III
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
granted the town with Środa Law, a local variant of the famous Magdeburg Law. In 1797 Dolsk was confiscated by the Prussian
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...
authorities and gradually fell into dismay.
Currently the town is experiencing a period of growth due to increase in tourist traffic. Among the most notable tourist attractions are three local churches: the St. Michael's church (circa 1460, burnt and rebuilt in 1790, one of the most notable pieces of late gothic architecture in the area), St. Laurentius' church (17th century) and Holy Spirit's church (wooden church of 17th century, formerly a chapel for the local hospital). The area around the town is a mosaic of various types of landscape, mostly formed during the glacial age. Among the most notable features are dense forests, several lakes and healthy turf deposits.