Leszno
Encyclopedia
Leszno AUD is a town in central Poland
with 63,955 inhabitants (2008). Situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship
since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship
(1975–1998). The town has county status.
. The family adopted the surname of Leszczyński
from the name of their estate according to the medieval custom of the Polish nobility
.
In the early 16th century a community of Protestant Unity of the Brethren
refugees from Bohemia
settled in Leszno invited by the Leszczyński
family, who were since 1473 imperial counts and had converted to Calvinism
. The arrival of the Bohemian Protestants as well as weavers from nearby Silesia
helped the settlement to grow and made it possible to became a town in 1547 by a privilege given by King Sigismund I the Old
. Leszno was also the biggest printing center in Greater Poland
thanks to the activity of the Protestant community, whose number increased because of inflow of German refugees from Silesia during the Thirty Years War. At the time it already had a Gymnasium school led for a period by Jan Amos Komenský (known in English
as Comenius
), a Bohemian educator who was a bishop of the Unity of the Brethren
. From 1638 to his death in 1647, Johann Heermann
, a German-speaking poet, lived in Leszno. Between 1736 and 1639 the town became fortified and its area increased. The golden era of Leszno ended with a large fire in 1655. During the Great Northern War
the town was burned again in 1707 by Russians
and had a plague in 1709. The Leszczyński family owned the city until 1738 when king Stanisław Leszczyński sold it after he abdicated for the second time.
During the Second Partition of Poland
in 1793, Leszno was annexed by Prussia
and became part of Province of Posen
as Lissa. The town took part in the Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)
and was returned to Poland
by the Treaty of Versailles
on 1920 January 17.
The local populace had to acquire Polish citizenship.
The town was annexed by Nazi Germany
in 1939. The Polish population was resettled to the General Government
. Most of the town's Jewish population (which in its history included such famous rabbi
s as Leo Baeck and Jacob of Lissa as well as the Polish-Jewish writer Ludwig Kalisch
) and remaining Poles were murdered by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen
. After the defeat of Nazi-Germany the town returned to Poland in 1945. After the war, the city underwent a period of fast development especially between 1975 and 1998 when it was a seat of a voivodeship
administrative area. In 2000 the city was awarded "The Golden Star of Town Twinning" prize by the European Commission
.
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 63,955 inhabitants (2008). Situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship
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...
since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Leszno Voivodeship
Leszno Voivodeship
Leszno Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its capital city was Leszno.-Major cities and towns :* Leszno...
(1975–1998). The town has county status.
History
Leszno was first mentioned in historical documents in 1393. The settlement was then the property of Stefan z Karnina of Clan WieniawaCoat of arms of Wieniawa
Wieniawa is a Polish Coat of Arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.- History :- Blazon :English blazon: "Or, an ox head sable with a nose ring of the first in chief."- Notable bearers :...
. The family adopted the surname of Leszczyński
Leszczynski
Leszczyński , plural: Leszczyńscy is the surname of a Polish noble family. Some Polish surnames have different forms for the genders, Leszczyńska is the form for a female family member.-History:...
from the name of their estate according to the medieval custom of the Polish nobility
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
.
In the early 16th century a community of Protestant Unity of the Brethren
Unity of the Brethren
The Unity of the Brethren is a Christian denomination whose roots are in the pre-reformation work of priest and philosopher Jan Hus, who was martyred in 1415.-History in Bohemia:...
refugees from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
settled in Leszno invited by the Leszczyński
Leszczynski
Leszczyński , plural: Leszczyńscy is the surname of a Polish noble family. Some Polish surnames have different forms for the genders, Leszczyńska is the form for a female family member.-History:...
family, who were since 1473 imperial counts and had converted to Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
. The arrival of the Bohemian Protestants as well as weavers from nearby Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
helped the settlement to grow and made it possible to became a town in 1547 by a privilege given by King Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
. Leszno was also the biggest printing center 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...
thanks to the activity of the Protestant community, whose number increased because of inflow of German refugees from Silesia during the Thirty Years War. At the time it already had a Gymnasium school led for a period by Jan Amos Komenský (known in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as Comenius
Comenius
John Amos Comenius ; ; Latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer. He served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, and became a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica...
), a Bohemian educator who was a bishop of the Unity of the Brethren
Unity of the Brethren
The Unity of the Brethren is a Christian denomination whose roots are in the pre-reformation work of priest and philosopher Jan Hus, who was martyred in 1415.-History in Bohemia:...
. From 1638 to his death in 1647, Johann Heermann
Johann Heermann
Johann Heermann was a German poet and hymn-writer. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt.- Life :...
, a German-speaking poet, lived in Leszno. Between 1736 and 1639 the town became fortified and its area increased. The golden era of Leszno ended with a large fire in 1655. During the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
the town was burned again in 1707 by Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and had a plague in 1709. The Leszczyński family owned the city until 1738 when king Stanisław Leszczyński sold it after he abdicated for the second time.
During the Second Partition of Poland
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the second of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the War in Defense of the Constitution and the Targowica Confederation of 1792...
in 1793, Leszno was annexed by 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 became part of Province of Posen
Province of Posen
The Province of Posen was a province of Prussia from 1848–1918 and as such part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918. The area was about 29,000 km2....
as Lissa. The town took part in 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...
and was returned to 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...
by 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...
on 1920 January 17.
The local populace had to acquire Polish citizenship.
The town was annexed by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi 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...
in 1939. The Polish population was resettled to the General Government
General Government
The General Government was an area of Second Republic of Poland under Nazi German rule during World War II; designated as a separate region of the Third Reich between 1939–1945...
. Most of the town's Jewish population (which in its history included such famous rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s as Leo Baeck and Jacob of Lissa as well as the Polish-Jewish writer Ludwig Kalisch
Ludwig Kalisch
Ludwig Kalisch was a Polish-German Jewish novelist.When only twelve years of age he left his home and became successively pedler, merchant, and teacher. He saved enough money to carry him through matriculation and the study of medicine and, later, languages and literature in Heidelberg and Munich...
) and remaining Poles were murdered by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
. After the defeat of Nazi-Germany the town returned to Poland in 1945. After the war, the city underwent a period of fast development especially between 1975 and 1998 when it was a seat of a voivodeship
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
administrative area. In 2000 the city was awarded "The Golden Star of Town Twinning" prize by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
Sport
- Unia LesznoUnia LesznoUnia Leszno are a motorcycle speedway team established in 1938 and based in Leszno, Poland. They compete in the Polish Ekstraliga and are the league champions from the 2010 Speedway Ekstraliga season. The team's home track is at the Alfred Smoczyk Stadium....
speedway club http://www.unia.leszno.pl/
- Leszno Aero Club http://www.aeroklub.leszno.pl/
Primary schools
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 1
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 2
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 3
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 4
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 5
- Zespół Szkół Specjalnych Nr 6
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 7
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 9
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 10
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 12
- Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 13
Gimnazja
- Gimnazjum Nr 1
- Gimnazjum Nr 2
- Gimnazjum Nr 3
- Gimnazjum Nr 4
- Gimnazjum Nr 5
- Zespół Szkół Specjalnych Nr 6
- Gimnazjum Nr 7
- Gimnazjum Nr 8
- Gimnazjum Nr 9
Secondary schools
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące Nr 1
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące Nr 2
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące Nr 3
- Liceum Ogólnokształcące Nr 4
Technical Schools
- Zespół Szkół Rolniczo-Budowlanych im. Synów Pułku
- Zespół Szkół Ekonomicznych im.Jana Amosa Komeńskiego
- Zespół Szkół Technicznych
- Zespół Szkół Elektroniczno-Telekomunikacyjnych
- Zespół Szkół Ochrony Środowiska
High schools
- Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa http://www.pwsz.edu.pl/
- Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna
- Wyższa Szkoła Marketingu i Zarządzania http://www.wsmiz.edu.pl/
- Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych http://www.nkjoleszno.pl/
People
- LeszczyńskiLeszczynskiLeszczyński , plural: Leszczyńscy is the surname of a Polish noble family. Some Polish surnames have different forms for the genders, Leszczyńska is the form for a female family member.-History:...
family - Jan Amos KomenskýComeniusJohn Amos Comenius ; ; Latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer. He served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, and became a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica...
- Johann HeermannJohann HeermannJohann Heermann was a German poet and hymn-writer. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt.- Life :...
- John JonstonJohn JonstonJohn Jonston was a Polish scholar and physician, descended from Scottish nobility and closely associated with the Polish magnate family of the Leszczyńskis.-Life:Jonston was born in Szamotuły, the son of Simon Johnston, who had emigrated to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
- King Stanisław I (Leszczyński), later Duke of Lorraine
- Haym SolomonHaym SolomonHaym Solomon was a Spanish and Portuguese Jew who immigrated to New York from Poland during the period of the American Revolution, and who became a prime financier of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain.-Early years:Descended from Jewish refugees from...
- Leo Baeck
- Jacob of Lissa
- Albert MosseAlbert MosseIsaac Albert Mosse was a German judge and legal scholar. Mosse's importance lies in the working out of Japan's Meiji Constitution and his continuation of Litthauer's Comments on the German Commercial Code.-Biography:...
- Ludwig KalischLudwig KalischLudwig Kalisch was a Polish-German Jewish novelist.When only twelve years of age he left his home and became successively pedler, merchant, and teacher. He saved enough money to carry him through matriculation and the study of medicine and, later, languages and literature in Heidelberg and Munich...
- Zvi Hirsch KalischerZvi Hirsch KalischerZvi Hirsch Kalischer was an Orthodox German rabbi and one of Zionism's early pioneers in Germany.-Life:...
- Stefan Grot-RoweckiStefan RoweckiStefan Paweł Rowecki was a Polish general, journalist and the leader of the Armia Krajowa. He was murdered by the Gestapo in prison, probably on the direct order of Heinrich Himmler.-Life:Rowecki was born in Piotrków Trybunalski...
- Stanisław Grochowiak
- Bogdan GolikBogdan GolikBogdan Golik is a Polish politician and FormerMember of the European Parliament for LDwith the Self-Defense and sits on theEuropean Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development....
- Alexandria RiordanAlexandria RiordanAlexandria "Zsa Zsa" Riordan-Niechcielska is a Polish-Irish-American figure skater. She competes internationally on the junior level....
- Wolfgang ThomaleWolfgang ThomaleWolfgang Thomale was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. 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 military leadership...
(1900-1978), German general - Wolfgang MartiniWolfgang MartiniWolfgang Martini was a Career Officer in the German Air Force, and largely responsible for promoting early radar development and utilization in that country.-Early career:...
(1891-1963), German general