Skalmierzyce, Greater Poland Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Skalmierzyce s is an urbanized village
in Ostrów Wielkopolski County
, Greater Poland Voivodeship
, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Ostrów Wielkopolski
and 106 km (66 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań
. It adjoins the town of Nowe Skalmierzyce
.
Skalmierzyce has a population of around 4,000. It is the administrative seat of the gmina
(administrative district) called Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce
. It is the only village in Poland to be the seat of a gmina containing a town (until 2009 it shared that status with Święta Katarzyna, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
).
In local speech it is often called Stare Skalmierzyce ("Old Skalmierzyce"), to distinguish it from Nowe Skalmierzyce ("New Skalmierzyce").
It was originally called Scarbimirzyce, and is first mentioned in 1343. In 1815 it found itself close to the border between Prussia
and Russian-controlled Congress Poland
; a customs post was set up close by, which later developed into Nowe Skalmierzyce.
Buildings of interest include St. Catherine's church, built 1791–1792 and extended in 1873.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Ostrów Wielkopolski County
Ostrów Wielkopolski County
Ostrów Wielkopolski County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-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 Ostrów...
, 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...
, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Ostrów Wielkopolski
Ostrów Wielkopolski
Ostrów Wielkopolski is a town in central Poland with 72,360 inhabitants , situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostrów Wielkopolski County.-History:Recently, a small fortified dwelling dating from the 10th century was discovered on the north-east side of...
and 106 km (66 mi) south-east of the regional capital 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...
. It adjoins the town of Nowe Skalmierzyce
Nowe Skalmierzyce
Nowe Skalmierzyce is a town and its surrounding municipality in Ostrów Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. The town has a population of 5,093 , while the municipality, Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce, which is a mixed urban-rural gmina that includes the town, has a...
.
Skalmierzyce has a population of around 4,000. It is the administrative seat of the gmina
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...
(administrative district) called Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce
Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce
Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce is an urban-rural gmina in Ostrów Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. In 1999 the administrative seat of the gmina was moved from the town of Nowe Skalmierzyce to the adjoining locality of Skalmierzyce, which is officially classed as a...
. It is the only village in Poland to be the seat of a gmina containing a town (until 2009 it shared that status with Święta Katarzyna, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Swieta Katarzyna, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Święta Katarzyna is a village in Gmina Siechnice, Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland....
).
In local speech it is often called Stare Skalmierzyce ("Old Skalmierzyce"), to distinguish it from Nowe Skalmierzyce ("New Skalmierzyce").
It was originally called Scarbimirzyce, and is first mentioned in 1343. In 1815 it found itself close to the border between 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 Russian-controlled Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
; a customs post was set up close by, which later developed into Nowe Skalmierzyce.
Buildings of interest include St. Catherine's church, built 1791–1792 and extended in 1873.
Famous people born in Skalmierzyce
- Dr. Gunther von HagensGunther von HagensGunther von Hagens is a controversial German anatomist who invented the technique for preserving biological tissue specimens called plastination.-Early life:...
(born 'Gunther Liebchen', 10 January 1945), controversial GermanGermanyGermany , 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...
anatomistAnatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
who invented the technique for preserving biological tissue specimens called plastinationPlastinationPlastination is a technique or process used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most properties of the original sample....
.