Stargard Szczecinski
Encyclopedia
Stargard Szczeciński AUD is a city
in northwestern Poland
, with a population of 71,017 (2005). Situated on the Ina River
it is the capital of Stargard County
and since 1999 has been in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
; prior to that it was in the Szczecin Voivodeship
(1975–1998). Stargard is a major railroad junction, where the southwards connection from Szczecin
splits into two directions - one towards Poznań
and the other towards Gdańsk
. There is also another minor line to Pyrzyce
from the town.
in 1243 from Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania
.
In 1363 the city joined the Hanseatic League
and was then strongly fortified. During the 15th century the Pomeranian dukes chose it as their residence.
During the Thirty Years' War
the city burnt down and in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
it was incorporated, together with the rest of Further Pomerania, into Brandenburg-Prussia
. In 1701 Stargard became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
and in 1818, after the Napoleonic Wars
, Stargard became part of the new district Saatzig within the Province of Pomerania.
As a result of the unification of Germany
in 1871 the city became part of the German Empire
. On 1 April 1901 it became an independent city
, separate from the Saatzig District.
During World War II
the large prisoner-of-war camp
Stalag II-D
was located near Stargard. There were Kashubians
and later thousands of Canadians
captured at Dieppe
imprisoned there, one of whom was Gerald MacIntosh Johnston
, a Canadian actor, who was killed trying to escape.
In 1945 the city was placed under Polish administration, according to the postwar Potsdam Agreement
, and since then has remained part of Poland. The German
population was expelled
and replaced by Poles
, mainly from the eastern Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
.
In 2004 a north-western part of the town was made into an industrial park
- Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy
.
.
Until 1998 southeast of Stargard Szczeciński, there was a facility for mediumwave broadcasting at 15°7'E and 53°18'N used for foreign broadcasting on 1503 kHz with 300 kW. The two antenna towers of the facility are meanwhile dismantled.
with:
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in northwestern 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...
, with a population of 71,017 (2005). Situated on the Ina River
Ina River
The Ina is a river in northwestern Poland, a right tributary of the Oder River.The origins of the river are in Insko Lake , and it flows through a succession of smaller lakes. A confluence of Ina River is localized in Police, Poland town...
it is the capital of Stargard County
Stargard County
Stargard County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western 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 Stargard...
and since 1999 has been in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
; prior to that it was in the Szczecin Voivodeship
Szczecin Voivodeship
Szczecin Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodeship.----Statistics :*Area: 10.000 km²...
(1975–1998). Stargard is a major railroad junction, where the southwards connection from Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
splits into two directions - one towards 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...
and the other towards Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
. There is also another minor line to Pyrzyce
Pyrzyce
Pyrzyce , is a town in Pomerania, north-western Poland, with 13,331 inhabitants Capital of the Pyrzyce County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship .-History:...
from the town.
History
Stargard, which was first mentioned in around 1140, received Magdeburg city rightsMagdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...
in 1243 from Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim I the Good from the Griffin dynasty was a Duke of Pomerania from 1220 until his death.-Life:...
.
In 1363 the city joined the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
and was then strongly fortified. During the 15th century the Pomeranian dukes chose it as their residence.
During the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
the city burnt down and in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
it was incorporated, together with the rest of Further Pomerania, into Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
. In 1701 Stargard became part of 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...
and in 1818, after 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...
, Stargard became part of the new district Saatzig within the Province of Pomerania.
As a result of the unification of Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
in 1871 the city became part of the 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...
. On 1 April 1901 it became an independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
, separate from the Saatzig District.
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...
the large prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
Stalag II-D
Stalag II-D
Stalag II-D Stargard was a World War II German Army Prisoner-of-war camp located near Stargard, Pomerania , about east of Stettin .- Camp history:...
was located near Stargard. There were Kashubians
Kashubians
Kashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....
and later thousands of Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
captured at Dieppe
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
imprisoned there, one of whom was Gerald MacIntosh Johnston
Gerald MacIntosh Johnston
Actor Gerald MacIntosh Johnston , known professionally as Gerald Kent, was a Canadian Broadway stage and film actor who was captured at the Dieppe Raid during the Second World War and died in a German POW camp....
, a Canadian actor, who was killed trying to escape.
In 1945 the city was placed under Polish administration, according to the postwar Potsdam Agreement
Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement was the Allied plan of tripartite military occupation and reconstruction of Germany—referring to the German Reich with its pre-war 1937 borders including the former eastern territories—and the entire European Theatre of War territory...
, and since then has remained part of Poland. The German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
population was 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 by 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...
, mainly from the eastern 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...
.
In 2004 a north-western part of the town was made into an industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
- Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy
Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy
Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy - an industrial park in Stargard Szczeciński, a district town in north-west Poland . The total area is about 150 ha...
.
Landmarks and monuments
The town is on The European Route of Brick GothicEuropean Route of Brick Gothic
The European Route of Brick Gothic is a tourist route connecting 31 cities with Brick Gothic architecture in seven countries along the Baltic Sea, from Sweden through Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia....
.
- St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church, Stargard SzczecinskiThe Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the World in Stargard Szczeciński is perhaps the most valuable architectural monument in Polish Western Pomerania. It closes the eastern part of the Old Town Market.-History:...
(15th century) - one of the biggest brick churches in Europe; - St. John's Church (15th century) with high tower (99 m);
- mediaeval fortifications - ramparts, walls, gates (Brama Młyńska "The Mill Gate" from 15th cent.) and towers (13th - 16th centuries) - i.e. Red Sea Tower from 1513;
- renaissance townhall from 15th - 16th centuries;
- gothic tenement-houses;
- granary (16th century);
- expiatory cross (1542);
- column of victory (1945).
Until 1998 southeast of Stargard Szczeciński, there was a facility for mediumwave broadcasting at 15°7'E and 53°18'N used for foreign broadcasting on 1503 kHz with 300 kW. The two antenna towers of the facility are meanwhile dismantled.
Demographics
Before World War II the population of Stargard in Pommern was predominantly composed of Protestants.| Year | Inhabitants | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1618 | 12,000 | |
| 1640 | 1,200 | |
| 1688 | 3,600 | |
| 1720 | 400 | |
| 1740 | 5,529 | |
| 1782 | 5,612 | incl. 201 Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... |
| 1786 | 6,243 | |
| 1794 | 5,971 | incl. 204 Jews |
| 1812 | 8,900 | incl. 199 Catholics and 180 Jews. |
| 1816 | 8,042 | incl. 149 Catholics und 172 Jews. |
| 1831 | 9,907 | incl. 104 Catholics and 229 Jews. |
| 1843 | 11,192 | incl. 231 Catholics and 260 Jews. |
| 1852 | 12,473 | incl. 276 Catholics, 378 Jews and two Mennonites. |
| 1861 | 14,168 | incl. 267 Catholics, 436 Jews and seven German Catholics German Catholics The German Catholics were a schismatic sect formed in December 1844 by German dissidents from the Roman Catholic Church, under the leadership of Johannes Ronge.-History:... . |
| 1905 | 26,907 | together with the military, incl. 1,387 Catholics und 410 Jews. |
| 1913 | 28,000 | |
| 1929 | 34,600 | |
| 1933 | 35,773 | |
| 1939 | 39,760 | |
| 1945 | 2,870 | after expulsion of 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... and war losses |
| 1950 | 20,684 | |
| 1960 | 33,650 | |
| 1970 | 44,460 | |
| 1980 | 59,227 | |
| 1990 | 71,000 | |
| 1995 | 72,254 | |
Notable residents
- Karl August Ferdinand von BorckeKarl August Ferdinand von BorckeKarl August Ferdinand von Borcke was a Prussian general and the first recipient of the Iron Cross.-Biography:...
(1776–1830), Prussian general - Carl Wilhelm SchmidtCarl Wilhelm SchmidtReverend Carl Wilhelm Schmidt , also known as Karl Schmidt, was a German missionary, and an ordained minister of the Prussian United Church. Schmidt's missionary work took him to Queensland and Samoa, where he founded a number of Lutheran institutions and settlements.-Early life:Schmidt was born...
(died 1864), missionary - Adolf WallenbergAdolf WallenbergAdolf Wallenberg was a German internist and neurologist.Wallenberg was born in Preussisch Stargard. He studied at Heidelberg and Leipzig, receiving his doctorate from the latter University in 1886. From 1886 to 1888 he was assistant in the Städtisches Krankenhaus in Danzig, where he settled as a...
(1862–1949), neurologist - Oscar LevyOscar LevyOscar Levy was a German-Jewish physician and writer, now known as a scholar of Friedrich Nietzsche, whose works he first saw translated systematically into English. His was a paradoxical life, of self-exile and exile, and of writing on and against Judaism. He was influenced by the racialist...
(1867–1946), writer - Werner von BlombergWerner von BlombergWerner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg was a German Generalfeldmarschall, Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces until January 1938.-Early life:...
(1878–1946), general - Georg JoachimsthalGeorg JoachimsthalGeorg Joachimsthal was a German orthopedist who was native of Stargard in Pommern.In 1887 he earned his medical doctorate from Friedrich Wilhelm University with a dissertation on scoliosis titled Zur Pathologie und Therapie der Skoliose, and afterwards remained in Berlin as an assistant to Julius...
(1863–1914), orthopedist - Hans-Joachim von MerkatzHans-Joachim von MerkatzHans-Joachim von Merkatz was a German politician. He was Federal Minister of Justice from 1956 to 1957. He was a member of the Bundestag from 1949 to 1961...
(July 7, 1905 – February 25, 1982), West GermanWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
Federal Minister of JusticeFederal Ministry of Justice (Germany)The Federal Ministry of Justice is a federal ministry in Germany.Under the federal system of Germany, individual states are most responsible for the administration of justice and the application of penalties. The Federal Ministry of Justice devotes itself to creating and changing law in the...
1956–1957 - Claus BiederstaedtClaus BiederstaedtClaus Biederstaedt is a German actor and voice actor. He studied in Hamburg and began his career working with Joseph Offenbach...
(born 1928), actor - Arkadiusz BąkArkadiusz BakArkadiusz Bąk is a Polish footballer who currently plays for Flota Świnoujście.Having started in the 1992/1993 season, Bąk also played for Ruch Chorzów, Polonia Warszawa, Birmingham City, Widzew Łódź and Amica Wronki. He made thirteen appearances for Poland, including appearances in the 2002...
(born 1974), footballer - Ewa Kasprzyk (born 1957), actress
- Dominika Pawłowska (born 1983), singer
- Mariusz Rogowski, footballer
- Karolina Szarubka, singer
- Anna Kuczmejno, animator
Twin towns — sister cities
Stargard Szczeciński 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:
| Elmshorn Elmshorn Elmshorn is a town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is located 32 km north of Hamburg at the small river Krückau, close to the Elbe river, is the sixth-largest city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany... (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... ) Saldus Saldus Saldus is a Latvian town located in Courland and is main town in Saldus District. As of 2005, the town has a population of 12,707.The year 1856 is considered as foundation of Saldus town when the board of Domens' decided to establish a trade center... (Latvia Latvia Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden... ) Slagelse Slagelse Slagelse, a town in east Denmark, is in Slagelse municipality on the island of Zealand. It is about 100 km southwest of Copenhagen. The population is 31,979 .... (Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... ) Stralsund Stralsund - Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360... (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... ) Wijchen Wijchen ' is a municipality and a town in the province of Gelderland, in the eastern part of the Netherlands, at .- Neighbourhoods :Neighbourhoods in Wijchen include:*Centre: Kloosterakker*Wijchen-Oost: Valendries, Oosterweg and Uilenboom.... (Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... ) |
External links (in Polish)
- http://www.stargard.ogLLo.pl/
- http://www.stargard.pl/
- Satellite photo via Google Maps