Gniewkowo
Encyclopedia
Gniewkowo g is a town in Inowrocław County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
, Poland
with a population of 7,301 (2005).
.
. The first historical mention of the town dates from 1185. In 1268 the town was granted city rights. In 1314 Siemomysł of Inowrocław’s largeer Kuyavia
duchy was divided among his three sons; Casimir
inherited the Gniewkowo region which became a small autonomous duchy. The Teutonic Knights
laid siege to Gniewkowo in 1332 during their war with Poland
. To avoid capture Casimir set fire to his Grad (Slavic settlement) and abandoned the town. He would not regain control of the duchy until the Treaty of Kalisz in 1343.
In 1364/1365, Władysław (Ladislas) the White mortgaged Gniewkowo to Casimir III the Great. In 1408 the city hosted a meeting between Jogaila
and the Teutonic Knights
over the disputed Dobrzyń
territory. From 1409 to 1411 Gniewkowo played an important role in the conflict between Poland
and the Teutonic Order.
Gniewkowo was ravaged by several fires during the 16th century, limiting its development. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, wars with Sweden
and subsequent outbreaks of diseases laid waste to the town.
Gniewkowo was annexed by Prussia
in 1772 after the first partition of Poland
( but from 1807 to 1815 Gniewkowo was part of the Duchy of Warsaw
), during which time the economy began to develop. Starting in 1843, a road linked the city to Inowrocław and Toruń
. Jews
and Germans
became more and more prominent, while the local Polish population suffered from an official policy of discrimination
and forced Germanization. In 1879 the German Imperial administration, following the Bismarck's policy of forced Germanization of ancient Polish territories and their Slavic
peoples, changed the name of the town to a German "Argenau." A general strike
broke out after German
became the required official language for religious classes. Electricity became available city-wide in 1908.
On January 17, 1920, after a year of fighting, Gniewkowo rejoined a newly independent Poland
. The town suffered greatly during the Polish economic crisis that followed World War I
. On the eve of World War II
the unemployment rate was 70%.
During World War II
4,000 civilians taken from Gniewkowo and the nearby towns of Inowrocław, Bydgoszcz and Toruń
were executed by the Nazis in the woods surrounding the town.Red Army
took Gniewkowo on January 21, 1945 and thus begun the 44 years of Communist Poland. In 1989 first, since 1939, free and democratic electione were held in Gniewkowo as in the rest of democratic Republic of Poland. Between 1978 to 1998 Gniewkowo belonged to Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
and since the 1998 administrative reform belongs to Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
.
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea...
, 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 7,301 (2005).
Location
Gniewkowo is located to the south of the Bydgoszcz forest on route 52, 15 km northeast of Inowrocław and 23 km southwest of ToruńTorun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
.
History
Archaeological excavations have shown that the site was already populated by the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. The first historical mention of the town dates from 1185. In 1268 the town was granted city rights. In 1314 Siemomysł of Inowrocław’s largeer Kuyavia
Kuyavia
Kujawy , is a historical and ethnographic region in the north-central Poland, situated in the basin of the middle Vistula and upper Noteć Rivers, with its capital in Włocławek.-Etymology:The origin of the name Kujawy was seen differently in history...
duchy was divided among his three sons; Casimir
Casimir
Casimir – is an English, French and Latin form of the Polish name Kazimierz, derived from the Slavic elements: kazić "to destroy" and mir "peace, prestige, world". It is originally a warlike name and may mean "someone who destroys opponent's prestige/glory during battle". Also, some researches...
inherited the Gniewkowo region which became a small autonomous duchy. The Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
laid siege to Gniewkowo in 1332 during their war with 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...
. To avoid capture Casimir set fire to his Grad (Slavic settlement) and abandoned the town. He would not regain control of the duchy until the Treaty of Kalisz in 1343.
In 1364/1365, Władysław (Ladislas) the White mortgaged Gniewkowo to Casimir III the Great. In 1408 the city hosted a meeting between Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
and the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
over the disputed Dobrzyń
Dobrzyn Land
Dobrzyń Land is a historic region around the town of Dobrzyń nad Wisłą in Poland, east of the Vistula River and south of the Drwęca, where it borders on the Kulmerland...
territory. From 1409 to 1411 Gniewkowo played an important role in the conflict between 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...
and the Teutonic Order.
Gniewkowo was ravaged by several fires during the 16th century, limiting its development. During the 17th and the 18th centuries, wars with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and subsequent outbreaks of diseases laid waste to the town.
Gniewkowo 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...
in 1772 after the first partition of Poland
First Partition of Poland
The First Partition of Poland or First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. Growth in the Russian Empire's power, threatening the Kingdom of Prussia and the...
( but from 1807 to 1815 Gniewkowo was part of the Duchy of Warsaw
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
), during which time the economy began to develop. Starting in 1843, a road linked the city to Inowrocław and Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
. 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...
and Germans
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....
became more and more prominent, while the local Polish population suffered from an official policy of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
and forced Germanization. In 1879 the German Imperial administration, following the Bismarck's policy of forced Germanization of ancient Polish territories and their Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
peoples, changed the name of the town to a German "Argenau." A general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
broke out after German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
became the required official language for religious classes. Electricity became available city-wide in 1908.
On January 17, 1920, after a year of fighting, Gniewkowo rejoined a newly independent 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...
. The town suffered greatly during the Polish economic crisis that followed World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On the eve of 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 unemployment rate was 70%.
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...
4,000 civilians taken from Gniewkowo and the nearby towns of Inowrocław, Bydgoszcz and Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
were executed by the Nazis in the woods surrounding the town.Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
took Gniewkowo on January 21, 1945 and thus begun the 44 years of Communist Poland. In 1989 first, since 1939, free and democratic electione were held in Gniewkowo as in the rest of democratic Republic of Poland. Between 1978 to 1998 Gniewkowo belonged to Bydgoszcz 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....
and since the 1998 administrative reform belongs to Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea...
.
Economy
Local companies:- Bonduelle S.A.Bonduelle S.A.Bonduelle is a French company producing processed vegetables.For over 70 years, Bonduelle has experienced rapid, steady growth in the tinned and frozen vegetables industry....
(Food industryFood industryThe food production is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population...
) - Cykoria S.A. (Food industry)
- Interlight Production and Selling (Candle manufacturing)
- Cerama (ConstructionConstructionIn the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
) - Euro-Granit (Construction)
- Jerzy Rutkowski Ltd (FurnaceFurnaceA furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
manufacturing) - TG Tapicernia (FurnitureFurnitureFurniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
manufacturing) - Maciejczyk S. J. (Furniture manufacturing))