Gorzów Wielkopolski
Encyclopedia
Gorzów Wielkopolski AUD (abbreviated Gorzów Wlkp.; ; ) is a city in western Poland
, on the Warta river. It is the biggest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship
with 125,149 inhabitants (June 2009). and one of its two capitals with a seat of a Voivodeship governor (the other is Zielona Góra
); previously it was the capital of the Gorzów Voivodeship
(1975–1998).
Gorzów is famous for its fine sportsmen including Olympic and world champions and national representatives. In recent years the city has been known for a former Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, who comes from Gorzów Wielkopolski. Around Gorzów there are two large forest areas: Gorzów Woods (Puszcza Gorzowska) to the north, where the Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park
is situated, and Noteć Woods (Puszcza Notecka) to the southeast. The
biggest oil fields in Poland are located near Gorzów.
It appeared in a compendium called Ancient Poland according to its history, geography and statistics (Starożytna Polska pod względem historycznym, geograficznym i statystycznym) published in 1848 by Samuel Orgelbrand in Warsaw. Ten years earlier, in 1838, the same name Gorzew was used in a book published in Paris with a corresponding yet broader title of Polska w kształcie dykcjonarza historyczno-statystyczno-jeograficznego opisana przez Jędrzeja Słowaczyńskiego (encompassing all of Poland).
The current spelling of "Gorzów" appears on the map featuring "Królestwo Polskie" published in Lwow in 1900 with "Landsberg an der Warthe" in parenthesis next to "Gorzów". The name is interpreted in several different ways according to rules of the old Polish language, originating from "gorzenie" or "pogorzelcy" (meaning: conflagration), or even "gorzelnia" or "gorzałka" meaning brewery.
The German name Landsberg an der Warthe derives from the German words
land
or 'state' and berg or 'mountain' combined with Warthethe German name for the river Warta.
In Polish, it was the name 'Gorzów' which eventually stuck, beating the alternative postwar name "Kobylagóra", or 'Mare Mountain', which survives today as the name of a street in the city. The word Wielkopolski or 'Great Poland', after the voivodeship of that name
of which Gorzów was a part from 1946–1950, was added later. However, Gorzow itself is not a part of the historical region of Greater Poland
.
Piast dynasty
. In 1249 the Silesian
Duke Bolesław II Rogatka had sold Lubusz Land
in the west to the Ascanian Margraves of Brandenburg
, and the city of Landisberch Nova (named after Altlandsberg
) was founded on the site in 1257. The city was at that time an eastern outpost of the newly established Neumark
region of Brandenburg, close to the Greater Polish fortress of Santok
. In 1325 Polish, in 1432 Hussite
troops beleaguered the city. In the 16th century the city became Lutheran
, with St. Mary's Cathedral
changing its allegiance in 1537.
In 1701 Landsberg (Gorzów) - like all of Brandenburg - became ruled in personal union
with the Kingdom of Prussia
. On 4 February 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars
the Russian Ataman
Aleksandr Chernichev and his Cossack
troops defeated a French
bataillon of 1,500 men of Louis-Nicolas Davout's corps. In 1815 - in the course of an administrative restructuring - Landsberg became part of Prussia's Province of Brandenburg
. The city, like all of Prussia, was included in the German Empire
in 1871 during the unification of Germany
. Between 1249 and 1945 Landsberg (Gorzów) had become thoroughly German
in population (amounting to 33,598 as of 1900), mostly of Protestant Christianity (as of 1537, Lutheran until 1817, united
since 1817) with sizable minorities of Catholic (1,785 souls) and Jewish Germans (568 souls) in the early 20th century.
In early 1945 during World War II
Landsberg was heavily damaged following the retreat of the Wehrmacht
ahead of the Soviet
Red Army
. The Red Army arrived in the city on 30 January 1945, approaching from the left bank of the river Warta. The Wehrmacht had already evacuated most of the city, and the advancing forces met very little resistance. Over the course of the next few days, most of the city centre was destroyed, reportedly through the accidental spread of a fire started in order to light the outward march of the Red Army towards Küstrin
.
The city was annexed by Poland in accordance with the provisions of the post-war Potsdam Conference
, and most of the remaining population soon were expelled to more western parts of Germany
. Between February and September 1945, the original population of the city was gradually replaced by Poles
repatriated
from central parts of Poland and the Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union (also known as Kresy
). It was at this time that Gorzów's significant Tatar and Romani communities arrived. The last original inhabitants were forced to leave the city in the early 1950s.
, red-brick Gorzów Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, dating from the end of the 1200s, situated on the old market square. The city centre is overwhelmingly occupied by Communist-era buildings, although many have been beautified, most notably those around the old market square. Many of the façades of the buildings in the centre were renovated in anticipation of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Gorzów in 1997.
Due to the large number of parks and green spaces, Gorzów has been termed 'the city of parks and gardens'. In addition to the central Park of Roses (Park Róż), there is also a viewing area on the hilltop of Siemiradzki Park which commands impressive views across the plains and woods to the south of the city.
The city also contains the museum of Lubusz Voivodeship
, which is divided between two sites. The Spichlerz or 'granary' dates from the 1700s and can be found on the left bank of the Warta. The museum, housed inside, frequently plays host to art exhibitions and has a permanent collection of artifacts and photographs relating to the history of the city. The other part of the museum, on Warszawska street, is housed in the secessionist villa of Gustav Schroeder. This section contains a wide range of artifacts, ranging from portraits of the 1600s, to weapons, pottery, and the biedermeier
interior furnishings of the villa itself.
The Old Town was almost completely destroyed, but the New Town (1800s) has survived in good condition as a complex of hundreds of buildings and is in the Heritage Register. For the past few years, historical tenements have been successfully undergoing renovation.
The Jewish cemetery
of Gorzów is located on the western edge of the city. Although the cemetery was vandalised in the 1930s, a number of graves still remain intact.
Major shopping malls in the city are Galeria Askana, Panorama, Park 111, there are two Tesco
hypermarket
s and many discount and department stores and retailers.
Landsberg an der Warthe before the World War II was a very well=developed and industrialized city. The most notable enterpreneurs included industralists Max Bahr and Herman Paucksch. After the War and Red Army liberation the city suffered from heavy losses especially in machinery which was stolen by the Soviets. In the postwar time Gorzów saw a fast economic development and new industries were founded like Stilon (chemical fibres), Silwana (fabrics) and Ursus
(tractors) who remained major employers up to the mid-1990s. After Leszek Balcerowicz
's free market reforms former state-owned companies either went bankrupt or had severe financial problems that resulted in radical employment and production reduction. In the 1990s and 2000s the city saw a new economic age. While public giants were collapsing new private companies were established. Currently the biggest employer in the city is Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze Sp. z o.o.
(previously Volkswagen Elektro-Systemy Sp. z o.o.), car wiring systems. The then German company estabilshed in Gorzów in 1993 (taken over by Japanese Sumitomo Electric in 2006), it operates in Stilon industrial estate. Gorzów Heat and Power Plant (Elektrociepłownia Gorzów) is a modern company with over 300 staff and it holds an award of Fair Play Company. One of the most distinguished employers is Biowet Vetoquinol which has over 100 years of experience in veterinary medicines and chemistry. manufacturing. Gorzów is a Polish headquarters of Spartherm Feuerungstechnik GmbH.
A recent economic development of the city was boosted by creation of Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone and its Subzone Gorzów. At present there are two significant employers in the Subzone: Faurecia and TPV Displays and many other smaller companies operating there.
There are railway connections with major Polish cities, mostly with interchange in Krzyż or Kostrzyn. There are plans to start fast through trains to Poznań
and Berlin
in 2010. Gorzów main station was renovated in 2009 and 2010 and it offers bed and breakfast
, restaurant and retail services.
The S3 expressway provides a fast connection to Szczecin. The A2 Highway is being built near to Sulęcin.
near the centre of the city. The festival is organised by Edward Dębicki
, the founder of the Romani music group Terno
, which also performs as part of the series of concerts.
Romane Dyvesa continues Gorzów's strong tradition of Romani culture, of which the most widely known member was the poet Bronisława Wajs, often known as Papusza. Wajs's former home on Kosynierów Gdyńskich street is marked with a plaque, as is the main city library on Sikorskiego street. The library itself holds a collection of books about Papusza, as well as the manuscripts of her correspondence with Julian Tuwim
. In Polan the city is famous for its Jazz Club Pod Filarami which every autumn organizes Gorzów Jazz Celebrations a festival which hosts internationally recognized musicians from Poland and around the world.
There are several small hotels including railway station bed and breakfast, and youth hostel at Drzymały Street.
The city offers leisure facilities. Sports and Rehabilitation Centre "Słowianka" offers 50 m olympic pool, aqua park facilities, saunas,gym, massage and spa. Gracja hotel offers a 25 m pool. There are a few gyms and sports hall in the city. New rowing centre at the Warta river has been completed in 2009. Speedway stadium is undergoing major extension works this year.
Gorzów embankment, which is undergoing major renovationin 2011, is a new nightlife centre. There are many restaurants and pubs around the embankment and others are coming soon.
, who was born and worked here. After stepping down as the PM he was appointed as acting mayor of Warsaw
and then as a counsel to a chairman of PKO BP bank. In 2007 he became one of the directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He now works for Goldman Sachs
.
Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
The Left and Democrats (Lewica i Demokraci)
Polish People's Party (Polski Stronnictwo Ludowe)
and Michał Jeliński, both in rowing. It is a home for many world champions and Olympic medalists.
A historical sport is also volleyball. GTPS holds to a great tradition and has had many outstanding players with the best ever, Sebastian Świderski, born in Gorzów.
with: Cava de' Tirreni
Teramo
Eberswalde
Frankfurt (Oder)
Herford
Verden (Aller) Saransk
Jönköping
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
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...
, on the Warta river. It is the biggest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship
Lubusz Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lubusz Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties : 2 city counties and 12 land counties. These are further divided into 83 gminas....
with 125,149 inhabitants (June 2009). and one of its two capitals with a seat of a Voivodeship governor (the other is Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra
Zielona Góra is a city in Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, with 117,557 inhabitants within the city limits and 294,000 inhabitants within the metropolitan area, including three neighbouring counties ....
); previously it was the capital of the Gorzów Voivodeship
Gorzów Voivodeship
Gorzów Wielkopolski Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Lubusz Voivodeship...
(1975–1998).
Gorzów is famous for its fine sportsmen including Olympic and world champions and national representatives. In recent years the city has been known for a former Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, who comes from Gorzów Wielkopolski. Around Gorzów there are two large forest areas: Gorzów Woods (Puszcza Gorzowska) to the north, where the Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park
Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park
Barlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park is a protected area in north-western Poland, established in 1991, covering an area of .The Park is shared between two voivodeships: Lubusz and West Pomeranian...
is situated, and Noteć Woods (Puszcza Notecka) to the southeast. The
biggest oil fields in Poland are located near Gorzów.
Etymology
The Polish name Gorzów, written as Gorzew, is known from Polish maps and historical books dating back to 18th century or perhaps earlier.It appeared in a compendium called Ancient Poland according to its history, geography and statistics (Starożytna Polska pod względem historycznym, geograficznym i statystycznym) published in 1848 by Samuel Orgelbrand in Warsaw. Ten years earlier, in 1838, the same name Gorzew was used in a book published in Paris with a corresponding yet broader title of Polska w kształcie dykcjonarza historyczno-statystyczno-jeograficznego opisana przez Jędrzeja Słowaczyńskiego (encompassing all of Poland).
The current spelling of "Gorzów" appears on the map featuring "Królestwo Polskie" published in Lwow in 1900 with "Landsberg an der Warthe" in parenthesis next to "Gorzów". The name is interpreted in several different ways according to rules of the old Polish language, originating from "gorzenie" or "pogorzelcy" (meaning: conflagration), or even "gorzelnia" or "gorzałka" meaning brewery.
The German name Landsberg an der Warthe derives from the German words
land
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
or 'state' and berg or 'mountain' combined with Warthethe German name for the river Warta.
In Polish, it was the name 'Gorzów' which eventually stuck, beating the alternative postwar name "Kobylagóra", or 'Mare Mountain', which survives today as the name of a street in the city. The word Wielkopolski or 'Great Poland', after the voivodeship of that name
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 which Gorzów was a part from 1946–1950, was added later. However, Gorzow itself is not a part of the historical region of 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...
.
History
Until the mid-13th century, the land where the river Kłodawka meets the Warta was the location of a defensive fort established by the PolishPoland
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...
Piast dynasty
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
. In 1249 the Silesian
Duchy of Silesia
The Duchy of Silesia with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia. In 1327 the remaining Duchy of Wrocław as well as most other duchies...
Duke Bolesław II Rogatka had sold Lubusz Land
Lubusz Land
Lubusz Land is a historical region and cultural landscape in Poland and Germany, on both sides of the Oder river.Originally the settlement area of the West Slavic Leubuzzi, a Veleti tribe, the swampy area was located east of Mark Brandenburg and west of Greater Poland, south of Pomerania and north...
in the west to the Ascanian Margraves of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
, and the city of Landisberch Nova (named after Altlandsberg
Altlandsberg
Altlandsberg is a historic town in the district of Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated about east of Berlin.-History:Altlandsberg was first mentioned in a 1230 deed, it was located at the site of a former Slavic settlement...
) was founded on the site in 1257. The city was at that time an eastern outpost of the newly established Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
region of Brandenburg, close to the Greater Polish fortress of Santok
Santok
Santok is a village in Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Santok. It is located at the confluence of the Noteć and Warta rivers, approximately east of Gorzów Wielkopolski...
. In 1325 Polish, in 1432 Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
troops beleaguered the city. In the 16th century the city became Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, with St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, Gorzów Wielkopolski
St. Mary's Cathedral in Gorzów Wielkopolski is the seat of the Gorzów Catholic Diocese.- History :...
changing its allegiance in 1537.
In 1701 Landsberg (Gorzów) - like all of Brandenburg - became ruled in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with 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...
. On 4 February 1813 during 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...
the Russian Ataman
Ataman
Ataman was a commander title of the Ukrainian People's Army, Cossack, and haidamak leaders, who were in essence the Cossacks...
Aleksandr Chernichev and his Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
troops defeated a French
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
bataillon of 1,500 men of Louis-Nicolas Davout's corps. In 1815 - in the course of an administrative restructuring - Landsberg became part of Prussia's Province of Brandenburg
Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:The first people who are known to have inhabited Brandenburg were the Suevi. They were succeeded by the Slavonians, whom Henry II conquered and converted to Christianity in...
. The city, like all of Prussia, was included in 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...
in 1871 during 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...
. Between 1249 and 1945 Landsberg (Gorzów) had become thoroughly 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....
in population (amounting to 33,598 as of 1900), mostly of Protestant Christianity (as of 1537, Lutheran until 1817, united
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
since 1817) with sizable minorities of Catholic (1,785 souls) and Jewish Germans (568 souls) in the early 20th century.
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...
Landsberg was heavily damaged following the retreat of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
ahead of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
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...
. The Red Army arrived in the city on 30 January 1945, approaching from the left bank of the river Warta. The Wehrmacht had already evacuated most of the city, and the advancing forces met very little resistance. Over the course of the next few days, most of the city centre was destroyed, reportedly through the accidental spread of a fire started in order to light the outward march of the Red Army towards Küstrin
Kostrzyn nad Odra
Kostrzyn nad Odrą is a town in western Poland, at the confluence of the Oder and Warta rivers, on the border with Germany. Located in the Lubusz Voivodeship, in Gorzów County, it had 19,952 inhabitants as of 2007.- History :...
.
The city was annexed by Poland in accordance with the provisions of the post-war Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, and most of the remaining population soon were expelled to more western parts of Germany
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...
. Between February and September 1945, the original population of the city was gradually 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...
repatriated
Repatriation of Poles (1944–1946)
The Polish population transfers from the former eastern territories of Poland also known as the flight and expulsion of Poles towards the end – and in the aftermath – of World War II refer to the forced migration of Poles between 1944–1946...
from central parts of Poland and the Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union (also known as Kresy
Kresy
The Polish term Kresy refers to a land considered by Poles as historical eastern provinces of their country. Today, it makes western Ukraine, western Belarus, as well as eastern Lithuania, with such major cities, as Lviv, Vilnius, and Hrodna. This territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian...
). It was at this time that Gorzów's significant Tatar and Romani communities arrived. The last original inhabitants were forced to leave the city in the early 1950s.
Main attractions
Although the centre of Gorzów was heavily damaged during the Second World War, there are still many notable tourist attractions in the city. The largest of these is the GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, red-brick Gorzów Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, dating from the end of the 1200s, situated on the old market square. The city centre is overwhelmingly occupied by Communist-era buildings, although many have been beautified, most notably those around the old market square. Many of the façades of the buildings in the centre were renovated in anticipation of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Gorzów in 1997.
Due to the large number of parks and green spaces, Gorzów has been termed 'the city of parks and gardens'. In addition to the central Park of Roses (Park Róż), there is also a viewing area on the hilltop of Siemiradzki Park which commands impressive views across the plains and woods to the south of the city.
The city also contains the museum of Lubusz Voivodeship
Lubusz Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lubusz Voivodeship is divided into 14 counties : 2 city counties and 12 land counties. These are further divided into 83 gminas....
, which is divided between two sites. The Spichlerz or 'granary' dates from the 1700s and can be found on the left bank of the Warta. The museum, housed inside, frequently plays host to art exhibitions and has a permanent collection of artifacts and photographs relating to the history of the city. The other part of the museum, on Warszawska street, is housed in the secessionist villa of Gustav Schroeder. This section contains a wide range of artifacts, ranging from portraits of the 1600s, to weapons, pottery, and the biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
interior furnishings of the villa itself.
The Old Town was almost completely destroyed, but the New Town (1800s) has survived in good condition as a complex of hundreds of buildings and is in the Heritage Register. For the past few years, historical tenements have been successfully undergoing renovation.
The Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
of Gorzów is located on the western edge of the city. Although the cemetery was vandalised in the 1930s, a number of graves still remain intact.
Economy
Gorzów is an economic centre of the region with almost 18,000 registered businesses (2008), the unemployment rate is 7,6 %(December 2009). The City of Gorzów has received a air Play Commune-Certified Investment Location award in big cities classification. The city has a good shopping and services infrastructure. There are numerous petrol stations, branches of all major banks and insurance companies as well as car dealers.Major shopping malls in the city are Galeria Askana, Panorama, Park 111, there are two Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
s and many discount and department stores and retailers.
Landsberg an der Warthe before the World War II was a very well=developed and industrialized city. The most notable enterpreneurs included industralists Max Bahr and Herman Paucksch. After the War and Red Army liberation the city suffered from heavy losses especially in machinery which was stolen by the Soviets. In the postwar time Gorzów saw a fast economic development and new industries were founded like Stilon (chemical fibres), Silwana (fabrics) and Ursus
Ursus Tractor Factory
The Ursus Factory is a Polish producer of agricultural machinery located in Warsaw.- Early History :The Ursus Factory was founded in Poland in 1893 on 15 Siennej Street, Warsaw, by three engineers and four businessmen...
(tractors) who remained major employers up to the mid-1990s. After Leszek Balcerowicz
Leszek Balcerowicz
Leszek Balcerowicz is a Polish economist, the former chairman of the National Bank of Poland and Deputy Prime Minister in Tadeusz Mazowiecki's government...
's free market reforms former state-owned companies either went bankrupt or had severe financial problems that resulted in radical employment and production reduction. In the 1990s and 2000s the city saw a new economic age. While public giants were collapsing new private companies were established. Currently the biggest employer in the city is Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze Sp. z o.o.
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
(previously Volkswagen Elektro-Systemy Sp. z o.o.), car wiring systems. The then German company estabilshed in Gorzów in 1993 (taken over by Japanese Sumitomo Electric in 2006), it operates in Stilon industrial estate. Gorzów Heat and Power Plant (Elektrociepłownia Gorzów) is a modern company with over 300 staff and it holds an award of Fair Play Company. One of the most distinguished employers is Biowet Vetoquinol which has over 100 years of experience in veterinary medicines and chemistry. manufacturing. Gorzów is a Polish headquarters of Spartherm Feuerungstechnik GmbH.
A recent economic development of the city was boosted by creation of Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone and its Subzone Gorzów. At present there are two significant employers in the Subzone: Faurecia and TPV Displays and many other smaller companies operating there.
Current investments
- Gorzów Philharmonic (due for completion in 2011)
- Amphitheatre renovation in Siemiradzki Park
- Eastern Embankment (due for completion in 2010)
- Gorzów Plaza shopping centre
- Spartherm office building (due for completion in 2010)
- MediRaj medical centre (due for completion in 2010)
Planned investments
- Nova Park (works due to commence in 2010)
- Speedway Stadium extension (works due to commence in 2010)
- Football stadium (date unknown)
- Sports hall (date unknown)
- Mieszka I Street further renovations (works due to commence in 2010)
Transport
Gorzów has a good public transport network. City Transport Company (MZK) which is in charge of transport services runs 27 daily bus lines, four night lines, and five tram lines. In the summer season there are services to nearby lakes. MZK services carry about 90,000 people everyday. The company owns one of the most modern bus fleets in Poland.There are railway connections with major Polish cities, mostly with interchange in Krzyż or Kostrzyn. There are plans to start fast through trains to 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 Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 2010. Gorzów main station was renovated in 2009 and 2010 and it offers bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
, restaurant and retail services.
The S3 expressway provides a fast connection to Szczecin. The A2 Highway is being built near to Sulęcin.
Culture
Gorzów is well known for the International Romani Gathering (Międzynarodowe Spotkanie Cygańskie) Romane Dyvesa which is held every summer on the first week of July. The gathering includes a series of concerts held in the outdoor amphitheatreAmphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
near the centre of the city. The festival is organised by Edward Dębicki
Edward Debicki
Edward Dębicki is a Polish/Ukrainian Romani poet, musician and composer. His work is connected with the Romani community and its cultural, itinerant and music traditions....
, the founder of the Romani music group Terno
Terno
Terno , founded in 1953, is a Polish Romani music collective. Originally known as Kcham , Terno was founded by the Romani musician Edward Dębicki. It has performed in Poland and around Europe....
, which also performs as part of the series of concerts.
Romane Dyvesa continues Gorzów's strong tradition of Romani culture, of which the most widely known member was the poet Bronisława Wajs, often known as Papusza. Wajs's former home on Kosynierów Gdyńskich street is marked with a plaque, as is the main city library on Sikorskiego street. The library itself holds a collection of books about Papusza, as well as the manuscripts of her correspondence with Julian Tuwim
Julian Tuwim
Julian Tuwim , sometimes used pseudonym "Oldlen" when writing song lyrics. He was a Polish poet, born in Łódź, Congress Poland, Russian Empire, of Jewish parents, and educated in Łódź and Warsaw where he studied law and philosophy at Warsaw University...
. In Polan the city is famous for its Jazz Club Pod Filarami which every autumn organizes Gorzów Jazz Celebrations a festival which hosts internationally recognized musicians from Poland and around the world.
Tourism and leisure
There are several hotels in Gorzów, major ones include:- Qubus (4 stars) located in the city centre, about 300 m from railway and coach stations,
- Mieszko (3 stars), in the historic New Town district, the biggest hotel in the city
- Gracja (3 stars)- leisure complex with swimming pool situated at the Klodawka river.
- Hotel Gorzów
- U Marii
There are several small hotels including railway station bed and breakfast, and youth hostel at Drzymały Street.
The city offers leisure facilities. Sports and Rehabilitation Centre "Słowianka" offers 50 m olympic pool, aqua park facilities, saunas,gym, massage and spa. Gracja hotel offers a 25 m pool. There are a few gyms and sports hall in the city. New rowing centre at the Warta river has been completed in 2009. Speedway stadium is undergoing major extension works this year.
Gorzów embankment, which is undergoing major renovationin 2011, is a new nightlife centre. There are many restaurants and pubs around the embankment and others are coming soon.
Education
- Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkola Zawodowa w Gorzowie Wlkp. Homepage
- Poznan University School of Physical Education - Faculty of Physical Education in Gorzów Wielkopolski Faculty homepage
- Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu w Gorzowie Wlkp. Homepage
- Poznan University of Medical SciencesPoznan University of Medical SciencesPoznan University of Medical Sciences is a prominent Polish medical university, one of the oldest in Europe, located in the city of Poznań in western Poland. It traces its beginnings to the foundation of Poznań University in 1919, and was formed as a separate institution in 1950...
- University Teaching Center in Gorzów Wielkopolski
Politics
In recent years Gorzów Wielkopolski has been known for former Prime Minister Kazimierz MarcinkiewiczKazimierz Marcinkiewicz
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz is a Polish conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from October 31, 2005 to July 14, 2006...
, who was born and worked here. After stepping down as the PM he was appointed as acting mayor of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and then as a counsel to a chairman of PKO BP bank. In 2007 he became one of the directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He now works for Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
.
Members of Parliament (Sejm) by party
The Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska)- Stefan Niesiołowski
- Bożenna Bukiewicz
- Witold Pahl
- Bogdan Bojko
- Bożena Sławiak
- Marek Cebula
Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
- Marek Ast
- Elżbieta Rafalska
- Jerzy Materna
The Left and Democrats (Lewica i Demokraci)
- Jan Kochanowski
- Bogusław Wontor
Polish People's Party (Polski Stronnictwo Ludowe)
- Józef ZychJózef ZychJózef Zych is a Polish politician of the Polish People's Party. He was Sejm Marshal from 1995 to 1997 ....
Sports
Gorzów is famous in Poland for its great clubs and fine athletes. There are two Olympic champions from Gorzów: Tomasz KucharskiTomasz Kucharski
Tomasz Kucharski is a Polish competition rower and Olympic champion.Together with Robert Sycz Kucharski won two gold medals in lightweit double sculls, at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics.For his sport achievements, he received the Order of Polonia Restituta: Knight's...
and Michał Jeliński, both in rowing. It is a home for many world champions and Olympic medalists.
A historical sport is also volleyball. GTPS holds to a great tradition and has had many outstanding players with the best ever, Sebastian Świderski, born in Gorzów.
- AZS PWSZ Gorzów WielkopolskiAZS PWSZ Gorzów WielkopolskiAZS PWSZ Gorzów Wielkopolski is a Polish women's basketball team, based in Gorzow Wielkopolski, playing in the Polska Liga Koszykówki Kobiet.In 2004 the team was promoted to the PLKK having won the First League in the 2003/04 season....
- women basketball team extraclass league - GKP Gorzów WielkopolskiGKP Gorzów WielkopolskiGKP Gorzów Wielkopolski, is a Polish football club based in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland.-History:The club emerged in 1961, a year after decrease with from II league ZKS Stilon. It expected nobody in July 1996, that it will resign from section of football club Stilon...
- Polish First LeaguePolish First LeagueI Liga is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II Liga. Run by the Polish Football Association since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association... - AZS AWF Gorzów Wielkopolski men's handball team extraclass league
- Stal Gorzów WielkopolskiStal Gorzów Wielkopolski- Famous riders :- External links :*...
(Motorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
), competing in Speedway EkstraligaSpeedway EkstraligaThe Speedway Ekstraliga is the top division of speedway in Poland. It has been called the "richest and most popular speedway league in the world" and attracts riders from all over the world...
Twin towns — Sister cities
Gorzów Wielkopolski 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: Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de' Tirreni
Cava de’ Tirreni is a city and comune in the region of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 10 km northwest of the town of Salerno...
Teramo
Teramo
Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines and the Adriatic coast...
Eberswalde
Eberswalde
Eberswalde is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German Federal State of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42144 , geographical location . The town is often called Waldstadt , because of the large forests around it, including the...
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
Herford
Herford
Herford is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford.- Geographic location :...
Verden (Aller) Saransk
Saransk
Saransk is a city in central European Russia and the capital of the Republic of Mordovia, as well as its financial and economic center. It is located in the Volga basin at the confluence of the Saranka and Insar Rivers, about east of Moscow...
Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
Notable residents
- Gottfried BernhardyGottfried BernhardyGottfried Bernhardy , German philologist and literary historian, was born at Landsberg an der Warthe in the Neumark....
(1800–1875), philologist and literary historian - Zenon Burzawa, football player, Polish First League top scorer in 1994, Stilon Gorzów and GKP Gorzów former coach and player
- Edward DębickiEdward DebickiEdward Dębicki is a Polish/Ukrainian Romani poet, musician and composer. His work is connected with the Romani community and its cultural, itinerant and music traditions....
(born 1935), Romani poet, composer and musician - Tomasz GollobTomasz GollobTomasz Gollob is a Polish motorcycle speedway rider who has appeared in every Speedway Grand Prix series since its inaugural season in 1995. His brother Jacek is also a speedway rider.-Career summary:...
(born 1971) Speedway Grand Prix multimedalist, Stal Gorzów rider - Ernst Henseller (1852–1940), painter
- Zbigniew HerbertZbigniew HerbertZbigniew Herbert was an influential Polish poet, essayist, drama writer, author of plays, and moralist. A member of the Polish resistance movement – Home Army during World War II, he is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers...
(1924–1998), Polish poet, eseist and playwright, art director of the Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Gorzów in 1965/66 - Edward JancarzEdward JancarzEdward 'Ed' Jancarz was an international speedway rider.-Career:Jancarz rode in the UK for the Wimbledon Dons between 1977–1982 and in Poland for Stal Gorzów...
(1946–1992), bronze medalist in speedway championship - Zenon Jaskuła (born 1962), bicyclist
- Marie JuchaczMarie JuchaczMarie Juchacz was a German social reformer, social democrat and feminist.- Life and career :...
(1879–1956), feminist - Marek JurekMarek JurekMarek Jurek is a Polish right-wing politician, who does not have a parliamentary seat. Since 20 April 2007 he has been the leader of the aspirant party Right of the Republic, which does not have any MPs....
(born 1960), politician, former Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland - Michał Jeliński (born 1980), olympic and four times world champion in rowing
- Victor KlempererVictor KlempererVictor Klemperer was a businessman, journalist and eventually a Professor of Literature, specialising in the French Enlightenment at the Technische Universität Dresden. His diaries detailing his life under successive German states—the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and the German...
(1881–1960), author and literary scientist - Jan Korcz, painter
- Tomasz KucharskiTomasz KucharskiTomasz Kucharski is a Polish competition rower and Olympic champion.Together with Robert Sycz Kucharski won two gold medals in lightweit double sculls, at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics.For his sport achievements, he received the Order of Polonia Restituta: Knight's...
(born 1974), double olympic champion in rowing - Michał Kwiatkowski (born 1983), singer, Star AcademyStar AcademyStar Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
music contest runner-up - Kazimierz MarcinkiewiczKazimierz MarcinkiewiczKazimierz Marcinkiewicz is a Polish conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from October 31, 2005 to July 14, 2006...
(born 1959), former Prime Minister of Poland - Lech PiaseckiLech PiaseckiLech Piasecki is a Polish former racing cyclist. Born in Poznań, he became the first Polish cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, in 1987....
(born 1961), bicyclist Tour de France leader, Giro d'Italia 5 stages winner - Zenon PlechZenon PlechZenon Plech is a former Polish international motorcycle speedway rider.He finished third in the Speedway World Championship in 1973 and then runner-up in 1979.-Career summary:...
(born 1953), Speedway World Championships runner-up in 1979 bronze medalist in 1973, former Stal Gorzów coach and rider. - Krystyna Prońko (born 1947), jazz and rock singer, composer
- Kurt ScharfKurt ScharfKurt Scharf was a German clergyman and bishop of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg.- Life :Kurt Scharf was born in Landsberg an der Warthe in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg...
(1902–1990), Lutheran bishop of Berlin - Beata Sokołowska-Kulesza (born 1974), conoe rider, olympic bronze medalist and world champion
- Arthur Moritz SchönfliesArthur Moritz SchönfliesArthur Moritz Schoenflies , sometimes written as Schönflies, was a German mathematician, known for his contributions to the application of group theory to crystallography, and for work in topology....
(1853–1928), mathematician - Sebastian ŚwiderskiSebastian SwiderskiSebastian Świderski is a Polish volleyball player.His first professional club was Znicz Gorzów Wlkp. and he currently plays for Lube Banca Macerata in Italy. He has also played for Mostostal-Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle in Poland and Perugia Volley in Italy.Świderski made his international debut for...
, volleyball player, silver medalist at World Championship Japan 2006 - Bronisława Wajs (1908–1987), Romani poet
- Hubert Jerzy Wagner (1941–2002), volleyball coach of olympic and world champions, Stilon Gorzów coach
- Jerzy Wierchowicz (born 1951), Member of Parliament from 1993 to 2001, leader of the Freedom Union parliamentary club, lawyer
- Christa WolfChrista WolfChrista Wolf was a German literary critic, novelist, and essayist. She is one of the best-known writers to have emerged from the former East Germany.-Biography:...
(1929-2011), writer and literary critic - Waldemar Wspaniały (born 1946), coach and olympic champion in volleyball
- Richard and Margo Springer, parents of TV presenter Jerry SpringerJerry SpringerGerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...