Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Encyclopedia
Grodzisk Wielkopolski ' is a town in western 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...

, in 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...

 (Wielkopolskie), with a population of 13,703 (2006). It is 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) south-west of 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...

, the voivodeship capital. It is the seat of Grodzisk Wielkopolski County
Grodzisk Wielkopolski County
Grodzisk 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...

, and also of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Gmina Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Gmina Grodzisk Wielkopolski is an urban-rural gmina in Grodzisk Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland...

. The suffix "Wielkopolski" distinguishes it from the town of Grodzisk Mazowiecki
Grodzisk Mazowiecki
Grodzisk Mazowiecki is a town in central Poland with 26,881 inhabitants in 2006. It is 30 km. southwest of Warsaw.Between 1975 and 1998 it was situated in the Warszawa Voivodeship but since 1999 it has been situated in the Masovian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Grodzisk Mazowiecki...

 in eastern Poland.

History

The settlement was first mentioned in 1257 by the name of Grodisze in a document by
Przemysł I of Greater Poland. It was referred to as a village belonging to the Cistercians.
The spelling of the town’s name has changed frequently. Other versions include: Grottische, Grodisce, Grozisce, Grodih, Grodziscz, Grodyscze, Grodzysko, Grodzisko, to the modern-day Grodzisk. The German name Grätz was also temporarily used.

The exact date when the town received its charter is unknown. Doucments say that the town definitely had its town charter in 1303.

The first Jews settled in the town at the beginning of the 16th century. The first document to back this up was in 1505, mentioning the Jew Abraham of Grodzisk In Yiddish and Hebrew, the town is known as גרידץ (Gritz or Gritza)

In 1563, the Stanisław Ostroróg school was founded.

In 1593, the census for Grodzisk Wielkopolski said that the population was approximately 1,160. The town charter was renewed with the inclusion of a new town about 150 metres from the old town. In 1601, the first privileges for the brewery were awarded. The town quickly became important for the production of beer. At the end of the 18th century, there were 53 breweries in the city. In 1626, the mayor of the city changed to the Opaliński family. They remained as mayors until 1775.

In 1793, the city became part of 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...

. From 1887 to 1918, Grätz, as it was called during this time, was the seat for Kreis Grätz
Kreis Grätz
Powiat grodziski may refer to either of two counties in Poland:*Grodzisk Wielkopolski County, in Greater Poland Voivodeship *Grodzisk Mazowiecki County, in Masovian Voivodeship...

. It became part of Poland again in 1920, and was until 1932 the seat of a county or powiat
Powiat
A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...

.

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 city came under German control. In Młyniewo, a nearby village, a transit camp was formed for onward transport to concentration camps, initially for Jews and later for Poles and other prisoners of war. On January 27, 1945, the city was retaken by the 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...

.

After 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...

, beer production declined and was discontinued in 1993. In 1999, Grodzisk again became a powiat seat when the powiats were reintroduced in the Polish administrative reforms
Administrative divisions of Poland
The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into voivodeships ; these are further divided into powiats , and these in turn are divided into gminas . Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat...

.

As well as beer, Grodzisk is also known for its mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...

. A commemorative pump stands in the central market square in front of the town hall.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Grodzisk Wielkopolski is twinned
Town 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: Betton
Betton, Ille-et-Vilaine
Betton is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in north-western France. It is eight kilometres north of the centre of Rennes.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Betton are called in French Bettonnais....

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Delligsen
Delligsen
Delligsen is a municipality in Holzminden district, in Lower Saxony, 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...

 Merksplas
Merksplas
Merksplas is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the town of Merksplas proper. On January 1, 2006 Merksplas had a total population of 8,173. The total area is 44.56 km² which gives a population density of 183 inhabitants per km².-External...

, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 Torrelodones
Torrelodones
Torrelodones is a municipality in the northwest of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain. It is situated 29 kilometers northwest from the city of Madrid...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 Birzai
Biržai
Biržai is a city in northern Lithuania. Biržai is famous for its reconstructed Biržai Castle manor, and the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries.-Names:...

, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...


Famous people

  • Rudolf Mosse
    Rudolf Mosse
    Rudolf Mosse was a German publisher and philanthropist.-Biography:Mosse was born in Grätz, Grand Duchy of Posen, as the son of Dr. Markus Moses, a noted physician...

     (1843–1920), publisher and philanthropist
    Philanthropist
    A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

  • Michał Drzymała (1857–1937), Polish national activist
  • Hans Heinrich Müller (1879–1951), architect
    Architect
    An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...


Sport

  • Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski
    Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski
    Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski is a Polish football club based in Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland.- History :Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski was founded on April 30, 1922....

     - football team playing in the Orange Ekstraklasa

External links

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