Krosno Odrzanskie
Encyclopedia
Krosno Odrzańskie ' is a city on the east bank of Oder
River, at the confluence with the Bóbr
. The town in Western Poland
with 12,500 inhabitants (2002) is the capital of Krosno County
. It is assigned to the Lubusz Voivodeship
(since 1999), previously part of Zielona Góra Voivodeship
(1975–1998).
and the West Slavic Veleti
confederation. Due to its strategic location, it played an important role at the western border of the Polish kingdom with the Holy Roman Empire
during the 11th to 13th centuries. In 1163 Krosno was part of the Duchy of Silesia
ruled by Bolesław I the Tall of the Silesian Piasts
at Wrocław. In 1201 it received its town charter by Bolesław's son Duke Henry I the Bearded
. Henry erected a stone castle at Krosno, where he died in 1238 and where his widow, Hedwig of Andechs
, took refuge during the 1241 Mongol invasion of Europe
. When the Duchy of Wrocław was finally divided in 1251, the town became part of the newly created Duchy of Głogów under Konrad I
.
The town changed hands several times; once it was given as payment to soldiers of the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg
. When the last Piast duke Henry XI of Głogów died without issue in 1476, his widow Barbara of Hohenzollern
, daughter of Elector Albert Achilles of Brandenburg, inherited the territory of Crossen. The Brandenburg influence met with fierce opposition by Henry's cousin Duke Jan II the Mad
of Żagań
, who devastated Krosno but in 1482 had to sign an agreement with Albert Achilles, who was able to retain the Krosno area. As a former part of the Duchy of Głogów it officially remained a lien
of the Bohemian kingdom
until in 1538 King Ferdinand I of Habsburg
, renounced all rights to Crossen in 1538, thereby finalizing the district's belonging to the Neumark
region of the Brandenburg margraviate.
With Brandenburg Crossen became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
in 1701. In reforms after the Napoleonic Wars
, the town became part of the Province of Brandenburg
in 1815.
In 1945 during World War II, the town was conquered by the Soviet Red Army
. According to the post-war Potsdam Conference
, the town east of the Oder-Neisse line
was placed under Polish administration. The German-speaking inhabitants were expelled westward
and replaced with Poles
. Due to war and expulsion, the population was reduced from 10,800 in 1939 to 2,000 in 1946.
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
River, at the confluence with the Bóbr
Bóbr
Bóbr is a river which runs through the north of the Czech Republic and the southwest of Poland, a left tributary of the Oder River, with a length of and a basin area of .The Bóbr originates in the Rýchory mountains in the southeast of the Karkonosze range, where the source is...
. The 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...
with 12,500 inhabitants (2002) is the capital of Krosno County
Krosno Odrzanskie County
Krosno Odrzańskie County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lubusz Voivodeship, western Poland, on the German border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the town of...
. It is assigned to 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....
(since 1999), previously part of Zielona Góra Voivodeship
Zielona Góra Voivodeship
Zielona Góra Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1950–1998, superseded by Lubusz Voivodeship. Its capital city was Zielona Góra.-Major cities and towns :...
(1975–1998).
History
The town was first mentioned as Crosno in 1005, when Duke Bolesław I Chrobry of Poland had a fortress built here in the course of his armed conflict with Emperor Henry IIHenry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
and the West Slavic Veleti
Veleti
The Veleti or Wilzi were a group of medieval Lechites tribes within the territory of modern northeastern Germany; see Polabian Slavs. In common with other Slavic groups between the Elbe and Oder Rivers, they were often described by Germanic sources as Wends. In the late 10th century, they were...
confederation. Due to its strategic location, it played an important role at the western border of the Polish kingdom with the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
during the 11th to 13th centuries. In 1163 Krosno was part of the Duchy of Silesia
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...
ruled by Bolesław I the Tall of the Silesian Piasts
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
at Wrocław. In 1201 it received its town charter by Bolesław's son Duke Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201 and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland - internally divided - from 1232 until his death.-Heir of Wroclaw:...
. Henry erected a stone castle at Krosno, where he died in 1238 and where his widow, Hedwig of Andechs
Hedwig of Andechs
Saint Hedwig of Silesia , also Saint Hedwig of Andechs from the comital House of Andechs was Duchess of Silesia from 1201 and of Greater Poland from 1231 as well as High Duchess consort of Poland from 1232 until 1238.-Life:...
, took refuge during the 1241 Mongol invasion of Europe
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
. When the Duchy of Wrocław was finally divided in 1251, the town became part of the newly created Duchy of Głogów under Konrad I
Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau
Konrad I of Głogów was Duke of Głogów from 1251 until his death.He was the fourth son of Henry II the Pious, Duke of Wroclaw, by his wife Anna, daughter of King Ottokar I of Bohemia.-Life:...
.
The town changed hands several times; once it was given as payment to soldiers of 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....
. When the last Piast duke Henry XI of Głogów died without issue in 1476, his widow Barbara of Hohenzollern
Barbara of Brandenburg
Barbara of Brandenburg was born in Ansbach and was the fourth of thirteen children born to Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg and his second wife, Anna of Saxony.-Biography:...
, daughter of Elector Albert Achilles of Brandenburg, inherited the territory of Crossen. The Brandenburg influence met with fierce opposition by Henry's cousin Duke Jan II the Mad
Jan II the Mad
Jan II the Mad also known as the Bad, the Wild or the Cruel , was a Duke of Żagań-Przewóz since 1439 , from 1449 Duke of Przewóz , during 1461-1468 and briefly in 1472 Duke of Żagań and during 1476-1488 Duke of half-Głogów .He was the fourth and...
of Żagań
Zagan
Zagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
, who devastated Krosno but in 1482 had to sign an agreement with Albert Achilles, who was able to retain the Krosno area. As a former part of the Duchy of Głogów it officially remained a lien
Lien
In law, a lien is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation...
of the Bohemian kingdom
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
until in 1538 King Ferdinand I of Habsburg
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
, renounced all rights to Crossen in 1538, thereby finalizing the district's belonging to the 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 the Brandenburg margraviate.
With Brandenburg Crossen 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...
in 1701. In reforms 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...
, the town became part of the 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...
in 1815.
In 1945 during World War II, the town was conquered by the Soviet 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...
. According to 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...
, the town east of the Oder-Neisse line
Oder-Neisse line
The Oder–Neisse line is the border between Germany and Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of World War II. The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin and Świnoujście...
was placed under Polish administration. The German-speaking inhabitants were expelled westward
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 with 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...
. Due to war and expulsion, the population was reduced from 10,800 in 1939 to 2,000 in 1946.
Notable people
- Georg Wenzeslaus von KnobelsdorffGeorg Wenzeslaus von KnobelsdorffHans Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff was a painter and architect in Prussia.Knobelsdorff was born in Kuckädel, now in Krosno Odrzańskie County. A soldier in the service of Prussia, he resigned his commission in 1729 as captain so that he could pursue his interest in architecture...
(1699–1753) painter and architect - Johann Friedrich Schönemann (1704–1782), theater director
- Christiane Becker-Neumann, (1778–1797), actress
- Eduard SelerEduard SelerEduard Georg Seler was a prominent German anthropologist, ethnohistorian, linguist, epigrapher, academic and Americanist scholar, who made extensive contributions in these fields towards the study of pre-Columbian era cultures in the Americas...
(1849–1922), anthropologist, archaeologist, philogian, and Mesoamerica scholar - Rudolf PannwitzRudolf PannwitzRudolf Pannwitz was a German writer and philosopher.-Works:* 1909 - Die Erziehung* 1912 - Formenkunde der Kirche* 1919 - Die deutsche Lehre...
(1881–1969), author - Hans Egidi (1890–1976), former president of court
- Alfred Henschke ps.Klabund (1890–1928), author
- Tomasz KuszczakTomasz KuszczakTomasz Mirosław Kuszczak is a Polish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United and the Polish national team.Born in Krosno Odrzańskie, Kuszczak has previously played for Śląsk Wrocław in Poland, as well as for the German clubs KFC Uerdingen 05 and Hertha BSC, before...
- Poland national football teamPoland national football teamThe Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
and Manchester United goalkeeper - Aneta PastuszkaAneta PastuszkaAneta Konieczna, née Pastuszka, born May 11, 1978 in Krosno Odrzańskie) is a Polish sprint canoer who has competed since the mid 1990s...
- Olympic canoeCanoeA canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
r
Literature
- Crossener Tageblatt (Crossener Wochenblatt) Crossen a.O.: 1826 ff.
- Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Crossen. Hrg. Erich Blunck, bearb. von Wilhelm Jung. Berlin: Voss, 1921 (Die Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Brandenburg / hrsg. vom Brandenburgischen Provinzialverbande ; Bd. 6, Teil 6)
- Karl von Obstfelder: Chronik der Stadt Crossen. Von den ältesten Zeiten bis zum Jahre 1845 im Auszuge, von 1845 bis 1925 selbständig bearbeitet. Crossen a.O.: Zeidler 1925
- Heimatbuch des Kreises Crossen (Oder). Bearb. u. hrsg. v. Karl Metzdorf. Crossen: Zeidler 1927
- Karl Metzdorf: Die Eindeutschung der Ostmark im Mittelalter. Langensalza: Beltz 1925
- 400 Jahre Realgymnasium Crossen an der Oder. Crossen: Zeidler 1927
- Jan Muszýnski: Krosno Odrzánskie. Lubuskie Towarzystwo Naukowe. Przeszłość i teraźniejszość. Warszawa: PWN 1972 (Die Stadt Crossen a. d. Oder. Vergangenheit und Gegenwart)
- Beata Halicka: Krosno Odrzańskie. Wspólne dziedzictwo kultury / Crossen an der Oder. Das gemeinsame Kulturerbe. 1005–2005, Skórzyn 2005. ISBN 83-922273-0-1
- Heimatkarte des Kreises Crossen a. O., mehrfarbiges Reprint, Niederlausitzer Verlag, Guben. ISBN 3-935881-23-1