Küstrin
Encyclopedia
Before 1945 Küstrin was a town in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg
in Germany
, situated on both sides of the Oder
river. After World War II
the Allies established a new border along the Oder-Neisse line
according to the Potsdam Agreement
, and the city with the Brandenburg Neumark
region was divided between post-war Germany and the Republic of Poland
.
Historically, Küstrin is significant as the site of the imprisonment of Frederick the Great
by his father, Frederick William I
, in September of 1730. After his plans for fleeing Prussia were discovered, Frederick was locked in Küstrin Tower, and ordered to watch the execution of his friend Hans Hermann von Katte
from his cell window. After his release from the prison, Frederick's father ordered him to stay on in Küstrin to learn the details of rural and city administration from the officials of the town.
Information related to the divided town can be found in the following articles:
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 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...
, situated on both sides of the Oder
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. 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...
the Allies established a new border along 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...
according to the Potsdam Agreement
Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement was the Allied plan of tripartite military occupation and reconstruction of Germany—referring to the German Reich with its pre-war 1937 borders including the former eastern territories—and the entire European Theatre of War territory...
, and the city with the Brandenburg 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 was divided between post-war Germany and the Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
.
Historically, Küstrin is significant as the site of the imprisonment of Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
by his father, Frederick William I
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
, in September of 1730. After his plans for fleeing Prussia were discovered, Frederick was locked in Küstrin Tower, and ordered to watch the execution of his friend Hans Hermann von Katte
Hans Hermann von Katte
Hans Hermann von Katte was a Lieutenant of the Prussian Army and close friend and possibly lover of the future Frederick II of Prussia, then the Crown Prince. He was executed by Frederick's father King Frederick William I of Prussia when he and Frederick plotted to escape from the Kingdom of...
from his cell window. After his release from the prison, Frederick's father ordered him to stay on in Küstrin to learn the details of rural and city administration from the officials of the town.
Information related to the divided town can be found in the following articles:
- Kostrzyn nad OdrąKostrzyn nad OdraKostrzyn 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 :...
- town in Poland, with 19,952 inhabitants (2007). It contains within its boundaries most of the area of pre-1945 Küstrin, - Küstriner VorlandKüstriner VorlandKüstriner Vorland is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany at the border with Poland.-History:It was established on January 1, 1998 by the merger of Küstrin-Kietz with the villages of Gorgast and Manschnow...
- a municipality on the German side of the river Oder, with 2,953 inhabitants (2005). It contains within its borders the settlement Küstrin-KietzKüstrin-KietzKüstrin-Kietz is a small village located in the German state of Brandenburg, at the Oder river and the border with Poland. Since 1998 it is part of the Küstriner Vorland municipality.-Overview:...
, which was a western suburb of Küstrin before 1945, - Küstrin Fortress - built in and around the town to take advantage of its strategic location, the fortress saw very heavy fighting in 1945. As a result, the Old Town section of Küstrin enclosed by its walls was completely destroyed and has not been rebuilt.