Küstrin-Kietz
Encyclopedia
Küstrin-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.
in 1945, Kietz was the western suburb of the town of Küstrin
. According to the Allied Potsdam Agreement
, it then became part of the Soviet occupation zone, while the remaining city districts formed present-day Kostrzyn nad Odrą
in Poland. In 1954 the East German authorities made an attempt to rename the place Friedensfelde (literally: "fields of peace"), alluding to the Oder-Neisse line called "border of peace" in official usage. Ultimately the settlement retained its name Kietz, though without a mention of "Küstrin", which would have been considered revanchist
by Communist officials. In a 1991 plebiscite the inhabitants voted for "Küstrin-Kietz".
Today Küstrin-Kietz is the site of a major Schengen
border crossing, re-opened in 1992 on the Bundesstraße 1
and Droga krajowa No. 22
main road from Berlin
to Gorzów Wielkopolski
. The Oder bridge of the former Prussian Eastern Railway line was rebuilt after World War II, it is today in use by RegionalBahn
trains connecting Kostrzyn with Berlin-Lichtenberg station.
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...
state of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, at 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 and the border 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...
. Since 1998 it is part of the Küstriner Vorland
Küstriner Vorland
Küstriner 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...
municipality.
Overview
Before the implementation of the Oder-Neisse lineOder-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...
in 1945, Kietz was the western suburb of the town of Küstrin
Küstrin
Before 1945 Küstrin was a town in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg in Germany, situated on both sides of the Oder river...
. According to the Allied 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...
, it then became part of the Soviet occupation zone, while the remaining city districts formed present-day Kostrzyn nad Odrą
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 :...
in Poland. In 1954 the East German authorities made an attempt to rename the place Friedensfelde (literally: "fields of peace"), alluding to the Oder-Neisse line called "border of peace" in official usage. Ultimately the settlement retained its name Kietz, though without a mention of "Küstrin", which would have been considered revanchist
Revanchism
Revanchism is a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war or social movement. Revanchism draws its strength from patriotic and retributionist thought and is often motivated by economic or...
by Communist officials. In a 1991 plebiscite the inhabitants voted for "Küstrin-Kietz".
Today Küstrin-Kietz is the site of a major Schengen
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
border crossing, re-opened in 1992 on the Bundesstraße 1
Bundesstraße 1
The Bundesstraße 1 or B1 is a German federal highway running in an east-west direction from the Dutch border near Aachen to the Polish border at Küstrin-Kietz on the Oder River.-Route description:...
and Droga krajowa No. 22
National roads in Poland
National road in Poland refers to a public trunk road controlled by the Polish central government authority, the General Directorship of National Roads and Motorways...
main road from 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...
to Gorzów Wielkopolski
Gorzów Wielkopolski
Gorzów Wielkopolski is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river. It is the biggest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship with 125,149 inhabitants...
. The Oder bridge of the former Prussian Eastern Railway line was rebuilt after World War II, it is today in use by RegionalBahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
trains connecting Kostrzyn with Berlin-Lichtenberg station.