Olsztyn
Encyclopedia
Olsztyn AUD is a city in northeastern 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...

, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...

 since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship
Olsztyn Voivodeship
Olsztyn Voivodeship was an administrative division and unit of local government in Poland in the years 1745-75, and a new territorial division between 1975–1998, superseded by Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship...

 (and in other units
Voivodeships of Poland
The voivodeship, or province, called in Polish województwo , has been a high-level administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century....

 in 1945–75 and 1975–98). The city has county status.

History

In 1346 the old Prussian Warmia
Warmia
Warmia or Ermland is a region between Pomerelia and Masuria in northeastern Poland. Together with Masuria, it forms the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship....

n forest in the vicinity was cleared and a place was selected on the Alle now Łyna River for a new settlement. The Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 began construction of Ordensburg
Ordensburg
An Ordensburg was a fortress built by crusading German military orders during the Middle Ages. "Ordensburg" was also used during Nazi Germany to refer to training schools for Nazi leaders.- Medieval Ordensburgen :...

 castle in 1347 to protect against the Old Prussians
Old Prussians
The Old Prussians or Baltic Prussians were an ethnic group, autochthonous Baltic tribes that inhabited Prussia, the lands of the southeastern Baltic Sea in the area around the Vistula and Curonian Lagoons...

, and the settlement of Allenstein was first mentioned the following year. The German name Allenstein meant a castle on the Alle River. It became known to Polish
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...

 settlers as Olsztyn. The settlement received municipal rights
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...

 from Johannes von Leysen
Johannes von Leysen
Johannes von Leysen was the first mayor of Allenstein in 1353.Leysen originated from a well-known family, recognized in colonizing southern Warmia within the State of the Teutonic Order. His grandfather Martin came to Prussia in 1304 as a free peasant...

 on 31 October 1353, and the castle was completed in 1397. Allenstein was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...

 during the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War in 1410 and in 1414 during the Hunger War, but was returned to the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....

 after hostilities ended.

Allenstein joined the Prussian Confederation
Prussian Confederation
The Prussian Confederation was an organization formed in 1440 by a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia to oppose the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. It was based on the basis of an earlier similar organization, the Lizard Union...

 in 1440. It rebelled against the Teutonic Knights in 1454 upon the outbreak of the Thirteen Years' War and requested protection from the Polish Crown. Although the Teutonic Knights captured the town in the next year, it was retaken by Polish troops in 1463. The Second Peace of Thorn (1466) allocated Allenstein and the Bishopric of Warmia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in present Poland.The Archdiocese contains a population of around 700,000...

 as part of Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...

 under the sovereignty of the Crown of Poland. From 1516–21, Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....

 lived at the castle as administrator of Allenstein and Mehlsack (Pieniężno)
Pieniezno
Pieniężno is a town on the Wałsza River in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of Poland. It is located in Braniewo County and had a population of 2,975 in 2004.- History :...

; he was in charge of the defenses of Allenstein and Warmia
Warmia
Warmia or Ermland is a region between Pomerelia and Masuria in northeastern Poland. Together with Masuria, it forms the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship....

 during the Polish-Teutonic War of 1519–21
Polish–Teutonic War (1519–1521)
Polish–Teutonic War of 1519–1521 was the war between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Knights, fought from 1519 to 1521. The war ended with the armistice in 1521. Four years later, with the Treaty of Kraków, part of the Catholic Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights became secularized as...

.

Allenstein was sacked by Swedish
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...

 troops in 1655 and 1708 during the Polish-Swedish wars, and the town was nearly wiped out in 1710 by epidemics of bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...

 and cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...

.

Allenstein was annexed by 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 1772 during the First Partition of Poland
First Partition of Poland
The First Partition of Poland or First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. Growth in the Russian Empire's power, threatening the Kingdom of Prussia and the...

. A Prussian census recorded a population of 1,770 people, predominantly farmers, in Allenstein, which was administered within the Province of East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....

. It was visited by Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

 in 1807 after his victories over the Prussian Army
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...

 at Jena and Auerstedt
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia...

. In 1825 the city was inhabited by 1266 Poles and 1341 Germans The German language Allensteiner Zeitung newspaper was first published in 1841. The town hospital was founded in 1867.

Allenstein became part of 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 Prussian-led 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...

. Two years later the city was connected by railway to Thorn (Toruń)
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....

. Its first Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

 newspaper, the Gazeta Olsztyńska
Gazeta Olsztynska
Gazeta Olsztyńska is a Polish language newspaper, published in Olsztyn.The newspaper was first published in the years 1886-1939, in what was then East Prussia...

, was founded in 1886. Allenstein's infrastructure developed rapidly: gas was installed in 1890, telephones in 1892, public water supply in 1898, and electricity in 1907. The city became the capital of Regierungsbezirk Allenstein
Allenstein (region)
Regierungsbezirk Allenstein was a Regierungsbezirk, or government region, of the Prussian province of East Prussia from 1905 until 1945. The regional capital was Allenstein...

, a government administrative region in East Prussia, in 1905. From 1818–1910 the city was administered within the East Prussia Allenstein District, after which it became an independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...

.

Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, troops of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

 captured Allenstein in 1914, but it was recovered by the Imperial German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...

 in the Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I. It was fought by the Russian First and Second Armies against the German Eighth Army between 23 August and 30 August 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete...

. In 1920 during the East Prussian plebiscite
East Prussian plebiscite
The East Prussia plebiscite , also known as the Allenstein and Marienwerder plebiscite or Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle plebiscite , was a plebiscite for self-determination of the regions Warmia , Masuria and Powiśle, which had been in parts of East Prussia and West Prussia, in accordance with...

, Allenstein voted to remain in German East Prussia instead of becoming part of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...

. The football club SV Hindenburg Allenstein
SV Hindenburg Allenstein
SV Hindenburg Allenstein was a German football club from the city of Allenstein, East Prussia .The club was formed in 1921 as Sportvereinigung Hindenburg Allenstein and was named for German Field Marshal and Reichs President Paul von Hindenburg. Sometime in 1935 it became a military side and played...

 played in Allenstein from 1921–45. After the Nazi seizure of power
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...

 in 1933, 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...

 and Jews in Allenstein were increasingly persecuted. In 1935 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:...

 made the city the seat of the Allenstein Militärische Bereich. It was the home of the 11th Infanterie Division, the 11th Artillery Regiment, and the 217th Infanterie Division.

In 1920 a plebiscite
East Prussian plebiscite
The East Prussia plebiscite , also known as the Allenstein and Marienwerder plebiscite or Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle plebiscite , was a plebiscite for self-determination of the regions Warmia , Masuria and Powiśle, which had been in parts of East Prussia and West Prussia, in accordance with...

 was held to determine whether the city's populace wished to remain in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...

 or became part of Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...

. In order to advertise the plebiscite, special postage stamps were produced by overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...

ing German stamps and sold from 3 April. One kind of overprint read PLÉBISCITE / OLSZTYN / ALLENSTEIN, while the other read TRAITÉ / DE / VERSAILLES / ART. 94 et 95 inside an oval whose border gave the full name of the plebiscite commission. Each overprint was applied to 14 denominations ranging from 5 Pf
Pfennig
The Pfennig , plural Pfennige, is an old German coin or note, which existed from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002....

 to 3 M
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...

.

The plebiscite was held on 11 July, and produced 362,209 votes (97.8 %) for East Prussia and 7,980 votes (2.2 %) for Poland. The stamps became invalid on 20 August. Despite the short period of use, almost all of the stamps are cheaply available both used and unused.

On 12 October 1939, after the invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...

 that began World War II, the Wehrmacht established an Area Headquarters for Wehrkreis
Military district (Germany)
During World War II Germany used the system of military districts to relieve field commanders of as much administrative work as possible and to provide a regular flow of trained recruits and supplies to the Field Army...

 I that controlled the sub-areas of Allenstein, Lötzen (Giżycko)
Gizycko
Giżycko is a town in northeastern Poland with 29,796 inhabitants . It is situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , having previously been in the Suwałki Voivodeship . It is the seat of Giżycko County.-History:...

 and Zichenau (Ciechanów)
Ciechanów
Ciechanów is a town in north-central Poland with 45,900 inhabitants . It is situated in Masovian Voivodeship . It was previously the capital of Ciechanów Voivodeship.-History:The grad numbered approximately 3,000 armed men....

. Beginning in 1939, members of the Polish-speaking minority, especially members of the Union of Poles in Germany
Union of Poles in Germany
Union of Poles in Germany is an organisation of the Polish minority in Germany, founded in 1922. In 1924, the union initiated collaboration between other minorities, including Sorbs, Danes, Frisians and Lithuanians, under the umbrella organization Association of National Minorities in Germany....

, were deported to Nazi concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...

.

Allenstein was plundered and burnt by the invading 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...

 on 22 January 1945, as the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...

 reached the city. Allenstein's German population evacuated the region
Evacuation of East Prussia
The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region between 20 January, and March 1945, as part of the evacuation of German civilians towards the end of World War II...

 or were subsequently expelled
Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland was the largest of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans in Europe during and after World War II...

. On 2 August 1945, the city was placed under Polish administration by the Soviets (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 officially renamed to Polish Olsztyn. In October, 1945 the German population of Olsztyn was expelled by Order of City Commanders of Olsztyn and ordered to assemble on 18 October at Karl Roensch Street barracks camp for transfer to Germany and in the case of non-compliance were to be put in a "punishment camp".

A tyre factory was founded in Olsztyn in 1967.

Green belt

More than half of the forests occupying 21.2 % of the city area form a single complex of the Municipal Forest (1050 ha) used mainly for recreation and tourism purposes. Within the Municipal Forest area are situated two peat-land flora sanctuaries, Mszar and Redykajny
Redykajny
Redykajny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dywity, within Olsztyn County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland...

. Municipal greenery (560 ha, 6.5 % of the town area) developed in the form of numerous parks, green spots and three cemeteries over a century-old. The greenery includes 910 monuments of nature and groups of protected trees in the form of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

, maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...

 and lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...

-lined avenues.

Lakes

The city is situated in a lake region of forests and plains. There are 15 lakes inside the administrative bounds of the city (13 with areas greater than 1 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

). The overall area of lakes in Olsztyn is about 725 ha, which constitutes 8.25 % of the total city area.
Lake Area (ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

)
Maximum depth (m)
Lake Ukiel (a.k.a. Jezioro Krzywe)
Lake Ukiel
Lake Ukiel is a lake in Poland which is located on Pojezierze Olsztyńskie, in the northwest part of Olsztyn, between district Dajtki, Gutkowo i Likusy.* Lake's volume: 43 611,5 tys. m³* Degree of purity: II...

 
412 43
Lake Kortowskie  89.7 17.2
Lake Track (a.k.a. Jezioro Trackie)  52.8 4.6
Lake Skanda  51.5 12
Lake Redykajny  29.9 20.6
Lake Długie  26.8 17.2
Lake Sukiel  20.8 25
Lake Tyrsko (a.k.a. Jezioro Gutkowskie)  18.6 30.6
Lake Stary Dwór (a.k.a. Jezioro Starodworskie )  6.0 23.3
Lake Siginek (a.k.a. Jezioro Kopytko, Jezioro Podkówka, Jezioro Styginek)  6.0 insufficient data
Lake Czarne  approximately 1.3 insufficient data
Lake Żbik  approximately 1.2 insufficient data
Lake Pereszkowo (a.k.a. Jezioro Pyszkowo)  approximately 1.2 insufficient data
Lake Mummel (a.k.a. Jezioro Mumel)
Mummelsee
The Mummelsee is a 17-metre-deep lake at the western mountainside of the Hornisgrinde in the northern Black Forest of Germany. It is very popular with tourists travelling along the Schwarzwaldhochstraße. According to legends, the lake is inhabited by a Nix and the King of the Mummelsee.-External...

 
approximately 0.3 insufficient data
Lake Modrzewiowe  0.25 insufficient data

Demographics

Year Population
1772 1,770
1846 4,000
1875 6,000
1885 11,555
1890 19,373
1895 25,000
1939 50,000
1941 54,300
1946 23,000
1950 45,000
1972 over 100,000
1994 165,000
2000 170,000
2009 (30 June) 176,387

Administrative division

Olsztyn is divided into 23 districts:
District Population Area Density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

Brzeziny  1,456 2.25 km² 647.1/km²
Dajtki  5,863 7.5 km² 781.7/km²
Generałów  6,500 no data no data
Grunwaldzkie  6,027 1.46 km² 4,128.1/km²
Gutkowo  2,256 7.2 km² 313.3/km²
Jaroty  29,046 4.82 km² 6,026.1/km²
Kętrzyńskiego  7,621 4.83 km² 1,577.8/km²
Kormoran  16,166 1.1 km² 14,696.4/km²
Kortowo  1,131 4.22 km² 268/km²
Kościuszki  6,704 1.18 km² 5,681.4/km²
Likusy  2,286 2.1 km² 1,088.6/km²
Mazurskie  4,615 5.98 km² 771.7/km²
Nad Jeziorem Długim  2,408 4.23 km² 569.3/km²
Nagórki  12,538 1.69 km² 7,418.9/km²
Pieczewo  10,918 2.24 km² 4,874.1/km²
Podgrodzie  11,080 1.35 km² 8,207.4/km²
Podleśna  10,414 9.93 km² 1,048.7/km²
Pojezierze  13,001 2.39 km² 5,439.7/km²
Redykajny  1,555 6.1 km² 254.9/km²
Śródmieście  3,448 0.58 km² 5,944.8/km²
Wojska Polskiego  6,759 5.03 km² 1,343.7/km²
Zatorze  6,988 0.45 km² 15,528.9/km²
Zielona Górka  1,015 6.44 km² 157.6/km²


There are many smaller districts: Jakubowo, Karolin, Kolonia Jaroty, Kortowo II, Łupstych, Niedźwiedź, Piękna Góra, Podlesie, Pozorty, Skarbówka Poszmanówka, Słoneczny Stok, Stare Kieźliny, Stare Miasto, Stare Zalbki, Stary Dwór, Track. These do not have council representative assemblies.

Theatres

  • Stefan Jaracz Theatre (est. 1925)
  • Puppet Theatre

Museums

Olsztyn's largest museum is the Museum of Warmia and Mazury. The city also has the Gazeta Olsztyńska House, Museum of Nature, and Museum of Sports.

Architecture

  • The Old Town
  • The Gothic
    Gothic 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....

     castle of the Bishopric of Warmia
    Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia
    The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in present Poland.The Archdiocese contains a population of around 700,000...

     built during the 14th century.
  • St. James's Cathedral .
  • Old Town Hall on the Market Square
    Old Market Square
    The Old Market Square is an open, pedestrianised city square in Nottingham, England. It is the largest such surviving square in the United Kingdom, forming the heart of the city, and covering an area of approximately 22,000 m²....

     – built in mid-14th century.
  • Gazeta Olsztyńska House at Fish Market.
  • The town walls and the Upper Gate (since the mid-19th century known as the High Gate).
  • Neogothic
    Gothic Revival architecture
    The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

     church of the Holy Heart of Jesus, built during the years 1901–1902
  • The New City Hall
  • The Railway Bridge over the River Łyna gorge near Artyleryjska and Wyzwolenia streets, built during the years 1872–1873
  • The Jerusalem Chapel, built in 1565
  • Church of St. Lawrence, built during the late 14th century
  • FM- and TV-mast Olsztyn-Pieczewo
    FM- and TV-mast Olsztyn-Pieczewo
    The FM- and TV-mast Olsztyn-Pieczewo is a 365 metre tall guyed mast for FM and TV situated at Olsztyn-Pieczewo in Poland The FM- and TV-mast Olsztyn-Pieczewo (also known as Maszt RTCN Olsztyn-Pieczewo) is a 365 metre tall guyed mast for FM and TV situated at Olsztyn-Pieczewo in Poland The FM- and...

     – 360 metres high, since the collapse of the Warsaw radio mast
    Warsaw radio mast
    The Warsaw radio mast was the world's tallest structure until its collapse on 8 August 1991. It is the second tallest land-based structure ever built, being surpassed as tallest by the Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010....

     the tallest structure in 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...



The history of the Castle in Olsztyn:

The castle was built between 1346–1353 and by then it had one wing on the north-east side of the rectangular courtyard. Access to the castle, lead from the drawbridge of the river Łyna (Alle), surrounded by a belt of defensive walls and a moat. The south-west wing of the castle was built in the 15th century, tower situated in the west corner of the courtyard, from the middle of 14th century, was rebuilt in the early 16th century and had a round shape on a square base and was 40 meters high. At the same time the castle walls were raised to a height of 12 meters and a second belt of the lower walls was built. The castle walls were partly combined with city walls, which made a castle looks like it had been a powerful bastion defending the access to the city.
The castle was owned by Warmia Chapter, which until 1454 together with the Prince-Bishop of Warmia, was under military protection of the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 and their Monastic State of Prussia.
The castle played a huge role in the Polish-Teutonic wars by then. After the Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...

 in 1410, the Poles took it after a few days siege. In the Thirteen Years' War (1454–66) it was jumping from hands to hands. The Knights threatened the castle and the town even in 1521, but the defense was very effective. They confined of the one, failed assault. Not many people know that with the history of the castle and the city of Olsztyn is connected with Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....

. He prepared the defense of Olsztyn against the invasion of the Teutonic Knights. In the sixteenth century, there were two prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...

s of Warmia that has stayed there: Johannes Dantiscus – "the first sarmatian poet, endowed with imperial laurel wreath for" Latin Songs "(1538, 1541) and Marcin Kromer
Marcin Kromer
Marcin Kromer or Martin Cromer was Prince-Bishop of Warmia , a cartographer, diplomat and historian in Poland and later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...

, who formed with equal ease in Latin and Polish scientific and literary works (1580). Kromer consecrated the chapel of St. Anna, which was built in the south-west wing of the castle. In the course of time both wings of the castle lost military importance, which for residential purposes has become very convenient. In 1779 Prince-Bishop Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Krasicki , from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno , was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet , a critic of the clergy, Poland's La Fontaine, author of the first Polish novel, playwright, journalist, encyclopedist, and translator from French and...

 stopped here as well. After the Royal Prussian
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...

 annexation of Warmia in 1772, the castle became the property of the state board of estates (War and Domain Chamber, Kriegs- und Domänenkammer). In 1845 the bridge over the moat was replaced by a dam connecting the castle with the city even better than before, therefore was dried. In 1901–1911 the general renovation of the castle was performed, however, several sections of the building were violated at the same time which they changed the original look of the castle e.g. putting on window frames in a cloister. The tower that was crowned in 1921 and again in 1926 in the halls of the castle, became a museum. The whole castle is a museum until today. In 1945 it became a residence of the Masurian Museum, which today is called the Museum of Warmia
Warmia
Warmia or Ermland is a region between Pomerelia and Masuria in northeastern Poland. Together with Masuria, it forms the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship....

 and Masuria
Masuria
Masuria is an area in northeastern Poland famous for its 2,000 lakes. Geographically, Masuria is part of two adjacent lakeland districts, the Masurian Lake District and the Iława Lake District...

. In addition to all that and the exhibition activities in Olsztyn, there are also popular events held within the frameworks of the Olsztyn Artistic Summer and so called “evenings of the castle” and “Sundays in the Museum”.

Music

Death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 act Vader
Vader (band)
Vader is a Polish death metal band from Olsztyn, formed in 1983. According to Piotr Wiwczarek, the band's founding singer and guitar player, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader from the Star Wars film series. Lyrical themes include stories by H. P. Lovecraft, WW2, horror and anti-christian...

, regarded as one of the first Death metal bands from Poland.

Economy

The Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...

 tyre company (former Stomil Olsztyn
Stomil Olsztyn (company)
Stomil Olsztyn was a tyre manufacturer based in Olsztyn, Poland. The company came into existence when the tyre plant OZOS „Stomil”, founded in 1967, was privatized in 1992. In 1995 Michelin acquired the majority share in Stomil. From 1995 to May 28, 2004 Stomil was quoted at the Warsaw Stock Exchange...

) is the largest employer in the region of Warmia and Masuria. Other important industries
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...

 are food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...

 and furniture manufacturing.

Education


Sport

  • Indykpol AZS Olsztyn – men's volleyball
    Volleyball in Poland
    Volleyball in Poland is a popular team sport. It is the second most popular sport after football. The Men's national team is ranked 5th and the Women's team is ranked 9th in the FIVB World Rankings...

     team playing in Polish Volleyball League (PLS, Polska Liga Siatkówki)
    Polish Volleyball League
    The Polish Volleyball League , is the highest level of men's volleyball in Poland, a professional league competition for volleyball clubs located in this country. It is overseen by Profesjonalna Liga Piłki Siatkowej S.A. . It is currently a 10 team league that plays a 18 game schedule from...

  • OKS 1945 Olsztyn
    OKS 1945 Olsztyn
    OKS 1945 Olsztyn is a Polish football club based in Olsztyn, Poland. It was founded in 15 July 1945, as OKS Warmiak. The brightest era of this club were the 1990s when it played in Polish First League, as Stomil Olsztyn.- Before promotions to First League :...

     – men's football
    Football in Poland
    Football is the most popular sport in Poland. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, with millions more playing occasionally. The first professional clubs were founded in the early 1900s, and the Polish national football team played its first international match in 1921.There are hundreds of...

     team, (8 seasons in Polish Ekstraklasa as Stomil Olsztyn)
  • Warmia Traveland Olsztyn – men's handball
    Handball in Poland
    Handball is a popular team sport in Poland.* Polish Seria A Handball League* Polish Seria B Handball League* Polish Seria A Women's Handball League* Polish Seria B Women's Handball League* Polish Cup in men handball* Polish Cup in women handball...

     team playing in Seria A (Polish First League)
  • AZS UWM Trójeczka Olsztyn – men's basketball
    Basketball in Poland
    Basketball in Poland.See also* Dominet Bank Ekstraliga – Polish Men Basketball League * Polska Liga Koszykówki Kobiet – Polish Women Basketball League* Polish Cup in men basketball...

     team playing in Polish Second League
  • WMPD Olsztyn – men's rugby team, playing in First Polish League
  • Budowlani Olsztyn Wrestling team

Politics

Members of the Sejm elected from Olsztyn constituency in 2005
  • Mieczysław Aszkiełowicz, Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (Samoobrona Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej)
    Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland
    Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland , abbreviated to SRP, is an agrarian political party and trade union in Poland led by Andrzej Lepper. Its platform combines left-wing populist economic policies with religious conservative social policies....

  • Beata Bublewicz
    Beata Bublewicz
    Beata Bublewicz is a Polish politician. She was elected to Sejm on 25 September 2005 getting 5,198 votes in 35 – Olsztyn for Civic Platform.She is the daughter of late rally driver Marian Bublewicz.-External links:...

    , Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)
    Civic Platform
    Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...

  • Jerzy Gosiewski
    Jerzy Gosiewski
    Jerzy Gosiewski is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 3782 votes in 35 Olsztyn district, candidating from Law and Justice list.-External links:...

    , Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
    Law and Justice
    Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....

  • Tadeusz Iwiński
    Tadeusz Iwinski
    Tadeusz Iwiński is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 9734 votes in 35 Olsztyn district, candidating from Democratic Left Alliance list...

    , Democratic Left Alliance (SLD, Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej)
    Democratic Left Alliance
    Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....

  • Edward Ośko
    Edward Osko
    Edward Ośko is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 5725 votes in 35 Olsztyn district, candidating from the League of Polish Families list.-External links:*...

    , League of Polish Families (LPR, Liga Polskich Rodzin)
    League of Polish Families
    The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....

  • Adam Puza
    Adam Puza
    Adam Puza is a Polish politician. He was elected to Sejm on 25 September 2005 getting 5213 votes in 35 Olsztyn district, candidating from Law and Justice list.- External links :...

    , Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
    Law and Justice
    Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....

  • Sławomir Rybicki, Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)
    Civic Platform
    Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...

  • Lidia Staroń
    Lidia Staron
    Lidia Staroń is a Polish politician. She was elected to Sejm on September 25, 2005 getting 12,188 votes in 35 Olsztyn district, candidating from the Civic Platform list.-External links:...

    , Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)
    Civic Platform
    Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...

  • Aleksander Marek Szczygło, Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
    Law and Justice
    Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....

  • Zbigniew Włodkowski, Polish Peasant Party (PSL, Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe)


Members of Senate elected from Olsztyn constituency in 2005
  • Ryszard Józef Górecki, Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)
    Civic Platform
    Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...

  • Jerzy Szmit, Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)
    Law and Justice
    Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....


Notable residents

  • Johannes von Leysen
    Johannes von Leysen
    Johannes von Leysen was the first mayor of Allenstein in 1353.Leysen originated from a well-known family, recognized in colonizing southern Warmia within the State of the Teutonic Order. His grandfather Martin came to Prussia in 1304 as a free peasant...

     (1310–1388), town founder
  • Nicolaus Copernicus
    Nicolaus Copernicus
    Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....

     (1473–1543), astronomer, administrator, and town commander
  • Johannes Knolleisen
    Johannes Knolleisen
    Johannes Knolleisen was a German theological professor.Nothing is known about his parents and his youth, aside from his being born in Allenstein in Warmia . He received his magister degree in theology from the University of Leipzig, becoming rector of the university in 1478. Knolleisen became...

     (+1511), academic and provider of academic stipends
  • Lucas David
    Lucas David
    Lucas David was a Prussian historian, who from ca. 1550 on compiled extensive volumes on Prussian history....

     (1503–1583), historian
  • Karl Roensch (1858–1921), industrialist, city governmental official
  • Hugo Haase
    Hugo Haase
    Hugo Haase was a German politician, jurist and pacifist.-Biography:Haase was born in Allenstein , Province of Prussia, the son of Jewish shoemaker and small businessman, Nathan Haase, and Pauline née Anker. He studied law in Königsberg and established himself as a lawyer...

     (1863–1919), politician
  • Franz Justus Rarkowski (1873–1950), military bishop (1938–45)
  • August Trunz
    Prussica-Sammlung Trunz
    The Prussica-Sammlung Trunz is a collection of over 40,000 books about former German territories in Eastern and Central Europe, mainly Prussia. It was founded by Dr...

     (1875–1963), founder of the Prussica-Sammlung Trunz
    Prussica-Sammlung Trunz
    The Prussica-Sammlung Trunz is a collection of over 40,000 books about former German territories in Eastern and Central Europe, mainly Prussia. It was founded by Dr...

  • Hubert Hönnekes (1880–1947), teacher at Kopernikus-Schule, member of Ostpreußischen Provinziallandtages, member of Deutschen Reichstages 1930–1933
  • Erich Mendelsohn
    Erich Mendelsohn
    Erich Mendelsohn was a Jewish German architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic functionalism in his projects for department stores and cinemas.-Early life:...

     (1887–1953), architect
  • Olga Desmond
    Olga Desmond
    Olga Desmond was a German dancer and actress.-Biography:...

     (1891–1964), dancer and actress
  • Kurd von Bülow (1899–1971), geologist
  • Klaus-Joachim Zülch (1910–1988), neuro scientist
  • Günter Wand
    Günter Wand
    Günter Wand was a German orchestra conductor and composer. Wand studied in Wuppertal, Allenstein and Detmold. At the Cologne conservatory, he was a composition student with Philipp Jarnach and a piano student with Paul Baumgartner...

     (1912–2002), conductor
  • Georg Hermanowski (1918–1993), author, translator
  • Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski
    Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski
    Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski was a German Social Democrat politician....

     (1922–2005), politician
  • Curt Lowens
    Curt Lowens
    Curt Lowens is a German actor of the stage and films, and a survivor and resistant of the Holocaust.-Life and career:...

     (*1925), actor
  • Leonhard Pohl
    Leonhard Pohl
    Leonhard Pohl Leonhard ("Leo") Pohl Leonhard ("Leo") Pohl (born July 18, 1929 in Allenstein (today Olsztyn, Poland) is a West German athlete who mainly competed in the 100 metres....

     (*1929), gymnast
  • Maximilian Kaller
    Maximilian Kaller
    Maximilian Kaller was Roman Catholic Bishop of Ermland in East Prussia from 1930–1947, however, de facto expelled since mid-August 1945 he served as special bishop for the homeland-expellees until his death.-Early life:...

     from 1930–1947 Bishop of Ermland
  • Wolfgang Milde (*1934), library director, handwriting specialist
  • Wolf Lepenies
    Wolf Lepenies
    Wolf Lepenies is a German sociologist, political scientist, and author.-Biography:Lepenies was born near Allenstein, East Prussia ), in 1945 his family fled from the Soviet Army's assault on East Prussia to Schleswig-Holstein and from there to North Rhine-Westfalia. He eventually grew up in Koblenz...

     (*1941), sociologist, political scientist and author
  • Georg Schimanski, camera man
  • Kurt Baluses soccer player and trainer of VFB Stuttgart
  • Ulrich Schrade
    Ulrich Schrade
    Ulrich Schrade was a philosopher, educationist and ethicist...

     (1943–2009), philosopher

  • Marian Bublewicz
    Marian Bublewicz
    Marian Bublewicz was the best Polish rally and racing driver of 80s born in Olsztyn, the home of Rally Poland. Including the triumph classes, Marian Bublewicz won the Polish Rally Championship 20 times.- Career :...

     (1950–1993), Polish rally and racing driver of the 80s and 90s
  • Juliusz Machulski
    Juliusz Machulski
    Juliusz Machulski is a Polish film director and screenplay writer. Son of noted actor Jan Machulski, Juliusz became notable for his comedies ridiculing the life in communist-ruled Poland of 1970s and 1980s....

     (*1955), director
  • Izabela Trojanowska
    Izabela Trojanowska
    Izabela Trojanowska is a Polish singer and film actress.- Career :Trojanowska rose to fame in 1980, backed with popular Polish rock band Budka Suflera, when she sang "Wszystko czego dziś chcę" at National Festival of Polish Song in Opole...

     (*1955), actress and singer
  • Krzysztof Hołowczyc (*1962), rally driver
  • Artur Wojdat
    Artur Wojdat
    Artur Wojdat is a former international swimmer from Poland, who won the bronze medal in the men's 400 metres freestyle at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Four years later he also competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.-References:*...

     (*1968), swimmer
  • Józef Glemp (*1929), from 1979–1981 Bishop of Warmia, seat at Olsztyn
  • Wojciech Grzyb
    Wojciech Grzyb
    Wojciech Grzyb is a Polish volleyball player. He is playing in volleyball club ASSECO Resovia Rzeszow and also in Poland national team, in which he debuted in 2003.For his sport achievements, he received:...

     (*1981), volleyball player
  • Tomasz Zahorski
    Tomasz Zahorski
    - Club career :He began his career playing for Pisa Barczewo, where he moved to OKS 1945 Olsztyn. Later, Zahorski played for Tecza Biskupiec and again for Pisa. In the 2004/05 season, he moved to OKS 1945 Olsztyn, where he played for until the fall of 2005. In the spring of the 2005/06 season, he...

     soccer player
  • Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek (*1965), guitarist and vocalist, frontman for the death metal band Vader.

International relations


Twin towns – Sister cities

Olsztyn 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:
Calpe
Calpe
Calp is a coastal town located in the comarca of Marina Alta, in the province of Alicante, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 23.5 km² and a population density of 855.45 persons/km². The town is located 67 km from the city of Alicante, lying at the foot of the Natural...

, Spain Chateauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....

, France Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....

, Germany
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...

, Russia Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...

, Ukraine Offenburg
Offenburg
Offenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg...

, Germany
Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

, VA United States Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...

, Finland Bielsko-Biała
Bielsko-Biała
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...

, Poland

Olsztyn belongs to the Federation of Copernicus Cities, an association of cities where Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....

 lived and worked, such as Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

, Frombork
Frombork
Frombork is a town in northern Poland, on the Vistula Lagoon, in Braniewo County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It had a population of 2,528 as of 2005....

, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

, and Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....

. The main office of the federation is situated at Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory, located on St. Andrew's Hill (143 m) in a former water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....

erected in 1897.
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