Osinów Dolny
Encyclopedia
Osinów Dolny o is Poland's westernmost settlement, in the administrative district of Gmina Cedynia
, within Gryfino County
, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
, in north-western Poland, on the border with Germany
. It lies approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-west of Cedynia
, 50 km (31 mi) south-west of Gryfino
, and 70 km (43 mi) south-west of the regional capital Szczecin
.
The village has a population of 180. It is the site of a border crossing, on the road connecting the Polish town of Chojna
(formerly Königsberg in der Neumark) with Bad Freienwalde
in Germany. The adjacent German village is called Hohenwutzen
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany in the Province of Pomerania within Prussia
. There used to be a paper mill of minor regional importance in business here from 1936 to 1939. After the war
and the subsequent border shift
, the factory was closed down by the Soviets
, although its remaining structures have experienced a second lease on life as a Polish marketplace.
For more on the history of the region, see History of Pomerania
.
The village enjoys a great deal of business from Germans
who cross the border to purchase products and services more cheaply than in Germany
. When the border crossing was opened in 1993, thousands of Germans thronged the village in search of inexpensive goods and to fill up their automobile tanks, taking advantage of the cheaper fuel rates. In recent years, it has been jokingly called "The Village of the Hairdressers" (Dorf der Friseure), due to over half of the village's inhabitants being hairdressers, mainly aimed at Germans wishing to get a cheap trim.
Gmina Cedynia
Gmina Cedynia is an urban-rural gmina in Gryfino County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland, on the German border...
, within Gryfino County
Gryfino County
Gryfino County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-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 and largest...
, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
, in north-western Poland, on the border with 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...
. It lies approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-west of Cedynia
Cedynia
Cedynia is a town in Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Gryfino County. It lies close to the Oder River, near the border with Germany, and is the westernmost town in Poland...
, 50 km (31 mi) south-west of Gryfino
Gryfino
Gryfino is a town in Pomerania, northwestern Poland with 22,500 inhabitants . It is also the capital of Gryfino County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship ....
, and 70 km (43 mi) south-west of the regional capital Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
.
The village has a population of 180. It is the site of a border crossing, on the road connecting the Polish town of Chojna
Chojna
Chojna is a small town in western Poland in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It lies approximately 60 km south of Szczecin and participates in the Douzelage....
(formerly Königsberg in der Neumark) with Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde is a spa town in the Märkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on an old branch of the Oder river at the northwestern rim of the Oderbruch basin, east of Eberswalde, and northeast of Berlin, near the border with Poland...
in Germany. The adjacent German village is called Hohenwutzen
Hohenwutzen
Hohenwutzen is a small village in the German province of Brandenburg, located on the Oder river. Since 2003, Hohenwutzen is part of Bad Freienwalde....
.
Before 1945 the area was part of Germany in the Province of Pomerania within 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...
. There used to be a paper mill of minor regional importance in business here from 1936 to 1939. After the war
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...
and the subsequent border shift
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...
, the factory was closed down by the Soviets
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....
, although its remaining structures have experienced a second lease on life as a Polish marketplace.
For more on the history of the region, see History of Pomerania
History of Pomerania
The history of Pomerania dates back more than 10,000 years. Settlement in the area started by the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage, about 13,000 years ago. Archeological traces have been found of various cultures during the Stone and Bronze Age, of Veneti and Germanic peoples during the Iron Age...
.
The village enjoys a great deal of business from Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
who cross the border to purchase products and services more cheaply than 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...
. When the border crossing was opened in 1993, thousands of Germans thronged the village in search of inexpensive goods and to fill up their automobile tanks, taking advantage of the cheaper fuel rates. In recent years, it has been jokingly called "The Village of the Hairdressers" (Dorf der Friseure), due to over half of the village's inhabitants being hairdressers, mainly aimed at Germans wishing to get a cheap trim.