Rzepin
Encyclopedia
Rzepin ' is a town in north-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 6,500 inhabitants (2008).
Situated in 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), in Słubice County it is a seat of the urban-rural Rzepin Gmina
Gmina
The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...

. From 1975 till 1998 the town, from an administrative point of view, belonged to the 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...

 Voivodeship
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....

. According to the census from the 1st of January 2007, the town was inhabited by 6476 people.

Geography

The town is situated in the western part of the Lubusz Lake District and Torzymska Plain (315.43), in the longitudinal postglacial valley.

Waters

The Ilanka river, which is the right-bank tributary 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, flows through the town and takes the tributary Rzepin to the south of the town, near Nowy Młyn. One of Ilanka’s hydrological curiosities is the phenomenon of bifurcation, due to which to the north of Rzepin, the river separates its stream. As a result, some waters flow in the Łęczna river to the Warta drainage. Rzepin surroundings is rich in glacial lakes, among others: Busko, Długie- local bathing beach, Głębiniec, Linie, Lubińskie, Oczko, Papienko (Popienko) and Rzepsko.

Rzepin's History

The town was founded in the place of a 10th century fort and a craftsmen settlement outside the fort, which was located near a convenient crossing of the Ilanka river. The oldest record about Rzepin dates back to 1297 and it regards the presence of pleban de Repin (Repin’s parson) Iacobus Craft at a ceremony of granting the village of Wystok to the Paradyż monastery.
In 14th and 15th century the town was defined with a ‘New’ suffix, which could signify its new location or new town charter: 28th July 1329 - Newen Reppin, 1335 – Nyen Rypin, 1441 – Nyen Reppen. The grad was possibly transferred into a more convenient place because the remains of an earlier grad upon the Ilanka river, between Tarnawa Rzepińska and Starościn, survived until our times. The names Reppin or Reppen appear in the German literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...

, while Rypin or Rzepin can be found in the Polish sources. In 1437 the name Stat Kleynen Reppin appeared once more, however an attempt to call the town ‘little’ was unsuccessful. Since the mid 15th Century, its name was written without the adjective. 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...

, during a short period of time, the town was called Rypin Lubuski, whereas since the late 40s the current form has been used. It also became the county town (Rzepin County with its seat in Słubice).

A short history of the town (1850–1945):
  • 1869 – construction of the railway line Frankfurt (Oder)
    Frankfurt (Oder)
    Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...

     - Rzepin – Poznań
    Poznan
    Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

  • 1875 – construction of the railway line 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....

     – Rzepin – Głogów
  • 1881 – construction of a Richter Fund Hospital (the building in Słubicka Street doesn't exist any more)
  • 1890 – construction of the railway line Rzepin-Ośno Lubuskie
    Osno Lubuskie
    Ośno Lubuskie is a town in Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,800 inhabitants ....

     – Sulęcin
    Sulecin
    Sulęcin is a town in western Poland with 10638 inhabitants , the capital of Sulecin County, since 1999 in Lubusz Voivodeship.-Geography:...

    -Międzyrzecz
    Miedzyrzecz
    Międzyrzecz is a town in western Poland with 18,584 inhabitants . The capital of Międzyrzecz County, it was part of the Gorzów Wielkopolski Voivodeship from 1975–1998. Since the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998, Międzyrzecz has been situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship...

  • 1904 – the town becomes a seat of Rzepin County
  • 1911-1913 – construction of new primary and secondary schools
  • 1926 – founding and parceling out of a new settlement land near the Drenziger Weg (now Słowacki Street)
  • 1927 – a new municipal beach and sports center is being opened by Długie Lake
  • 1929 – construction of a new post office (now in Wojsko Polskie Street)
  • 1939 – according to the census from 17th May, the town was inhabited by 6442 citizens, and its area consisted of 2610,6 hectares
  • 1945 – Rzepin is conquered by the Soviets and then turned over to the Polish administration; the expulsion of the town population takes place

Origin of the town name

The origin is, without any doubt, Slavic. In 1856 Berghaus investigated the town name origin of words: repina (a folk name of maple), rjepa (turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...

), or rjepnik (field of turnip). According to Mucke, the name could originate from the word ryby (fish) – Rybin, Rybek, Rybno – fisherman’s colony (town located by the riverside). Current Polish
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...

 etymology (according to Rospond, Rymut and Malec) clearly indicates a nickname Rzepa (Polish name of turnip), or the name of turnip itself, as the town name origin.

Town history

Rzepin has always been associated with Torzym Land (better known as Lubusz Land), which belonged to Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

n dukes before 1249. In the second half of the 13th century the land was handed over by archbishops of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....

 to 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...

 margraves. Rzepin’s history become turbulent ever since. The town was sold many times and its land was regularly confiscated. Medieval Rzepin was a town inhabited by craftsmen. There were guilds of clothiers, butchers, bakers and shoemakers. Its citizens were also earning their living as fishermen and brewers. A water mill was a part of the town landscape. Thanks to the citizens’ resourcefulness and valor the town was developing rapidly, however, it was hindered by plagues and other disasters, including numerous fires. One of them destroyed a historical town hall.

Town plan

The shape of the medieval Rzepin resembled a rectangle 300 x 400 m. The town layout revealed three parallel streets, that were crossing the town longitudinally and transversely, distinguishing the medieval marketplace
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...

. The oldest plan of Rzepin was compiled by Eichler in 1725.
The Old Town, with high – density housing, is located on the right bank of the Ilanka, whereas from the remaining sides it was surrounded by a ditch (town moat), which was subsequently filled back in due to the negative influence of the humid microclimate. Now it serves as a park alley.

Tourist attractions

  • Sacred Heart of Jesus Church – built around the mid 13th century in the late-Romanesque style
    Romanesque art
    Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...

    , converted in the neo-Gothic style in 1878, which coincided with the addition of a belfry. Only stone walls of the south and the north elevations along with the chancel with three characteristic windows have remained from the previous sanctuary. A 15th century 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....

     brick
    Brick
    A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

     chapel
    Chapel
    A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...

     annex with an ogival portal and groin vault is adjacent to the church from the North.; The church has been in possession of 19-pipe organs since 1879. Currently the parochial church is situated in the town center on the Koscielny square;
  • Hunting lodge – a classicistic building, erected in the 18th century; currently on the Słubicka Street;
  • Town Hall – a building erected in 1833, severely damaged during the World War II, rebuilt between 1950 and 1960;
  • Piast Oak – a natural monument, Quercus robur, circumference 613 cm, height 20 m. It is estimated to be around 600 years old, placed in the village of Liszki, around 3 km South from the town;
  • Beaver’s Path Nature Trail – situated at the Rzepia river’s mouth to the Ilanka river, with its beginning at the forest’s lodge in the settlement of Nowy Młyn;
  • Water Mill – built in the beginning of the 19th century, currently powered by an electric turbine;

Rzepin forest

Rzepin was given ownership of the adjacent forests before 14th century, which was confiscated in 1553 because of the wrongly laid tax by the town authorities. The town maintained its rights only to a small part of the rickety woodland. High population of game animals in the region was confirmed by the presence of two royal forests in the vicinity of Rzepin. Forest district administration and the still working forest lodge of Dąbrówka, also known as Osęka (currently a part of the Rzepinek settlement), were established in the 18th Century.
Currently the term Rzepin Forest should only be treated in historical context, or to some extent, as an equivalent of the Lubusz Forest, which is a vast woodland situated mostly in the vicinity of Rzepin and Torzym in 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....

. The forest district administration is located in Rzepin.

Nature

  • Natural monuments: ‘Oak Piast’ Pedunculate Oak
    Pedunculate Oak
    Quercus robur is commonly known as the Pedunculate Oak or English oak. It is native to most of Europe, and to Anatolia to the Caucasus, and also to parts of North Africa.-Taxonomy:Q...

     (circumference 613 cm; estimated to be around 700 years old); additionally, several single trees – mostly old oaks in the forest district of Nowy Młyn; two groups of the Scots Pine
    Scots Pine
    Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...

    s (Nowy Młyn, Grodzisko near Starościn); there are also Populuses and Willow
    Willow
    Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

    s in the town; the only monument of the unanimated nature is a glacial erratic near the settlement of Gajec.

  • The nearest nature reserves: the Torfowiska Sułowskie Peat Bog Reserve (an area included in the Natura 2000
    Natura 2000
    Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...

     Networking Programme, where a habitat of Aldrovanda vesiculosa has been introduced)

  • Several ecological sites, most of which are within the borders of the National Forests, e.g. ‘Łąki’, ‘Wzdłuż Ilanki’, ’Przy Ilance’, ‘Wokół Jeziora Popienko’ (the habitat of Bog Orchid
    Bog Orchid
    The name Bog Orchid can refer to:* Habenaria, a widespread genus of orchids.* Hammarbya paludosa , a Northern Hemisphere species of orchid....

    ).

Education

  • Institutions of General Education:
    • Jan Kochanowski
      Jan Kochanowski
      Jan Kochanowski was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to Polish literary language.He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz, and the greatest Slavic poet, prior to the 19th century.-Life:Kochanowski was born at...

       Gymnasium
    • Stanisław Staszic Secondary School
    • Henryk Sienkiewicz
      Henryk Sienkiewicz
      Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...

       Elementary School
  • Complex of Forest Schools in Starościn

Urban planning

Town layout consists of 69 streets and 2 squares: the Kościelny (Church) Square and the Ratuszowy (Town Hall) Square.

Transport

  • A2 motorway: Świecko
    Swiecko
    Świecko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Słubice, within Słubice County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland, close to Frankfurt an der Oder on the German border...

     – Rzepin – Świebodzin
    Swiebodzin
    Świebodzin is a town in western Poland with 21,757 inhabitants . It is the capital of Świebodzin CountyIt was formerly part of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship , a reconfiguration of the old German state of Prussia, the eastern 40% of which was inherited by Poland in 1945, and led to the expulsion of...

     – Nowy Tomyśl
    Nowy Tomysl
    Nowy Tomyśl is a town in western Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Nowy Tomyśl County. The population is 15,627 ....

     – Poznań
    Poznan
    Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

     – Konin
    Konin
    Konin is a city in central Poland.Konin may also refer to:*Emperor Kōnin , emperor of Japan who reigned 770–781**Kōnin , a Japanese era name for the years 810–824...

     – Warszawa – Stryków
    Stryków
    Stryków is a town in central Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, in Zgierz County. It has 3,602 inhabitants .-Early history:The first mention of Strykow was in 1387. Strykow was a village situated on the route from Zgierz to Lowicz. Strykow received city rights in 1394 from King Wladyslaw Jagiello, at...

  • Voivodship Road 134: Urad
    Urad
    Urad may refer to:* Urad Mongols, a tribe in Inner Mongolia* Urad , a bean used in Indian cuisine* Urad, Poland...

     – Rzepin – Ośno Lubuskie
    Osno Lubuskie
    Ośno Lubuskie is a town in Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,800 inhabitants ....

     – Badachów – National Road 22
  • Voivodship Road 139: Górzyca
    Gorzyca
    Gorzyca or Górzyca may refer to the following places in Poland:*Gorzyca, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Gorzyca, Lubusz Voivodeship *Górzyca, Lubusz Voivodeship*Gorzyca, West Pomeranian Voivodeship...

     – Kowalów
    Kowalów
    Kowalów may refer to the following places in Poland:*Kowalów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Kowalów, Lubusz Voivodeship...

     – Rzepin – Gądków Wielki
    Gadków Wielki
    Gądków Wielki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Torzym, within Sulęcin County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland...

     – Debrznica
    Debrznica
    Debrznica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Torzym, within Sulęcin County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately south of Torzym, south of Sulęcin, north-west of Zielona Góra, and south of Gorzów Wielkopolski....


Tourist trails

  • Red : Rzepin Railway Station – Rzepin Square – Rzepin, J. Street – Rzepinek – Piast Oak – Grodno – Supno Lake – Głębokie Lake – Sądów – Drzeniów (further to Krosno Odrzańskie)
  • Blue: Pliszka Railway Station – Ratno Lake – Pliszka – Dębrznica – Karasienko Lake – Torzym
  • Green: Gądków Wielki Railway Station – Wielickie Lake (loop) – Pliszka Railway Station
  • Yellow: a part of the long-distance European Kiliński walking route E11, Słubice – Drzecin – Stare Biskupice – The ‘Torfowiska Sułowskie’ Reserve – Sułów – Drzeńsko – Lubiechnia Wielka – Lubiechnia Mała – Czyste Wielkie Lake – Czyste Małe Lake – Ośno Lubuskie – Radachów – Trzebów (further in the direction of Lubniewice)

Bicycle Trails in the Area

  • Słubice – Drzecin – Stare Biskupice – Nowe Biskupice – Gajec – Rzepin – Rzepinek – Nowy Młyn – Jerzmanice Lubuskie – Radzikówek – Radzików – Sądów – Cybinka – Białków – the ‘Młodno’ Reserve – Krzesin
  • Gajec – Nowy Młyn – Maczków – Urad (settlement) – Koziczyn – Sądów – Drzeniów
  • Bobrówko – Pniów – Garbicz –Wielkie Lake –Karasienko Lake – Torzym Railway Station
  • A part of the international route R1 (Kostrzyn n/Odrą) – Gronów – Ośno Lubuskie – Rożkowo – Grabno – Lubień – Brzeźno (Sulęcin)
  • Additionally six short-distance cycling trails were blazed in the Rzepin Gmina. Similar trails exist in the adjacent gminas: Słubice and Ośno Lubuskie, but they are not connected.

People associated with Rzepin

  • Marian Eckert (born 1949) – a historian, professor of the University of Zielona Góra
    University of Zielona Góra
    The University of Zielona Góra was founded on 1 September 2001 as a result of a merger between Zielona Góra's Pedagogical University, which was founded in 1971 and Technical University, which was founded in 1965. It is one of the youngest universities in Poland. Main buildings are located in two...

    , the former voivode of the Zielona Góra Voivodeship
  • Stanisław Kusiak – a priest of the Theological College in Słupsk, canon of the Cathedral Chapter in 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...

  • Zbigniew Pusz (born 1949) – a politician and businessman, current chairman of the Postal Insurance Company
  • Ernst Wenck (1865–1929) – a German sculptor
    Sculpture
    Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...

    , professor of the German Academy of Fine Arts, born in Rzepin
  • Johannes Wolburg (1905–1976) – a German geologist
    Geology
    Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...

     and paleontologist
    Paleontology
    Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...

    , pioneer of micropaleontology
    Micropaleontology
    Micropaleontology is the branch of paleontology that studies microfossils.-Microfossils:...

    , born in Rzepin
  • Dariusz Muszer (born 1959) - a Polish-German writer, lived in Rzepin between 1959 and 1972

External links


Twin towns — Sister cities

Rzepin 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: Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten
Hoppegarten is a municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany.-History:The actual municipality was created in 2003 when the former municipalities of Hönow and Münchehofe were united with Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten...

(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...

)
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