Swidwin
Encyclopedia
Świdwin ' is a town
in West Pomeranian Voivodeship
of northwestern Poland
. It is the capital of Świdwin County
established 1999, previously having been in Koszalin Voivodeship
(1950–1998), and the administrative seat - though not part - of the Gmina Świdwin
. Świdwin is situated in the historic Pomerania
region on the left banks of the Rega
river, about 100 km (62.1 mi) east of the regional capital Szczecin
and 44 km (27.3 mi) south of the Baltic
coast at Kołobrzeg. As of 2007 the town has a population of 15,486.
under the Griffin
duke Barnim I
. In 1248 the duke ceded the area to the Bishop of Cammin, who shortly afterwards sold it to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg
. Schivelbein was incorporated as the northeastern outpost of the Neumark
region and, though temporarily pawned to the State of the Teutonic Order, remained a Brandenburg possession until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
in 1806. In 1816 it became part of the Prussian
province of Pomerania.
The Battle of Świdwin took place south of the town during 6–7 March 1945, in which a German SS corps was encircled and destroyed by two Soviet and one Polish armies. After the town was captured, the men were shot and the women and girls raped by Soviet troops. At the end of World War II
Schivelbein with Farther Pomerania
became part of the Republic of Poland
and it's name changed to Świbowina, which was officially renamed to Świdwin in 1946.
1960: 10.000 inhabitants
1970: 12.600 inhabitants
1975: 13.500 inhabitants
1980: 14.000 inhabitants
2004: 17,000 inhabitants
2005: 16,240 inhabitants
2008: 15,486 inhabitants
2009: 15,621 inhabitants
2010: 15,503 inhabitants
with: Prenzlau
, Germany
is located about5 km (3.11 mi) from the city centre. Civilians are not permitted to enter, but this airport is often used for government's aircraft. The runway is 2.5 km (1.55 mi) length and 60 m (196.85 ft) width.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 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...
of northwestern 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...
. It is the capital of Świdwin County
Swidwin County
Świdwin County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland. 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 town is Świdwin, which...
established 1999, previously having been in Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship – a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–98, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Capital city: Koszalin Area: 8.500 km² Statistics :...
(1950–1998), and the administrative seat - though not part - of the Gmina Świdwin
Gmina Swidwin
Gmina Świdwin is a rural gmina in Świdwin County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. Its seat is the town of Świdwin, although the town is not part of the territory of the gmina....
. Świdwin is situated in the historic Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
region on the left banks of the Rega
Rega
The Rega is a river in north-western Poland, flowing into the Baltic Sea. It is the country's 24th longest river, with a total length of 168 km and a catchment area of 2,725 km².Towns on the Rega:* Świdwin* Łobez* Resko* Płoty* Gryfice...
river, about 100 km (62.1 mi) east 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....
and 44 km (27.3 mi) south of the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast at Kołobrzeg. As of 2007 the town has a population of 15,486.
History
In the 13th century the settlement belonged to the Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
under the Griffin
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
duke Barnim I
Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim I the Good from the Griffin dynasty was a Duke of Pomerania from 1220 until his death.-Life:...
. In 1248 the duke ceded the area to the Bishop of Cammin, who shortly afterwards sold it to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
. Schivelbein was incorporated as the northeastern outpost of the Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
region and, though temporarily pawned to the State of the Teutonic Order, remained a Brandenburg possession until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1806. In 1816 it became part of the 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...
province of Pomerania.
The Battle of Świdwin took place south of the town during 6–7 March 1945, in which a German SS corps was encircled and destroyed by two Soviet and one Polish armies. After the town was captured, the men were shot and the women and girls raped by Soviet troops. At the end of 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...
Schivelbein with Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
became part of the Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
and it's name changed to Świbowina, which was officially renamed to Świdwin in 1946.
Population
1960: 10.000 inhabitants
1970: 12.600 inhabitants
1975: 13.500 inhabitants
1980: 14.000 inhabitants
2004: 17,000 inhabitants
2005: 16,240 inhabitants
2008: 15,486 inhabitants
2009: 15,621 inhabitants
2010: 15,503 inhabitants
Notable residents
- Otto Georg Bogislaf von GlasenappOtto Georg Bogislaf von GlasenappOtto Georg Bogislaf von Glasenapp was vice-president of the Reichsbank.- Distinctions :* Roter Adlerorden III. Klasse mit Schlaufe,* Russischer Sankt Stanislaus Orden II...
(1853–1928), Vice president of the Reichsbank - Olgierd MoskalewiczOlgierd MoskalewiczOlgierd Moskalewicz is a Polish professional soccer player who last plays for Pogoń Szczecin.-Club:In 2001, he had a brief spell with Diyarbakırspor in the Turkish Super Lig, appearing in two league matches....
(b. 1974), soccer player - Johannes PoeppelJohannes PoeppelJohannes Poeppel was a general in the German Bundeswehr. He served as Inspekteur des Heeres 1979-81.- Biography :...
(1921–2007), general - Rudolf VirchowRudolf VirchowRudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...
(1821–1902), pathologist and politician - Grzegorz HalamaGrzegorz HalamaGrzegorz Halama is a Polish parodist, and cabaret actor. In 1995 he initiated Grzegorz Halama Oklasky, a Polish cabaret...
(b. 1970), parodist, cabaret actor
Twin towns — sister cities
Świdwin is twinnedTown 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: Prenzlau
Prenzlau
Prenzlau , a city in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg in Germany, had a population of about 21,000 in 2005.-International relations:Prenzlau is twinned with: Uster, Switzerland Barlinek, Poland Świdwin, Poland...
, 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...
Świdwin's airport
The military airport operated by the Polish Air ForcePolish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
is located about5 km (3.11 mi) from the city centre. Civilians are not permitted to enter, but this airport is often used for government's aircraft. The runway is 2.5 km (1.55 mi) length and 60 m (196.85 ft) width.