- Żnin
Infobox Settlement
name = Żnin
motto = Żnin - the open town
imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Medieval town center of Żnin
image_shield = POL Żnin COA.svg
pushpin_
pushpin_label_position = bottom
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Kuyavian-Pomeranian
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 =Żnin County
subdivision_type3 =Gmina
subdivision_name3 =Gmina Żnin
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Leszek Jakubowski
established_title = Established
established_date =11th century
established_title3 = Town rights
established_date3 = 1263
area_total_km2 = 8.35
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 14052
population_density_km2 = auto
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd = 52 | latm = 51 | lats = | latNS = N | longd = 17 | longm = 42 | longs = | longEW = E
elevation_m = 85
postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code = 88-400
area_code = +48 52
blank_name = Car plates
blank_info = CZN
website = http://www.um.znin.pl/ Żnin [IPA-pl|ż|n|i|n] is a smalltown inPoland with a population of 14,558 (June 2005). It is in theKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (previouslyBydgoszcz Voivodeship ) and is the capital ofŻnin County . The town is situated in the historic land ofPałuki and theGniezno Lake Area on the riverGąsawka .Etymology
The name originates from the Polish word "żnieja", meaning
harvest or aharvester ). DuringWorld War II , Żnin's name was "Dietfurt".History
The area was known in Roman times, especially the nearby fortification of
Biskupin , aLausitz culture site known as the "PolishPompeii ". Biskupin was an earlyIron Age Hallstatt C fortified settlement of about 800-1000 people in theWarta River valley ca. 2700 BC.By 1030 the area was included within the
Archbishopric of Gniezno . The first mention of Żnin is in the Gnieznopapal bull issued onJuly 7 ,1136 byPope Innocent II . The pope granted ArchbishopJacob of Żnin 29 villages in Pałuki and the town of Żnin, which also became property of theRoman Catholic Church .Żnin was given town rights in 1263 (based on
Magdeburg law ). In the 13th century the town was given the right ofcoinage which resulted in its dynamic expansion. Żnin was a major town located on thetrade route fromSilesia toGdańsk (theAmber Road ). TheTeutonic Knights , under command of the Order's MarshalDietrich von Altenburg , sacked Żnin in 1331. After a few years, the town was rebuilt.City walls were constructed in 1343. King
Casimir the Great of Poland confirmed several privileges and duties to the city and visited it in 1343, 1361, 1365, and 1370. Żnin became a favourite residence of the Gniezno bishops in 1374. In 1447 fire destroyed large parts of the town. In the rebuilt town in 1459, the first wind-mill was constructed, while breweries, orchards, and workshops increased Żnin's prosperity. Another fire destroyed the town in 1494.Swedish invaders did not attack Żnin during the Deluge (1655-60), but disease and poverty depopulated the town; only 96 building were occupied and 151 buildings were left empty. By 1673 Znin had 2,331 inhabitants. Fires again damaged Znin in 1688, 1692, and 1700. People abandoned the town, searching quarters in other nearby towns and villages. After a partial reconstruction, another fire in 1751 destroyed 64 houses, the brewery and the town hall. Only the city-hall tower remained. The medieval part of Żnin constructed of wood was totally destroyed. However, tourists can still admire the historic centre of Żnin and its old structure dating back to the
Middle Ages .Żnin was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia in 1772 during theFirst Partition of Poland and subsequently administered within theNetze District . In September 1794 during the unsuccessfulKościuszko Uprising , Polish forces under GeneralJan Henryk Dąbrowski , passedGąsawa fromPoznań and liberated Żnin. The local garrison commander, Colonel Keszycki, established a recruitment center for volunteers in the town.After Napoleon's defeat of Prussia in the
War of the Fourth Coalition , Żnin was included in theDuchy of Warsaw in 1807. The town was restored to Prussia in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon and administered withinKreis Schubin within the newProvince of Posen . Żnin's economy developed rapidly by the end of the 19th century. By 1902, the town had fresh water pipe lines, gas works, macadam streets, and 4,500 inhabitants.Żnin participated in the Greater Poland Uprising in January 1919 after
World War I . At the time there was a garrison of 300 German soldiers in the city under Sub. Lt. Eckert. The Polish insurgents, supported by a cavalry unit from Gniezno, kept the Germans busy until another unit of 737 came from Poznań and liberated Żnin onJanuary 18 . A new town council was elected and Polish was reestablished as the official language. The city had 4,980 inhabitants. The German minority, no longer part of the occupying force, was given the option to move toWeimar Germany in 1920, while those who remained could become citizens of theSecond Polish Republic .In 1930 during the
interwar era the growing town had 5,500 inhabitants. The processing plants increased their output and agriculture flourished. Żnin had two colleges, three hotels, and, since 1936, a local daily and a weekly newspaper. The county office and court of justice were located in the town.On
1 September 1939 , the first day ofWorld War II ,Nazi Germany 'sLuftwaffe bombed undefended Żnin. Nine days later, German troops marched into the town, which was renamed "Dietfurt" and administered withinLandkreis Dietfurt (Wartheland) . All street names were replaced by names of Nazi leaders or German sounding names. There was no school for the Poles; children had to walk to Góra, a village east of Żnin. 600 Poles were deported, with 200 taken to forced labour orNazi concentration camps . In November and December 1939, hostages, mainly insurgents of 1919, were shot at different places around the town. After the war, onOctober 21 ,1945 , a mass re-burial of 62 exhumed victims was held in Gąsawa. In the village Góra (now part of Żnin), a solemn burial of 100Jew ish citizens, killed in the nearby concentration camp Murczyn, was held and a monument created by Żnin craftsmen was unveiled on11 December 1987 .Prominent features
Żnin is located on the
Gąsawka river and between two lakes – the Żnin Great Lake and the Żnin Small Lake. Both these and the nearby forests are popular tourist attractions.Other points of interest include:
*Anarrow gauge railway with alocomotive museum down the line atWenecja
*Theruins of a 14th century castle
*Churches: (St. Martin's from the 14th century, St. Florian's from the 15th century and Blessed Virgin Mary's from the 19th century)
*Museums: the Archaeological Museum, theNarrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja , the Museum of Sacred Art and the Museum of the Pałuki Land
*A 15th centuryTower ("Baszta")
*A 19th centuryTown Hall ("Magistrat" at the market square)Local events
*
Tour de Pologne
*World/European Motorboat Championships
*Archaeological Festival in Biskupin
*Folk Authors' Rally "Autumn in the Pałuki Land"
*Pałuki Agricultural Fair
*Tourists' Rallies
*Polish and European Windsurfing ChampionshipsLocal authorities
The Żnin Town Council Rada Miejska w Żninieul. 700-lecia 3988-400 Żnin (Poland)
Mayor of ŻninLeszek Jakubowski
Notable Żninians
*
Wanda Dobaczewska
*Erazm Gliczner
*Aleksander Guttry
*Jacob of Żnin
*Klemens Janicki
*Leon Ksycki
*Mikołaj z Wenecji
*Jan Śniadecki
*Jędrzej Śniadecki Transport links
By plane
Located 45 kilometers to the north of Żnin, the
Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport is the nearest one. Once you are inBydgoszcz (possibly via Warsaw or London), you will need to catch a local bus or taxi to take you into Żnin. There is also thePoznań-Ławica Airport located inPoznań approx. 100 km south-west of Żnin.By bus
Several companies dealing with public transport serve Żnin with bus services connecting the town with all major cities of the region (
Bydgoszcz ,Gniezno ,Inowrocław ,Poznań ,Toruń ,Wągrowiec ) and also withWrocław . For bus connections see:
* [http://www.pks.bydgoszcz.pl/ PKS Bydgoszcz]
* [http://www.pks.poznan.pl/ PKS Poznań]
* [http://www.pks.torun.com/ PKS Toruń]
* [http://www.pks.gniezno.pl/ PKS Gniezno]By car
Żnin is served by the national road no. 5 ("droga krajowa nr 5", DK5, E261) which runs from Wrocław via Poznań, Gniezno to Bydgoszcz and
Świecie . It is about an hour's drive from Bydgoszcz and about 45 minutes drive from Gniezno.The regional road no. 251 ("droga wojewódzka nr 251") running from Inowrocław to Kaliska near to Wągrowiec is another major road connection. It is about 45 minutes drive both from Inowrocław and Wągrowiec.
Gallery
Twin Towns
* -
Ommen (the Netherlands ), since 1991
* -Mettmann (Germany ), since 1997
* -Veseli nad Moravou (Czech Republic ), since 1997
* -Birštonas (Lithuania ), since 1998
* -Malacky (Slovakia ), since 2001
* -Šalčininkai -Jašiūnai (Lithuania ), since 2003
* -Albertirsa (Hungary ), since 2005See also
*
Biskupin
*Bydgoszcz
*Gniezno
* Kuyavian-Pomeranian
*Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja
*Pałuki
*Piechcin
*Wenecja External links
* [http://www.um.znin.pl/ www.um.znin.pl Town Hall]
* [http://www.znin.pl/ Starostwo Powiatowe - Żnin County Office]
* [http://www.biskupin.pl/ The Archaeological Museum inBiskupin ]
* [http://www.paluki.pl/ciuchcia/ The Narrow Gauge Railway Company in Żnin] see alsonarrow gauge railway s
* [http://www.paluki.pl/mzp/ The Museum of the Pałuki Land in Żnin (Muzeum Ziemi Pałuckiej)]
* [http://www.palac-lubostron.pl/ The Palace in Lubostroń]
* [http://www.paluczanka.pl/ Football Club Pałuczanka Żnin]
* [http://milawski.w.interia.pl/ Żnin historic pictures gallery]
* [http://www.znin.fora.pl/ Forum on Żnin]
* [http://www.radioznin.xt.pl/ Żnin Internet Radio]
* [http://members.aol.com/txmilke/znin2.htm http://members.aol.com/txmilke/znin2.htm]Hotels and resorts
* [http://www.reko.com.pl/english/osrodek/index_eng.htm Reko in Wenecja]
* [http://www.roma.paluki.pl/index_a.html Roma in Chomiąża Szlachecka]
* [http://www.martina.pl Hotel Martina Znin NEW]
* [http://www.roma.paluki.pl/index_b.html Roma in Ostrówce]
* [http://www.mos-znin.pl Town's Sports Centre MOS]
* [http://www.paluki.pl/pttk Polish Tourist Country Lovers' Society PTTK]
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