Śrem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Śrem is a town on the Warta river in central Poland. It has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship since 1999; from 1975 to 1998 it was part of the Poznań Voivodship. As of 1995, the population of Śrem was 29,800.
Śrem is 45 km to the south of Poznań, a local road junction on the road from Poznań to Rawicz; other roads lead from the town to Września, Leszno and Gołuchowo. The Śrem District has a population of 39,672, of which about 31,000 live in the town of Śrem.
[edit] History
The city received municipal rights in 1253, the same year as Poznań. It is numbered among the oldest Lekhitic settlements, dating back to the 10th century. During the reign of King Boleslaus the Brave, there was a fortified settlement here, which protected the ford across the Warta on an important trade route from Silesia to Poznań. In the 14th century, Śrem became a royal town and the seat of royal officials (starosta). Its heyday was in the first half of the 15th century and the second half of the 16th century. Later, lengthy wars, epidemics and natural catastrophes caused Śrem to decline, like many other towns in the Wielkopolska region.
At present, the town has a population of about 30,000, with a fast-developing economy. It is the seat of many firms with private and foreign capital, which have invested in metallurgy, furniture production, transport, window and door production, textiles and food processing. The Śrem Iron Foundry is the biggest plant in Śrem and Śrem County. Business activity in the area is supported by such institutions as the Craftsmen's Guild, the Śrem Centre for Support of Small Business, and the County Branch of the Wielkopolska Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
[edit] Attractions
The vicinity is very attractive to nature lovers and culture seekers with its beautiful scenery, palaces and manors with surrounding parks, interesting domestic and religious architecture, as well as nature sanctuaries. The district has a well-developed infrastructure, including accommodation, restaurants, and sports and leisure facilities: pitches, a stadium, a swimming pool, bowling alleys, gyms, and a yacht club with a landing stage on Lake Grzymisławskie. Śrem is the starting point of almost all major marked cycling routes in the region.
Śrem is also the seat of important education facilities: vocational and secondary schools as well as a branch of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań. The branch offers Bachelor of Science courses in material chemistry and tourism. In addition, there are cultural institutions such as the Śrem Museum, the public library, the Culture Centre, and local media including the press, television.
