Wejherowo

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Wejherowo

(Flag)	(Coat of arms)


Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Pomerania
Mayor	Krzysztof Hildebrandt
Area	25,65 km²
Population - city - urban - density	47 000 (1 October 2006) 137 000 1832/km²
Founded	1643
City rights	1650
Latitude Longitude	54°36'N 18°15'E
Area code	+48 58
Car plates	GWE
Municipal Website

Wejherowo (Kashubian/Pomeranian: Wejrowò, German: formerly Neustadt in Westpreußen), is a town in Eastern Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,000 inhabitants (1 October 2006). It is the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, previously a town in Gdansk Voivodeship (1975-1998).

1 History
2 Education
3 Population
4 People
5 External links

[edit] History

City hall in Wejherowo

One of the chapels of Calvary of Wejherowo (17th century)

Wejherowo was founded in 1643 by Jakub Wejher who was allowed this privilege by the Polish king Władysław IV Vasa as a result of his participation in the defence of the Smolensk fortress, which was besieged by the Russians. Original name of the settlement was Wola Wejherowska. Wejher founded two of the town's churches (The Holy Trinity and Saint Ann) as well as a Franciscan monastery and the Calvary of Wejherowo.

After the first partition of Poland in 1772, Wejherowo (renamed to Neustadt in Westpreussen) belonged to Prussia and since 1871 to Germany. The decisive factor that boosted the development of the town in 19th century was the establishment of the administrative district of Neustadt in 1818 and the construction of the Danzig (Gdańsk) - Stettin (Szczecin) railway line. Returned to Poland in 1920, Wejherowo, the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship became also one of the headquarters of stae administration responsible for maritime economy.

During the second half of the 19th century, a significant number of Jewish families began migrating to Syracuse, New York including the renowned Shubert theatrical family. Most of the Wejherowo Jewish community was exterminated by the Nazis during World War II. Also many local Poles became victims of German extermination policies. The village of Piaśnica near Wejherowo is a site of a mass murder where about 12,000 Poles were shot in 1939.