Koło
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Koło | |
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| (Flag) | (Coat of arms) |
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| Basic Information | |
| Country | Poland |
| Voivodeship | Greater Poland |
| Population | 23 334 |
| Founded | 13th century |
| City rights | 1362 |
| Latitude Longitude |
52°12' N 18°38' E |
| Area | 13,85 km² |
| Agglomeration | - |
| Density | 1678/km² |
| Area code | +48 63 |
| Car plates | PKL XXXX |
| Twin towns | Reinbek (GER), Ladyzhyn (UKR) |
| Economy and Traffic | |
| Administration | |
| Mayor | Mieczysław Drożdżewski |
| Municipal Website | |
Koło is a town on the Warta river in central Poland with 23,493 inhabitants (2004). It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship (since 1999), having previously been in Konin Voivodship (1975-1998). Capital of Koło County.
[edit] History
The town of Koło (mentioned as Colo) received local government in 1362 from King Casimir III. It was situated in a safe place near the royal castle, on the island in the branches of the Warta river; the town had no walls but only two gates. It was a royal city and the seat of a land county (starostwo niegrodowe).
In 1410 Koło was a gathering place of the Greater Poland nobility, which called for a war with the Teutonic Order (see Battle of Grunwald). In 1452 the Royal Castle in Koło was the place of meeting between King Casimir the Jagiellonian and the representatives of the Prussian Union (see: the Thirteen Years' War).
From the early 15th century till 1716 Koło was the meeting place of the Provincial Parliament (Sejmik Generalny) for Greater Poland, comprising the Poznań Voivodship, Kalisz Voivodship, Sieradz Voivodeship, Łęczyca Voivodeship, Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship and Inowrocław Voivodeship)
The town evolved as a regional centre of trade and crafts, especially in metals and textiles, and in the 16th century a suburb of Zduny consisting mainly of potters developed on the right bank of the Warta river, receiving separate municipal autonomy in 1559. Koło was destroyed twice, once in 1622 by the Lisowski forces, and in 1655 by the Swedes; the economy managed to revive only at the end of the 17th century.
Until 1793 Koło belonged to Konin County of Kalisz Voivodeship, and in the years 1793-1806 it was occupied by Prussia, but during the Kościuszko insurrection in 1794 it was temporarily liberated by the insurgents. In the years 1807-1815 it belonged to the Duchy of Warsaw and later to Congress Poland.
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