Poznań

See also: Poznań, Lublin Voivodeship
Poznań
Old Square
Old Square
Flag of Poznań
Flag		 Coat of arms of Poznań
Coat of arms
Poznań (Poland)
Poznań
Poznań
Coordinates:
Country Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Voivodeship Greater Poland
County city county
Established 8th century
Town rights 1253
Government
 - Mayor Ryszard Grobelny
Area
 - City 261.85 km² (101.1 sq mi)
Highest elevation 154 m (505 ft)
Lowest elevation 60 m (197 ft)
Population (2006)
 - City 566,546
 - Density 2,163.6/km² (5,603.8/sq mi)
 - Metro 855,894
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 60-001 to 61-890
Area code(s) +48 61
Car plates PO
Website: http://www.poznan.pl/

Poznań [ˈpɔznaɲ] (Ltspkr.png listen) (Latin: Posnania; German: Posen; Yiddish: פּױזן Poyzn) is a city in west-central Poland with over 567,882 inhabitants (2006). Located on the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznań is Poland's fifth largest city and fourth biggest industrial centre. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Poznań's cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave, King Mieszko II, Duke Casimir I the Restorer, Duke Przemysł I, and King Przemysł II.

Poznań is the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place in December 2008. The conference is a key event in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Contents

Etymology

The name Poznań probably comes from a personal name Poznan (from the Polish participle poznan(y)) and would mean "Poznan's town." It is also possible the name comes directly from the verb poznać which means "to get to know" or "to recognize".

The earliest surviving references to the city were by Thietmar in his chronicles: episcopus Poznaniensis ("Bishop of Poznań", 970) and ab urbe Poznani ("by" or "from the city Poznań", 1005). Early spellings include Posna and Posnan, which have also historically been used in English.

The official city name in full is The Capital City of Poznań (Polish: Stołeczne Miasto Poznań). Poznań is known as Posen in German, and was officially known as Haupt- und Residenzstadt Posen ("Capital and Residence City of Poznań") between 20 August 1910, and 28 November 1918. The city has been known in Latin as Posnania and civitas Posnaniensis. Its Yiddish name is פּױזן, or Poyzn.

History

Main article: History of Poznań
Royal Castle in Poznań

Mieszko I, the first known duke of the Polans, built one of his castles in Poznań. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest Polish cathedral, founded in Poznań during the latter half of the 10th century. The city would become the capital of Greater Poland. Mieszko I's son, Boleslaus the Brave, was crowned king in 1025 and the Kingdom of Poland was formed. Greater Poland became the 'cradle of the Polish state', and both Mieszko I and Boleslaus I are buried in Poznań. Lubrański Academy, the second Polish university (not a "full" university, in fact, as science students had to go to Kraków) was established in 1519.

Poznań was the capital of the Greater Poland area when it came under the control of Prussia in 1793 and had its administrative area renamed to South Prussia. During the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, local Polish resistance fighters rebelled, thereby assisting the efforts of Napoleon while simultaneously driving out the occupying Prussian forces. The city became part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807 and was capital of the Poznań Department. Napoleon's defeat led to the Congress of Vienna, where the boundaries of Europe were redrawn by the victors. Greater Poland was returned to Prussia and became the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen. From the time of the Revolutions of 1848, Poznań was the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen. It became part of the German Empire during the unification of German states in 1871.

Poznań historic town hall

Shortly after Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919) occurred, leading to the creation of the Second Polish Republic, in which Poznań became the capital of Poznań Voivodeship. During World War II, Poland suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely repressed. In 1945, the city was declared a Festung (a fortified locale in which German forces were expected to conduct a last-ditch defense) by order of Hitler. As Poznań lay on the direct route from Warsaw to Berlin, the Red Army first besieged and then assaulted the German defenses, culminating in the assault on the Cytadela (citadelle) and resulting in serious damage to the city. Since the war's end, Poznań has been the capital of the surrounding area through administrative district boundary changes in 1957, 1975, and 1999; Poznań currently administrates Greater Poland Voivodeship, one of 16 provinces in the country.

Anti-communist protests in 1956 played a significant role in liberalising the post-war communist regime.

Further information: History of Poland
Medieval seal of Poznań (1344)
morning view
Poznań from north ca. 1617, from Frans Hogenberg and Georg Braun's Civitates Orbis Terrarum, Köln 1618
Poznań old town, south view
Goats on the town hall
Ostrów Tumski: Cathedral (on the right) and Church of Our Lady
Imperial Castle
city center view
Collegiate parish church
Interior of the Collegiate parish church
Municipal stadium (during reconstruction)
Local government districts of Poznań
Combino tram in Poznań
Poznań-Ławica Airport

Historical population

Detailed demographic tables: Historical population of Poznań

Historical population summary:

2020 population Forecast:

Geography

Administrative division

The Poznań metropolitan area, consisting of the autonomous towns of Poznań, Ostrów, Ostrówek, Środka, Chwaliszewo, Łacina, was integrated into one city from 1793–1800. The rapidly growing city annexed the neighboring villages of Grunwald, Łazarz, Górczyn, Jeżyce, Wilda, Winogrady in 1900, Piątkowo and Rataje in later years. Today, Poznań is divided into five districts, which are further divided onto several dozens of neighborhoods. The districts are:

Economy

Poznań has been an important center of trade since the Middle Ages. Starting in the 19th century, local heavy industry began to grow. Several major factories were built, including the steel mill and railway factory of Hipolit Cegielski (see H. Cegielski - Poznań S.A.).

Today Poznań is one of the major centers of trade with Germany. Many Western European companies started their Polish branches in Poznań, or in the nearby localities of Tarnowo Podgórne and Swarzędz. It is the site of annual Poznań International Fair.

Most foreign investors are German and Dutch companies (see "Major corporations" above), with a few others. Investors are mostly from the food processing, furniture, automotive and transport & logistics industries. Foreign companies are primarily attracted by low labour costs, but also by the relatively good road and railway network, good vocational skills of workers and relatively liberal employment laws. As compared with Germany, there are far fewer restrictions, e.g. on shop opening hours.

For a list of major Poznań-based corporations see Major corporations in Poznań

Culture

The annual Malta Theater festival is probably the most characteristic cultural event of the city. There are also Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and Classical Music Festival (annual).

Education

Main article: Education in Poznań

Poznań is home to a few state-owned universities and a number of smaller, mostly private-run colleges and institutions of higher education. Adam Mickiewicz University (abbreviated UAM) is one of the most influential and biggest universities in Poland:

Scientific and regional organizations

Sports

Politics

Municipal politics

Since the end of the communist era in 1989, Poznań municipality and metro area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially public transportation and improved administration. This has resulted in a massive investment from foreign companies in Poznań itself, as well as in communities west and south of Poznań (namely, Kórnik and Tarnowo Podgórne). Worth noticing is the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less annoying "red tape" than elsewhere in Poland.

City investment into transportation was mostly in the public transport area. While the number of cars since 1989 has at least doubled, the policy of improving public transport gave good effects. Limiting car access to the city center, building new tram lines (inc. Poznański Szybki Tramwaj) and investing in new rolling stock (such as modern Combino trams by Siemens and Solaris low-floor buses) actually increased the level of ridership. This is a notable success, even considering the fact that Polish society only possesses about half of the "old EU"'s purchasing power, hence not everybody can afford to own a car.

Future investments into transportation include the construction of a "third ring road" around the city, and the completion of A2 (E30) highway towards Berlin. In the public transport area (and non-car transportation), further investment must be made into the development bicycle paths (and the linking of presently existing ones), and an attempt is presently made of developing Karlsruhe-style light rail system for commuters. All that is made more complicated (and more expensive) by the heavy neglect of transportation throughout communist era.

See also: Tramways in Poznań

Constituency

Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from Poznań constituency:

Members of European Parliament elected from Poznań constituency:

Notable residents

Twin towns

Poznań is twinned with:[1]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Poznań Official Website - Twin Towns". Flag of Poland.svg (in Polish) © 1998-2008 Urząd Miasta Poznania. Retrieved on 2008-11-29.

Bibliography

See also

External links

Poznań
Districts
Stare Miasto · Nowe Miasto · Jeżyce · Grunwald · Wilda
 Flag of Poznań
Attractions
St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral · Royal Castle · Lake Malta · Lake Rusałka
Historical administrative divisions of Greater Poland
   
12–13th century
Duchy of Greater Poland
until 1768
Poznań / Kalisz Voivodeships
until 1793
Poznań / Kalisz / Gniezno Voivodeships · Netze District
until 1806
South Prussia
until 1815
Poznań / Kalisz / Bydgoszcz Departments
until 1848
Grand Duchy of Poznań
until 1918
Province of Posen
until 1939
Poznań Voivodeship
until 1945
Reichsgau Wartheland
until 1975
Poznań Voivodeship
until 1998
Poznań / Kalisz / Leszno / Konin / Piła Voivodeships
since 1998
Flag of Poland Principal cities of Poland
Administrative divisions of Poland since 1999
Counties of Greater Poland Voivodeship
City counties
Poznań (capital) • Kalisz • Konin • Leszno
 Coat of arms of Greater Poland Voivodeship
Land counties
Chodzież • Czarnków-Trzcianka • Gniezno • Gostyń • Grodzisk Wielkopolski • Jarocin • Kalisz • Kępno • Koło • Konin • Kościan • Krotoszyn • Leszno • Międzychód • Nowy Tomyśl • Oborniki • Ostrów Wielkopolski • Ostrzeszów • Piła • Pleszew • Poznań • Rawicz • Słupca • Śrem • Środa Wielkopolska • Szamotuły • Turek • Wągrowiec • Wolsztyn • Września • Złotów
Poznań County

Urban gminas: Luboń • Puszczykowo

Urban-rural gminas: Gmina Buk • Gmina Kórnik • Gmina Kostrzyn • Gmina Mosina • Gmina Murowana Goślina • Gmina Pobiedziska • Gmina Stęszew • Gmina Swarzędz  Rural gminas: Gmina Czerwonak • Gmina Dopiewo • Gmina Kleszczewo • Gmina Komorniki • Gmina Rokietnica • Gmina Suchy Las • Gmina Tarnowo Podgórne

Seat (not part of the county): Poznań

 POL powiat poznański COA.svg