| Szczecinek | |||
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Szczecinek
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Poland | ||
| Voivodeship | West Pomeranian | ||
| County | Szczecinek County | ||
| Gmina | Szczecinek (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 1310 | ||
| City rights | 1310 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Jerzy Hardie-Douglas | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 48.63 km2 (18.8 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 40,211 | ||
| • Density | 826.9/km2 (2,141.6/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal codes | 78-400, 78-401, 78-402, 78-403, 78-404, 78-410 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 94 | ||
| Car plates | ZSZ | ||
| Website | http://www.szczecinek.pl | ||
Szczecinek [Polish pronunciation: [sz] ( listen)] (German: Neustettin; Kashubian: Nowé Sztetëno) is a city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland with some 39,777 inhabitants (2007). Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship (1950–1998), it has been the capital of Szczecinek County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999. It is an important railroad junction, located along the main Poznań - Kolobrzeg line, which crosses there with the less important lines to Chojnice, Słupsk and Runowo Pomorskie. Its population is more than 40 thousand inhabitants, as of January 2011. The city boundaries were expanded in 2009 to include Świątki and Trzesieka, a total area of 48.63 km2 (18.78 sq mi).
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Szczecinek lies in eastern part of West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It's located on border of Pojezierze Szczecineckie and Pojezierze Drawskie. Historically, it was included within Western Pomerania. In 2010, city boundaried with following villages located in Gmina Szczecinek: Gałowo, Marcelin, Godzimierz, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Turowo, Parsęcko, Buczek and Zółtnica.
In 1310, the castle and town was founded under Lübeck law by Duke Warcislaw IV of Pomerania-Wolgast and modelled after Szczecin (German: Stettin) which is situated about 150 km (93.21 mi) to the west. The initial name was "Neustettin" (Polish: Nowy Szczecin, German: Neustettin, Latin: Stetin Nova). It was also known as "Klein Stettin" (Polish: Mały Szczecin, German: Klein Stettin).
The town was fortified to face the Brandenburgers, with a wall and palisades. In 1356 Neustettin was hit by the plague. Thankful for their survival, the Dukes Bogislaw V, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V founded the Augustine monastery Marienthron, on the Mönchsberg on the southern bank of lake Streizigsee. Under Duke Wartislaw VII Neustettin was from 1376 to 1395 seat of his Duchy. Afterwards, it was ruled by pommeranian Duchy Rügenwalde (-1418), Wolgast (-1474) and Stettin (until 1618).
On 15 September 1423, the "great day of Neustettin", the Pomeranian dukes, the Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order and Nordic king Eric VII of Denmark met to discuss defense against the union of Brandenburg and Poland. In 1461 Neustettin was sacked, looted and burned by Polish troops and Tatars because King Casimir IV wanted to take revenge on Eric II of Pomerania-Wolgast who supported the Teutonic Knights.
At the end of the Thirty Years War Neustettin became part of Brandenburg, and in 1701 under the crown of Prussia. In 1945, the Red Army occupied the town and put it under Polish administration.
1940: 19,900 inhabitants (mostly Germans)
1945: 11,800 inhabitants (8,300 Poles and 3,500 Germans)
1950: 15,100 inhabitants (mostly Poles)
1960: 22,800 inhabitants
1970: 28,700 inhabitants
1975: 32,900 inhabitants
1980: 35,700 inhabitants
1990: 41,400 inhabitants
1995: 42,300 inhabitants
2000: 38,928 inhabitants
Szczecinek is twinned with:
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