Poznań

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This article is about the city in Poland. For other uses, see Poznan (disambiguation).

Poznań
(Flag)	(Coat of arms)
Basic Information
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Greater Poland
Powiat (County)	Rada miasta Poznania
Gmina (Commune)	Poznań
Urban Information
Population	578 900 (2002)
Founded	8th century
City rights	1253
Latitude Longitude	52°17'34'' N - 52°30'27'' N 16°44'08'' E - 17°04'28'' E
Gmina Poznań
Type of commune	urban commune (Gmina miejska)
Districts (No.)	5
Area	261,3 km²
Agglomeration	855 000[1]
Density	2215/km²
Area code	+48 61
Car plates	PO
Twin towns	Assen, Brno, Hannover, Jyväskylä, Kharkiv, Nablus, Nottinghamshire, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Rennes, Shenzhen, Toledo
Economy and Traffic
Economy	GDP 22,9 bln PLN[2]
Highway	E30
Airport	Poznań-Ławica Airport
Administration
Mayor	Ryszard Grobelny
Municipal Address	pl. Kolegiacki 17 61-841 Poznań
Watch gallery in Wikimedia Commons
Municipal Website

Poznań ([ˈpɔznaɲ] (help·info); full official name: The Capital City of Poznań, Polish: Stołeczne Miasto Poznań (Latin: Posnania, German: Posen, Yiddish: פּױזן Poyzn) is a city in west-central Poland with over 578,900 inhabitants (2002). Located by the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical center. Poznań's impressive cathedral is the earliest cathedral 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.

Today the city is a vibrant center for trade, industry, and education. Poznań is Poland's 5th largest city and 4th biggest industrial center. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Location 2 Name of the city 2.1 Administrative division 3 Culture 4 History 4.1 Historical population 4.2 Famous people 5 Education 6 Scientific and regional organizations 7 Economy 8 Sports 9 Politics 9.1 Municipal politics 9.2 Poznań constituency 10 Twin towns 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 See also 14 External links 14.1 Internet directories 14.2 City Guides 14.3 Economy 14.4 Science and education 14.5 Culture and history 14.6 Sports 14.7 Photographs

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

• City area 261,3 km² (2002)
• Geographical location:
• 52°17'34''N - 52°30'27''N
• 16°44'08''E - 17°04'28''E
• Highest point: Mt. Morasko 157 m asl
• Lowest point: Warta river valley: 60 m asl

[edit] Name of the city

It is also referred to in Polish as Stołeczne Miasto Poznań (name used on special occasions), in German as Posen (Haupt- und Residenzstadt Posen between 20 August 1910 and 28 November 1918), and in Latin as Posnania and civitas Posnaniensis.

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.

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

[edit] Administrative division

The Poznań metropolitan area, consisting of the autonomous towns of Poznań, Ostrów, Ostrówek, Środka, Chwaliszewo, Łacina, was integrated into one city in 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:

• Stare Miasto
• Nowe Miasto
• Jeżyce
• Grunwald
• Wilda

[edit] 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).

[edit] History

Main article: History of Poznań, see also: History of Poland

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 Poznań. From the time of the Revolutions in the mid 1800s, it was an official Prussian province and became part of the German Empire after the unification of German states in 1871.

Shorty after Germany's defeat in World War I, the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919) occurred, leading to the creation of the Second Polish Republic, where Poznań became the capital of Poznań Voivodeship. During World War II, Poland suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely repressed. Since the war's end, Poznań has become 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. The Poznań riots of 1956 played a significant role in liberalising the post war communist regime (read more).

[edit] Historical population

Detailed demographic tables: Historical population of Poznań Historical population summary:

• 1600 : about 20,000 inhabitants
• 1732 : 4000 inhabitants
• 1793 : 15,000 inhabitants before
• 1918 : 156,091 inhabitants (from government data)
• 1939 : 274,155 inhabitants
• 1946 : 268,000 inhabitants
• 2000 : 572,900 inhabitants
• May 2002: 578,900 inhabitants

2020 population Forecast:

• Poznań City 584,500 (small increase)
• Poznań County 305,500 (significant increase)
• Poznań Metro Area 890,000

[edit] Famous people

(in alphabetical order)

• Karl Franzewitsch Albrecht (1807-1863), composer
• Anna Anderson (c. 1900 - 1984), Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia pretender
• Isidor Ascheim (1891-1968), painter and printmaker
• Stanisław Barańczak (born 1946), poet
• Zygmunt Bauman (born 1925), sociologist
• Bernhard Baumeister (1828-1917), actor
• Józef Brzeziński, biologist
• Brigitte Burmeister (died 1940), novelist
• Heinrich Caro (1834-1910), chemist
• Hipolit Cegielski (1815-1868), businessman
• Dezydery Chłapowski (1788-1848), general
• August Cieszkowski (1814-1894), philosopher
• Antoni Czubiński (1928-2003), historian
• Franciszek Dobrowolski (1830-1896), theater director
• Tytus Działyński (1796-1861), political activist
• Małgorzata Dydek (born 1974), basketball player
• Akiva Eiger (1761-1837), Rabbi of Poznań (1815-1837)
• Jean Paul Ertel (1865-1933), composer
• Ewaryst Estkowski (1820-1856), teacher
• Jean Gebser (1905-1973), human consciousness scientist
• Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934), Field Marshal and President of the Weimar Republic
• Maksymilian Jackowski (1815-1905), activist
• John Jonston (1603-1675), naturalist and physician
• Stefan Jurga (born 1946), professor and rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (1996-2002)
• Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (born 1954), composer
• Richard Kandt (1867-1918), doctor and explorer
• Ernst Hartwig Kantorowicz (1895-1963), historian
• Marek Karpinski, computer scientist
• Günther von Kluge (1882-1944), Field Marshal
• Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969), jazz musician
• Leo Königsberger (1837-1921), mathematician
• Antoni Kraszewski (1797-1870), politician
• Max Kretzer (1854-1941), writer
• Antoni Krzyżanowski, 19th century architect
• Gerard Labuda (born 1916), historian
• Paul Leonhardt (1877-1934), chess master
• Karol Libelt (1807-1875), philosopher
• Włodzimierz Łęcki (born 1937), politician and writer
• Andrzej Maleszka (born 1955), theatre and movie director
• Karol Marcinkowski (1800-1848), physician and social activist
• Władysław Markiewicz (born 1920), sociologist
• Teofil Matecki (1810-1886), philosopher
• Heinrich Mendelssohn (1881-1959), building tycoon
• Maciej Mielżyński (1799-1870), politician
• Julius Moses (1868-1942), politician
• Małgorzata Musierowicz (born 1945), novelist
• Andrzej Niegolewski (1787-1857), colonel
• Władysław Niegolewski (1814-1880), politician
• Gustav Oelsner (1879-1956), architect
• Władysław Oleszczyński (1809-1866), sculptor
• Kazimierz Piwarski, (1903-1968), historian
• Lilli Palmer (1914-1986), actress
• Janusz Pałubicki (born 1948), politician
• Gustaw Potworowski (1800-1860), activist
• George Terrance Pozzleski (Born 1982), Video game professional, Public Speaker
• Edward Raczyński (1786-1845), politician
• Cyryl Ratajski (1875-1942), mayor of Poznań
• Antoni Radziwiłł (1775-1833), aristocrat
• Michał Sczaniecki (1910-1977), historian
• Józef Struś (1510-1568), scientist and mayor of Poznań
• Stefan Stuligrosz (born 1920), choral conductor
• Rafał Szukała (born 1971), butterfly swimmer
• Roman Szymański (1840-1908), political activist
• Mirosław Szymkowiak (born 1976) football player
• Lech Trzeciakowski (born 1931), historian
• Jan Węglarz (born 1947), computer scientist
• Zygmunt Wojciechowski, (1900-1955), historian and founder of the Western Institute
• Leon Wegner (1824-1873), economist
• Anna Wolff-Powęska, historian
• Tadeusz Zwiefka (born 1954), TV journalist
• Maciej Żurawski (born 1976), football player
• Sir Paul Edmund de Strzelecki (July 20, 1797 - October 6, 1873), Polish explorer and geologist

[edit] 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.

• Poznań University of Technology
• Poznań University of Medical Sciences
• Adam Mickiewicz University
• Agricultural University of Poznań
• Poznań University of Economics
• Poznań University School of Physical Education
• Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań
• Academy of Music in Poznań

[edit] Scientific and regional organizations

• Western Institute
• Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences

[edit] 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.

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

[edit] Sports

• KKS Lech Poznań - men's football team (Polish Champion: 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992 , 1993 ; Polish Cup winner 1982, 1984, 1988 , 2004 ; Polish SuperCup winner 1990, 1992, 2004)
• Warta Poznań - men's football team (Polish Champion: 1929, 1947), (3rd league in season 2003/2004).
• AZS Poznań - women's basketball team playing in Torell Basket Liga: 2nd place in 2003/2004 season (formerly also called Danter AZS Poznań and Stary Browar AZS Poznań)
• AZS AWF Poznań - women's volleyball team playing in Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League: 8th place in 2003/2004 season.
• TPS Winogrady Poznań - men's football team
• Polonia Poznań - men's football team
• WKS Grunwald Poznań - sports club with sections in field hockey, shooting, wrestling, handball and tennis.
• KS Pocztowiec Poznań - men's field hockey team
• KTKFiT Błękitny Express Lech Poznań - men's field hockey team
• KS AZS AWF Poznań - men's field hockey team
• KS Energetyk - rhythmic gymnastics club
• MKS Dąbrówka - rhythmic gymnastics club, synchronized swimming
• SSW Malta Poznań - roller skating club

• Lake Malta in Poznań will host the World Rowing Championships in 2009 and has previously hosted some regattas in the Rowing World Cup.
• U-19 EURO CHAMP. in VI 2006 - [man's Football European Cup 19 year] - Open and Final.

[edit] Politics

[edit] Municipal politics

Since 1989 (the end of the communist era), Poznań municipality and metro area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially transportation and improved public 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).

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 networks in the vicinity, good vocational skills of workers (heritage of the communist era) and relatively liberal employment laws. As compared with Germany, there are far fewer restrictions, e.g. on shop opening hours.

Worth noticing is also the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less annoying "red tape" than elsewhere in Poland.

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 ridership. This is a notable success, even considering that Polish society possesses about half of "old EU" purchasing power and thus not everybody can 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.

[edit] Poznań constituency

Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from Poznań constituency:

• Arkady Fiedler jr,PO
• Waldy Dzikowski, PO
• Maria Pasło-Wiśniewska, PO
• Dariusz Lipiński, PO
• Michał Stuligrosz,PO
• Tomasz Górski, PiS
• Jan Filip Libicki, PiS
• Małgorzata Stryjska, PiS
• Jacek Tomczak, PiS
• Krystyna Łybacka, SLD

Members of European Parliament elected from Poznań constituency:

• Filip Kaczmarek, PO
• Marcin Libicki, PiS
• Jan Kułakowski, Unia Wolności
• Jan Masiel, Samoobrona
• Witold Tomczak, LPR
• Marek Siwiec, SLD

[edit] Twin towns

• Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• Assen, Netherlands (since 1992)
• Braşov, Romania (since 2003)
• Brno, Czech Republic (since 1966)
• Hannover, Germany (since 1979)
• Jyväskylä, Finland (since 1979)
• Kharkiv, Ukraine (since 1998)
• Nablus, Palestinian National Authority (since 1997)
• Nottinghamshire, UK (since 1994)
• Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain (since 1992)
• Rennes, France (since 1998)
• Shenzhen, People's Republic of China (since 1993)
• Toledo, USA (since 1991)

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• collective work, Poznań. Dzieje, ludzie kultura, Poznań 1953
• Robert Alvis, Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse 2005
• K. Malinowski (red.), Dziesięć wieków Poznania, t.1, Dzieje społeczno-gospodarcze, Poznań 1956
• collective work, Poznań, Poznań 1958
• collective work, Poznań. Zarys historii, Poznań 1963
• Cz. Łuczak, Życie społeczno-gospodarcze w Poznaniu 1815-1918, Poznań 1965
• J. Topolski (red.), Poznań. Zarys dziejów, Poznań 1973
• Zygmunt Boras, Książęta Piastowscy Wielkopolski, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1983
• Jerzy Topolskiego (red.), Dzieje Poznania,Wydawnictwo PWN, Warszawa - Poznań 1988
• Alfred Kaniecki, Dzieje miasta wodą pisane, Wydawnictwo Aquarius, Poznań 1993
• Witold Maisel (red.), Przywileje miasta Poznania XIII-XVIII wieku. Privilegia civitatis Posnaniensis saeculorum XIII-XVIII. Władze Miasta Poznania, Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Wydawnictwa Żródłowe Komisji Historycznej, Tom XXIV, Wydawnictwo PTPN, Poznań 1994
• Wojciech Stankowski, Wielkopolska, Wydawnictwo WSiP, Warszawa 1999

Poznań
Districts: Stare Miasto | Nowe Miasto | Jeżyce | Grunwald | Wilda Tourist attractions: St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral | Royal Castle | Lake Malta | Lake Rusałka

Greater Poland

Historical administrative divisions Duchy of Greater Poland (12th-13th centuries) • Poznań Voivodeship and Kalisz Voivodeship (until 1768) • Poznań Voivodeship, Kalisz Voivodeship, Gniezno Voivodeship, and Netze District (until 1793) • South Prussia (until 1806) • Poznań Department, Kalisz Department and Bydgoszcz Department (until 1815) • Grand Duchy of Poznań (until 1848) • Province of Posen (until 1918) • Poznań Voivodeship (until 1939) • Reichsgau Posen (1939) • Reichsgau Wartheland (until 1945) • Poznań Voivodeship (until 1975) • Poznań Voivodeship, Kalisz Voivodeship, Leszno Voivodeship, Konin Voivodeship and Piła Voivodeship (until 1998) • Greater Poland Voivodeship

[edit] See also

• History of Poland
• Royal coronations in Poznań cathedral
• Poznań Department (Polish: Departament Poznański): a unit of administrative division and local government in the Polish Duchy of Warsaw from 1806 to 1815.
• Bambrzy

[edit] External links

[edit] Internet directories

• ChefMoz Dining Guide Poznań - directory with reviews
• Poznań at the Open Directory Project (suggest site)

[edit] City Guides

• Poznań
• Poznań - Internet Guides
• Poznań Multimedia City Guide - Official Minicipality Site
• Poznań Life Travel Guide
• Interaktywny Poznań - city guide
• Hotel in Poznan
• Poznan4u - city guide
• ePoznan.net - local portal
• Poznań Inaczej - city guide
• Wirtualny Poznań - city guide
• Stare i Nowe widoki Poznania - historical and modern pictures
• Poznań City Guide
• Internet Guide to Poznań
• In Your Pocket (internet and print guides to Poznań)

[edit] Economy

• Poznań International Fair
• Stary Browar (Old Brewery) Centre of Business and Arts
• World Trade Center Poznań

[edit] Science and education

• Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Poznań University of Technology
• Poznań University of Economics
• Poznań University of Medical Sciences
• Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań
• University School of Physical Education
• August Cieszkowski Agricultural University in Poznań
• Poznań School of Banking

[edit] Culture and history

• The Poznańczyk Website; old pictures of the city, maps, etc.
• Royal Castle of Poznań reconstruction committee
• The Castle (Zamek) Centre of Culture
• Poligonal Fortress of Poznań 1815–1914 with Polish text and maps
• Ezoteryczny Poznań - musical city guide
• Poznań Archaeological Museum
• Poznań Location History of 1253 and City Map of 1618

[edit] Sports

• Lech Poznań football team (1st league)
• Warta Poznań football team (3rd league)
• Poznańskie Stowarzyszenie Żużlowe Milion Team (2nd league)

[edit] Photographs

• Polish Architecture Gallery

Voivodeships of Poland
Greater Poland | Kuyavia-Pomerania | Lesser Poland | Lower Silesia | Lublin | Lubusz | Łódź | Masovia | Opole | Podlachia | Pomerania | Silesia | Subcarpathia | Świętokrzyskie | Warmia and Masuria | West Pomerania
Principal cities: Warsaw | Łódź | Kraków | Wrocław | Poznań | Gdańsk | Szczecin | Bydgoszcz | Lublin | Katowice | Białystok | Częstochowa | Gdynia | Toruń | Olsztyn | Radom | Kielce | Rzeszów | Opole | Gorzów Wielkopolski

Coordinates: 52°24′N 16°55′E