Grodzisk Wielkopolski | |
|---|---|
 Szeroka street in the town centre | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Grodzisk Wielkopolski | |
| Coordinates:52°14′N16°22′E / 52.233°N 16.367°E /52.233; 16.367 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Greater Poland |
| County | Grodzisk Wielkopolski |
| Gmina | Grodzisk Wielkopolski |
| First mentioned | 1257 |
| Town rights | 1303 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Piotr Hojan |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.09 km2 (6.98 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
• Total | 13,703 |
| • Density | 757.5/km2 (1,962/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 62-065 |
| Area code | +48 61 |
| Car plates | PGO |
| National roads |  |
| Voivodeship roads |  |
| Website | http://www.grodzisk.wlkp.pl |
Grodzisk Wielkopolski[ˈɡrɔd͡ʑizɡ‿vʲɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲi] is a town in westernPoland, inGreater Poland Voivodeship (Wielkopolskie), with a population of 13,703 (2006).[1] It is the seat ofGrodzisk Wielkopolski County, and also of the smaller administrative district calledGmina Grodzisk Wielkopolski. It is situated on theLetnica River. The suffix "Wielkopolski" distinguishes it from the town ofGrodzisk Mazowiecki in east-central Poland.
A town that developed from anearly medieval fortified stronghold, Grodzisk is a historic center forbrewing and meat production. It has become known as the place of origin of theGrodziskie beer style, and in modern times as the home of theDyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolskifootball club, which competed inEuropean competitions in the 2000s, achieving victories against much higher ranked and more acclaimed European clubs.
The settlement was first mentioned in 1257 by the name ofGrodisze in a document byPrzemysł I of Greater Poland. It was referred to as a village belonging to theCistercians.
The exact date when the town received its charter is unknown. Documents say that the town definitely had its town charter in 1303. It was aprivate town ofPolish noble families of Ostroróg andOpaliński,[2] administratively located in the Kościan County in thePoznań Voivodeship in theGreater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.[3]
The firstJews settled in the town at the beginning of the 16th century. The first document to back this up was in 1505, mentioning the JewAbraham of Grodzisk InYiddish andHebrew, the town is known as גרידץ (Gritz or Gritza)
Stanisław Ostroróg as aLutheran in 1563 gave the local church to Protestants and he also founded a new school in the town.[2] Grodzisk became an important printing center for the PolishReformation, however in 1594 Jan Ostroróg as a supporter ofCatholicism reintroduced Catholicism in the town.[2]
In 1593, the census for Grodzisk Wielkopolski said that the population was approximately 1,160. The town charter was renewed with the inclusion of a new town about 150 metres from the old town. In 1601, the first privileges for the brewery were awarded. The town quickly became important for the production of beer (Grodziskie style). At the end of the 18th century, there were 53 breweries in the town. Also, traditions of meat production in the local butchers' guild date back to the 17th century,[4] and today Grodzisk is known for its variety of traditional meat products (seeCuisine below). In 1626, the mayor of the city changed to the Opaliński family. They remained as mayors until 1775.
In 1793, the town was annexed byPrussia in theSecond Partition of Poland. Grodzisk was an important insurgent center during the PolishKościuszko Uprising in 1794.[2] After the successfulGreater Poland uprising of 1806, it was regained by Poles and included within the short-livedDuchy of Warsaw, and in 1815 it was reannexed by Prussia, under the Germanized nameGrätz. In theGreater Poland uprising (1848) during theRevolutions of 1848 a battle was fought between the Polish insurgents and Prussian troops in the present-day district of Doktorowo.[2] From 1887 to 1918, it was the seat ofKreis Grätz.
In November 1918, afterWorld War I, Poland regained independence, and in December local Poles formed armed units in attempt to rejoin Poland.[2] Poles took control of the town without fighting, however volunteers from Grodzisk participated in theGreater Poland uprising in other places, as well as in thePolish–Soviet War.[2] The town was confirmed as part of Poland in the 1919Treaty of Versailles, and was until 1932 the seat of a county orpowiat.
DuringWorld War II, the town was underGerman occupation. InMłyniewo, a nearby village, a transit camp was formed for onward transport toNazi concentration camps, initially for Jews and later for Poles andFrench, Serbian, English and Sovietprisoners of war.[2] Poles were also subjected toexpulsions, the first of which was carried out in November 1939,[5] nevertheless, thePolish resistance movement was active in the town.[2] Poles from Grodzisk were among the victims of massacres perpetrated during the genocidalIntelligenzaktion campaign atRydzyna in November 1939.[6] Several Poles from Grodzisk, including policemen, doctors, and a co-founder of the localDyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski football club, were murdered by the Russians in the largeKatyn massacre in April–May 1940.[7] The Germans operated a Nazi prison in the town,[8] and a subcamp of theStalag XXI-Cprisoner-of-war camp, which in June 1941 was converted into the Stalag XXI-E POW camp for British, Polish and Serbian POWs, and into the Oflag XXI-C POW camp forAllied officers in March 1942.[9] Heliodor Jankiewicz, commander of the local unit of theNarodowa Organizacja Bojowa organization, was arrested by the Germans in September 1941, and then sentenced to death and executed the following year.[10] On January 27, 1945, the city was taken by theRed Army, and afterwards restored to Poland.
AfterWorld War II, beer production declined and was discontinued in 1993. In 1999, Grodzisk again became a powiat seat when the powiats were reintroduced in thePolish administrative reforms.
A historical museum calledMuzeum Ziemi Grodziskiej is located in the town.
TheGrodziskie style of beer originated in the town. Grodzisk is also known for itsmineral water and traditional meat products. A commemorative pump stands in the central market square in front of thetown hall.
The officially protectedtraditional foods originating from Grodzisk Wielkopolski (as designated by theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland) are various meat products, includingkiełbasa grodziska, a local type ofkiełbasa,[11]salceson ozorowy grodziski, a local type ofsalceson,[4]bułczanka grodziska, a local type ofbułczanka (lunch meat made ofpork,wheat roll and spices),[12] andpasztetowa grodziska, a local type of porkpasztetowa (Polishliverwurst).[13]
The localfootball team isNasza Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski. It plays in the lower leagues, but continues the traditions ofDyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski which in the 1990s and 2000s competed in theEkstraklasa, the country's top flight, finishing 2nd in2003 and2005, and also the winner of the 2007Polish Cup.
Their stadium hosts many professional teams during the summer and winter breaks, and temporarily is the home ofWarta Poznań whilst their stadium is being modernised.
Grodzisk Wielkopolski istwinned with:
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