Świecie | |
|---|---|
 Market square (Rynek) with the Old Town Hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Świecie - najlepsze na świecie Świecie - the best in the world | |
  Świecie | |
| Coordinates:53°25′N18°26′E / 53.417°N 18.433°E /53.417; 18.433 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Kuyavian-Pomeranian |
| County | Świecie |
| Gmina | Świecie |
| First mentioned | 1198 |
| Town rights | 1338 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Krzysztof Kułakowski |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.87 km2 (4.58 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 86 m (282 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 24,841 |
| • Density | 2,093/km2 (5,420/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 86-100 to 86-105 |
| Area code | +48 52 |
| Car plates | CSW |
| Website | www |
Świecie (Polish:[ˈɕfjɛt͡ɕɛ]ⓘ;German:Schwetz) is atown in northern Poland with 24,841 inhabitants (2023), capital ofŚwiecie County in theKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.[1] It is located within the ethnocultural region ofKociewie in the historic region ofPomerania.
Founded in the Middle Ages, Świecie is a formerroyal town of Poland, which prospered as a trade center due to its location at the intersection of important trade routes. The town features heritage sites in a variety of styles, includingGothic,Renaissance,Baroque,Neo-Renaissance andNeo-Gothic, a preservedmarket square, and the region's sole Museum of Firefighting. Świecie is home to one of the oldest psychiatric hospitals in Poland.
Świecie is located on the west bank of riverVistula at the mouth of riverWda.
The name of the town comes from the Polish wordświecić, which means "to shine".[2]
A fishermen's village existed at the site of the present-day town in theEarly Middle Ages.[2] The area became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century. During the period of the fragmentation of Poland, Świecie became the residence of Pomeranian Duke Grzymisław. Grzymisław's duchy included part ofGdańsk Pomerania with prominent towns ofStarogard Gdański andLubiszewo, as well asSkarszewy.
TheTeutonic Orderconquered Gdańsk in 1309 and in 1310 bought the region inSoldin from theMargraves of Brandenburg, who claimed the region, which however legally formed part of Poland. By then, the settlement already had the status ofCivitas, just as Gdańsk andTczew did. Świecie was granted amunicipal form of government by the Teutonic Order, when it was still located on the high west bank of the Vistula. Probably because of destruction by fire, during the period 1338–1375 the town was relocated down into the valley at the Vistula. The town was briefly recaptured by the Poles after their victory in theBattle of Grunwald in 1410.
In 1454, in the beginning stages of theThirteen Years' War, it was captured by thePrussian Confederation, which opposed Teutonic rule, and upon the request of which KingCasimir IV Jagiellon re-incorporated the territory to theKingdom of Poland that same year.[3] The Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to the town, and recognized it as part of Poland in 1466.[4] It was a county seat androyal town of Poland, administratively located in thePomeranian Voivodeship in the province ofRoyal Prussia in theGreater Poland Province.[5] The town prospered due to its location at the intersection of theAmber Road and the trade route connectingWestern Pomerania withWarmia,Masuria andLithuania.[2] In the 17th century, Świecie suffered as a result of theSwedish invasion of Poland and an epidemic.[2]
In 1772, during theFirst Partition of Poland, the town was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia, and asSchwetz was integrated into the newly formedProvince of West Prussia. In 1871, it also became part ofGermany. The economic development was decisively improved by the connection to the railway network in 1888. In 1905, the town had a Protestant church, two Catholic churches and a synagogue.[6] In 1910, Schwetz had a population of 8,042, of which 4,206 (52.3%) wereGerman-speaking, 3,605 (44.8%) werePolish-speaking and 166 (2.1%) were bilingual in German and another language.[7]
AfterWorld War I and the restoration of independent Poland, Świecie was restored byGermany to Poland in 1920 according to theTreaty of Versailles and became part of thePomeranian Voivodeship of theSecond Polish Republic.[8] In 1920, Stanisław Kostka, a distinguished Polish activist who was active inGrudziądz and Świecie under Prussian rule, became the mayor of the town.[9] Stanisław Kostka built newflood embankments that protect Świecie from floods to this day, and under his administration the town developed economically and culturally.[9]
During theSecond World War,Nazi Germanyoccupied Świecie and annexed it on 8 October 1939, making it theseat of theKreis county of Schwetz. It was administered as part of theReichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. Prominent Poles were arrested using secretpolitically targeted hit list and murdered using theVolksdeutscher Selbstschutz paramilitaries.[10] Local Poles were murdered in large massacres in Świecie,Grupa andMniszek.[11]
People shot were finished off by blows delivered by shovels and the butts of assault rifles; they were buried in mass graves when still alive. Mothers were forced to place their children in the pits where they were shot together. Before executions women and girls were raped.(...) [The atrocities] evoked horror even in the Germans, including some soldiers. Terrified at what they saw in the town of Świecie two of them felt compelled to submit a report [to military authorities].[10]
The Germans also murdered the staff and 1,350 patients of the localpsychiatric hospital in large massacres in theSzpęgawski andLuszkówko forests.[2][12] Local Poles were also subjected toexpulsions.[13]
The town was captured by combined Polish and Soviet forces on February 10, 1945,[2] and restored to Poland, where it became part of theBydgoszcz Voivodeship formed in 1946 in thePeople's Republic of Poland. An internment camp was operation for Germans of the region, who could be selected for forced labor each morning by the Polish; many Germans died. The camp was dissolved in March, some Germans were sent to Germany, some were sent to theCentral Labour Camp in Potulice.[14]
The town grew rapidly with population reaching 13,500 by 1961. Sugar refinery was expanded, meat, cattle feed plants, and mills were built, including the paper factory launched in 1968, with 4,600 employees.[2] In 1988 Świecie was awarded with the Officer's Cross of theOrder of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest state orders.[15]
 Age pyramid of the female (left) and male (right) inhabitants of Świecie in 2014, according toCentral Statistical Office, Poland.[16] | Historical population
Above table is based on primary, potentially biased, sources.[17][18][19][20] |
There is a Museum of Firefighting (Muzeum Pożarnictwa) in Świecie.[21]
Translation from Polish: Rozstrzeliwanych dobijano łopatami, kolbami, a niekiedy zakopywano jeszcze żywych. Matki zmuszano do układania w wykopanych dołach swoich dzieci, a potem je same rozstrzeliwano. Przed rozstrzelaniem gwałcono dziewczęta i kobiety.
Seat:Świecie | ||
| Urban-rural gminas |  | |
| Rural gminas | ||
| Town and seat (town districts) | | |
|---|---|---|
| Villages | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
