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Santok | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Town Hall and watchtower | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Santok | |
| Coordinates:52°44′N15°25′E / 52.733°N 15.417°E /52.733; 15.417 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship |  Lubusz |
| County | Gorzów |
| Gmina | Santok |
Area | 168.3 km2 (65.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | 780 |
| • Density | 4.6/km2 (12/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal Code | 66-431 |
| Area Code | (+48) 95 |
| Vehicle registration | FGW |
| Voivodeship roads |  |
| Website | www |
Santok[ˈsantɔk] (German :Zantoch) is avillage inGorzów County,Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of thegmina (administrative district) calledGmina Santok.[1]
Santok is located at the confluence of theNoteć andWarta rivers, approximately 12 km (7 mi) east ofGorzów Wielkopolski.
Contemporary Santok is a large villagestreet, over 3 km (2 mi) long. The village is situated at the mouth ofNoteć toWarta, on a narrow terrace Pradolina Toruńsko-Eberswaldzka. From the south it is limited by theWarta andNoteć beds, and from the north by the high edge of the Gorzowska Plain.
On the left bank of theWarta, settlements have been preserved, which are now a small wooded hill among wet meadows. Originally, they were located in the fork ofWarta andNoteć, but during a catastrophic flood in 1751,Warta changed its channel, and decided to create a new one to the north of the settlement. Archaeological research confirmed the existence of 12 settlement layers in this area, dating from the8th to14th centuries.[2]
A first fortified settlement at the site was founded in the late 7th century. Santok is mentioned in the 12th century as "barbican and key" (Latin:clavem et terris custodiam) to thePolish kingdom at the border with theDuchy of Pomerania in theGesta principum Polonorum chronicle byGallus Anonymus.
Re-established byBolesław I the Brave in the days of the medievalPiast dynasty, Santok became an important border fortress ofGreater Poland and seat of acastellany. An attack by DukeBarnim I of Pomerania in 1251 was repelled. During the 13th century however, the strategically importanthill fort became the object of claims raised by theAscanian margraves ofBrandenburg, who intended to enlarge their territories in theNeumark region east of theOder river. Upon the marriage of MargraveConrad of Brandenburg-Stendal withConstance, daughter of the deceased DukePrzemysł I of Greater Poland, in 1260, Santok passed to the margraviate as part of her dowry. Once again reconquered by the Polish dukePrzemysł II, it finally was incorporated by Brandenburg upon his death in 1296.
The Polish kingCasimir III the Great temporarily recaptured Santok from 1365; still after his death in 1370, the title of acastellan was awarded by the Polish monarchs until the late 18th century. Within the BrandenburgNeumark region, the fortress lost its importance in favour of nearby Landsberg (Gorzów Wielkopolski). In 1402, an agreement was reached between Poland and the Luxembourgs, according to which Poland was to buy and re-incorporate Santok and the surrounding region,[3] but eventually the Luxembourgs sold it to theTeutonic Order. It was devastated byHussite troops in the course of thePolish–Teutonic War in 1433.
In the 18th century, Santok consisted of two ownership shares. One part belonged to the property complex ofFrederick Henry, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt and the remainder was owned by the Schöning noble family. During theSeven Years' War, Santok was plundered and destroyed by Russian troops in 1758.
From 1815, the town belonged to the district of Landsberg inRegierungsbezirk Frankfurt of theProvince of Brandenburg inPrussia and since 1871 alsoGermany. Towards the end ofWorld War II, it was occupied by theRed Army on 20 January 1945. Shortly thereafter, with the implementation of theOder-Neisse line, Santok became again part of Poland, as part of the extensiveterritorial changes of Poland after World War II. In the following years, theGerman population was expelled in accordance with thePotsdam Agreement.
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