Gostynin[ɡɔsˈtɨɲin]^ⓘ is a town in centralPoland with 19,414 inhabitants (2004).^[1] It is the capital ofGostynin County in theMasovian Voivodship.

Gostynin
Castle in Gostynin
Flag Coat of arms
Gostynin
Coordinates:52°25′N19°28′E / 52.417°N 19.467°E /52.417; 19.467
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	Gostynin
Gmina	Gostynin(urban gmina)
Established	13th century
Town rights	1382
Government
• Mayor	Agnieszka Korajczyk-Szyperska (PO)
Area
• Total	32.31 km2 (12.47 sq mi)
Population  (2006)
• Total	19,119
• Density	590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	09-500
Area code	+48 024
Car plates	WGS
Website	http://www.gostynin.pl/

Gostynin has a long and rich history, which dates back to the earlyMiddle Ages. In the 6th century, a Slavicgord existed north of contemporary town, on a hill located on the left bank of theSkrwa Lewa river, along a merchant trail. In the 12th century, the settlement found itself near the border between the provinces ofMazovia andKuyavia.

In c. 1240, Gostynin was expanded by DukeKonrad I of Masovia, and in the 1280s, DukeBoleslaw II and DukeKonrad II fought over control of the settlement. As a result, in 1286 it was burned by Konrad II. Quickly rebuilt, in 1300 Gostynin was besieged but not captured by forces ofWenceslaus II of Bohemia. In c. 1326, the gord was besieged byWładysław I the Elbow-high, who wanted to control the area ofPłock, which was a Bohemian fief.

By the early 14th century, Gostynin emerged as an important administrative center of Mazovia. In 1329, it became the seat of acastellan; first known castellan was a man named Pawel, mentioned in a 1345 document. In 1352,Siemowit III for the first time used the title “Duke of Gostynin”. It was probably during his reign that a defensive castle with a tower was built. At that time, a new settlement was established on the right bank of the Skrwa Lewa river, with amarket square and a new parish church of St. Martin. In 1382, DukeSiemowit IV granted town charter to Gostynin, and as a result, ancient gord, located on the left bank of the river declined. Siemowit IV expanded the castle, making it his favorite residence.Władysław II Jagiełło visited Gostynin twice (1414, 1419). Siemowit IV died here in 1426, and after his death, the complex was rebuilt, with a wooden chapel added to it in 1439.

After childless deaths of two last dukes of Płock (Siemowit VI) andWładysław II of Płock, in 1462 Gostynin’s residents welcomed KingCasimir IV Jagiellon, who confirmed all town’s privileges, and attached it to theKingdom of Poland. From 1462 until 1793, Gostynin was part ofRawa Voivodeship, in which it was the seat of both aLand, and acounty. Gostynin continued to prosper - in the period known as thePolish Golden Age, it had 265 houses, inn, mills and a brewery (as for 1564). In 1612, RussianTsarVasili IV died at the Gostynin castle, in which he had been kept with two brothers since 1611.

The period prosperity ended during theSwedish invasion of Poland (1655–1660), after which only 20 houses were left in the whole town. Gostynin never recovered: it was burned by Russians in 1772, duringBar Confederation, and in 1777, the number of houses was only 43. By 1797, Gostynin had 89 houses, three churches, inn, brewery, three mills, sawmill and a wooden town hall

In 1793, following thesecond partition of Poland, Gostynin was captured by Prussian army. The castle, which had for long time been neglected, was pulled down, and its archive was seized by the occupiers. In 1807–1815, Gostynin belonged to theDuchy of Warsaw; in 1809, most of the town burned in a great fire. In 1824, the government of Russian-controlledCongress Poland invited to Gostynin 124 German cloth makers, who came with their families. The town began the process of recovery: St. Martin church, town hall and inn were rebuilt, and ruins of the castle were turned into a Protestant church. On January 28, 1863, the sixth day of theJanuary Uprising, a Polish insurgent unit liberated a transport of Poles forcibly conscripted into the Russian army.^[2] During the uprising, a rebel unit of Emeryk Syrewicz operated in the area of Gostynin. In 1918, Poland regained independence and control of the town. The town had a significant Jewish minority, which in theSecond Polish Republic numbered some 2,000, out of total population of 12,000. In 1924-25, Gostynin received rail connection withPłock andKutno, thanks to a newly built line.

During the Germaninvasion of Poland, which startedWorld War II, theWehrmacht captured the town on 16 September 1939, and by late September, the town was directly annexed to theThird Reich. Its name was first changed intoGasten, and from June 1941 until the end of German occupation it was calledWalrode. In October–November 1939, the Germans carried out mass arrests of local prominentPoles, as part of theIntelligenzaktion and then massacred 22 prisoners in the nearby forest ofWola Łącka on 1 December 1939.^[3] Among the victims were local mayor Michał Jarmoliński, member of Polish parliament Andrzej Czapski, chiefs of the local police and fire department, local teachers and priests.^[3] In February 1940, the Germans carried out a massacre of 40 Poles in the nearby forest.^[3] From 1940 to 1944 the local Polish population was subjected toexpulsions. German authorities opened here aJewish ghetto, most of whose residents were murdered in theChełmno extermination camp. Germans retreated from Gostynin on 18 January 1945. As a result of the war 15% of the town was destroyed.

In 1946, a transit camp for Polish orphans repatriated from theSoviet Union was established in the town.^[4]

From 1975 to 1998, it was administratively located in thePłock Voivodship.

The officially protected distinctive traditional dish of the town and its surroundings is Gostynin fried mushrooms (grzyby smażone gostynińskie), as designated by theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland.^[5]

• Official website
• Jewish Community in Gostynin on Virtual Shtetl