Czersk | |
|---|---|
 Kościuszki Street in Czersk | |
  Czersk | |
| Coordinates:53°47′34″N17°58′26″E / 53.79278°N 17.97389°E /53.79278; 17.97389 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Pomeranian |
| County | Chojnice |
| Gmina | Czersk |
| Established | 13th century |
| Town rights | 1386-1772, 1926 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Przemysław Biesek-Talewski |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.73 km2 (3.76 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2021[1]) | |
• Total | 9,844 |
| • Density | 1,010/km2 (2,620/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 89-650 |
| Area code | +48 52 |
| Vehicle registration | GCH |
| National roads |  |
| Voivodeship roads |  |
| Website | www.czersk.pl |
Czersk (Polish:[t͡ʂɛrsk]ⓘ;Kashubian:Czérskò; formerlyGerman:Czersk,(1942-5):Heiderode) is atown in northernPoland inChojnice County,Pomeranian Voivodeship.[2] As of December 2021, the town has a population of 9,844.[1]
The territory became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century under its first historic rulerMieszko I. In the 12th century, it was part of theRaciążcastellany. In the 13th century the local parishcommunity was established, including the nearby villages ofRytel,Łąg,Mokre,Malachin. It was occupied by theTeutonic Knights since 1309. At that time Czersk was a village with a mill, inn, bitumic trade and bees farms. Czersk was mentioned in a document from 1330. In 1454, KingCasimir IV Jagiellon reincorporated Czersk to the Kingdom of Poland, and then the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims in thepeace treaty of 1466.[3] 1584 marks the first and oldest known description of the Czersk church.
In theFirst Partition of Poland, in 1772, Czersk was annexed byPrussia. The population was subjected toGermanisation policies. In 1827, the firstcarriages are crossing Czersk via a carriage tract betweenBerlin andKönigsberg. One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful PolishNovember Uprising from partitioned Poland to theGreat Emigration led through the town.[4] Second lieutenant and then budding poetWincenty Pol, who led one of the columns, commemorated their stay in the town and the reception of the insurgents by local Poles with the poem "Nocleg w Czersku."[4] In 1873, the railroad between Berlin and Königsberg was opened, passing through Czersk; first major commercial economical development. In 1887, the history offurniture manufacturing in Czersk began, with the opening of the enterprise ofHerman Shütta – presently Czersk Furniture FactoryKlose. In 1906–1907, local children joined the children school strikes against Germanisation that spread throughout the Prussian Partition of Poland. In 1910–1913, theGothic Revival Saint Mary Magdalene church was built.
FollowingWorld War I, Poland regained independence and theGreater Poland uprising against Germany broke out, so the local population secretly organized to liberate Czersk from the Germans.[5] On January 6, 1919, the GermanGrenzschutz attacked Polish people walking to church, triggering a brawl in which the Poles battered their attackers.[5] Faced with threats of German retaliation, the Poles took control of Czersk, after which a battle for the settlement was fought.[5] After the clash, the Germans took control of Czersk and arrested prominent Poles, however, the Polish resistance continued its preparations to liberate Czersk.[5] On January 29, 1920, Polish troops led by GeneralJózef Haller entered Czersk, and it was reintegrated with Poland. On July 1, 1926, Czersk received itstown rights.
Czersk wasinvaded by Germany on September 3, 1939, the third day ofWorld War II.[6] During the subsequentGerman occupation, the Polish population of Czersk was subjected tovarious crimes and persecution. In 1939, dozens of Poles from Czersk, including theintelligentsia and political and administrative personnel, were arrested by the Germans and then massacred along with other Poles from the area in the Valley of Death nearChojnice[7] and in nearbyŁukowo.[6] ThePolish resistance movement was active and further executions of Poles, especially those aiding or participating in the resistance, were carried out in the following years.[6] In 1942, the Germans renamed the town toHeiderode in attempt to erase traces of Polish origin. In 1940 and 1942, the occupiers carried outexpulsions of Poles, who were deported either to theGeneral Government in the more-eastern part of German-occupied Poland or toforced labour in Germany.[8] Houses of expelled Poles were handed over toGerman colonists as part of theLebensraum policy.[8] On February 21, 1945, theRed Army captured Czersk. TheSoviets carried out deportations to forced labor camps in theUral Mountains and Soviet-occupiedLatvia, where some 150 residents of the town and its environs died between 1945 and 1956.[9] It was afterwards restored to Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until theFall of Communism in the 1980s.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 6,700 | — |
| 1931 | 7,757 | +15.8% |
| 1939 | 8,500 | +9.6% |
| 1950 | 6,293 | −26.0% |
| 1960 | 7,235 | +15.0% |
| 2010 | 9,673 | +33.7% |
| Source:[10][11][12] | ||
On May 27, 1990, the first post-war democratic elections were held with self-determination of Czersk community. Since 1990, modern infrastructure was systematically developed, including potable water system,sewer system andwastewater treatment plants (in Czersk andRytel), heating gas distribution, development of a modern road system, railroad modernisation. In 1994–2002, a new center of commerce was built around J.Ostrowski Street. On January 19, 2001, a new sports indoor arena was completed, named after R. Bruski.
The local industries include timber processing mills, brick factory, paper plant, weaving plant, furniture, metallurgy and factory of agricultural equipment, brewery, large trout farm, andfood processing. The craft and commerce are flourishing.
Czersk is located at the intersection ofNational road 22 andVoivodeship road 237, and there is arailway station in the town.
The localfootball club is Borowiak Czersk.[13] It competes in the lower leagues.
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