Gorzów Wielkopolski (Polish pronunciation:[ˈɡɔʐuvvjɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲi]ⓘ), often abbreviated toGorzów Wlkp. or simplyGorzów (formerlyLandsberg an der Warthe), is a city inwestern Poland, located on theWarta River.[2] It is one of the two principal cities and seats of theLubusz Voivodeship, with a population of 114,567 as of 30 June 2024[update].[1]
The city has a history dating back to the13th century and serves as a cultural, economic, and industrial hub in the region. Gorzów Wielkopolski is home to several historical landmarks, green spaces, and educational institutions, and is known for its strong tradition inspeedway racing.
Around Gorzów, there are two large forest areas: Gorzów Woods to the north, where theBarlinek-Gorzów Landscape Park is situated, and Noteć Woods to the southeast. The biggest oil fields in Poland are located near Gorzów.
The pre-1945 German nameLandsberg an der Warthe, dating back to 1257, derived from the German wordsland or 'state' andberg or 'mountain' combined withWarthe – the German name for the riverWarta.
The Polish name Gorzów, written as Gorzew, is known from Polish maps and historical books dating back to the 19th century or perhaps earlier.[3] The name appeared in a compendium calledAncient Poland according to its history, geography and statistics published in 1848 by Samuel Orgelbrand inWarsaw. Ten years earlier, in 1838, the same name Gorzew was used in a book published inParis with a corresponding yet broader title encompassing all of Poland.[4]
The current spelling of "Gorzów" appears on the map featuring "Królestwo Polskie" published inLwów in 1900 with "Landsberg an der Warthe" in parentheses next to "Gorzów". The name is interpreted in several different ways according to rules of the Old Polish language, originating from "gorzenie" (fire, burning) or gora- gorze (mountain - of from the mountain) or "pogorzelcy" (survivors of a fire), or alternatively "gorzelnia" (distillery) or "gorzałka" (spirits).
The place originated as a craftsmen settlement during the medieval period of the Polish royal dynasty of Piast.
In Polish, it was the name 'Gorzów' which eventually stuck, beating the alternative postwar name "Kobylagóra", or 'Mare Mountain', which survives today as the name of a street in the city. Added later was the wordWielkopolski, meaning "Greater Polish", after thevoivodeship of that name of which Gorzów was a part from 1946 to 1950. The area of today's Gorzów was part of the historical region ofGreater Poland until the mid-13th century.
During the reign of the first Polish monarchs of thePiast dynasty there was a craft and trade settlement[5] and until the mid-13th century, the land where the river Kłodawka meets the Warta was the location of a defensive fort established by thePolishPiast dynasty.[6] In 1249 theSilesian DukeBolesław II Rogatka had soldLubusz Land in the west to theAscanian Margraves ofBrandenburg, and the city ofLandisberch Nova (named afterAltlandsberg) was founded on the site in 1257. The city was at that time an eastern outpost of the newly establishedNeumark region of Brandenburg, close to theGreater Polish fortress ofSantok. After a war broke out over control of the region in 1319, the town came under control of theDuchy of Pomerania, but by 1325 it fell to Brandenburg again.[7] In 1325 Polish, in 1432Hussite troops beleaguered the city. In 1373 the city became part of theLands of the Bohemian Crown (orCzech Lands), ruled by theLuxembourg dynasty. In 1402, the Luxembourgs reached an agreement withPoland inKraków. Poland was to buy and re-incorporate Gorzów and the surrounding region,[8] but eventually the Luxembourgs sold the city to theTeutonic Order. In 1454, after theThirteen Years’ War broke out, the Teutonic Knights sold the city to Brandenburg in order to raise funds for war against Poland. In the 16th century, the city becameLutheran, withSt. Mary's Cathedral changing its allegiance in 1537.
In early 1945 duringWorld War II the town was heavily damaged following the retreat of theWehrmacht ahead of theSovietRed Army. The Red Army arrived in the city on 30 January 1945, approaching from the left bank of the river Warta. The Wehrmacht had already evacuated most of the city, and the advancing forces met very little resistance. Over the next few days, most of the city centre was destroyed, reportedly through the accidental spread of a fire started in order to light the westward march of the Red Army.[citation needed]
The city became part of Poland in accordance with border changes promulgated at the postwarPotsdam Conference, supposedly pending a final peace conference with Germany. Since a peace conference never took place, the town was effectively ceded to Poland. German residents who had not fled or died in the war wereexpelled in accordance to thePotsdam Agreement, and the city was gradually repopulated with Polish settlers from central Poland and those expelled fromPolish territory that became part of the Soviet Union in accordance with border changes promulgated at the postwarPotsdam Conference.[11] The last German inhabitants were forced to leave the city in the early 1950s. It was at this time that Gorzów's now sizableTatar andRomani communities arrived in the town. Not having had an agreed Polish name, the town was initiallyrenamed as "Kobylagóra" on 30 May 1945, later as "Gorzów nad Wartą" on 7 July 1945 and finally "Gorzów Wielkopolski" on 5 November 1946.
Although the centre of Gorzów was heavily damaged during the Second World War, there are still many notable tourist attractions in the city. The largest of these is theGothic, red brickGorzów Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, dating from the end of the 13th century, situated on the old market square. The city centre is overwhelmingly occupied by Communist-era buildings, although many have been beautified, most notably those around the old market square. Many of the façades of the buildings in the centre were renovated in anticipation of the visit ofPope John Paul II to Gorzów in 1997. Due to the high number of parks and green spaces, Gorzów has been termed 'the city of parks and gardens'. In addition to the centralPark of Roses, there is also a viewing area on the hilltop ofSiemiradzki Park which commands impressive views across the plains and woods to the south of the city.
The city also contains the museum ofLubusz Voivodeship, which is divided between two sites. The Spichlerz or 'granary' dates from the 18th century and can be found on the left bank of theWarta. The museum, housed inside, frequently plays host to art exhibitions and has a permanent collection of artifacts and photographs relating to the history of the city. The other part of the museum, on Warszawska street, is housed in thesecessionist villa ofGustav Schroeder. This section contains a wide range of artifacts, ranging from portraits of the 17th century, to weapons, pottery, and theBiedermeier interior furnishings of the villa itself.
The Old Town was almost completely destroyed, but the New Town (19th century) has survived in good condition as a complex of hundreds of buildings and is in the Heritage Register. For the past few years, historical tenements have been successfully undergoing renovation.
Aerial view of the city centre
TheJewish cemetery of Gorzów is on the western edge of the city. The cemetery was vandalised in the 1930s, but some of the graves remain intact to this day.
In recent years Gorzów Wielkopolski has been known for former Prime MinisterKazimierz Marcinkiewicz, who was born and worked here. After stepping down as the PM he was appointed as acting mayor ofWarsaw and then as a counsel to a chairman ofPKO BP bank. In 2007 he became one of the directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He now[when?] works forGoldman Sachs.
Gorzów is an economic centre of the region with almost 18,000 registered businesses as of 2008, while the unemployment rate was 7.6% as of December 2009. The city of Gorzów is a laureate of the "'Fair Play Commune [pl]' — Certified Investment Location" competition in the "Large Cities" category. The city has a good shopping and services infrastructure. There are numerous petrol stations, branches of all major banks and insurance companies as well as car dealers.
Major shopping malls in the city are Nova Park, Galeria Askana, Panorama, Park 111, there is oneTescohypermarket and many discount and department stores and retailers.
Landsberg an der Warthe before World War II was a very well-developed and industrialized city. The most notable entrepreneurs included industrialists Max Bahr and Herman Paucksch. After World War II, the city suffered from heavy losses, especially in machinery which was confiscated by the Soviets.
In the postwar time, Gorzów saw a fast economic development, and new industries were founded likeStilon (chemical fibres),Silwana (fabrics), andUrsus (tractors) who remained major employers up to the mid-1990s. AfterLeszek Balcerowicz's free-market reforms former state-owned companies either went bankrupt or had severe financial problems that resulted in radical employment and production reduction. In the 1990s and 2000s the city saw a new economic age. While public giants were collapsing new private companies were established. Currently, the biggest employer in the city isSumitomo Electric Bordnetze Sp. z o.o. (previously Volkswagen Elektro-Systemy Sp. z o.o.), car wiring systems. The then-German company established in Gorzów in 1993 (taken over by JapaneseSumitomo Electric in 2006), it operates in the Stilon industrial estate. Gorzów Heat and Power Plant (Elektrociepłownia Gorzów) is a modern company with over 300 staff and it holds an award of Fair Play Company. One of the most distinguished employers is Biowet Vetoquinol which has over 100 years of experience in veterinary medicines and chemistry. manufacturing. Gorzów is the Polish headquarters of Spartherm Feuerungstechnik GmbH.
The recent economic development of the city was boosted by the creation ofKostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone and its Subzone Gorzów. At present, there are two significant employers in the Subzone: Faurecia, TPV Displays, and many other smaller companies operating there.
Gorzów has a good public transport network. City Transport Company (MZK) which is in charge of transport services runs 27 daily bus lines, fournight lines, and fourtram lines. In the summer season, there are services to nearby lakes. MZK services carry about 90,000 people every day. The company owns one of the most modern bus fleets in Poland.
Since 2026, residents will be able to use the city's local transport free of charge.[26]
There are railway connections with major Polish cities, mostly with interchange in Krzyż orKostrzyn. There are plans to start fast through trains toPoznań,Szczecin,Wrocław andBerlin. The Gorzów main station was renovated in 2009 and 2010, and it offersbed and breakfast, restaurant and retail services.
Gorzów is well known for theInternationalRomani GatheringRomane Dyvesa which is held every summer in the first week of July. The gathering includes a series of concerts held in the outdooramphitheatre near the centre of the city. The festival is organised byEdward Dębicki, the founder of the Romani music groupTerno, which also performs as part of the series of concerts.
Romane Dyvesa continues Gorzów's strong tradition of Romani culture, of which the most widely known member was the poetBronisława Wajs, often known asPapusza. Wajs's former home on Kosynierów Gdyńskich Street is marked with a plaque, as is the main city library on Sikorskiego Street. The library itself holds a collection of books about Papusza, as well as the manuscripts of her correspondence withJulian Tuwim. In Poland, the city is known for itsJazz Club Pod Filarami which every autumn organizesGorzów Jazz Celebrations a festival which hosts internationally recognized musicians from Poland and around the world.
The city is predominantly Roman-Catholic, with an Eastern Orthodox church, an Old Catholic (Polish Catholic) congregation and a number of Protestant (Baptist, Pentecostal/neo-Pentecostal, Lutheran) as well as the (Restorationist, non-mainstream Protestant)Jehovah's Witnesses congregations present there. It is home to the house general of theCongregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus. Its first monastery is in nearbyMyślibórz.[27]
Gorzów Cathedral
Immaculate Conception Church
Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary
There are several hotels including railway station bed and breakfast.
The city offers leisure facilities. Sports and Rehabilitation Centre "Słowianka" offers a 50 m Olympic pool, aqua park facilities, saunas, gym, massage and spa. Gracja hotel offers a 25 m pool. There are a few gyms and sports hall in the city. New rowing centre at the Warta river has been completed in 2009. Speedway stadium is undergoing major extension works this year.
Gorzów embankment, which is undergoing major renovation in 2011, is a new nightlife centre. There are many restaurants and pubs around the embankment and others are coming soon[when?].
Gorzów is famous in Poland for its great clubs and fine athletes. There are two Olympic champions from Gorzów:Tomasz Kucharski andMichał Jeliński, both in rowing. It is a home for many world champions and Olympic medalists. A historical sport is also volleyball. GTPS holds to a great tradition and has had many outstanding players with the best ever,Sebastian Świderski, born in Gorzów Wielkopolski.
Gorzów Wielkopolski is a national powerhouse inwater polo for decades. International events are regularly held at the Slowianka Sports Centre with a modern Olympic-size pool.
^ab"Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved20 February 2025. Data for territorial unit 0861000.
^"Główny Urząd Statystyczny" [Central Statistical Office] (in Polish). To search: Select "Miejscowości (SIMC)" tab, select "fragment (min. 3 znaki)" (minimum 3 characters), enter town name in the field below, click "WYSZUKAJ" (Search).
^Rymar, Edward (1979). "Rywalizacja o ziemię lubuską i kasztelanię międzyrzecką w latach 1319–1326, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem stosunków pomorsko-śląskich".Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka (in Polish). No. 4. pp. 492, 494.ISSN0037-7511.
^Rogalski, Leon (1846).Dzieje Krzyżaków oraz ich stosunki z Polską, Litwą i Prussami, poprzedzone rysem dziejów wojen krzyżowych. Tom II (in Polish). Warszawa. pp. 59–60.
^Umiński, Janusz (1998). "Losy internowanych na Pomorzu żołnierzy powstania listopadowego".Jantarowe Szlaki (in Polish). Vol. 4, no. 250. p. 16.
^"Miesięczna suma opadu".Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020 (in Polish). Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Archived fromthe original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved2 February 2022.
^"Liczba dni z opadem >= 0,1 mm".Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020 (in Polish). Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved2 February 2022.
^"Średnia grubość pokrywy śnieżnej".Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020 (in Polish). Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved2 February 2022.
^"Średnia suma usłonecznienia (h)".Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020 (in Polish). Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved2 February 2022.
The list includes the 107 urban municipalities governed by acity mayor (prezydent miasta) instead of a town mayor (burmistrz) ·Cities with powiat rights are initalics · Voivodeship cities are inbold
