Gniew | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Gniew | |
| Coordinates:53°50′10″N18°49′25″E / 53.83611°N 18.82361°E /53.83611; 18.82361 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Pomeranian |
| County | Tczew |
| Gmina | Gniew |
| Established | 13th century |
| Town rights | 1297 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Maciej Czarnecki[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 6,870 |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 83-140 |
| Area code | +48 58 |
| Car plates | GTC |
| National roads |  |
| Voivodeship roads |   |
| Website | http://www.gniew.pl |
Gniew (pronouncedGnef[ɡɲɛf];German:Mewe) is a historictown situated on the left bank of theVistula River, in thePomeranian Voivodeship, in northernPoland. It has 6,870 inhabitants (2016).
It is one of the oldest towns inEastern Pomerania, and is renowned for its medievalBrick GothicCastle, which has become one of the region's most recognizable monuments. The town also has other medieval Gothic monuments, and in early modern times it was a centre for the wine trade and the seat of localstarosts, most notablyJohn III Sobieski, who was elected King of Poland. Gniew is located in the ethnocultural region ofKociewie in the historic region ofPomerania.
The first recorded mentions of Gniew appear in written documents of the first half of the 13th century, which refer to the region asTerra Gymeu (Gmewan, Gimen, Gymen) in 1229,terra Mewe in 1250, and terra Gemewe in 1283,[2] terra Mewa.[3] The nameGniew is of native, Polish origin. The name Wansca (Wońsk) was also used. The German name ofMewe is a Germanized form of the Polish nameGmewe. The town's coat of arms is an example ofcanting, as it depicts a seagull (German:Möwe), which alludes to the town's Germanized name.
Beginning in the 10th century, the region belonged to Poland and was part ofGdańsk Pomerania. After the division of Poland byBolesław III Wrymouth, Gniew fell to thecastellany ofStarogard Gdański. The land later fell to the Dukes ofŚwiecie and in 1229 DukeSambor andŚwiętopełk II of Pomerania granted it to theCistercianabbey inOliwa. In the second half of the 13th century, Sambor retook Gniew from the Cistercians and in 1276 bestowed it on theTeutonic Knights. Their claim was formally recognized byMestwin II of Pomerania in 1282, and the city became the first stronghold of the Teutonic Order on the left riverside of the Vistula.A castle was built as a result of this important strategic location, and in 1297 the Teutonic Knights gave Gniewtown privileges. In 1306, the town returned to Poland, and several years later it was occupied by Teutonic Knights.
The town changed hands various times between 1410 and 1466. In 1440, it joined the anti-TeutonicPrussian Confederation, and upon its request it was re-incorporated to Poland by KingCasimir IV Jagiellon in 1454, which was confirmed in theSecond Peace of Toruń in 1466.[4] Administratively, it was part of thePomeranian Voivodeship in the Polish province ofRoyal Prussia, later also in theGreater Poland Province. Gniew was the seat of thestarosts (local district governors), they resided in the Gniew castle.[5] In 1454 Gniew was temporarily the first seat of the Polish voivodes of Pomerania. In 1626, during theSwedish-Polish War, a battle between thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth andSwedish forces wasfought in the area of Gniew, resulting in a (formal) victory for the army of KingGustavus Adolphus of Sweden, though the battle was unresolved.[6]
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In the second half of the 17th century, prior to becoming King of Poland,John III Sobieski served as thestarost of Gniew and built the "Marysieńka Palace" for his wife, QueenMarie Casimire.
Gniew was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia during thePartitions of Poland and became part of theGerman Empire in 1871. During theNapoleonic Wars, GeneralJan Henryk Dąbrowski spent four months in Gniew for medical treatment.[7] In November 1831, several Polish cavalry units of theNovember Uprising stopped near the town on the way to their internment places.[8] During the partition period, the population was subjected toGermanisation policies, however, Gniew was a strong Polish pro-independence centre. Polish organisations were established and operated here, demonstrations were held and volunteers were secretly recruited for theJanuary Uprising in theRussian Partition.[7] In 1906–1907, local Polish children joined the children school strikes against Germanisation that spread throughout the Prussian Partition of Poland.[9] With the defeat of Imperial Germany inWorld War I, Gniew became the capital of the short livedRepublic of Gniew[10] before becoming part of the restoredPoland according to theTreaty of Versailles. This date is celebrated in Gniew till today as the anniversary of liberation from Prussian oppression and the end of 148 years of attempts to eradicate its Polish past.[11]
After the First World War, the number of ethnic Germans in the town decreased.[12][13] During the first few months ofWorld War II and the Germanoccupation of Poland many of the Polish residents of Gniew and the surrounding area were killed by Germans in the nearbyForest of Szpęgawsk. Gniew castle was used byNazi Germany as a prison for the ethnically cleansed Polish population ofTczew and the surrounding area. In November 1939, the Germans carried out the firstexpulsions of some 600 Poles from Gniew.[14]
The most notable landmark of the town is theOrdensburg castle built by the Teutonic Order at the turn of the 14th century, which later served as the seat of the localstarosts, as well as Marysienka's Palace, built during the second half of the 17th century. The town also boasts a well preservedmedieval old town, with buildings dating from the 15th to 19th century and aGothic church dating to the 14th century.
The town is represented by the lower leaguefootball clubMewa Gniew who play at the GOSiR stadium. Local football teamsKeramzyt Szprudowo andPiast Piaseczno also share the ground.
Gniew lies on the route ofnational road 91 and is served byvoivodeship roads 234 and 518. Until the opening of the river crossing atOpalenie in 2013, areaction ferry connected Gniew toJanowo on road 510. Prior to WWI the town was connected by railway to Kwidzyn via a Train ferry.[15]Gniew railway station closed in 1992 and the town is no longer connected to the national network.[16][17]
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Gniew istwinned with:
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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