Osowiec-Twierdza | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Osowiec Fortress monument | |
  Osowiec-Twierdza | |
| Coordinates:53°28′25″N22°39′26″E / 53.47361°N 22.65722°E /53.47361; 22.65722 | |
| Country |  Poland |
| Voivodeship | Podlaskie |
| County | Mońki |
| Gmina | Goniądz |
| Population | |
• Total | 630 |
Osowiec-Twierdza[ɔˈsɔvjɛt͡s] is avillage in the administrative district ofGmina Goniądz, inMońki County,Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland.[1] It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) south ofGoniądz, 11 km (7 mi) north-west ofMońki, and 51 km (32 mi) north-west of the regional capitalBiałystok. Osowiec-Twierdza is home toBiebrza National Park.
Excavations have revealed settlements in Osowiec from prehistoric times. Okrasa existed as a village since before AD 1444. From 1743 to 1827, Osowiec (as Marcinpol) was a city. In the nineteenth century, a railway line was built fromBiałystok toEłk,Königsberg, and passing through Osowiec. From 1882 to 1892, theRussian army built a regional military defense strategy.
Further work built fortifications at the outbreak ofWorld War I. From 1914 to 6 August 1915, the German 8th Army futilely struggled to break the defensive belt represented byOsowiec Fortress, which successfully defended the Russian troops. During the fighting, the German army used gas (chlorine), which killed about 2,000 of the Russian troops, after which they made a desperatelast stand counter-attack which had become known as theAttack of the Dead Men. Finally, due to an unfavorable strategic situation at the front, the Russian troops left the fort at the end of August 1915.
Today some parts of the fortress are accessible to tourists, especially within the boundaries ofBiebrza National Park. The visitor information center of the park is located in Osowiec-Twierdza,[2] a small settlement located within the boundaries of the fortress.
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