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Poznań

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This article is about the city in Poland. For other uses, see Poznan (disambiguation).
Poznań
Old Square
Old Square
Flag of Poznań
Flag
Coat of arms of Poznań
Coat of arms
CountryPoland
VoivodeshipGreater Poland
Powiatcity county
GminaPoznań
Established8th century
City Rights1253
Government
 • MayorRyszard Grobelny
Area
 • City
261.3 km2 (100.9 sq mi)
Elevation
60 m (200 ft)
Population
 (2006)
 • City
567,882
 • Density2,197/km2 (5,690/sq mi)
 • Metro
943,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
60-001 to 61-890
Area code+48 61
Car PlatesPO
Websitewww.poznan.pl

Poznań ([ˈpɔznaɲ]ⓘ; also known by other names) is a city in west-central Poland with over 578,900 inhabitants (2002). Located by the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznań is Poland's fifth largest city and fourth biggest industrial centre. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Poznań's impressive cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave, King Mieszko II, Duke Casimir I the Restorer, Duke Przemysł I, and King Przemysł II.

Etymology

The name Poznań probably comes from a personal name Poznan (from the Polish participle poznan(y)) and would mean "Poznan's town." It is also possible the name comes directly from the verb poznać which means "to get to know" or "to recognize".

The earliest surviving references to the city were by Thietmar in his chronicles: episcopus Poznaniensis ("Bishop of Poznań", 970) and ab urbe Poznani ("by" or "from the city Poznań", 1005). Early spellings include Posna and Posnan.

The official city name in full is The Capital City of Poznań Template:Lang-pl. Poznań is known as Posen in German, and was officially known as Haupt- und Residenzstadt Posen ("Capital and Residence City of Poznań") between 20 August 1910, and 28 November 1918. The city has been known in Latin as Posnania and civitas Posnaniensis. Its Yiddish name is פּױזן, or Poyzn.

Geography

  • City area 261,3 km² (2002)
  • Geographical location:
  • 52°17'34''N - 52°30'27''N
  • 16°44'08''E - 17°04'28''E
  • Highest point: Mt. Morasko 157 m asl
  • Lowest point: Warta river valley: 60 m asl

Administrative division

File:Dzielnice Poznan.PNG
Local government districts of Poznań

The Poznań metropolitan area, consisting of the autonomous towns of Poznań, Ostrów, Ostrówek, Środka, Chwaliszewo, Łacina, was integrated into one city from 1793–1800. The rapidly growing city annexed the neighboring villages of Grunwald, Łazarz, Górczyn, Jeżyce, Wilda, Winogrady in 1900, Piątkowo and Rataje in later years. Today, Poznań is divided into five districts, which are further divided onto several dozens of neighborhoods. The districts are:

Culture

The annual Malta Theater festival is probably the most characteristic cultural event of the city. There are also Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and Classical Music Festival (annual).

History

Main article: History of Poznań
Goats on the town hall

Mieszko I, the first known duke of the Polans, built one of his castles in Poznań. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest Polish cathedral, founded in Poznań during the latter half of the 10th century. The city would become the capital of Greater Poland. Mieszko I's son, Boleslaus the Brave, was crowned king in 1025 and the Kingdom of Poland was formed. Greater Poland became the 'cradle of the Polish state', and both Mieszko I and Boleslaus I are buried in Poznań. Lubrański Academy, the second Polish university (not a "full" university, in fact, as science students had to go to Kraków) was established in 1519.

Poznań was the capital of the Greater Poland area when it came under the control of Prussia in 1793 and had its administrative area renamed to South Prussia. During the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, local Polish resistance fighters rebelled, thereby assisting the efforts of Napoleon while simultaneously driving out the occupying Prussian forces. The city became part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807 and was capital of the Poznań Department. Napoleon's defeat led to the Congress of Vienna, where the boundaries of Europe were redrawn by the victors. Greater Poland was returned to Prussia and became the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen. From the time of the Revolutions of 1848, Poznań was the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen. It became part of the German Empire during the unification of German states in 1871.

Shorty after Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919) occurred, leading to the creation of the Second Polish Republic, in which Poznań became the capital of Poznań Voivodeship. During World War II, Poland suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely repressed. Since the war's end, Poznań has been the capital of the surrounding area through administrative district boundary changes in 1957, 1975, and 1999; Poznań currently administrates Greater Poland Voivodeship, one of 16 provinces in the country.

Anti-communist protests in 1956 played a significant role in liberalising the post-war communist regime.

Further information: [[:History of Poland]]

Historical population

File:Herb poznania stary.jpg
Mediaeval seal of Poznań (1344)

Detailed demographic tables: Historical population of Poznań Historical population summary:

  • 1600 : about 20,000 inhabitants
  • 1732 : 4000 inhabitants
  • 1793 : 15,000 inhabitants before
  • 1918 : 156,091 inhabitants (from government data)
  • 1939 : 274,155 inhabitants
  • 1946 : 268,000 inhabitants
  • 2000 : 572,900 inhabitants
  • May 2002: 578,900 inhabitants

2020 population Forecast:

  • Poznań City 584,500 (small increase)
  • Poznań County 305,500 (significant increase)
  • Poznań Metro Area 890,000

Notable residents

Poznań from north ca. 1617 from Frans Hohenberg and Georg Braun Civitates Orbis Terrarum. Theatri praecipuarum totius mundi urbium liber sextus., Köln 1618. tome IV
Modern view on poznań old town, from southern side
Poznań's town hall today
Royal Castle in Poznań
Ostrów Tumski: Cathedral (on right) and Church of Our Lady

Education

Collegiate parish church
Main article: Education in Poznań

Poznań is home to a few state-owned universities and a number of smaller, mostly private-run colleges and institutions of higher education. Adam Mickiewicz University (abbreviated UAM) is one of the most influential and biggest universities in Poland.

Scientific and regional organizations

Economy

Poznań has been an important center of trade since the Middle Ages. Starting in the 19th century, local heavy industry began to grow. Several major factories were built, including the steel mill and railway factory of Hipolit Cegielski (see H. Cegielski - Poznań S.A.).

Today Poznań is one of the major centers of trade with Germany. Many Western European companies started their Polish branches in Poznań, or in the nearby localities of Tarnowo Podgórne and Swarzędz.

It is the site of annual Poznań International Fair.

For a list of major Poznań-based corporations see Major corporations in Poznań

Sports

Municipal stadium

Politics

Municipal politics

Imperial Castle
Combino tram in Poznań
Poznań-Ławica Airport

Since the end of the communist era in 1989, Poznań municipality and metro area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially transportation and improved public administration. This has resulted in a massive investment from foreign companies in Poznań itself, as well as in communities west and south of Poznań (namely, Kórnik and Tarnowo Podgórne).

Most foreign investors are German and Dutch companies (see "Major corporations" above), with a few others. Investors are mostly from the food processing, furniture, automotive and transport & logistics industries. Foreign companies are primarily attracted by low labour costs, but also by the relatively good road and railway networks in the vicinity, good vocational skills of workers (heritage of the communist era) and relatively liberal employment laws. As compared with Germany, there are far fewer restrictions, e.g. on shop opening hours.

Worth noticing is also the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less annoying "red tape" than elsewhere in Poland.

Investment into transportation was mostly in the public transport area. While the number of cars since 1989 has at least doubled, the policy of improving public transport gave good effects. Limiting car access to the city center, building new tram lines (inc. Poznański Szybki Tramwaj) and investing in new rolling stock (such as modern Combino trams by Siemens and Solaris low-floor buses) actually increased ridership. This is a notable success, even considering that Polish society possesses about half of "old EU" purchasing power and thus not everybody can own a car.

Future investments into transportation include the construction of a "third ring road" around the city, and the completion of A2 (E30) highway towards Berlin. In the public transport area (and non-car transportation), further investment must be made into the development bicycle paths (and the linking of presently existing ones), and an attempt is presently made of developing Karlsruhe-style light rail system for commuters. All that is made more complicated (and more expensive) by the heavy neglect of transportation throughout communist era.

See also: Tramways in Poznań

Constituency

Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from Poznań constituency:

Members of European Parliament elected from Poznań constituency:

Twin towns

Poznań is twinned with[1]:

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://www.poznan.pl/mim/public/publikacje/pages.html?co=list&id=19&ch=20&instance=1017&lang=pl

Bibliography

  • collective work, Poznań. Dzieje, ludzie kultura, Poznań 1953
  • Robert Alvis, Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse 2005
  • K. Malinowski (red.), Dziesięć wieków Poznania, t.1, Dzieje społeczno-gospodarcze, Poznań 1956
  • collective work, Poznań, Poznań 1958
  • collective work, Poznań. Zarys historii, Poznań 1963
  • Cz. Łuczak, Życie społeczno-gospodarcze w Poznaniu 1815-1918, Poznań 1965
  • J. Topolski (red.), Poznań. Zarys dziejów, Poznań 1973
  • Zygmunt Boras, Książęta Piastowscy Wielkopolski, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1983
  • Jerzy Topolskiego (red.), Dzieje Poznania,Wydawnictwo PWN, Warszawa - Poznań 1988
  • Alfred Kaniecki, Dzieje miasta wodą pisane, Wydawnictwo Aquarius, Poznań 1993
  • Witold Maisel (red.), Przywileje miasta Poznania XIII-XVIII wieku. Privilegia civitatis Posnaniensis saeculorum XIII-XVIII. Władze Miasta Poznania, Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Wydawnictwa Żródłowe Komisji Historycznej, Tom XXIV, Wydawnictwo PTPN, Poznań 1994
  • Wojciech Stankowski, Wielkopolska, Wydawnictwo WSiP, Warszawa 1999

See also

City guides

Economy

Science and education

History and culture

Sports

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poznań.


Template:Poland

52°24′N 16°55′E / 52.400°N 16.917°E / 52.400; 16.917

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