Stargard Szczeciński
| Stargard Szczeciński | |||
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| Motto: Stargard - Klejnot Pomorza Stargard - Jewel of Pomerania |
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 Stargard Szczeciński
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| Coordinates: 53°20′N 15°2′E / 53.333°N 15.033°E | |||
| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship | West Pomeranian | ||
| County | Stargard | ||
| Gmina | Stargard Szczeciński (urban gmina) | ||
| Established | 12th century | ||
| Town rights | 1243 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Sławomir Pajor | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 48.1 km2 (18.6 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 20 m (70 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 70,534 | ||
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 73-100 to 73-110 |
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| Area code(s) | +48 91 | ||
| Car plates | ZST | ||
| Website | http://www.stargard.pl | ||
Stargard Szczeciński [ˈstarɡart ʂt͡ʂɛˈt͡ɕiɲskʲi] (
listen) (German: Stargard in Pommern; Kashubian: Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, with a population of 71,017 (2005). Situated on the Ina River it is the capital of Stargard County and since 1999 has been in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship; prior to that it was in the Szczecin Voivodeship (1975–1998). Before World War II the town was in Prussia, Germany. The city's name is of Pomeranian (Kashubian) origin and stands for old (stari) town/city (gard or gôrd). It's one of the biggest towns of Szczecin agglomeration. Stargard is a major railroad junction, where the southwards connection from Szczecin splits into two directions - one towards Poznań and the other towards Gdańsk. There is also another minor line to Pyrzyce from the town.
From January 1, 2016, the town will be simply known as Stargard. [1]
Contents
History[edit]
Stargard, which was first mentioned in around 1140, received Magdeburg city rights in 1243 from Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania. The name itself is a combination of two Slavic words: stari (old) and gard (town). In this connotation, the term gard is still being used by the only surviving Pomeranian language speakers, the Kashubs.
In 1363 the city joined the Hanseatic League and was then strongly fortified. During the 15th century the Pomeranian dukes chose it as their residence.
During the Thirty Years' War the city burnt down and in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia it was incorporated, together with the rest of Further Pomerania, into Brandenburg-Prussia. In 1701 Stargard became part of the Kingdom of Prussia and in 1818, after the Napoleonic Wars, Stargard became part of the new district Saatzig within the Province of Pomerania.
As a result of the unification of Germany in 1871 the city became part of the German Empire. On 1 April 1901 it became an independent city, separate from the Saatzig District.
During World War II the large prisoner-of-war camp Stalag II-D was located near Stargard. There were Kashubs and later thousands of Canadians captured at Dieppe imprisoned there, one of whom was Gerald MacIntosh Johnston, a Canadian actor, who was killed trying to escape.
In 1945 the city was placed under Polish administration, according to the postwar Potsdam Agreement, and since then has remained part of Poland. The German population was expelled and replaced by Poles, mainly from central Poland and the eastern Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union.
In 2004 a north-western part of the town was made into an industrial park - Stargardzki Park Przemysłowy.
On January 1, 2016, the town will be renamed Stargard. [2]
Landmarks and monuments[edit]
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "heavy bombing during World War II devastated many of its fine historical sites and destroyed 75 percent of the city; St. Mary’s Church (13th–15th century) and the 16th-century town hall have been rebuilt".[3] The newly restored buildings are on the European Route of Brick Gothic.
- St. Mary's Church (15th century) - one of the biggest brick churches in Europe;
- St. John's Church (15th century) with high tower (99 m);
- mediaeval fortifications - ramparts, walls, gates (Brama Młyńska "The Mill Gate" from 15th century) and towers (13th - 16th centuries) - i.e. Red Sea Tower (Polish: Baszta Morze Czerwone) from 1513;
- renaissance townhall from 15th - 16th centuries;
- gothic tenement-houses;
- granary (16th century);
- expiatory cross (1542);
- column of victory (1945).
Until 1998 southeast of Stargard Szczeciński, there was a facility for mediumwave broadcasting at 15°7'E and 53°18'N used for foreign broadcasting on 1503 kHz with 300 kW. The two antenna towers of the facility are meanwhile dismantled.
Sport[edit]
The town is home to Spojnia Stargard Szczeciński, a men's basketball team and Błękitni Stargard Szczeciński, formerly a multi-sports club, now a men's association football team, best known for reaching the Polish Cup semi-final in 2015.
Demographics[edit]
| Year | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| 1618 | 12,000 |
| 1640 | 1,200 |
| 1688 | 3,600 |
| 1720 | 400 |
| 1740 | 5,529 |
| 1782 | 5,612 |
| 1786 | 6,243 |
| 1794 | 5,971 |
| 1812 | 8,900 |
| 1816 | 8,042 |
| 1831 | 9,907 |
| 1843 | 11,192 |
| 1852 | 12,473 |
| 1861 | 14,168 |
| 1905 | 26,907 |
| 1913 | 28,000 |
| 1929 | 34,600 |
| 1933 | 35,773 |
| 1939 | 39,760 |
| 1945 | 2,870 |
| 1950 | 20,684 |
| 1960 | 33,650 |
| 1970 | 44,460 |
| 1980 | 59,227 |
| 1990 | 71,000 |
| 1995 | 72,254 |
Note that the above table is based on primary, possibly biased, sources.[4][5]
Notable residents[edit]
- Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke (1776–1830), Prussian general
- Carl Wilhelm Schmidt (died 1864), missionary
- Oscar Ludwig Levy (1867–1946), writer
- Max Levy (1869-1932), electro-engineer
- Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946), general
- Georg Joachimsthal (1863–1914), orthopedist
- Hasso von Wedel (1898–1961) Wehrmacht General
- Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (July 7, 1905 – February 25, 1982), West German Federal Minister of Justice 1956–1957
- Claus Biederstaedt (born 1928), actor
- Peter Karow (born 1940), entrepreneur
- Arkadiusz Bąk (born 1974), footballer
- Ewa Kasprzyk (born 1957), actress
- Dominika Pawłowska (born 1983), singer
- Mariusz Rogowski (born 1979), footballer
- Małgorzata Jamroży (born 1991), singer-songwriter
- Karolina Szarubka, singer
International relations[edit]
Twin towns — sister cities[edit]
Stargard Szczeciński is twinned with:
References[edit]
- Notes
- ^ https://www.premier.gov.pl/wydarzenia/decyzje-rzadu/rozporzadzenie-w-sprawie-ustalenia-granic-niektorych-miast-nadania.html
- ^ https://www.premier.gov.pl/wydarzenia/decyzje-rzadu/rozporzadzenie-w-sprawie-ustalenia-granic-niektorych-miast-nadania.html
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/563628/Stargard-Szczecinski
- ^ Kratz (1865), p. 370
- ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 6th edition, vol. 18, Leipzig and Vienna 1909, p. 857.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stargard Szczeciński. |
- Official Website - some materials available in English and German
- Archaeology and history museum
- Satellite photo via Google Maps
Coordinates: 53°20′N 15°03′E / 53.333°N 15.050°E
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