Borne Sulinowo (; ) is a town in north-western Poland, within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is a capital of a separate gmina (municipality). As of June 2021, the town has a population of 5,008; the surrounding commune is inhabited by an additional 4,772 people.

History

The territory became part of the emerging Polish state under its first ruler Mieszko I around 967. Following the fragmentation of Poland into smaller duchies, it formed part of the Duchy of Pomerania, and later it also passed under Brandenburgian and Swedish rule.

World War I and interbellum

During World War I, there was an outcamp of the Schneidemühl (Piła) German prisoner-of-war camp at Gross Born.

In 1933 the new German authorities bought all of the area and started the construction of a large military base, a training ground and various testing grounds there. The inhabitants were resettled During the later stages of World War II an artificial desert was built there for the units of Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps (the other such training ground was established in the Błędów Desert near Olkusz). At the same time the area became part of the so-called Pomeranian Wall, a line of almost 1000 concrete bunkers guarding the pre-war Polish-German border and eastern approaches to Berlin.

thumb|Military cemetery of Polish and Soviet soldiers fallen in World War II

In September 1939 in the military barracks a German POW camp was established for Polish soldiers, and later also for Russian, French and Yugoslav POWs-Stalag 302. Later it became an Oflag II-D. The Polish resistance organization Odra was active in the town and conducted espionage of German military activity. After January 22, 1945, the Pomeranian Rampart lines of defences around Gross-Born were manned by local artillery school NCOs and local fighting for the area started. Actual engagements with the Polish Army and the Red Army started in early February and lasted for more than a month. The town however was located behind the lines and survived the war almost undamaged.

Soviet military base

After the war, the area of two military bases and the town itself was taken over by the Red Army. There the Soviet military established one of the biggest military camps of the Northern Group of Forces. The town was excluded from Polish jurisdiction and erased from all maps, even though officially part of the People's Republic of Poland. In official documents of the surrounding communes, the area of Borne Sulinowo and the surrounding were called forest areas and remained a secret for almost 50 years.

Soviet withdrawal

Following the peaceful collapse of communism in Poland in 1989, an agreement was finally reached to withdraw the Soviet Army from Poland. The last of the large units, the 15,000 men strong 6th Guards Motor Rifle Division Vitebsk-Novgorod (later renamed the 166th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation) was withdrawn from Borne Sulinowo in October 1992. Poland regained full control of the town.

It was briefly controlled by the Polish Army, Poles from abroad also settled in the town, namely repatriates from Kazakhstan and Ukraine, who were finally allowed to return to Poland after more than 50 years of forcible resettlement in the Soviet Union, and Polish anti-communist dissidents returning from Western Europe.

International Gathering of Military Vehicles

thumb|International Gathering of Military Vehicles in 2014

Since 2004, Borne Sulinowo has hosted the International Gathering of Military Vehicles (). The event takes place over one weekend in August and has slowly grown into a general gathering of military enthusiasts and history buffs, with live concerts and cavalry shows for entertainment. The event offers attendees a chance to ride in a variety of vehicles, including tanks. Military surplus and historical items are sold in the bazaar. Many individuals choose to camp on-premises for the duration, and a large number wear military uniforms from different countries and time periods, World War II being the most popular.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Borne Sulinowo is twinned with:

Pszczyna, Ralsko, Krien

<gallery widths=180>

File:Borne Sulinowo - Szpital Miejski - 2015-11-05 12-26-27.jpg|Municipal hospital

File:Borne Sulinowo - Poczta Polska - 2015-11-05 15-03-26.jpg|Post office

File:Borne Sulinowo - Nadleśnictwo - 2015-11-05 14-49-41.jpg|Forestry

File:Borne Sulinowo - Klasztor sióstr karmelitanek - 2015-11-05 15-57-42.jpg|Carmelite nuns monastery

</gallery>

See also

  • Oflag II-D
  • History of Poland (1945-1989)

References

  • Official Website
  • Gallery of pictures

<!-- dead link Photo gallery -->

  • The Bank of the Camp IID Gross Born
  • <!-- dead link International Gathering Of Military Vehicles (English page) -->

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