Goleniów (; ) is a town in Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 21,876 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the capital of Goleniów County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is situated in the centre of Goleniowska Forest on Goleniów Plain, near main roads numbers 3 and 6.

The international airport Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport is located just east of the town.

History

The settlement dates back to the 10th century. Pomerania became part of the emerging Polish state under its first ruler Mieszko I around 967. As a result of the 12th-century fragmentation of Poland it became part of the separate Duchy of Pomerania, ruled by the House of Griffin. Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania granted the settlement Magdeburg town rights and additional privileges in 1264, yet Goleniów was rechartered with Lübeck Law, which favoured the local merchants, in 1314. The town grew by exploiting the vast timber reserves in the town-owned forests, and by trade. Gollnow was part of the Prussian province of Pomerania from 1815 to 1945. With the unification of Germany in 1871, it became part of the German Reich. In 1919, the German administration operated a camp in the town, in which they imprisoned Poles arrested in Szubin during the Greater Poland uprising.

During World War II, the Nazis operated two forced labour subcamps of the Stalag II-D prisoner-of-war camp and a prison in the town, with multiple forced labour subcamps located in the region. Polish forced labourers were imprisoned in the town. On 7 March 1945, the town was captured by the Red Army. After Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II, the area became once again part of Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the Fall of Communism in the 1980s. The town's German population was expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.

In 1954, town limits were expanded by including Helenów as Goleniów's new district. From 1975 to 1998, it was administratively located in the Szczecin Voivodeship.

Population

Sports

The running competition is held annually in the town to commemorate Poland's National Independence Day. It is one of the oldest competitions of its kind in Poland.

The local football team is . It competes in the lower leagues.

Twin towns and sister cities|

Goleniów is twinned with:

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  • Bergen auf Rügen, Germany
  • Greifswald, Germany

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  • Opmeer, Netherlands
  • Pyrzyce, Poland

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  • Svedala, Sweden

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Former twin towns

  • Guryevsk, Russia

On 25 February 2022, Goleniów ended its partnership with the Russian city of Guryevsk as a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Cities and towns near Goleniów

  • Szczecin (Poland)
  • Police, Poland
  • Stargard (Poland)
  • Maszewo (Poland)
  • Nowogard (Poland)
  • Kamień Pomorski (Poland)
  • Wolin (town) (Poland)
  • Golczewo (Poland)

Tourist villages near Goleniów

  • Jarszewko

Notable people

140px|thumb|Johan Frederik Clemens, 1776

  • Johan Frederik Clemens (1749–1831), Pomeranian-Danish printmaker in etching.
  • Olgierd Geblewicz (born 1972), Polish politician, marshal of West Pomeranian Voivodeship
  • Werner Kollath (1892–1970), German bacteriologist, hygienist and food scientist.
  • Marek Leśniak (born 1964), Polish retired footballer, played over 500 pro games and 20 for Poland
  • Natalia Piekarczyk (born 1988), Polish volleyball player
  • Günther Marks (1897–1978), German church musician, organist and composer
  • Helga Paris (1938-2024), German photographer
  • Grzegorz Stępniak (born 1989), Polish professional racing cyclist
  • Tom Swoon (born 1993), Polish DJ, remixer and record producer

References

  • Official town website
  • Jewish Community in Goleniów on Virtual Shtetl
  • Satellilte photo via Google Maps