Kościerzyna (; ; former ) is a town in Kashubia in Gdańsk Pomerania region, northern Poland, with 23,327 inhabitants as of June 2023. It has been the capital of Kościerzyna County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously it was in Gdańsk Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998.

Geographical location

Kościerzyna is in Gdańsk Pomerania, approximately south-west of Gdańsk and Tricity and south-west of Kaliningrad, at a height of above sea level.

History

The history of the town dates back to the end of the 13th century. The oldest known mention comes from a document from 1284. Kościerzyna was a small town, whose inhabitants made a living from trade, crafts and farming. In 1626, during the Polish–Swedish War (1626–29), it was completely burned down once more. During the years 1646, 1663 and 1669 it partly burned down, and in 1709 again, entirely. Despite Germanisation policies, the town was a center of Polish activity in the 19th century. In 1863, volunteers set out from the town to fight in the Polish January Uprising in the Russian Partition of Poland, but few managed to cross the Prussian-Russian border, while many were imprisoned by Prussians. In the late 19th and early 20th century Poles founded various organizations, including the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society, reading rooms, Bank Ludowy ("People's Bank"), and the Kashubian newspaper Gryf began publishing. Local activist Tomasz Rogala, who co-founded a secret Polish independence organization, went to the peace conference in Versailles, where he demanded to include the town in reborn Poland.

Between November 6 and 22, 1939, the Germans expelled 2,000 Poles, who were first deported to the temporary concentration camp in Wysin, and then to the General Government in the more-eastern part of German-occupied Poland. The expulsions continued until March 1944. Poles who refused to sign the Volksliste were arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, some were tortured to death, or murdered, while their families were deported to concentration camps.

Despite this, the Poles managed to organize an underground resistance movement, including the Pomeranian Griffin, the Union of Armed Struggle-Home Army, and Polska Armia Powstania secret military organizations. In 1944, the Gestapo arrested some 30 resistance members and crushed the Kościerzyna District Command of the Home Army. In January 1945, a German-perpetrated death march of Allied prisoners-of-war from the Stalag XX-B POW camp passed through the town. After World War II the town was restored to Poland.

thumb|Holy Trinity church

Number of inhabitants by year

Tourist attractions

upright|thumb|Regional museum at the Market Square

  • Skansen Parowozownia Kościerzyna (railway museum) located at Towarowa 7 Street.
  • Muzeum Ziemi Kościerskiej (regional museum)
  • Rynek (Market Square) filled with colourful historic townhouses
  • Lake Gałęźne
  • Holy Trinity church, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Kościerzyna
  • Church of the Lord's Resurrection

Sports

  • Kaszubia Kościerzyna - football club
  • Manta Kościerzyna - finswimming club

Notable residents

upright|thumb|Stanisław Ernest Denhoff, c.1713

  • Stanisław Ernest Denhoff (c.1673–1728), Polish aristocrat, politician and a military commander
  • Hilary Jastak (1914–2000), leading priest
  • Abraham Lissauer (1832–1908), German physician and archaeologist
  • Oswald Kohts (1844–1912), German physician and pediatrician
  • Gustav Flatow (1875–1945), German gymnast, competed at the 1896 and at the 1900 Summer Olympics
  • Aleksander Majkowski (1876–1938), Kashubian writer, poet, journalist, editor, activist and physician
  • Hugo Neumann (1882–1962), German jurist, politician of the Free City of Danzig and writer
  • Marek Kulas (born 1963), Polish former racing cyclist, won the 1986 Tour de Pologne
  • Marcin Rekowski (born 1978), Polish professional heavyweight boxer
  • Rafał Kosznik (born 1983), Polish footballer, over 200 pro games
  • Seweryn Kiełpin (born 1987), Polish footballer, over 200 pro games
  • Daniel Pek (born 1991), Paralympic athlete from Poland, represented Poland at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
  • Sławomir Stolc (born 1993), Polish volleyball player, a member of Poland men's national volleyball team
  • Patryk Dobek (born 1994), Polish athlete

Twin cities

Kościerzyna is twinned with:

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|

  • Cölbe, Germany
  • Padul, Spain

||

  • Pryluky, Ukraine
  • Sanary-sur-Mer, France

|}

See also

  • Kościerzyna (PKP station)

<gallery mode="packed">

File:Koscierzyna, Poland - panoramio (19).jpg|City Hall

File:koscierzyna steam2.jpg|Railway Museum

File:retro gdynia koscierzyna.jpg|Retro train "Costerina" Gdynia - Kościerzyna

File:Marketplace in Kościerzyna Poland.jpg|Marketplace

File:724348 Kościerzyna k. Zmartwywstania Pańskiego.JPG|Church of the Lord's Resurrection

</gallery>

References

  • Municipal website
  • Twin cities of Kościerzyna