Sulęcin (; ) is a town in western Poland with 10,117 inhabitants (2019), the capital of Sulecin County, since 1999 in Lubusz Voivodeship.
Geography
Sulęcin is located in the center of Lubusz Voivodeship (Lubuskie province), by the river Postomia, tributary of the Warta River, in the historical Lubusz Land. The surrounding landscape is formed by many hillocks on the plateau of Lubusz. The highest of them is the Bukowiec (227 m). The closest big city is Gorzów Wielkopolski (). Over 50% of the area of the Sulecin Commune is occupied by forests.
History
Middle Ages
thumb|left|Medieval town walls
Excavations have shown that the area around Sulęcin was inhabited already in the 2nd century BC. The area formed part of Poland after the establishment of the state in the 10th century. The town developed from a Slavic settlement. The town was mentioned for the first time in documents in 1241 when bishop Henry granted nobleman Mrotsek the right to build a new settlement for Germans. Until the 12th century under dominion of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, the town with 10 surrounding villages was handed over by Polish Duke Henry I the Bearded to Mroczko from Pogorzela, who in 1244 gave it to the Knights Templar. In 1249 Zielenzig became a part of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In 1269 Otto, the Margrave of Brandenburg ordered to build a castle in the town. It was destroyed by the Polish army of Duke Bolesław the Pious in retaliation for a Brandenburg invasion. By 1326 the town fell to Brandenburg again. It stayed under the supremacy of the Knights Hospitaller until 1810.
Between 1373 and 1415 it was part of the Lands of the Bohemian (Czech) Crown. In 1419 Sulęcin suffered a severe damage, as the Hussite Wars reached the city.
Modern era
thumb|left|Main square view on postcard, 1905
In 1574 the Polish nobility and clergy of Greater Poland welcomed in Zielenzig the first elected King of Poland, Henry of Valois. In 1591, the first school was established in the town.