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PoznaƄ

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This article is about the city in Poland. For other uses, see Poznan (disambiguation).

PoznaƄ (also known by other names) is a city in west-central Poland with over 567,882 inhabitants (2006). Located on the Warta River, it is one of the oldest cities in Poland, making it an important historical centre and a vibrant centre of trade, industry, and education. PoznaƄ is Poland's fifth largest city and fourth biggest industrial centre. It is also the administrative capital of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

PoznaƄ's cathedral is the oldest in the country, containing the tombs of the first Polish rulers: Duke Mieszko I, King Boleslaus the Brave, King Mieszko II, Duke Casimir I the Restorer, Duke PrzemysƂ I, and King PrzemysƂ II.

Etymology

The name PoznaƄ probably comes from a personal name Poznan (from the Polish participle poznan(y)) and would mean "Poznan's town." It is also possible the name comes directly from the verb poznać which means "to get to know" or "to recognize".

The earliest surviving references to the city were by Thietmar in his chronicles: episcopus Poznaniensis ("Bishop of PoznaƄ", 970) and ab urbe Poznani ("by" or "from the city PoznaƄ", 1005). Early spellings include Posna and Posnan.

The official city name in full is The Capital City of PoznaƄ StoƂeczne Miasto PoznaƄ. PoznaƄ is known as Posen in German, and was officially known as Haupt- und Residenzstadt Posen ("Capital and Residence City of PoznaƄ") between 20 August 1910, and 28 November 1918. The city has been known in Latin as Posnania and civitas Posnaniensis. Its Yiddish name is Ś€ÖŒŚ±Ś–ŚŸ, or Poyzn.

Geography

  • City area (2002)
  • Geographical location:
  • 52°17'34''N - 52°30'27''N
  • 16°44'08''E - 17°04'28''E
  • Highest point: Mt. Morasko asl
  • Lowest point: Warta river valley: asl

Administrative division

The PoznaƄ metropolitan area, consisting of the autonomous towns of PoznaƄ, OstrĂłw, OstrĂłwek, ƚrodka, Chwaliszewo, Ɓacina, was integrated into one city from 1793–1800. The rapidly growing city annexed the neighboring villages of Grunwald, Ɓazarz, GĂłrczyn, JeĆŒyce, Wilda, Winogrady in 1900, Piątkowo and Rataje in later years. Today, PoznaƄ is divided into five districts, which are further divided onto several dozens of neighborhoods. The districts are:

Culture

The annual Malta Theater festival is probably the most characteristic cultural event of the city. There are also Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and Classical Music Festival (annual).

History

Mieszko I, the first known duke of the Polans, built one of his castles in PoznaƄ. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is the oldest Polish cathedral, founded in PoznaƄ during the latter half of the 10th century. The city would become the capital of Greater Poland. Mieszko I's son, Boleslaus the Brave, was crowned king in 1025 and the Kingdom of Poland was formed. Greater Poland became the 'cradle of the Polish state', and both Mieszko I and Boleslaus I are buried in PoznaƄ. LubraƄski Academy, the second Polish university (not a "full" university, in fact, as science students had to go to Kraków) was established in 1519.

PoznaƄ was the capital of the Greater Poland area when it came under the control of Prussia in 1793 and had its administrative area renamed to South Prussia. During the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, local Polish resistance fighters rebelled, thereby assisting the efforts of Napoleon while simultaneously driving out the occupying Prussian forces. The city became part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807 and was capital of the PoznaƄ Department. Napoleon's defeat led to the Congress of Vienna, where the boundaries of Europe were redrawn by the victors. Greater Poland was returned to Prussia and became the capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen. From the time of the Revolutions of 1848, PoznaƄ was the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen. It became part of the German Empire during the unification of German states in 1871.

Shortly after Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, the Great Poland Uprising (1918-1919) occurred, leading to the creation of the Second Polish Republic, in which PoznaƄ became the capital of PoznaƄ Voivodeship. During World War II, Poland suffered under Nazi occupation and the Polish population was severely repressed. In 1945, the city was declared a Festung (a fortified locale in which German forces were expected to conduct a last-ditch defense) by order of Hitler. As PoznaƄ lay on the direct route from Warsaw to Berlin, the Red Army first besieged and then assaulted the German defenses, culminating in the assault on the Cytadela (citadelle) and resulting in serious damage to the city. Since the war's end, PoznaƄ has been the capital of the surrounding area through administrative district boundary changes in 1957, 1975, and 1999; PoznaƄ currently administrates Greater Poland Voivodeship, one of 16 provinces in the country.

Anti-communist protests in 1956 played a significant role in liberalising the post-war communist regime.

Historical population

Detailed demographic tables: Historical population of PoznaƄ Historical population summary:

  • 1600 : about 20,000 inhabitants
  • 1732 : 4000 inhabitants
  • 1793 : 15,000 inhabitants before
  • 1918 : 156,091 inhabitants (from government data)
  • 1939 : 274,155 inhabitants
  • 1946 : 268,000 inhabitants
  • 2000 : 572,900 inhabitants
  • May 2002: 578,900 inhabitants

2020 population Forecast:

  • PoznaƄ City 584,500 (small increase)
  • PoznaƄ County 305,500 (significant increase)
  • PoznaƄ Metro Area 890,000

Notable residents

Education

PoznaƄ is home to a few state-owned universities and a number of smaller, mostly private-run colleges and institutions of higher education. Adam Mickiewicz University (abbreviated UAM) is one of the most influential and biggest universities in Poland.

Scientific and regional organizations

Economy

PoznaƄ has been an important center of trade since the Middle Ages. Starting in the 19th century, local heavy industry began to grow. Several major factories were built, including the steel mill and railway factory of Hipolit Cegielski (see H. Cegielski - PoznaƄ S.A.).

Today PoznaƄ is one of the major centers of trade with Germany. Many Western European companies started their Polish branches in PoznaƄ, or in the nearby localities of Tarnowo Podgórne and Swarzędz.

It is the site of annual PoznaƄ International Fair.

For a list of major PoznaƄ-based corporations see Major corporations in PoznaƄ

Sports

Politics

Municipal politics

Since the end of the communist era in 1989, PoznaƄ municipality and metro area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially transportation and improved public administration. This has resulted in a massive investment from foreign companies in PoznaƄ itself, as well as in communities west and south of PoznaƄ (namely, Kórnik and Tarnowo Podgórne).

Most foreign investors are German and Dutch companies (see "Major corporations" above), with a few others. Investors are mostly from the food processing, furniture, automotive and transport & logistics industries. Foreign companies are primarily attracted by low labour costs, but also by the relatively good road and railway networks in the vicinity, good vocational skills of workers (heritage of the communist era) and relatively liberal employment laws. As compared with Germany, there are far fewer restrictions, e.g. on shop opening hours.

Worth noticing is also the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less annoying "red tape" than elsewhere in Poland.

Investment into transportation was mostly in the public transport area. While the number of cars since 1989 has at least doubled, the policy of improving public transport gave good effects. Limiting car access to the city center, building new tram lines (inc. PoznaƄski Szybki Tramwaj) and investing in new rolling stock (such as modern Combino trams by Siemens and Solaris low-floor buses) actually increased the level of ridership. This is a notable success, even considering the fact that Polish society only possesses about half of the "old EU"'s purchasing power, hence not everybody can afford to own a car.

Future investments into transportation include the construction of a "third ring road" around the city, and the completion of A2 (E30) highway towards Berlin. In the public transport area (and non-car transportation), further investment must be made into the development bicycle paths (and the linking of presently existing ones), and an attempt is presently made of developing Karlsruhe-style light rail system for commuters. All that is made more complicated (and more expensive) by the heavy neglect of transportation throughout communist era.

Constituency

Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from PoznaƄ constituency:

Members of European Parliament elected from PoznaƄ constituency:

Twin towns

PoznaƄ is twinned with:

Footnotes

Bibliography

  • collective work, PoznaƄ. Dzieje, ludzie kultura, PoznaƄ 1953
  • Robert Alvis, Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse 2005
  • K. Malinowski (red.), Dziesięć wiekĂłw Poznania, t.1, Dzieje spoƂeczno-gospodarcze, PoznaƄ 1956
  • collective work, PoznaƄ, PoznaƄ 1958
  • collective work, PoznaƄ. Zarys historii, PoznaƄ 1963
  • Cz. Ɓuczak, Ć»ycie spoƂeczno-gospodarcze w Poznaniu 1815-1918, PoznaƄ 1965
  • J. Topolski (red.), PoznaƄ. Zarys dziejĂłw, PoznaƄ 1973
  • Zygmunt Boras, KsiÄ…ĆŒÄ™ta Piastowscy Wielkopolski, Wydawnictwo PoznaƄskie, PoznaƄ 1983
  • Jerzy Topolskiego (red.), Dzieje Poznania,Wydawnictwo PWN, Warszawa - PoznaƄ 1988
  • Alfred Kaniecki, Dzieje miasta wodą pisane, Wydawnictwo Aquarius, PoznaƄ 1993
  • Witold Maisel (red.), Przywileje miasta Poznania XIII-XVIII wieku. Privilegia civitatis Posnaniensis saeculorum XIII-XVIII. WƂadze Miasta Poznania, PoznaƄskie Towarzystwo PrzyjacióƂ Nauk, Wydawnictwa Ć»rĂłdƂowe Komisji Historycznej, Tom XXIV, Wydawnictwo PTPN, PoznaƄ 1994
  • Wojciech Stankowski, Wielkopolska, Wydawnictwo WSiP, Warszawa 1999
  • Gotthold Rhode : Geschichte der Stadt Posen

See also

External links

City guides

Economy

Science and education

History and culture

Sports

Gallery




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