Ostrów Wielkopolski

Ostrów Wielkopolski
Main Square
Flag Coat of arms
Ostrów Wielkopolski
Coordinates: 51°39′N 17°42′E / 51.65°N 17.7°E / 51.65; 17.7
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Greater Poland
County	Ostrów Wielkopolski County
Gmina	Ostrów Wielkopolski (urban gmina)
Established	14th century
Town rights	15th century
Government
– Mayor	Jarosław Urbaniak
Area
– Total	41.9 km2 (16.2 sq mi)
Highest elevation	175 m (574 ft)
Lowest elevation	123 m (404 ft)
Population (2008)
– Total	72,360
– Density	1,727/km2 (4,472.8/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	63-400 to 63-417
Area code(s)	+48 62
Car plates	POS
Website	http://www.ostrow-wielkopolski.um.gov.pl/

Ostrów Wielkopolski [ˈɔstruf vjɛlkɔˈpɔlski] (often abbreviated Ostrów Wlkp., formerly called only Ostrów or Ostrowo, Latin: Ostrovia) is a town in central Poland with 72,360 inhabitants (2008), situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostrów Wielkopolski County.

History

Recently, a small fortified dwelling dating from the 10th century was discovered on the north-east side of the town's limits. An archeological excavation is now in progress.

Ostrów received town privileges in 1404 but the economic stagnation caused by fires, wars, and a weak 16th century nobility, led to the town’s officials dropping its town status in 1711. In 1714, one of the nobility of Ostrów, Jan Jerzy Przebendowski intervened at the royal court, for the status to be reinstated. By the power of a Royal Marshall (English: Marshal), Franciszek Bielinski, the town received its status back with greater privileges. Another noble family, the Radziwiłłowie took patronage over the town and looked over its many investments. The care of the town’s owners, work of its people, dedication of its officials and its location, have favored the town’s continuous growth. In Ostrów, a railroad hub was formed and became a vital point of the town’s development. It also helped to establish its prominent status on the local and national scene. During the time of Partition and both World Wars, the town had become an important source for nationalist movements. One of the town’s historic episodes was the so called Republic of Ostrów (Republika Ostrowska), which was the citizens’ upheaval of 1918. No blood was shed at that upheaval and all political powers were taken over from the Prussian authorities. In between the First and Second WW, Ostrów was one of the fastest growing towns: the number of inhabitants doubled, showy houses were built and modern Railcar Manufacturing (Fabryka Wagon) began.

During World War II, a Nazi labor camp Staatspolizeistelle Litzmannstadt Arbeitserziehungslager Ostrowo^[1] operated within the town's limits, where 193 people died. The town was one of the major anti-Nazi conspiracy centers in the Great Poland region. In 1941, after the Gestapo’s crackdown on the headquarters of the Poznań branch of the underground army Union for Armed Struggle-ZWZ, the headquarters were moved to Ostrów. From here the re-structure of the Poznań region of the Union was conducted.

Notable residents

• Ehrenfried-Oskar Boege (1889–1965), German general
• Paweł Bryliński – folklore sculptor
• Heinrich Graetz, historian
• Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz - poet, writer (Letters from Ostrów)
• Bartłomiej Jaszka - handball star player
• Krzysztof Komeda - jazz pianist
• Krzysztof Lijewski, handball star player
• Marcin Lijewski, handball star player
• Władysław Marcinkowski - sculptor
• Władysław Markiewicz- sociologist
• Manfred von Richthofen "Red Baron", German fighter pilot (World War I)
• Jan Żniniewicz - physician, author of the new method of hydrotherapy (balneological method of treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases)
• Krzysztof Kwiatkowski - computer scientists & researcher, software developer

Education

• Społeczna Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości i Zarządzania in Łódź, branch in Ostrów Wlkp.
• Technical University of Łódź, branch in Ostrów Wlkp.

Sports

• Atlas Stal Ostrów Wlkp. - men basketball team, 7th in Dominet Bank Ekstraliga in 2006/2007 season.
• Ostrovia 1909 Ostrów Wielkopolski - men soccer team
• KM Ostrów Wielkopolski - speedway team

• 

  Old school

• 

  Ostrow city-hall

• 

  Former synagogue

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Twin towns — Sister cities

Ostrów Wielkopolski is twinned with:

Lecce in Italy Delitzsch in Germany

Nordhausen in Germany Kalisz in Poland

Brantford in Canada [2]

References

Notes

1. ^ http://www.kalisz.eu/files/1227097539492405c35c3fd/Oboz_w_Ostrowie-_wyklad.doc
2. ^ Brantford Expositor - City gets a twin

External links

• City hall home page

Coordinates: 51°39′N 17°42′E / 51.65°N 17.7°E / 51.65; 17.7