WorldTravelGate.net® - The History of the city of Poznan,Poland

Poznan - History

How do you get there?
Eurocity trains from Berlin take three hours as does the car journey from Warsaw. There are convenient road and rail connections with all major towns and cities in Poland. From the city's airport, Lawica, you can catch regular flights to Warsaw and Dusseldorf.

Where can you stay?
There are the famous big hotels in the centre of the city or more private ones in beatiful, secluded locations a little further from the centre. You can also stay in one of the motels or camp-sites situates upon one of the nearby lakes. During the trade fairs many Poznanians let rooms, flats and villas.

Where can you take a break?
The best place would be upon one of the four lakes located in the city, the biggest of which is Lake Kierskie - famous for yachting centre. Others, situated near the city centre and surrounded by parks and forests include Lake Malta - which has a boat-race course and hosts sporting competitions, outdoor concerts, and is a place for walks and weekend recreation for Poznanians. Or you can enjoy the lakes and woods of the Wielkopolska national Park and the Zielonka Forest on the borders of Poznan.

The capital and largest city of Poznan province, Poznan lies on the Warta River in west-central Poland. It is a major cultural and literary center, with several institutions of higher education, scientific organizations, opera and dance centers, and a number of theatres. Points of interest include the Raczynski Library, Market Square, the Museum of Musical Instruments, the National Museum, and the oldest zoological garden in Poland. Large apartment buildings, built after World War II, provide housing. Poznan is one of Poland's largest industrial and commercial centers. Its industries include metallurgical works, chemical and furniture factories, textile mills, and food-processing plants. Since 1921 it has hosted a major international trade fair. The city has good transport routes to other European cities. Beginning as a fortified village in the 10th century, Poznan became the capital of Poland and the residence of the first two Polish kings. Poland's first cathedral was erected here in 968. The town flourished as a European trade center during the 15th and 16th centuries, but later its prosperity declined due to fires and wars. It was under Russian administration from 1807 to 1815. It has been part of the Polish republic since 1918. Poznan prospered again between the two world wars but was devastated in 1939 by Germany. A 1945 siege left the city in ruins. Rebuilt after World War II it became an industrial and cultural center of Poland. Population (1992 estimate), 590,100.

The City of POZNAN has been located on the right bank of the Warta River in western Poland for over 1000 years. Fortified city was founded in 9th century and Prince of Great Poland (Wielkopolska) Przemysl I gave the city rights of Poznan in 1253. Poznan is capital of Great Poland Province. Thanks to the Poznan International Fair and host of Polish and international banks based here, it is also regarded as Poland's capitol of commerce and finance.
There are different submits about rise of the city name. Some chroniclers maintained that city owed this name because on this grounds met King of Poland Boleslaw Chrobry (The Brave) and German Caesar Otton III. Archdiac from Gniezno John (Jan) said that city got the name POZNAN because here Prince Mieszko I received the christianity and here Poles knew the new faith. Other version take the name POZNAN from legend about Lech, Czech and Rus who met themselves and for celebrate this historical meeting they decided found the fortified city between Cybina River and Warta River and call it POZNAN.

Which version is true? We only know that this name has Slavonic origin, i.e. from adjective and ordinary name "poznany" (recognized).

The city with an area of 26,131 ha is a major railroad and road junction and a port on the Warta River. POZNAN is conveniently situated. It is only 300 km from Warszawa and Berlin, 465 km from Copenhagen, 885 km from Brussels, 1215 km from Rome and 1395 km from Moscow. Today with its about 600,000 inhabitants (269,585 of men + 308,650 women = 578,235 together, 31.12.1998), including approximately 60,000 university students, it is a major university center midway between Berlin and Warsaw. It is also a major center for European and international trade and industrial conventions and fairs so that the hotel, dining and entertainment facilities excel on a European standard. The chief industries are food processing and the manufacture of metals, engines, freight cars, machine tools, chemicals, and ceramics. The City itself presents a pleasant environment beautified with an abundance of greenery and lakes throughout. It has a picturesque, medieval downtown (Stare Miasto), a 19th-20th century central business section and modern residential areas around the City. In 1956 workers staged large-scale protest demonstrations in Poznan, which led to changes in the Stalin' era.

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