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Coordinates: 53°25′N 18°26′E / 53.417°N 18.433°E / 53.417; 18.433
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| name = Świecie
| name = Świecie
| motto = Świecie - najlepsze na świecie<br/>Świecie - the best in the world
| motto = Świecie - najlepsze na świecie<br/>Świecie - the best in the world
| image_skyline = Rynek w swieciu2007.jpg
| image_skyline = Northern frontage of the Market Square in Swiecie 02.jpg
| imagesize = 260px
| imagesize = 260px
| image_caption = Market square
| image_caption = Market square (''Rynek'') with the Old Town Hall
| image_flag = Świecie flaga.svg
| image_flag = POL_Świecie_flag.svg
| image_shield = POL Świecie COA.svg
| image_shield = POL Świecie COA.svg
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship|Kuyavian-Pomeranian]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship|Kuyavian-Pomeranian]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Świecie County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Świecie County|Świecie]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Świecie]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Świecie|Świecie]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Tadeusz Grzegorz Pogoda
| leader_name = Krzysztof Kułakowski
| established_title = Established
| established_title = First mentioned
| established_date = 1198
| established_date = 1198
| established_title3 = Town rights
| established_title3 = Town rights
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| elevation_max_m = 86
| elevation_max_m = 86
| area_total_km2 = 11.87
| area_total_km2 = 11.87
| population_as_of = 2006
| population_as_of = 2023
| population_total = 25614
| population_total = 24841
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
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| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|53|25|N|18|26|E|region:PL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|53|25|N|18|26|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 86-100 to 86-105
| postal_code = 86-100 to 86-105
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| blank_name = [[Polish car number plates|Car plates]]
| blank_name = [[Polish car number plates|Car plates]]
| blank_info = CSW
| blank_info = CSW
| website = {{URL|http://www.um-swiecie.pl}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.um-swiecie.pl
}}
}}
}}
'''Świecie''' {{IPA-pl|ˈɕfʲɛt͡ɕɛ|pron}} ({{lang-de|Schwetz}}) is a [[town]] in northern [[Poland]] with 25,968 inhabitants (2006), situated in [[Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship]] (since 1999); it was in [[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]] from 1975 to 1998. It is the capital of [[Świecie County]].
'''Świecie''' ({{IPA|pl|ˈɕfjɛt͡ɕɛ|lang|pl-Świecie.ogg}}; {{lang-de|Schwetz}}) is a [[town]] in northern Poland with 24,841 inhabitants (2023), capital of [[Świecie County]] in the [[Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship]]. It is located within the ethnocultural region of [[Kociewie]].


== Location ==
== Location ==
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==History==
==History==
[[File:Swiecie Stara Fara 03.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gothic architecture|Gothic]]-[[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] Saint Stanislaus and Our Lady of Częstochowa church]]
A fishermen's village existed at the site of the present-day town in the [[Early Middle Ages]].<ref name=um/> The area became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century. The name of the town comes from the Polish word ''świecić'', which means "to shine".<ref name=um/> During the period of the fragmentation of Poland, Świecie became the residence of Pomeranian Duke Grzymisław. Grzymisław's duchy included part of [[Gdańsk Pomerania]] with prominent towns of [[Starogard Gdański]] and [[Lubiszewo Tczewskie]], as well as [[Skarszewy]].


Świecie became the residence of Pomeranian Duke Grimislaw, when in 1198 the St. Mary's church was erected there. Grimislaw's [[Duchy of Pomerania]] included prominent towns of [[Starogard Gdański]] and [[Lubiszewo Tczewskie]], as well as [[Skarszewy]] with its surrounding region. The [[Teutonic Order]] [[Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk)|conquered Gdańsk]] in 1309 and in 1310 bought [[Pomeralia]] in [[Treaty of Soldin (1309)|Soldin]] from the [[Margraves of Brandenburg]]. By then, the settlement already had the status of ''Civitas'', just as Gdańsk and Tczew did. Świecie was granted a [[Kulm law|municipal form of government]] by the Teutonic Order, when it was still located on the high west bank of the Vistula. Probably because of destruction by fire, during the period 1338–1375 the town was relocated down into the valley at the Vistula. After the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)]] Świecie became part of the autonomous province of [[Royal Prussia]] incorporated into the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]]. In 1772, during the [[Partitions of Poland]], the town was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], and Schwetz was integrated into the newly formed [[Province of West Prussia]]. In 1905 the town had a Protestant church, two Catholic churches and a synagogue.<ref>''Meyers Konversations-Lexikon'', 6th edition, Vol. 18, Leipzig and Vienne 1909, p. 210.</ref> After World War I Świecie became part of the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–39)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]] with the provincial capital in [[Toruń]] of the [[Second Republic of Poland]].<ref>Krzysztof Halicki: [http://umk.academia.edu/KrzysztofHalicki/Books/1865462/Szkice_z_dziejow_Swiecia_nad_Wisla_i_powiatu_w_dwudziestoleciu_miedzywojennym_Torun_2012_ss.212 Szkice z dziejów Świecia nad Wisłą i powiatu w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym, Toruń 2012, s. 212.] – Academia.edu. </ref>
The [[Teutonic Order]] [[Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk)|conquered Gdańsk]] in 1309 and in 1310 bought the region in [[Treaty of Soldin (1309)|Soldin]] from the [[Margraves of Brandenburg]], who claimed the region, which however legally formed part of Poland. By then, the settlement already had the status of ''Civitas'', just as Gdańsk and [[Tczew]] did. Świecie was granted a [[Kulm law|municipal form of government]] by the Teutonic Order, when it was still located on the high west bank of the Vistula. Probably because of destruction by fire, during the period 1338–1375 the town was relocated down into the valley at the Vistula. The town was briefly recaptured by the Poles after their victory in the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410.


In 1454, in the beginning stages of the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)|Thirteen Years' War]], it was captured by the [[Prussian Confederation]], which opposed Teutonic rule, and upon the request of which King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] re-incorporated the territory to the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] that same year.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=Poznań|language=pl|pages=32, 54}}</ref> The Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to the town, and recognized it as part of Poland in 1466.<ref>Górski, p. 89, 207</ref> Administratively it formed part of the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]] in the province of [[Royal Prussia]] in the [[Greater Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Greater Poland Province]]. The town prospered due to its location at the intersection of the [[Amber Road]] and the trade route connecting [[Pomerania|Western Pomerania]] with [[Warmia]], [[Masuria]] and [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]].<ref name=um/> In the 17th century, Świecie suffered as a result of the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion of Poland]] and an epidemic.<ref name=um/>
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During the [[Second World War]], [[Nazi Germany]] occupied Świecie and annexed it on 8 October 1939, making it the [[seat (legal entity)|seat]] of the ''Kreis'' county of Schwetz. It was administered as part of [[Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia]]. Prominent Poles were arrested using secret [[Special Prosecution Book-Poland|politically targeted hit list]] and murdered using the ''[[Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz]]'' paramilitaries.<ref name="Stutthof Museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.kki.net.pl/~museum/rozdz3,2.htm |title=Oboz dla Jencow Cywilnych (''Zivilgefangenenlager'') |trans-title=Internment of Civilian Prisoners |publisher=[[Stutthof concentration camp|Stutthof Museum]] (Państwowe Muzeum Stutthof w Sztutowie) |work=Obozy Podlegle Organom Policyjnym (Monografia ''KL STUTTHOF''. Chapter 2) |date=2006 |accessdate=20 May 2014 |author=Konrad Ciechanowski |quote=''Translation from Polish:'' Rozstrzeliwanych dobijano łopatami, kolbami, a niekiedy zakopywano jeszcze żywych. Matki zmuszano do układania w wykopanych dołach swoich dzieci, a potem je same rozstrzeliwano. Przed rozstrzelaniem gwałcono dziewczęta i kobiety. |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029144245/http://www.kki.net.pl/~museum/rozdz3,2.htm |archivedate=October 29, 2007 }}</ref>


In 1772, during the [[First Partition of Poland]], the town was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], and as ''Schwetz'' was integrated into the newly formed [[West Prussia|Province of West Prussia]]. In 1871, it also became part of [[German Reich|Germany]]. The economic development was decisively improved by the connection to the railway network in 1888. In 1905, the town had a Protestant church, two Catholic churches and a synagogue.<ref>''Meyers Konversations-Lexikon'', 6th edition, Vol. 18, Leipzig and Vienne 1909, p. 210.</ref> In 1910, Schwetz had a population of 8,042, of which 4,206 (52.3%) were [[Germans|German-speaking]], 3,605 (44.8%) were [[Polish people|Polish-speaking]] and 166 (2.1%) were bilingual in German and another language.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Landesamt|first=Prussia (Kingdom) Statistisches|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tJdPhIkLJ7AC&pg=RA2-PA58|title=Gemeindelexikon für die regierungsbezirke Allenstein, Danzig, Marienwerder, Posen, Bromberg und Oppeln: Auf grund der ergebnisse der volkszählung vom. 1. Dezember 1910 und anderer amtlicher quellen bearbeitet vom Königlich Preussischen Statistischen Landesamte|date=1912|publisher=verlag des Königlichen Statistischen Landesamts|language=de}}</ref>
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{{quote|People shot were finished off by blows delivered by shovels and the butts of assault rifles; they were buried in mass graves when still alive. Mothers were forced to place their children in the pits where they were shot together. Before executions women and girls were raped.(...) [The atrocities] evoked horror even in the Germans, including some soldiers. Terrified at what they saw in the town of Świecie two of them felt compelled to submit a report [to military authorities].<ref name="Stutthof Museum"/>}}


After [[World War I]] and the restoration of independent Poland, Świecie was restored by [[Weimar Republic|Germany]] to Poland in 1920 according to the [[Treaty of Versailles]] and became part of the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]] of the [[Second Polish Republic]].<ref>Krzysztof Halicki: [https://www.academia.edu/1859176/Szkice_z_dziejów_Świecia_nad_Wisłą_i_powiatu_w_dwudziestoleciu_międzywojennym_Toruń_2012_ss_212 Szkice z dziejów Świecia nad Wisłą i powiatu w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym, Toruń 2012, s. 212.] – Academia.edu.</ref> In 1920, Stanisław Kostka, a distinguished Polish activist who was active in [[Grudziądz]] and Świecie under Prussian rule, became the mayor of the town.<ref name="czas">{{Cite web|url= https://www.czasswiecia.pl/czas_swiecia/1,88351,10432548,Co_Tadeusz_Pogoda_robil_w_sobote_w_Koscierzynie.html |title=Co Tadeusz Pogoda robił w sobotę w Kościerzynie|website=Czas Świecia|accessdate=9 May 2020|language=Polish}}</ref> Stanisław Kostka built new [[flood embankment]]s that protect Świecie from floods to this day, and under his administration the town developed economically and culturally.<ref name="czas" />
⚫
After the defeat of Adolf Hitler in World War II Świecie became part of the [[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]] formed in 1946 in the [[People's Republic of Poland]]. The town grew rapidly with population reaching 13,500 by 1961. Sugar refinery was expanded, meat, cattle feed plants, and mills were built, including the paper factory launched in 1968, with 4,600 employees.<ref>Urząd Miejski w Świeciu, [http://www.swiecie.eu/pl/page/historia-0 Historia Świecia ( Świecie history).] Official website.</ref>

[[File:ŚWIECIE, AB-031.jpg|thumb|left|Memorial to Polish teachers murdered during the German occupation between 1939 and 1945, with the post office in the background]]
⚫
During the [[Second World War]], [[Nazi Germany]] [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|occupied]] Świecie and annexed it on 8 October 1939, making it the [[seat (legal entity)|seat]] of the ''Kreis'' county of Schwetz. It was administered as part of the [[Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia]]. Prominent Poles were arrested using secret [[Special Prosecution Book-Poland|politically targeted hit list]] and murdered using the ''[[Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz]]'' paramilitaries.<ref name="Stutthof Museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.kki.net.pl/~museum/rozdz3,2.htm |title=Oboz dla Jencow Cywilnych (''Zivilgefangenenlager'') |trans-title=Internment of Civilian Prisoners |publisher=[[Stutthof concentration camp|Stutthof Museum]] (Państwowe Muzeum Stutthof w Sztutowie) |work=Obozy Podlegle Organom Policyjnym (Monografia KL STUTTHOF. Chapter 2) |date=2006 |accessdate=20 May 2014 |author=Konrad Ciechanowski |quote=''Translation from Polish:'' Rozstrzeliwanych dobijano łopatami, kolbami, a niekiedy zakopywano jeszcze żywych. Matki zmuszano do układania w wykopanych dołach swoich dzieci, a potem je same rozstrzeliwano. Przed rozstrzelaniem gwałcono dziewczęta i kobiety. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029144245/http://www.kki.net.pl/~museum/rozdz3,2.htm |archive-date=October 29, 2007 }}</ref> Local Poles were murdered in large massacres in Świecie, [[Grupa, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship|Grupa]] and [[Mniszek, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship|Mniszek]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2009|title=Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]|pages=166–167}}</ref>

⚫
{{blockquote|People shot were finished off by blows delivered by shovels and the butts of assault rifles; they were buried in mass graves when still alive. Mothers were forced to place their children in the pits where they were shot together. Before executions women and girls were raped.(...) [The atrocities] evoked horror even in the Germans, including some soldiers. Terrified at what they saw in the town of Świecie two of them felt compelled to submit a report [to military authorities].<ref name="Stutthof Museum"/>}}

The Germans also murdered the staff and 1,350 patients of the local [[psychiatric hospital]] in large massacres in the [[Szpęgawski Forest|Szpęgawski]] and [[Luszkówko]] forests.<ref name=um/><ref>Wardzyńska (2009), pp. 151, 167</ref> Local Poles were also subjected to [[Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany|expulsions]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2017|title=Wysiedlenia ludności polskiej z okupowanych ziem polskich włączonych do III Rzeszy w latach 1939-1945|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]|pages=82, 89, 123|isbn=978-83-8098-174-4}}</ref>

⚫
The town was captured by combined Polish and Soviet forces on February 10, 1945,<ref name=um/> and restored to Poland, where it became part of the [[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]] formed in 1946 in the [[People's Republic of Poland]]. The town grew rapidly with population reaching 13,500 by 1961. Sugar refinery was expanded, meat, cattle feed plants, and mills were built, including the paper factory launched in 1968, with 4,600 employees.<ref name=um>Urząd Miejski w Świeciu, [http://www.swiecie.eu/pl/page/historia-0 Historia Świecia (Świecie history).] Official website.</ref> In 1988 Świecie was awarded with the Officer's Cross of the [[Order of Polonia Restituta]], one of Poland's highest state orders.<ref>{{Cite Polish law|title=Uchwała Rady Państwa z dnia 29 czerwca 1988 r. w sprawie nadania orderów społecznym zbiorowościom.|year=1988|volume=21|number=190}}</ref>


== Demographics ==
== Demographics ==
⚫
[[File:Ruiny zamku krzyżackiego od strony wejścia by AW.jpg|thumb|left|[[Teutonic Castle in Świecie|Teutonic Castle]]]]
[[File:Rynek w Świeciu.JPG|thumb|left|Historic Market Square]]
{|
{|
|-
|-
| valign="top" | [[File:Piramida wieku Swiecie.png|400px]]
| valign = "top" | [[File:Piramida wieku Swiecie.png|400px]]
<br>Age pyramid of the female (left) and male (right) inhabitants of Świecie in 2014, according to [[Central Statistical Office, Poland]].<ref>GUS, [http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Swiecie#dane-demograficzne Dane demograficzne.] [http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Swiecie Swiecie.]</ref>
Age pyramid of the female (left) and male (right) inhabitants of Świecie in 2014, according to [[Central Statistical Office, Poland]].<ref>GUS, [http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Swiecie#dane-demograficzne Dane demograficzne.] [http://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Swiecie Swiecie.]</ref>
|{{space|6}}
|{{space|6}}
| valign="top" |
| valign = "top" | '''Historical population'''
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
; Historical population
|-
|-
! Year
! Year
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| 2008 || align="right" | 25,614
| 2008 || align="right" | 25,614
|}
|}
<small>Above table is based on primary, potentially biased, sources.</small><ref name="JFG">[[Johann Friedrich Goldbeck]]: ''Vollständige Topographie des Königreichs Preußen''. Teil II, Marienwerder 1789, [https://books.google.de/books?id=SQw_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA72 p. 72, no 3.]</ref><ref name="AEP" >August Eduard Preuß: ''Preußische Landes- und Volkskunde''. Königsberg 1835, [https://books.google.de/books?id=L_sAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA386 p. 386.]</ref><ref>Friedrich Christoph Förster: ''Statistisch-topographisch-historische Uebersicht des Preußischen Staats'', Berlin and Leipzig 1838, [https://books.google.de/books?id=ltgAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA96 p. 96.]</ref><ref name="VWG" /><ref name="VWG" >Michael Rademacher: ''[http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/dan_schwetz.html Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Provinz Westpreußen, Kreis Schwetz]'' (2006).</ref>
<small>Above table is based on primary, potentially biased, sources.</small><ref name="JFG">[[Johann Friedrich Goldbeck]]: ''Vollständige Topographie des Königreichs Preußen''. Teil II, Marienwerder 1789, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SQw_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA72 p. 72, no 3.]</ref><ref name="AEP" >August Eduard Preuß: ''Preußische Landes- und Volkskunde''. Königsberg 1835, [https://books.google.com/books?id=L_sAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA386 p. 386.]</ref><ref>Friedrich Christoph Förster: ''Statistisch-topographisch-historische Uebersicht des Preußischen Staats'', Berlin and Leipzig 1838, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ltgAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA96 p. 96.]</ref><ref name="VWG" >Michael Rademacher: ''[http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/dan_schwetz.html Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Provinz Westpreußen, Kreis Schwetz]'' (2006).</ref>
|}
|}

{{multiple image |align=right |caption_align=center |perrow=2 |total_width=335 |header=Various sights of Świecie
| image1 = Kościół p.w. Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP w Świeciu 01.JPG
⚫
| image2 = Ruiny zamku krzyżackiego od strony wejścia by AW.jpg
| image3 = Miejsce pamięci - panoramio.jpg
| image4 = , Kościół, ob. rzym.-kat. p.w. św. Andrzeja Boboli 1892-1894, pocz. XX w Świeciu n. W; fot. Anna-Recka-Świerczyńska.jpg
| caption1 = [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] Immaculate Conception church
| caption2 = [[Świecie Castle]]
| caption3 = Memorial to local Poles fallen in the [[Polish–Soviet War]] in 1919–1921 or [[Sybirak|deported to Siberia]] in 1939–1956
| caption4 = Saint Andrew Bobola church
}}


== Major corporations ==
== Major corporations ==
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* [[Polpak Świecie]] basketball team
* [[Polpak Świecie]] basketball team


==Notable personalities==
==Notable residents==
* [[Heinrich von Plauen]] (the Elder) (ca. 1370–1429), 27th grand master of the [[Teutonic Order]]
* [[Heinrich von Plauen]] (the Elder) (ca. 1370–1429), 27th grand master of the [[Teutonic Order]]
* [[Oskar Cassel]] (1849–1923), German liberal politician
* [[Nikolaus von Halem]] (1905–1944), German lawyer and [[German Resistance to Nazism|resistance fighter]]
* [[Rolf Stein]] (1911–1999), German-French [[Sinology|Sinologist]] and [[Tibetology|Tibetologist]]
* [[Günther Radusch]] (1912-1988), Luftwaffe pilot
* [[Günther Radusch]] (1912-1988), Luftwaffe pilot
* {{interlanguage link|Henryk Olszewski|pl}} (born 1932), Polish legal historian, professor, academic lecturer
⚫
* [[Aleksy Kuziemski]], professional boxer
* {{interlanguage link|Roman Landowski|pl}} (1937–2007), Polish writer and publicist
* [[Janusz Józefowicz]], director, choreographer, creator of [[Metro (musical)]]
* [[Janusz Józefowicz]] (born 1959), Polish director, choreographer, creator of [[Metro (musical)]]
* [[Dawid Konarski]], volleyball player with [[ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle]]
* [[Jacek Bobrowicz]] (born 1962), retired Polish football player
* {{interlanguage link|Jan Zwolicki|pl}} (born 1967), Polish painter
⚫
* [[Aleksy Kuziemski]] (born 1977), Polish professional boxer
* [[Dawid Konarski]] (born 1989), Polish volleyball player, member of the [[Poland men's national volleyball team]], [[2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|2014]] and [[2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|2018]] World Champion
* [[Paweł Paczkowski]] (born 1993), Polish handball player, member of the [[Poland men's national handball team]]
{{Commons|Świecie}}
{{Commons|Świecie}}


== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{Świecie County}}
{{Świecie County}}
{{Gmina Świecie}}
{{Gmina Świecie}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Swiecie}}
[[Category:Cities and towns in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Vistula]]
[[Category:Świecie County]]
[[Category:Świecie County]]
[[Category:Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–39)]]

Latest revision as of 15:54, 15 September 2024

For other places with the same name, see Świecie (disambiguation).
Świecie
Market square (Rynek) with the Old Town Hall
Market square (Rynek) with the Old Town Hall
Flag of Świecie
Flag
Coat of arms of Świecie
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Świecie - najlepsze na świecie
Świecie - the best in the world
Świecie is located in Poland
Świecie
Świecie
Coordinates: 53°25′N 18°26′E / 53.417°N 18.433°E / 53.417; 18.433
Country Poland
VoivodeshipKuyavian-Pomeranian
CountyŚwiecie
GminaŚwiecie
First mentioned1198
Town rights1338
Government
 • MayorKrzysztof Kułakowski
Area
 • Total11.87 km2 (4.58 sq mi)
Highest elevation
86 m (282 ft)
Lowest elevation
19 m (62 ft)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total24,841
 • Density2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
86-100 to 86-105
Area code+48 52
Car platesCSW
Websitewww.um-swiecie.pl

Świecie (Polish: [ˈɕfjɛt͡ɕɛ] ⓘ; German: Schwetz) is a town in northern Poland with 24,841 inhabitants (2023), capital of Świecie County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is located within the ethnocultural region of Kociewie.

Location

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Świecie is located on the west bank of river Vistula at the mouth of river Wda, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of Bydgoszcz, 105 kilometers south of Gdańsk and 190 kilometers south-west of Kaliningrad.

History

[edit]
Gothic-Renaissance Saint Stanislaus and Our Lady of Częstochowa church

A fishermen's village existed at the site of the present-day town in the Early Middle Ages.[1] The area became part of the emerging Polish state in the 10th century. The name of the town comes from the Polish word świecić, which means "to shine".[1] During the period of the fragmentation of Poland, Świecie became the residence of Pomeranian Duke Grzymisław. Grzymisław's duchy included part of Gdańsk Pomerania with prominent towns of Starogard Gdański and Lubiszewo Tczewskie, as well as Skarszewy.

The Teutonic Order conquered Gdańsk in 1309 and in 1310 bought the region in Soldin from the Margraves of Brandenburg, who claimed the region, which however legally formed part of Poland. By then, the settlement already had the status of Civitas, just as Gdańsk and Tczew did. Świecie was granted a municipal form of government by the Teutonic Order, when it was still located on the high west bank of the Vistula. Probably because of destruction by fire, during the period 1338–1375 the town was relocated down into the valley at the Vistula. The town was briefly recaptured by the Poles after their victory in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.

In 1454, in the beginning stages of the Thirteen Years' War, it was captured by the Prussian Confederation, which opposed Teutonic rule, and upon the request of which King Casimir IV Jagiellon re-incorporated the territory to the Kingdom of Poland that same year.[2] The Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to the town, and recognized it as part of Poland in 1466.[3] Administratively it formed part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship in the province of Royal Prussia in the Greater Poland Province. The town prospered due to its location at the intersection of the Amber Road and the trade route connecting Western Pomerania with Warmia, Masuria and Lithuania.[1] In the 17th century, Świecie suffered as a result of the Swedish invasion of Poland and an epidemic.[1]

In 1772, during the First Partition of Poland, the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, and as Schwetz was integrated into the newly formed Province of West Prussia. In 1871, it also became part of Germany. The economic development was decisively improved by the connection to the railway network in 1888. In 1905, the town had a Protestant church, two Catholic churches and a synagogue.[4] In 1910, Schwetz had a population of 8,042, of which 4,206 (52.3%) were German-speaking, 3,605 (44.8%) were Polish-speaking and 166 (2.1%) were bilingual in German and another language.[5]

After World War I and the restoration of independent Poland, Świecie was restored by Germany to Poland in 1920 according to the Treaty of Versailles and became part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic.[6] In 1920, Stanisław Kostka, a distinguished Polish activist who was active in Grudziądz and Świecie under Prussian rule, became the mayor of the town.[7] Stanisław Kostka built new flood embankments that protect Świecie from floods to this day, and under his administration the town developed economically and culturally.[7]

Memorial to Polish teachers murdered during the German occupation between 1939 and 1945, with the post office in the background

During the Second World War, Nazi Germany occupied Świecie and annexed it on 8 October 1939, making it the seat of the Kreis county of Schwetz. It was administered as part of the Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. Prominent Poles were arrested using secret politically targeted hit list and murdered using the Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz paramilitaries.[8] Local Poles were murdered in large massacres in Świecie, Grupa and Mniszek.[9]

People shot were finished off by blows delivered by shovels and the butts of assault rifles; they were buried in mass graves when still alive. Mothers were forced to place their children in the pits where they were shot together. Before executions women and girls were raped.(...) [The atrocities] evoked horror even in the Germans, including some soldiers. Terrified at what they saw in the town of Świecie two of them felt compelled to submit a report [to military authorities].[8]

The Germans also murdered the staff and 1,350 patients of the local psychiatric hospital in large massacres in the Szpęgawski and Luszkówko forests.[1][10] Local Poles were also subjected to expulsions.[11]

The town was captured by combined Polish and Soviet forces on February 10, 1945,[1] and restored to Poland, where it became part of the Bydgoszcz Voivodeship formed in 1946 in the People's Republic of Poland. The town grew rapidly with population reaching 13,500 by 1961. Sugar refinery was expanded, meat, cattle feed plants, and mills were built, including the paper factory launched in 1968, with 4,600 employees.[1] In 1988 Świecie was awarded with the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest state orders.[12]

Demographics

[edit]

Age pyramid of the female (left) and male (right) inhabitants of Świecie in 2014, according to Central Statistical Office, Poland.[13]

       Historical population
Year Number
1788 1,780
1831 2,660
1837 approx. 3,000
1875 5,210
1880 5,946
1890 6,716
1905 7,747
1931 8,730
1943 11,664
2008 25,614

Above table is based on primary, potentially biased, sources.[14][15][16][17]

Various sights of Świecie
Baroque Immaculate Conception church
Świecie Castle
Memorial to local Poles fallen in the Polish–Soviet War in 1919–1921 or deported to Siberia in 1939–1956
Saint Andrew Bobola church

Major corporations

[edit]
  • Mondi Świecie SA (before, known as Mondi Packaging Paper Świecie SA, and Frantschach Świecie SA as well as Celuloza Świecie SA) – paper products and packaging

Education

[edit]
  • Wyższa Szkoła Menedżerska (Higher School of Management)
  • I LO im. Floriana Ceynowy
  • II LO w Świeciu
  • Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych

Sport

[edit]

Notable residents

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Świecie.

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Urząd Miejski w Świeciu, Historia Świecia (Świecie history). Official website.
  2. ^ Górski, Karol (1949). Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych (in Polish). Poznań: Instytut Zachodni. pp. 32, 54.
  3. ^ Górski, p. 89, 207
  4. ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 6th edition, Vol. 18, Leipzig and Vienne 1909, p. 210.
  5. ^ Landesamt, Prussia (Kingdom) Statistisches (1912). Gemeindelexikon für die regierungsbezirke Allenstein, Danzig, Marienwerder, Posen, Bromberg und Oppeln: Auf grund der ergebnisse der volkszählung vom. 1. Dezember 1910 und anderer amtlicher quellen bearbeitet vom Königlich Preussischen Statistischen Landesamte (in German). verlag des Königlichen Statistischen Landesamts.
  6. ^ Krzysztof Halicki: Szkice z dziejów Świecia nad Wisłą i powiatu w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym, Toruń 2012, s. 212. – Academia.edu.
  7. ^ a b "Co Tadeusz Pogoda robił w sobotę w Kościerzynie". Czas Świecia (in Polish). Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b Konrad Ciechanowski (2006). "Oboz dla Jencow Cywilnych (Zivilgefangenenlager)" [Internment of Civilian Prisoners]. Obozy Podlegle Organom Policyjnym (Monografia KL STUTTHOF. Chapter 2). Stutthof Museum (Państwowe Muzeum Stutthof w Sztutowie). Archived from the original on October 29, 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Translation from Polish: Rozstrzeliwanych dobijano łopatami, kolbami, a niekiedy zakopywano jeszcze żywych. Matki zmuszano do układania w wykopanych dołach swoich dzieci, a potem je same rozstrzeliwano. Przed rozstrzelaniem gwałcono dziewczęta i kobiety.
  9. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2009). Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 166–167.
  10. ^ Wardzyńska (2009), pp. 151, 167
  11. ^ Wardzyńska, Maria (2017). Wysiedlenia ludności polskiej z okupowanych ziem polskich włączonych do III Rzeszy w latach 1939-1945 (in Polish). Warszawa: IPN. pp. 82, 89, 123. ISBN 978-83-8098-174-4.
  12. ^ Uchwała Rady Państwa z dnia 29 czerwca 1988 r. w sprawie nadania orderów społecznym zbiorowościom., Dz. U., 1988, vol. 21, No. 190
  13. ^ GUS, Dane demograficzne. Swiecie.
  14. ^ Johann Friedrich Goldbeck: Vollständige Topographie des Königreichs Preußen. Teil II, Marienwerder 1789, p. 72, no 3.
  15. ^ August Eduard Preuß: Preußische Landes- und Volkskunde. Königsberg 1835, p. 386.
  16. ^ Friedrich Christoph Förster: Statistisch-topographisch-historische Uebersicht des Preußischen Staats, Berlin and Leipzig 1838, p. 96.
  17. ^ Michael Rademacher: Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Provinz Westpreußen, Kreis Schwetz (2006).
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