Place in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
?nin
[??in]
ⓘ
(
German
:
Znin, 1941-45: Dietfurt
) is a
town
in north-central
Poland
with a population of 14,181 (June 2014). It is in the
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship
(previously
Bydgoszcz Voivodeship
) and is the capital of
?nin County
. The historical town, initially established in the 11th century, is situated in the historic land of
Pałuki
and the
Gniezno Lake Area
on the river
G?sawka
.
Etymology
[
edit
]
The name originates from the
Polish
word "?nieja", meaning
harvest
or a harvester. During
World War II
, ?nin's name was "Dietfurt".
History
[
edit
]
Local museum
The area was known in
Roman
times, especially the nearby fortification of
Biskupin
, a
Lusatian culture
site known as the "Polish
Pompeii
". Biskupin was an early
Iron Age
Hallstatt C fortified settlement of about 800-1000 people in the
Warta River
valley circa 800-650 and 650-475 BC.
By 1030, the area was included within the
Archbishopric of Gniezno
. The first mention of ?nin is in the Gniezno
papal bull
issued on 7 July 1136 by
Pope Innocent II
. The pope granted Archbishop
Jacob of ?nin
29 villages in Pałuki and the town of ?nin, which also became property of the
Roman Catholic Church
.
?nin was given
town rights
in 1263 (based on
Magdeburg law
). In the 13th century the town was given the right of
coinage
, which resulted in its dynamic expansion. ?nin was a major town located on the
trade route
from
Silesia
to
Gda?sk
(the
Amber Road
). The
Teutonic Knights
, under command of the Order's Marshal
Dietrich von Altenburg
, sacked ?nin in 1331. After a few years, the town was rebuilt.
City walls
were constructed in 1343. King
Casimir the Great
of
Poland
confirmed several privileges and duties to the city and visited it in 1343, 1361, 1365, and 1370. ?nin became a favourite residence of the Gniezno bishops in 1374. In 1447, fire destroyed large parts of the town. In the rebuilt town in 1459, the first
wind-mill
was constructed, while breweries, orchards, and workshops increased ?nin's prosperity. Another fire destroyed the town in 1494.
Swedish
invaders did not attack ?nin during
the Deluge
(1655?60), but disease and poverty depopulated the town; only 96 building were occupied and 151 buildings were left empty. By 1673, ?nin had 2,331 inhabitants. Fires again damaged ?nin in 1688, 1692, and 1700. People abandoned the town, searching quarters in other nearby towns and villages. After a partial reconstruction, another fire in 1751 destroyed 64 houses, the brewery and the town hall. Only the city-hall tower remained. The medieval part of ?nin constructed of wood was totally destroyed. However, tourists can still admire the historic centre of ?nin and its old structure dating back to the
Middle Ages
.
View of the central part of town
?nin was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia
in 1772 during the
First Partition of Poland
and subsequently administered within the
Netze District
. In September 1794, during the unsuccessful
Ko?ciuszko Uprising
, Polish forces under General
Jan Henryk D?browski
, passed
G?sawa
from
Pozna?
and liberated ?nin. The local garrison commander, Colonel Keszycki, established a recruitment center for volunteers in the town.
After
Napoleon
's defeat of Prussia in the
War of the Fourth Coalition
, ?nin was included in the
Duchy of Warsaw
in 1807. The town was restored to Prussia in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon and administered within
Kreis Schubin
within the new
Province of Posen
. ?nin's economy developed rapidly by the end of the 19th century. By 1902, the town had fresh water pipe lines, gas works, macadam streets, and 4,500 inhabitants.
Sufragania
, once a bishop's manor, dating from 1795
?nin participated in the
Greater Poland Uprising
in January 1919 after
World War I
. At the time there was a garrison of 300
German soldiers
in the city under Sub. Lt. Eckert. The Polish insurgents, supported by a cavalry unit from Gniezno, kept the Germans busy until another unit of 737 came from Pozna? and occupied ?nin on 18 January. A new town council was elected and Polish was re-established as the
official language
. The city had 4,980 inhabitants.
In 1930, during the
interwar era
the growing town had 5,500 inhabitants. The processing plants increased their output and agriculture flourished. ?nin had two colleges, three hotels, and, since 1936, a local daily and a weekly newspaper. The county office and court of justice were located in the town.
On 1 September 1939, the first day of
World War II
,
Nazi Germany
's
Luftwaffe
bombed undefended ?nin. Nine days later, German troops marched into the town, which was renamed
Dietfurt
and administered within
Landkreis Dietfurt (Wartheland)
. All street names were replaced by names of
Nazi
leaders or German sounding names. There was no school for the Poles; children had to walk to Gora, a village east of ?nin. 600 Poles were deported, with 200 taken to
forced labour
or
Nazi concentration camps
. In November and December 1939, hostages, mainly insurgents of 1919, were shot at different places around the town. During the
occupation
, the Germans also established and operated a Nazi prison in the town.
[1]
After the war, on 21 October 1945, a mass re-burial of 62 exhumed victims was held in G?sawa. In the village Gora (now part of ?nin), a solemn burial of 100
Jewish
citizens, killed in the nearby
concentration camp
Murczyn, was held and a monument created by ?nin craftsmen was unveiled on 11 December 1987.
Prominent features
[
edit
]
?niadecki Street in the town center, filled with colourful historic townhouses
?nin is located on the
G?sawka
river and between two lakes ? the ?nin Great Lake and the ?nin Small Lake. Both these and the nearby forests are popular tourist attractions.
Other points of interest include:
Local events
[
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]
Ice surfing on the ?nin Small Lake
- Tour de Pologne
- World/European Motorboat Championships
- Archaeological Festival in Biskupin
- Folk Authors' Rally "Autumn in the Pałuki Land"
- Pałuki Agricultural Fair
- Tourists' Rallies
- Polish and European Windsurfing Championships
Notable residents
[
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]
J?drzej ?niadecki
- Franz Arnold
(1878?1960), actor and playwright
- Klemens Janicki
(1516?1543), poet
- Michał Joachimowski
(1950?2014), triple jumper
- Karol Linetty
(born 1995), footballer
- Jan ?niadecki
(1756?1830), mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer
- J?drzej ?niadecki
(1768?1838), writer, physician, chemist, biologist and philosopher
Transport links
[
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]
By plane
[
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]
Located 45 kilometres (28 miles) to the north of ?nin, the
Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport
is the nearest one. Once you are in
Bydgoszcz
(possibly via
Warsaw
or
London
), you will need to catch a local bus or taxi to take you into ?nin. There is also the
Pozna?-Ławica Airport
located in
Pozna?
approx. 100 kilometres (62 miles) south-west of ?nin.
By bus
[
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]
Several companies dealing with
public transport
serve ?nin with bus services connecting the town with all major cities of the region (
Bydgoszcz
,
Gniezno
,
Inowrocław
,
Pozna?
,
Toru?
,
W?growiec
) and also with
Wrocław
.
For bus connections see:
By car
[
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]
?nin is served by expressway S5 which runs from Wrocław via Pozna?, Gniezno to Bydgoszcz and
?wiecie
. It is about an hour's drive from Bydgoszcz and about 45 minutes drive from Gniezno.
The regional road no. 251 (
droga wojewodzka nr 251
) running from Inowrocław to Kaliska near to W?growiec is another major road connection. It is about 45 minutes drive both from Inowrocław and W?growiec.
International relations
[
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]
Twin towns - Sister cities
[
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]
?nin is
twinned
with:
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
?nin
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
?nin
.
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