Olecko
| Olecko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Olecko Castle | |||
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  Olecko | |||
| Coordinates: 54°2′N 22°30′E / 54.033°N 22.500°E | |||
| Country |
 Poland | ||
| Voivodeship | Warmian-Masurian | ||
| County | Olecko County | ||
| Gmina | Gmina Olecko | ||
| Established | 16th century | ||
| Town rights | 1560 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Wacław Olszewski | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 11.6 km2 (4.5 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 22,384 | ||
| • Density | 1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 19-400 to 19-402 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 87 | ||
| Car plates | NOE, NOG | ||
| Website | http://www.olecko.pl | ||
Olecko [ɔˈlɛt͡skɔ] (former German: 
Marggrabowa since 1560, colloquially also Oletzko , Treuburg since 1928, Lithuanian: Alėcka) is a city in Masuria, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of Poland, near Ełk and Suwałki. It is situated at the mouth of the Lega river which flows into the Great Olecko Lake (Jezioro Oleckie Wielkie) on its south-western shore. Olecko is the seat of Olecko County.
History
Marggrabowa was founded as a town by Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke of the Duchy of Prussia, on January 1, 1560. The town's Masurian Slavic-sounding name is derived from the German word Markgraf, the duke's title as the margraviate of Brandenburg's prince. The city's coat of arms still reflects the Brandenburg red eagle and the Hohenzollern black and white which go back to Albert of Brandenburg Prussia. The populace became Lutheran-Protestant within the Duchy of Prussia in 1525.
At the same location as the present location of the town there has been a hunting lodge called Oletzko since 1544. At a peninsula towards the lake, across the Lega river, in 1619 the Castle of Oletzko (Schloss Oletzko) was established as a regional administrative seat for the Dukes of Prussia.
In 1920, the East Prussian plebiscite was held in the area by the League of Nations according to the Treaty of Versailles on remaining in East Prussia or affiliation with the recreated state of Poland. In the whole district of Oletzko there were only 2 pro-Polish votes, so the county remained with Germany.[1] Thus the City was renamed "Treuburg" ("Loyal Castle") in 1928.
Between 1818 and 1945, Marggrabowa was the seat of Oletzko County (Kreis Oletzko) in the province of East Prussia in the Kingdom of Prussia. Following the example of the town, in 1933 also the district was named Kreis Treuburg. The whole area was transferred, this time without plebiscite, to Poland after World War II. The native German populace was expelled and replaced by Poles.
Sights
In the northern part of the town's market square, a Catholic (formerly Lutheran) church is situated on a tree-covered hill.
Transport
The Train Station in the western part of town is a regional railway junction: there were main lines to Gołdap, Ełk and Suwałki. The local railway connections to Mieruniszki, Kruklanki and Sulejki are out of service or dismantled. Currently only bus service runs from the train station.
Education
Notable residents
- Gustav Bergenroth (1813-1869), German historian
- Kurt Blumenfeld (1884–1963), Zionist
- Arthur Zimmermann (1864–1940), diplomat, author of the Zimmermann Telegram
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Olecko is twinned with:
-
Jõhvi, Estonia
External links
- Municipal website of Olecko (en)(pl)
- Website of Olecko (pl)
- iOlecko - news, events, history, photos from Olecko (pl)
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olecko. |
Coordinates: 54°02′N 22°30′E / 54.033°N 22.500°E
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