Świdwin
| Świdwin | ||
|---|---|---|
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Świdwin Castle | ||
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  Świdwin | ||
| Coordinates: 53°47′N 15°46′E / 53.783°N 15.767°ECoordinates: 53°47′N 15°46′E / 53.783°N 15.767°E | ||
| Country |
 Poland | |
| Voivodeship | West Pomeranian | |
| County | Świdwin County | |
| Gmina | Świdwin (urban gmina) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Jan Owsiak | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 22.38 km2 (8.64 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 99 m (325 ft) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 15 503 | |
| • Density | 698/km2 (1,810/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Zip code | 78-300 do 78-301 | |
| Area code(s) | +48-(0)94 | |
| Car plates | ZSD | |
| Website |
www | |
Świdwin [ˈɕfidvin] (German: Schivelbein; Kashubian: Skwilbëno) is a town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland. It is the capital of Świdwin County established 1999, previously having been in Koszalin Voivodeship (1950–1998), and the administrative seat - though not part - of the Gmina Świdwin. Świdwin is situated in the historic Pomerania region on the left banks of the Rega river, about 100 km (62 mi) east of the regional capital Szczecin and 44 km (27 mi) south of the Baltic coast at Kołobrzeg. As of 2007 the town has a population of 15,486.
History
In the 13th century the settlement belonged to the Duchy of Pomerania under the Griffin duke Barnim I. In 1248 the duke ceded the area to the Bishop of Cammin, who shortly afterwards sold it to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg. Schivelbein was incorporated as the northeastern outpost of the Neumark region and, though temporarily pawned to the State of the Teutonic Order, remained a Brandenburg possession until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. In 1816 it became part of the Prussian province of Pomerania.
The Battle of Świdwin took place south of the town during 6–7 March 1945, in which a German SS corps was encircled and destroyed by two Soviet and one Polish armies.[1] After the town was captured, a Soviet general was killed by a member of the Hitler Youth. The reprisals that followed saw the men shot, and the women and girls raped by Soviet troops.[2][3] At the end of World War II Schivelbein with Farther Pomerania became part of the Republic of Poland and its name changed to Świbowina, which was officially renamed to Świdwin in 1946. The native German populace was expelled and replaced with Poles.
Population
- 1960: 10,000 inhabitants
- 1970: 12,600 inhabitants
- 1975: 13,500 inhabitants
- 1980: 14,000 inhabitants
- 2004: 17,000 inhabitants
- 2005: 16,240 inhabitants
- 2008: 15,486 inhabitants
- 2009: 15,621 inhabitants
- 2010: 15,503 inhabitants
Notable residents
- Otto Georg Bogislaf von Glasenapp (1853–1928), Vice president of the Reichsbank
- Siegfried Lemke (1921–1995), Luftwaffe officer
- Olgierd Moskalewicz (b. 1974), soccer player
- Johannes Poeppel (1921–2007), general
- Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902), pathologist and politician
- Grzegorz Halama (b. 1970), parodist, cabaret actor
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Świdwin is twinned with:
Świdwin's airport
The military airport operated by the Polish Air Force is located about 5 km (3.11 mi) from the city centre. Civilians are not permitted to enter, but this airport is often used for government's aircraft. The runway is 2.5 km (1.55 mi) length and 60 m (196.85 ft) width.
References
- Werwolf!: The History of the National Socialist Guerrilla Movement, 1944-1946, Perry Biddiscombe, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998. ISBN 0802008623.
- Boje Polskie 1939-1945, Krzysztof Komorowski et al., Warszawa: Bellona, 2009. ISBN 978-83-11-10357-3.
External links
- Municipal website (Polish)
- History of town (Polish)
- History photo (Polish)
Notes
- ↑ Komorowski, p. 387
- ↑ (Biddiscombe 1998, p. 464)
- ↑ (Biddiscombe 1998, p. 270)
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