Białogard

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Town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland

title: "Białogard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-west-pomeranian-voivodeship", "białogard-county"] description: "Town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Białogard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameBiałogard
image_skylineBiałogard kościół Narodzenia NMP..JPG
image_captionChurch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at the town square
image_flagPOL Białogard flag.svg
image_shieldPOL Białogard COA.svg
pushpin_mapPoland
pushpin_label_positionbottom
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Voivodeship
subdivision_name1West Pomeranian
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Białogard
subdivision_type3Gmina
subdivision_name3Białogard (urban gmina)
established_titleFirst mentioned
established_date12th century
established_title2Town rights
established_date21299
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameEmilia Bury
government_footnotes
area_total_km225.73
area_footnotes
population_as_of31 December 2021
population_total23614
population_density_km2918
population_footnotes
timezoneCET
utc_offset+1
timezone_DSTCEST
utc_offset_DST+2
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code78-200
area_code+48 94
blank_nameCar plates
blank_infoZBI
blank_name_sec2Voivodeship roads
blank_info_sec2[[File:DW163-PL.svg
websitehttp://www.bialogard.info/
::

| name = Białogard | image_skyline = Białogard kościół Narodzenia NMP..JPG | image_caption = Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary at the town square | image_flag = POL Białogard flag.svg | image_shield = POL Białogard COA.svg | pushpin_map = Poland | pushpin_label_position = bottom | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship | subdivision_name1 = West Pomeranian | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Białogard | subdivision_type3 = Gmina | subdivision_name3 = Białogard (urban gmina) | established_title = First mentioned | established_date = 12th century | established_title2 = Town rights | established_date2 = 1299 | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Emilia Bury | government_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 25.73 | area_footnotes = | population_as_of = 31 December 2021 | population_total = 23614 | population_density_km2 = 918 | population_footnotes = | timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 78-200 | area_code = +48 94 | blank_name = Car plates | blank_info = ZBI | blank_name_sec2 = Voivodeship roads | blank_info_sec2 = [[File:DW163-PL.svg|32px|link=Voivodeship road 163]] [[File:DW166-PL.svg|32px|link=Voivodeship road 166]] | website = http://www.bialogard.info/ Białogard (; ; Pomeranian: Biôłogard) is a historic town in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 23,614 inhabitants as of December 2021. The capital of Białogard County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Bialogard is one of the oldest towns in Pomerania, which developed from an early medieval fortified stronghold. It prospered as a center of trade and crafts. Today it is a small industrial centre and a site for natural gas extraction. It is the most important railroad junction of Middle Pomerania, which links Kołobrzeg with Piła and Gdańsk with Stargard. It has a number of heritage sites from different periods, including several medieval town gates and churches.

History

Medieval period

According to archaeologists the Białogard stronghold was built in the fork of the Parsęta and Leśnica Rivers as early as the 8th century. In the 10th century it was an important centre of long-range international trade at the crossroads of two important trade routes: a north–south "salt route" from Kołobrzeg to Poznań and Greater Poland, and the west-east Pomeranian route from Szczecin to Gdańsk.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Bazylika_Narodzenia_NMP,_Białogard.jpg" caption="Medieval Gothic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary"] ::

Pomerania was inhabited by several tribes collectively known as Pomeranians, and Białogard was probably the centre of one of them. The territory became part of the emerging Polish state under its first ruler Mieszko I around 967. His son, Duke Bolesław the Brave established a bishopric in nearby Kołobrzeg in 1000, and introduced Christianity.

Białogard is first mentioned in the chronicle of Gallus Anonymous as a rich and populous stronghold in the middle of Pomerania, a famous royal city called white (Alba Regia). This city was conquered by Boleslaus III of Poland in 1107. By the invitation of Bolesław III the Wrymouth and his vassal Wartisław I of Pomerania, Bishop Otto of Bamberg came with a mission to Pomerania in 1124; Białogard was one of the places he visited. In the 12th century Białogard was a seat of a regional governor (castellan).

Kashubia was the name of the region around this town. The town developed quickly as one of the more important economic centres of the Duchy of Pomerania, and this was strengthened by the Lübeck law granted to the city by Duke Bogusław IV in 1299. In 1307 the city was granted staple rights. In 1386 it became a member of the Hanseatic League. In the 15th century there were disputes with the nearby town of Świdwin, and in 1469 even a battle was fought between the towns. On the 500-year anniversary of the battle, on the initiative of Polish writer and publisher , in post-World War II Poland, a medieval-style competition was organized between the inhabitants of both towns. As a local tradition, these competitions have been organized annually since. As a result of the feudal fragmentation of Pomerania, Białogard was part of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1295 and Pomerania-Stolp (Duchy of Słupsk), a vassal state of the Polish Crown, from 1368. Duke Wartislaw IV chose the town as his main place of residence in 1315. Pomerania was united under Duke Bogislaw X in 1478, after 1569 the town was part of the Pomerania-Stettin, and later was again in the united Duchy of Pomerania under Bogislaw XIV, the last Pomeranian duke.

Modern period

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Białogard_ratusz.JPG" caption="Preserved town hall dating back hundreds of years"] ::

Crafts and trade flourished. In 1534 a bakers' guild was founded, in 1580 also woodcarvers' and clothiers' guilds were established. Following the Protestant Reformation, the town became Protestant in 1534. During the Thirty Years' War the town was plundered by the troops of the Holy Roman Empire and Sweden. After the death of the last Pomeranian Duke in 1637, and as a result of the Thirty Years' War, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided between Sweden and Brandenburg-Prussia. As Belgard, with all of Farther Pomerania, the town became part of Brandenburg in 1653 and became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. In 1724 Belgard was made the capital of a county in the Province of Pomerania, and after the administrative reorganization in 1815, the capital of Landkreis Belgard (Belgard county).

The first post office in Belgard was opened in 1825. In 1858 the first railroad connecting Belgard to Köslin (Koszalin) and Schivelbein (Świdwin) was completed; it was extended to Stargard and Neustettin (Szczecinek) in 1878. Belgard became part of the German Empire in 1871.

20th century

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Bialogard,rynek_1945(66045810).jpg" caption="Białogard in 1945"] ::

During World War II, forced labour subcamps of the Nazi prison in Koszalin and of the Stalag II-D prisoner-of-war camp were operated by the Germans in the town. In February 1945, German-perpetrated death marches of Allied prisoners of war from the Stalag Luft IV and Stalag XX-B prisoner-of-war camps passed through the town. In the final weeks of the war, the Red Army occupied the town on March 4, 1945. According to the terms of the Potsdam Conference, after the war the town became once again part of Poland.

Białogard was made a county city in the Szczecin Voivodeship, was later assigned to the Koszalin Voivodeship, and is now located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Natural gas deposits were discovered in 1982 and extraction started in 1984. In 1999 the 700th anniversary of receiving town rights was celebrated with the participation of Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who was born in Białogard.

Demographics

Since the medieval Christianization of the area, the majority of the population was composed of Catholics. After the Reformation, the town's inhabitants were predominantly Protestant, particularly Lutheran. Since the end of the war the majority of the town's population is composed of Catholics, though a significant Lutheran minority remains.

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Main sights

| image1 = Białogard, d.spichlerz..JPG | image2 = Brama Połczyńska nocą..jpg | image3 = Fragment murów obronnych.jpg | image4 = Białogard, plac wolności 17 - widok od strony głównego wejścia.jpg | image5 = Siedziba władz Miasta.jpg | image6 = Bialogard-pomnik-Orla-Bialego-080516-180.jpg | caption1 = Timber-framed granary | caption2 = Połczyńska Gate | caption3 = Medieval town walls | caption4 = Białogard County office | caption5 = Municipal Office | caption6 = White Eagle Monument

  • Old Town (Stare Miasto) with historic townhouses
  • Brick Gothic Połczyńska Gate
  • Gothic Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary
  • Partly preserved medieval town walls
  • Gothic St. George church
  • Białogard County office
  • Old town hall (Stary Ratusz), now housing a local museum and a Wedding Palace
  • Municipal Office
  • Former town granary made from a timber frame
  • White Eagle Park with the White Eagle Monument
  • Music School (Szkoła Muzyczna)
  • Pedagogical Library (Biblioteka Pedagogiczna)
  • A monument commemorating the victims of Soviet and communist repressions and exiles to Siberia
  • Remains of the castle

Notable residents

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Białogard is twinned with:

References

References

  1. "Burmistrz Białogardu". Miasto Białogard.
  2. "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland.
  3. "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland.
  4. "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland.
  5. Labuda, Gerard. (1993). "Chrystianizacja Pomorza (X–XIII stulecie)".
  6. [[Gerard Labuda]], 1969 [https://books.google.com/books?id=QyHjAAAAMAAJ&q=cassubia]
  7. "Historia".
  8. "Außenkommando des Gefängnisses Köslin (Koszalin) in Bialogard".
  9. "Work Camps".
  10. "Stalag Luft IV. Marsz Śmierci".
  11. Kaszuba, Sylwia. "Stalag XX B: historia nieopowiedziana". Muzeum Miasta Malborka.
  12. "Miasta partnerskie". Miasto Białogard.

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cities-and-towns-in-west-pomeranian-voivodeshipbiałogard-county