Kościerzyna

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title: "Kościerzyna" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-pomeranian-voivodeship", "kościerzyna-county", "populated-lakeshore-places-in-poland", "populated-riverside-places-in-poland", "kashubian-american-history"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kościerzyna" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

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

FieldValue
nameKościerzyna
native_namecsb
image_skylineKościerzyna, Rynek (3).jpg
imagesize250px
image_captionMarketplace
image_flagPOL Kościerzyna flag.svg
image_shieldPOL Kościerzyna COA.svg
pushpin_mapPoland
pushpin_label_positionbottom
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Voivodeship
subdivision_name1Pomeranian Voivodeship
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Kościerzyna
subdivision_type3Gmina
subdivision_name3Kościerzyna (urban gmina)
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameMichał Majewski
established_titleEstablished
established_date13th century
established_title3Town rights
established_date31398
area_total_km215.83
population_as_of2023
population_total23327
population_density_km2auto
timezoneCET
utc_offset+1
timezone_DSTCEST
utc_offset_DST+2
coordinates
elevation_m150
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code83-400 to 83-450
area_code+48 58
blank_nameCar plates
blank_infoGKS
website
::

| name = Kościerzyna | native_name = csb | image_skyline = Kościerzyna, Rynek (3).jpg | imagesize = 250px | image_caption = Marketplace | image_flag = POL Kościerzyna flag.svg | image_shield = POL Kościerzyna COA.svg | pushpin_map = Poland | pushpin_label_position = bottom | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship | subdivision_name1 = Pomeranian Voivodeship | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Kościerzyna | subdivision_type3 = Gmina | subdivision_name3 = Kościerzyna (urban gmina) | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Michał Majewski | established_title = Established | established_date = 13th century | established_title3 = Town rights | established_date3 = 1398 | area_total_km2 = 15.83 | population_as_of = 2023 | population_total = 23327 | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | coordinates = | elevation_m = 150 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 83-400 to 83-450 | area_code = +48 58 | blank_name = Car plates | blank_info = GKS | website = | official_name = Kościerzyna (; Pomeranian and ; former ) is a town in Kashubia in Gdańsk Pomerania region, northern Poland, with 23,327 inhabitants as of June 2023. It has been the capital of Kościerzyna County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously it was in Gdańsk Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998.

Geographical location

Kościerzyna is in Gdańsk Pomerania, approximately 50 km south-west of Gdańsk and Tricity and 190 km south-west of Kaliningrad, at a height of 163 m above sea level.

History

The history of the town dates back to the end of the 13th century. The oldest known mention comes from a document from 1284. Kościerzyna was a small town, whose inhabitants made a living from trade, crafts and farming.

The town suffered many times from fire. In 1463 it was first plundered and thereafter burned down completely by Poles during the Thirteen Years' War. In 1626, during the Polish–Swedish War (1626–29), it was completely burned down once more. During the years 1646, 1663 and 1669 it partly burned down, and in 1709 again, entirely.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Mzkk_hk477.JPG" caption=""Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society]] in Kościerzyna"] ::

In the First Partition of Poland in 1772 the town was annexed by Kingdom of Prussia. It was administratively in the newly formed province of West Prussia, where it remained until 1919. The town was subjected to anti-Polish policies, including Germanisation. Despite Germanisation policies, the town was a center of Polish activity in the 19th century. In 1863, volunteers set out from the town to fight in the Polish January Uprising in the Russian Partition of Poland, but few managed to cross the Prussian-Russian border, while many were imprisoned by Prussians. In the late 19th and early 20th century Poles founded various organizations, including the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society, reading rooms, Bank Ludowy ("People's Bank"), and the Kashubian newspaper Gryf began publishing. Writer and activist Aleksander Majkowski was active in the town.

After Poland regained independence after World War I in 1918, the Polish population made efforts to reintegrate the town with Poland. In January 1919, the Germans sent a unit of 120 soldiers to the town to prevent the outbreak of a Polish uprising. Local activist Tomasz Rogala, who co-founded a secret Polish independence organization, went to the peace conference in Versailles, where he demanded to include the town in reborn Poland. Kościerzyna was finally reintegrated with the Second Polish Republic in January 1920. The construction of the Polish Coal Trunk-Line in the interbellum contributed to the prosperity of Kościerzyna, as the town gained a modern railway connection with Gdynia, Bydgoszcz and Upper Silesia.

World War II

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Kościerzyna,_tablica_pamiątkowa_03.jpg" caption="Monument to local Poles who died in the fights for freedom and independence during [[World War II"] ::

After the invasion of Poland, which started World War II, between 1939 and 1945, it was occupied by Nazi Germany. Poles were subjected to persecution, murders, deportations to Nazi concentration camps, and expulsions (see Nazi crimes against the Polish nation).

In the first weeks of the occupation, in September 1939, the Germans arrested and imprisoned numerous Poles from the town and the surrounding area. About 600 Poles were murdered in the nearby forest, and some were deported to concentration camps.

Between November 6 and 22, 1939, the Germans expelled 2,000 Poles, who were first deported to the temporary concentration camp in Wysin, and then to the General Government in the more-eastern part of German-occupied Poland. The expulsions continued until March 1944. Poles who refused to sign the Volksliste were arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, some were tortured to death, or murdered, while their families were deported to concentration camps.

Despite this, the Poles managed to organize an underground resistance movement, including the Pomeranian Griffin secret military organization. After World War II the town was restored to Poland. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/709534Kościerzyna_kościół_Trójcy.JPG" caption="Holy Trinity church"] ::

Number of inhabitants by year

::data[format=table]

YearNumber
1772602
1784over 600
18311,592
18754,138
18804.238
18904,299
19004,910
19206,500
19438,385
196010,900
197015,100
198018,664
199022,663
200323,196
::

Tourist attractions

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Kościerzyna,_ratusz,_widok_od_pd-zach..JPG" caption="Regional museum at the Market Square"] ::

  • Skansen Parowozownia Kościerzyna (railway museum) located at Towarowa 7 Street.
  • Muzeum Ziemi Kościerskiej (regional museum)
  • Rynek (Market Square) filled with colourful historic townhouses
  • Lake Gałęźne
  • Holy Trinity church, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Kościerzyna
  • Church of the Lord's Resurrection

Sports

Notable residents

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Stanisław_Ernest_Denhoff_111.PNG" caption="Stanisław Ernest Denhoff, c.1713"] ::

Twin cities

Kościerzyna is twinned with: ::data[format=table] | | | | |---|---| ::

Gallery

File:Koscierzyna, Poland - panoramio (19).jpg|City Hall File:koscierzyna steam2.jpg|Railway Museum File:retro gdynia koscierzyna.jpg|Retro train "Costerina" Gdynia - Kościerzyna File:Marketplace in Kościerzyna Poland.jpg|Marketplace File:724348 Kościerzyna k. Zmartwywstania Pańskiego.JPG|Church of the Lord's Resurrection

References

References

  1. "Historia Miasta".
  2. [[Johann Friedrich Goldbeck]]: ''Volständige Topographie des Königreichs Preußen''. Part II, Marienwerder 1789, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SQw_AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA66 pp. 66–67, no. 5.]
  3. "Co Tadeusz Pogoda robił w sobotę w Kościerzynie".
  4. Wardzyńska, Maria. (2009). "Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion". [[Institute of National Remembrance.
  5. Wardzyńska, Maria. (2017). "Wysiedlenia ludności polskiej z okupowanych ziem polskich włączonych do III Rzeszy w latach 1939-1945". [[Institute of National Remembrance.
  6. (20 July 2012). "Kościerzyna. Rogala przy nowym skwerze".
  7. Wardzyńska (2017), p. 113
  8. Michael Rademacher: ''[http://www.verwaltungsgeschichte.de/dan_berent.html Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Provinz Westpreußen, Kreis Berent]'' (2006).
  9. [http://www.koscierzyna.gda.pl/391,artykul.html Interesting article with photos on this museum (in Polish)] {{webarchive. link. (2008-06-25)
  10. [http://www.koscierzyna.gda.pl/415,artykul.html See an article with photos describing the lake (in Polish)] {{webarchive. link. (2008-09-15)
  11. [http://www.koscierzyna.gda.pl/414,artykul.html Article on the Sanctuary] {{webarchive. link. (2008-09-11 . See also [https://www.sanktuarium.pl Sanctuary's website])

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

cities-and-towns-in-pomeranian-voivodeshipkościerzyna-countypopulated-lakeshore-places-in-polandpopulated-riverside-places-in-polandkashubian-american-history