Information AboutKolobrzeg |
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| cities and towns in west pomeranian voivodeship | |
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Kołobrzeg (pronounced: ; (); Pomerania in north-western Poland with some 50,000 inhabitants (2000). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta river on the south coast of the Baltic Sea (in the middle of the section divided by the Oder and Vistula rivers). It has been the capital of Kołobrzeg County in West Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, previously in Koszalin Voivodship (1950-1998). CITY NAME The name probably comes from its geographical location and means "near coast" in Pomeranian and Polish . The German name probably comes from the original Slavic name and developed by German settlers who increasingly settled in the city and the region after the 12th Century . HISTORY Historical population of Kołobrzeg The settlement was founded in the 9th Century , but earlier traces of settlement in the city territory are from the 6th Century . In early history, Kołobrzeg was a major port on the Baltic Sea and produced a lot of Salt , which was then one of the most expensive trading goods. Kołobrzeg, with the rest of Pomerania , was included (or re included, as the new archaeological finds seem to indicate) into the Polish realm by Mieszko I of Poland in 972 . After the Congress Of Gniezno in 1000 the emperor Otto III granted Poland the right to form a separate church hierarchy. One of the newly founded Diocese s was located in Kołobrzeg, which was under the Archdiocese of Gniezno . The first Bishop of Kołobrzeg was Reinbern from Hochseegau . The Diocese and direct links with the Polish kingdom ended when Bolesław I Chrobry withdrew his troops from the area around 1013 , chased out by pagan Pomeranians who were not willing to convert to Christianity. A century later, Kołobrzeg was again taken over by Poland under Bolesław Krzywousty . A diocese was in existence in 1124 under Prince-Bishop Otto Of Bamberg . In the late 12th Century Pomerania gave homage to the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark , from time to time taking part in the life of a divided Poland, to which it belonged from the point of view of church organisation. On May 23 , 1255 , the city was chartered under Lübeck Law by duke Warcisław III , and settlers from the Holy Roman Empire started to arrive. From 1637 till 1721 Pomerania and Kolberg were part of the Swedish Kingdom (the King Of Sweden being also duke of the Empire), and after the Great Northern War they became part of the Kingdom Of Prussia . In 1761 the city was captured by the Russian commander Peter Rumyantsev during the Seven Years' War , but at the end of the war it was returned to Prussia. During Napoleon 's invasion of Prussia, the city was besieged by French armies from April 26 to July 2 , 1807 . In a stubborn defense, led by then lieutenant-colonel Gneisenau , the city held out until the war was ended by the Treaty Of Tilsit . In 1871 Kolberg became a part of the newly-created German Empire . Shortly before the end of the Second World War , Kolberg was chosen by Joseph Goebbels for the site of the last Nazi Propaganda film '' Kolberg ''. The film was to inspire the Germans with its depiction of the heroic Prussian defence of the city in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars . Tremendous resources were devoted to filming this epic, even diverting tens of thousands of troops from the front lines to have them serve as extras in battle scenes. The film was released in the final few weeks of Nazi Germany's existence. In 1944 the city was designated a so-called stronghold '' Festung Kolberg '', most of the civilians were expelled from the city, and between March 4 and March 18 , 1945 , there were major Battle s between the Soviet , Polish armies and the German army. Just after the capture of the city, the Polish army repeated the symbolic Engagement Of Poland With The Sea , that was celebrated for the first time in 1920 by general Józef Haller . The devastated city, along with the entire province of Pomerania east of the Odra river, was eventually assigned to Poland by the Potsdam Conference . The German population was expelled and eventually found new homes in western Germany. TOURIST DESTINATION Kołobrzeg is a popular tourist destination, esp. for the Poles and the Germans. It provides a unique combination of a Seaside Resort , health resort, an old town full of historic monuments and tourist entertainment options (e.g. numerous "beer gardens"). On July 14 , 2004 , the longest seaside bike path in Poland was commissioned. The path extends from Kołobrzeg to Podczele. It provides unique views of woods, beaches, swamps, impenetrable thickets, bird nesting grounds, and more. The path has been financed by the European Union . An international airport was to be built 7 kilometres away from Kołobrzeg. However, due to the protests of the local population, the project may never see the light of day. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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