Gorzów Wielkopolski

Gorzów Wielkopolski
	Gorzów Wielkopolski
	Górczyńska Avenue, Gorzów
; Flag	; Coat of arms
	Motto: Miasto wielu możliwości; City of many possibilities
	; Gorzów Wielkopolski
	Coordinates: 52°44′N 15°15′E / 52.733°N 15.25°E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Lubusz
County	city county
Established	13th century
Town rights	1257
	Government
- Mayor	Tadeusz Jędrzejczak
	Area
- Total	86 km2 (33.2 sq mi)
Elevation	19 m (62 ft)
	Population (2006)
- Total	125,204
- Density	1,455.9/km2 (3,770.7/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	66-400 to 66-414
Area code(s)	+48 095
Car plates	FG
Website	http://www.gorzow.pl/

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Gorzów Wielkopolski [ˈɡɔʐuf vjɛlkɔˈpɔlski] ( listen) (abbreviated Gorzów Wlkp.; German: Landsberg an der Warthe) is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river, with 125,780 inhabitants (2005). Since 1999, it is one of the two capitals of Lubusz Voivodeship (the other is Zielona Góra); previously, it was the capital of the Gorzów Voivodeship (1975-1998).

The biggest oil fields in Poland are located near Gorzów.

[edit] Etymology

The Polish name Gorzów, written as Gorzew, is known from Polish maps and historical books dating back to 18th century or perhaps earlier.^[1] It appeared in a compendium called Ancient Poland according to its history, geography and statistics (Starożytna Polska pod względem historycznym, geograficznym i statystycznym) published in 1848 by Samuel Orgelbrand in Warsaw. Ten years earlier, in 1838, the same name Gorzew was used in a book published in Paris with a corresponding yet broader title of Polska w kształcie dykcjonarza hisloryczno-statystyczno-jeograficznego (encompassing all of Poland). The current spelling of "Gorzów" appears on the map featuring "Królestwo Polskie" published in Lwow in 1900 with "Landsberg an der Warthe" in parenthesis next to "Gorzów". The name is interpreted in several different ways according to rules of the old Polish language, originating from "gorzenie" or "pogorzelcy" (meaning: conflagration), or even "gorzelnia" or "gorzałka" meaning brewery. German name Landsberg an der Warthe derives from the German words land or 'state' and berg or 'mountain' combined with Warthe – the German name for the river Warta. The name 'Gorzów' eventually stuck, beating the alternative postwar name "Kobylagóra", or 'Mare Mountain', which survives today as the name of a street in the city. The word Wielkopolski or 'Great Poland', after the voivodeship of that name of which Gorzów was a part from 1946-1950, was added later. However, Gorzow itself is not a part of the historical region of Greater Poland.

[edit] History

Up until the mid-13th century, the land where the river Kłodawka meets the Warta was the location of a defensive fort established by the Polish Piast dynasty.^[2] In 1249 the Polish Duke Bolesław Rogatka sold Lubusz Land, including the site of present-day Gorzów, to the Margraviate of Brandenburg and the city of Landisberch Nova was founded on the site in 1257. The city was at that time within the borders of the Neumark region of Brandenburg. In the 16th century the city became Lutheran, with St. Mary's Cathedral changing its allegiance in 1537.

In 1701 Landsberg (Gorzów) became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars, it became part of Prussia's Province of Brandenburg. The city was included in the German Empire in 1871 during the unification of Germany. Before 1945 it had become thoroughly German in population, although in the early 20th century there was a sizable Jewish minority.

In early 1945 during World War II Landsberg was heavily damaged following the retreat of the Wehrmacht ahead of the Soviet Red Army. The Red Army arrived in the city on 30 January1945, approaching from the left bank of the river Warta. The Wehrmacht had already evacuated most of the city, and the advancing forces met very little resistance. Over the course of the next few days, most of the city centre was destroyed, reportedly through the accidental spread of a fire started in order to light the outward march of the Red Army towards Küstrin.

The city became part of Poland in accordance with the provisions of the post-war Potsdam Conference, and most of the remaining Germans soon were expelled to Germany. Between February and September 1945, the German population of the city was gradually replaced by the Poles repatriated from the Polish lands annexed by the Soviet Union (also known as Kresy). It was at this time that Gorzów's significant Tatar and Romani communities arrived. The last original German inhabitants left the city in early 1950s.

[edit] Main attractions

Although the centre of Gorzów was heavily damaged during the second world war, there are still many notable tourist attractions in the city. The largest of these is the gothic, red-brick Gorzów Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, dating from the end of the 13th century, situated on the old market square. The city centre is overwhelmingly comprised of Communist-era buildings, although many have been beautified, most notably those around the old market square. Many of the facades of the buildings in the centre were renovated in anticipation of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Gorzów in 1997.

St. Mary's Cathedral

Modern additions to the old market square

The Spichlerz (City Granary)

Wełniany Rynek street in Gorzów old town

Wiosny Ludow Park

Lubusz Museum

Staromiejski bridge

Christ the King Church tower

Due to the large number of parks and green spaces, Gorzów has been termed 'the city of parks and gardens'. In addition to the central Park of Roses (Park Róż), there is also a viewing area on the hilltop of Siemiradzki Park which commands impressive views across the plains and woods to the south of the city.

The city also contains the museum of Lubusz Voivodeship, which is divided between two sites. The Spichlerz or 'granary' dates from the 18th century and can be found on the left bank of the Warta. The museum, housed inside, frequently plays host to art exhibitions and has a permanent collection of artifacts and photographs relating to the history of the city. The other part of the museum, on Warszawska street, is housed in the secessionist villa of Gustav Schroeder. This section contains a wide range of artifacts, ranging from 17th century portraits, to weapons, pottery, and the biedermeier interior furnishings of the villa itself.

The Gorzów Jewish cemetery is located on the western edge of the city. Although the cemetery was vandalised in the 1930s, a number of graves still remain intact.

[edit] Culture

Gorzów is well known for the International Romani Gathering (Międzynarodowe Spotkanie Cygańskie) Romane Dyvesa which is held every summer on the first week of July. The gathering includes a series of concerts held in the outdoor amphitheatre near the centre of the city. The festival is organised by Edward Dębicki, the founder of the Romani music group Terno, which also performs as part of the series of concerts.

Romane Dyvesa continues Gorzów's strong tradition of Romani culture, of which the most widely known member was the poet Bronisława Wajs, often known as Papusza. Wajs's former home on Kosynierów Gdyńskich street is marked with a plaque, as is the main city library on Sikorskiego street. The library itself holds a collection of books about Papusza, as well as the manuscripts of her correspondence with Julian Tuwim.