History Konin

1 history

1.1 prehistory
1.2 ancient times
1.3 middle ages
1.4 renaissance
1.5 17th century
1.6 18th century
1.7 19th century
1.8 20th century

history
prehistory

the earliest evidence of human habitation in konin has been dated paleolithic era. on dunes near warta, various ancient flint tools , implements have been found, among them being knives, burins, , tanged points. these earliest artifacts of swiderian culture (kultura Świderska) of 9000–8000 bc.

ancient times

a permanent settlement arose along amber road, led roman empire baltic sea, traversing area of present-day konin. map drawn ptolemy identified settlement setidava (or getidava), probable spot wade across warta , containing emporium of importance merchants travelling along route. settlement s primary burial ground, situated on dunes west of centre of today s konin, dates przeworsk culture (kultura przeworska) of 2nd , 3rd centuries ad.

liberty square (plac wolności)


middle ages

toward end of middle ages, gród kaszuba significant of fortified settlements near present-day konin. inhabited 10th through 12th centuries, gród kaszuba situated on meadows near warta. abandonment consequence of floods damaged fortifications. remains of gród kaszuba visible on south bank of river.

during 12th , 13th centuries, in high late middle ages, complex of settlements centred on location of today s stare miasto, there existed large settlement named konin , market place , church built of sandstone. (the name stare miasto first appeared in use later, after konin had been reestablished elsewhere.) remains time ss peter , paul s parish church, magnificent carved portal , solar clock on south wall, perhaps oldest solar clock in greater poland. in 1331, settlement plundered , burnt teutonic knights. remained abandoned , town of konin reestablished, 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) northeast, in more defensible spot old town of konin situated today.

gosławice district: rural architecture, reflected in open-air museum

since 13th century, konin has been situated on marshy grounds of island within ford of warta river. oldest available written work confirming location of town associated gosław, chief officer of group of settlers, , recorded in 1293. town may have been chartered duke of greater poland, przemysł ii, visited konin in 1284 , 1292. @ time, town s north-south axis equalled 430 meters, while east-west axis equalled 210 meters. also, town s area 8 hectares, , circumference 1100 meters. standards of time, konin town of medium size.

konin s significance grew during 14th century. records era indicate konin possessed castellan, office of significance in feudal poland, , 1 oldest towns in country granted. @ approximately midpoint of century, konin became judicial seat of kalisz voivodeship , functioned under authority of starost. there may have been school in konin @ time, student konin listed in 14th-century record of charles university in prague.

the second half of 14th century , entire 15th believed have been period of rapid development konin. during reign of polish king casimir iii great (1310–1370), king s castle erected in konin , town encircled walls , moat, marking beginning of konin king s town later, king władysław ii jagiełło (1351/52 - 1434) guest of konin, visiting in years of 1403, 1425, , 1433. (władysław engineered historic debilitation of political , military power of teutonic knights means of polish-lithuanian victory @ battle of grunwald in 1410.) last stay @ konin, in 1433, longest. throughout year s summer, resided in town s castle, obtaining reports on polish retaliatory strike against knights.

in 1458, during thirteen years war (wojna trzynastoletnia, 1454–1466) against teutonic order, there call military recruitment throughout poland. every polish town bound put quantity of soldiers, number of sign of size , power of given town. regard konin, 15 infantrymen; comparison, poznań, capital of greater poland, bound put 60, while kalisz, nearby słupca , kłodawa, , koło provide 30, 20, 20, , 15 men, respectively. these quantities suggest konin still town of medium size. notwithstanding, town continued development of handicraft trades , enlarged area of starosty district. in 1425, konin granted charter conduct 2 fairs each year.

renaissance

the 16th century, period of poland s golden age, time of significant economic, political, military, cultural, , territorial growth. in 1504, village of kurów, located on river bank opposite main body of konin, incorporated town. furthermore, description of town, written in 1557, lists brickyard , mill 8 butchers, 14 bakers, 21 shoemakers, , 4 fishermen. however, konin may have been 1 of smaller towns of time in eastern greater poland, based on szos, tax assessed on earnings , possessions of townspeople. konin obliged pay 32 zlotych, while poznań (the capital of greater poland) assessed 1400 zlotych; kalisz, 230; nearby słupca, 96; , both koło , pyzdry, 64.

concerning religious matters , reformation, starost of konin, jakub ostroróg, notable supporter of apostacy, , local parish-priest, stanisław lutomirski, played role in reformation in region surrounding konin.

17th century

during 17th century, epidemics , war afflicted konin. plague of 3 years length (1628-1631) decimated town s population. subsequent efforts revitalize konin included king władysław iv s 1646 proclamation, confirming town s right conduct 2 fairs annually , promoting participation in events offering military protection merchants attended them, , 1652 edict of starost, licensing scottish community of konin erect breweries. thereafter, town invaded , occupied swedish army in 1656 during second northern war (the deluge), suffering extensive damage (see castles , ancient town walls) , reduction in number of houses, 127 prior war 25 in 1659 . war s end, town s population had been reduced not more 200 persons. plague occurred shortly afterward, in 1662.

18th century

the 18th century began turmoil of great northern war (iii wojna północna), during konin severely devastated, in 1707, restoration required remainder of century complete. second half of century time of advanced crisis nation, irreversible decline of polish-lithuanian commonwealth (rzeczpospolita obojga narodów) culminated in partitions of poland , loss of national independence. poland s territory occupied , divided among 3 bordering countries - russia, prussia, , austria - in 3 stages, occurring in years of 1772, 1793 , 1795.

as consequence of second partition, konin incorporated prussia, ending konin s status king s town. @ time, town s population 780, 165 houses, of 1 made of brick. inhabitants earned living in agriculture , handicrafts. among craftsmen, there 22 shoemakers, 13 potters, , 8 furriers. 8 fairs took place each year, round-up of cattle. poles, jews, germans , scots town s 4 main ethnic groups. in 1794, konin joined first polish insurrection, kościuszko uprising (insurekcja kościuszkowska); act of joining recorded in town s books of period. polish insurgents took control of town multiple times - e.g., in september 1794, when town entered soldiers of corps of jan henryk dąbrowski, namesake of polish national anthem - so-called dąbrowski s mazurka. in 1796, town damaged fire.

19th century

the 19th century began general, european disorder of napoleonic wars, neither eastern greater poland nor konin escaped. @ start of century, duchy of warsaw (księstwo warszawskie) created polish autonomous region, dependent upon napoleon bonaparte. napoleonic wars gave poles hope of regaining national independence, , supported napoleon. on november 9, 1806, poles took control of konin , organized new, town government. following year, town formally incorporated duchy of warsaw.

warta-gopło canal

the subsequent collapse of napoleonic empire resulted in establishment of new order in europe, within polish territories, including konin. congress of vienna, assembled in 1814-1815 arrange political changes on continent, awarded russia majority of territories formerly held polish-lithuanian commonwealth (rzeczpospolita obojga narodów). konin incorporated russia part of congress poland (królestwo kongresowe), pseudo-autonomous region russian dependency , recognized tzar ruler. town designated capital of sector within gubernya of kalisz; sector encompassed 2 counties, konin county , pyzdry county. administrative standpoint, konin s sector constituted westernmost territory of russian state.

the november uprising (powstanie listopadowe) erupted in 1830. although konin not directly involved in polish uprising, other polish cities , towns suffered political , cultural consequences of failure. consequences included denial of higher offices poles, elimination of polish official language, , systematic russification of primary , secondary schools.

the january uprising (powstanie styczniowe) of 1863 had greater affect on konin had 1830 rebellion. many several dozen battles , skirmishes took place in , near konin, many present day monuments attest.

from 1815 onwards, trade , handicraft activities increased substantially in konin. description of town, 1820, states among 2,456 inhabitants, there 161 craftsmen, ten merchants, , 42 peasants. during course of century population of konin increased steadily, rising 4,195 people in 1850 7,391 in 1896. in comparison, nearby koło had 1896 population of 8,800 inhabitants, while turek s population same year 9,900. however, while nearby Łódź becoming 1 of significant textile industrial centres in world, 12 cloth workshops , small factories existed in konin in 1820.

during 1830s, general renewal of town led construction of new streets , squares. also, building lots developed industrial expansion, , dilapidated buildings demolished.

by end of century, there 2 factories produced machines , special tools agriculture - larger of them belonged l. reymond, citizen of switzerland, settled permanently in konin. factory equipped 12 horse-power steam engine , cast iron foundry. apart these enterprises, town held 18 windmills, 4 tanneries, 4 workshops producing soap, 3 vinegar factories, 2 small factories producing boilers, 2 breweries, 2 oil-mills, sparkling water factory, , distillery.

20th century

for konin, 20th century period of rapid development in fields of culture, education, , social life. musical society of kalisz (towarzystwo muzyczne w kaliszu) had many 72 members in konin, , konin s jewish library 1 of finest within gubernya of kalisz, quantity of books , general readership exceeded similar libraries in kalisz, larger urban area. also, branch of rowing club of kalisz (kaliskie towarzystwo wioślarskie) founded in konin in 1908 and, 1914, had 95 members. building, displaying club s coat of arms, still stands in old konin, in zofii urbanowskiej street.

workers associations established in konin. in 1905, when significant strikes occurred in polish industrial centres such warsaw , Łódź, there minor strikes , turmoil in konin well.

a branch of polish gymnastic society, sokół, founded in konin. quasi-military association, objective maintain fitness of teenagers, improve health, , provide readily trainable military recruits in event of possible national uprising or defense need. similar jewish , german associations existed.

after outbreak of world war in 1914, battles between russian , prussian troops occurred near konin. ultimately, city came under prussian control , deteriorated. economic situation of town did not improve when, in 1918, poland regained independence (see: second polish republic) in war s aftermath. living conditions of residents still miserable, exacerbated lack of functioning water distribution , sewer systems. subsequent inter-war economic crisis harsh, , conditions did not begin improve until désenclavement of town, attributable opening of major railway, between poznań , warsaw, , construction of canal gopło lake.

jews had represented 30% of konin s population prior second world war. during war, konin part of land annexed nazi germany (reichsgau wartheland). in town s surrounding forests, nazis carried out mass executions of jews 95% killed or send concentration camps. in august 1943, jews @ labour camp @ konin, led rabbi joshua moshe aaronson, burned down huts in camp , tried escape. of them killed. town survivors published, in 1968, extensive yizkor book (803 pages) in memory in flourishing jewish community: mendel gelbart, ed., kehilat konin: bi-feriḥatah uve-hurbanah (tel aviv). book written in yiddish, hebrew , english. descendant of konin jews, theo richmond, wrote konin: quest, extensive history of jewish life in town ever appear in english. majority of jews in konin mitnagdim, though 2 small communities of hasidim lived within konin jewish community, adherents gerer hasidism, small group of aleksander hasidim.