Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Świdwin

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Country
  
Poland

Gmina
  
Świdwin (urban gmina)

Time zone
  
CET (UTC+1)

Area
  
22.38 km²

Local time
  
Sunday 8:31 PM

County
  
Świdwin County

Elevation
  
99 m (325 ft)

Zip code
  
78-300 do 78-301

Population
  
15,503 (2010)

Świdwin polandpolandcomswidwinjpg

Weather
  
11°C, Wind W at 6 km/h, 89% Humidity

Voivodeship
  
West Pomeranian Voivodeship

Points of interest
  
Schloss Świdwin, Park Wodny Relax, Brama Kamienna

Świdwin [ˈɕfidvin] (German: Schivelbein; Kashubian: Skwilbëno) is a town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland. It is the capital of Świdwin County established 1999, previously having been in Koszalin Voivodeship (1950–1998), and the administrative seat - though not part - of the Gmina Świdwin. Świdwin is situated in the historic Pomerania region on the left banks of the Rega river, about 100 km (62 mi) east of the regional capital Szczecin and 44 km (27 mi) south of the Baltic coast at Kołobrzeg. As of 2007 the town has a population of 15,486.

Contents

Map of Swidwin, Poland

History

In the 13th century the settlement belonged to the Duchy of Pomerania under the Griffin duke Barnim I. In 1248 the duke ceded the area to the Bishop of Cammin, who shortly afterwards sold it to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg. Schivelbein was incorporated as the northeastern outpost of the Neumark region and, though temporarily pawned to the State of the Teutonic Order, remained a Brandenburg possession until the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. In 1816 it became part of the Prussian province of Pomerania.

The Battle of Świdwin took place south of the town during 6–7 March 1945, in which a German SS corps was encircled and destroyed by two Soviet and one Polish armies. After the town was captured, a Soviet general was killed by a member of the Hitler Youth. The reprisals that followed saw the men shot, and the women and girls raped by Soviet troops. At the end of World War II Schivelbein with Farther Pomerania became part of the Republic of Poland and its name changed to Świbowina, which was officially renamed to Świdwin in 1946.

Population

1960: 10,000 inhabitants 1970: 12,600 inhabitants 1975: 13,500 inhabitants 1980: 14,000 inhabitants 2004: 17,000 inhabitants 2005: 16,240 inhabitants 2008: 15,486 inhabitants 2009: 15,621 inhabitants 2010: 15,503 inhabitants

Notable residents

  • Otto Georg Bogislaf von Glasenapp (1853–1928), Vice president of the Reichsbank
  • Siegfried Lemke (1921–1995), Luftwaffe officer
  • Olgierd Moskalewicz (b. 1974), soccer player
  • Johannes Poeppel (1921–2007), general
  • Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902), pathologist and politician
  • Grzegorz Halama (b. 1970), parodist, cabaret actor
  • Twin towns — sister cities

    Świdwin is twinned with:

  • Sanitz, Germany
  • Świdwin's airport

    The military airport operated by the Polish Air Force is located about 5 km (3.11 mi) from the city centre. Civilians are not permitted to enter, but this airport is often used for government's aircraft. The runway is 2.5 km (1.55 mi) length and 60 m (196.85 ft) width.

    References

    Świdwin Wikipedia