Dobrzany

History

A settlement has been at the site of current-day Dobrzany since the Stone Age. Excavations have uncovered work tools that dated from the 7th to the 10th Century BC. The actual town we know today was originally called Jacobshagen and was developed under the protection of castles in the 12th Century AD. In 1336, Jacobshagen came into the possession of the Pomeranian family of Steglitz, vassals of the dukes of Stettin. In 1359, the lords of Saatzig ruled Jacobshagen. During that time, the inhabitants made their living from agriculture. They also had a mill and brewery. In 1567, Pomeranian Duke Barnim XI issued the town the right to hold two annual fairs. In 1598, a church was constructed.

On 17 June 1781, a large fire started in the mill and destroyed most of the city. Thanks to the support of Prussian King Frederick II, the city was rebuilt under the direction of renowned Pomeranian architect, David Gilly. The people destroyed the old Saatzig castle and made use of the stones in the rebuilding.

At the turn of the 20th Century, Jacobshagen had a Protestant church, a synagogue, a district court, and a forestry office. On 20 August 1896, a railway station was opened in Jacobshagen thus connecting the city to the nearby town of Kashagen in modern fashion. Although new companies came to Jacobshagen, only a sawmill, a brickyard, a dairy, and a cloth factory were created. A mere 1,900 inhabitants were left. Then, World War II struck. Jacobshagen fell victim to the fighting and the city was sixty percent destroyed when it was occupied by the Soviet Red Army on 2 March 1945. Like the rest of Pomerania, the city was then placed under Polish administration, and was renamed Dobrzany. The native German population was expelled and replaced by Poles from the East.