Górowo Iławeckie

Early history

The town was founded by the Teutonic Knights commander of Balga, Heinrich von Muro, on February 5, 1335 at the crossroads of Balga-Heilsberg and Bartenstein-Mehlsack in the heart of the Old Prussian region of Natangia. It was largely destroyed in the wars of 1414 and 1456. In 1440, the town was a founding member of the Prussian Confederation opposing the Teutonic Order. After the battle of Grunwald/Tannenberg and owing to the economic weakness following this defeat, the Teutonic Order was not able to pay off his debts to its mercenaries anymore, so the town was pawned to Nikolaus von Taubenheim in 1482. Throughout the centuries, the small town changed landlords, eventually the town was the property of the von Schwerin family from 1664 to 1808.

In 1710, 767 out of ca. 1000 inhabitants died of the plague.

Napoleonic time

After the battle of Eylau in February 1807, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte took lodging at the presbytery of the Lutheran church on 16./17.February 1807, just a few days after the Russian General Bagration. The church itself was used as a camp for Russian POWs captured at Eylau and at the earlier battle of Hoofe (Dworzno). 8000 wounded French soldiers were left in Landsberg. The town suffered from these battles and lost almost half of its inhabitants in the year 1807 due to hunger and disease following this war; in February and March 1807 alone, 400 inhabitants of the Landsberg region died. In 1809, the town counted only 1126 inhabitants and was closer to a village.

In 1811, parts of the Napoleonic Grande Armée marched through Landsberg on their way to Russia. About 40,000 French soldiers camped at the Landsberg area before marching on and had to be supplied with rations by the inhabitants.

20th century

In 1898, Landsberg was connected to the railway-line, and in 1908, a municipal gas factory was established, which is today a technical museum.

In the beginning of World War I, Russian troops conquered the town for a few days in late August 1914. Owing to some shootings by German soldiers, the post office, one house, and several barns were burned down and seven civilians were executed. A railway bridge was blown up. German troops reconquered the town on September 2, 1914 without fighting.

In February 1945, the town and its periphery was the scene for fierce battles between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army, which finally conquered the town on 2. February 1945. As an important travel nexus, a large number of civilians trying to escape from East Prussia were captured here. On June 19, 1945, representatives of the Polish administration came to the town and took over administrative power from the Soviet commandant.

Following the Potsdam Conference, Gorowo became part of Poland and the German inhabitants were expelled to western Germany in 1946/47.

Along with Poles, especially from the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union, a remarkable number of people of Ukraine nationality were settled by force in the area of Gorowo through Operation Vistula in 1947. Today a Ukrainian boarding school exists in Gorowo, and the former Lutheran church is used by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Górowo Iławeckie is twinned with: