Koźmin Wielkopolski

Koźmin Wielkopolski [ˈkɔʑmʲin vʲɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲi] {German: Koschmin) is a town in Krotoszyn County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,678 inhabitants according to the 2010 census. It is the seat of the Koźmin Wielkopolski urban-rural gmina, which has a population of 13,739 people as of 2010. Until January 1, 1997, the town's official name was "Koźmin"; "Wielkopolski" was then added to the name.

Map of Ko%C5%BAmin Wielkopolski, Poland

The town was granted municipal rights before 1318, and a medieval town existed on the site as early as the 12th century. In 1338, King Kazimierz III of Poland gave the town to Maćko Borowiec, who built a castle there. The castle, located along present-day Zamkowa Street, is still in use today; it houses a school and the Muzeum Ziemi Kozminskiej (Museum of the Kozmin Lands).

The town changed owners several times; it was the property of the Górkas, a prominent Wielkopolska family, in the 16th century, and later belonged to the Sapieha family. It was considered one of the most powerful towns in Wielkopolska during the First Polish Republic. During World War II, Koźmin Wielkopolski was under German occupation from September 6, 1939, to January 23, 1945.

One of the best-preserved Jewish cemeteries in Wielkopolska is located in Koźmin Wielkopolski, along Wierzbowa Street. It includes more than 250 graves, dating back as far as 1806. The cemetery is maintained by a local teacher, Jerzy Fornalik, who is also the author of a multicultural education program, "Anty-Schematy," for students from Poland, Israel, Germany, and other countries.

A former women's prison from World War II, which housed female political prisoners under the Nazi occupation, is located along present-day Klasztorna Street. Currently a youth education center is located in the building. Some of the prisoners are buried in a mass grave, commemorated by a monument, in the cemetery along Poznańska Street.