Gmina Świętajno Local time Thursday 5:04 PM | County Szczytno Population 1,100 | |
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Weather 8°C, Wind SW at 10 km/h, 61% Humidity Voivodeship Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship | ||
Spychowo [spɨˈxɔvɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Świętajno, within Szczytno County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) north-east of Świętajno, 25 km (16 mi) east of Szczytno, and 60 km (37 mi) east of the regional capital Olsztyn. The village has a population of 1,100.
Contents
Map of Spychowo, Poland
History
In mid 13th century the Teutonic Order, following the medieval conquest of Old Prussia, built a fortification at the place of an Old Prussian settlement.
The village was a favorite hunting post of the Prussian Kings and, after the Nazi rise to power, Hermann Göring. Before 1945 it was known as Puppen.
After World War II the region was placed under Polish administration by the Potsdam Agreement under territorial changes demanded by the Soviet Union. Most Germans fled or were expelled and replaced with Poles expelled from the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union or Ukrainians forced to settle in the area through Operation Vistula in 1947. The village was initially renamed Pupy, which was changed to Spychowo in 1960.
On September 23, 1979 the local Protestant church was charged whilst liturgy and forcefully taken over by Catholics.