Country Poland Gmina Gmina Sztum Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 4.59 km² Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship Town rights 1416 | County Sztum County Established 13th century Postal code 82-400 Population 9,945 (2006) Local time Tuesday 5:35 AM | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind N at 6 km/h, 91% Humidity | ||
Sztum ([ʂtum]) (German: Stuhm) is a town in northern Poland in the Powiśle region, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Sztum County, with some 10,141 inhabitants (2004).
Contents
Map of Sztum, Poland
History
Signs of settlement dating back to the Roman Empire era have been found. In the early Middle Ages, a fortified settlement of the Prussian people existed at the site, conquered by the Teutonic Knights in 1236. City rights were granted to the settlement in 1416.
In 1466 the town with other western Prussian territory passed to the crown of Poland as part of Royal Prussia. As part of Poland, the town functioned as a seat of Sztum powiat in Malbork Voivodeship (1466-1772) and a place to hold local court sessions. In 1635 the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf was signed in the village of Stuhmsdorf (now Sztumska Wies, just south of the city of Sztum).
In 1772 during the time of the First Partition of Poland the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1871 it became part of the newly created German Empire.
According to the Treaty of Versailles, after World War I the inhabitants were asked whether they want to remain in Germany or join the new Second Polish Republic in the East Prussian plebiscite of 1920. The German side engaged in mass persecution of Polish activists, their Masurian supporters, going as far as engaging in regular hunts and murder against them to influence the vote, and the voted was largely boycotted by ethnic Poles. Ultimately, 19,984 votes were counted to remain in Germany and 4,904 votes for Poland. Based on that result Stuhm was included in the Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder within East Prussia.
After World War II the area was placed under Polish administration by the Potsdam Agreement under territorial changes demanded by the Soviet Union. Germans fled or were expelled and replaced with Poles expelled from the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union or forced to settle in the area through Operation Vistula in 1947.
Notable residents
Twin towns — Sister cities
Sztum is twinned with: Ritterhude, Val de Reuil, Varde