Skarszewy ( csb, Skarszewò, german: Schöneck in Westpreußen) is a small town south of
Gdańsk
Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
in
Starogard Gdański County
__NOTOC__
Starogard County ( pl, powiat starogardzki, csb, Starogarda kréj) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. The name is a combination of two terms: stari which is ...
,
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
, northern
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. It is located between
Kościerzyna
Kościerzyna ( Kashubian and Pomeranian: ''Kòscérzëna''; formerly german: Berent, ) is a town in Kashubia in Gdańsk Pomerania region, northern Poland, with some 24,000 inhabitants. It has been the capital of Kościerzyna County in Pomerania ...
and
Tczew. Population: 6 809 (30 June 2005). In 2005 the town was given the title the Pearl of Pomerania. It is the seat of the urban-rural administrative district
Gmina Skarszewy
__NOTOC__
Gmina Skarszewy is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Starogard County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Its seat is the town of Skarszewy, which lies approximately north-west of Starogard Gdański and south o ...
.
The old town is enclosed by fragments of the 14th century stone walls and a Gothic parish Church of St Michael the Archangel which dates from the 14th century with well-preserved furnishings from the baroque era.
In the town square is the fountain Griffin Pomorski with three griffins holding the emblem of St. John Skarszew on a platter. At the top were placed reproductions of three coats Skarszew: from 1198 when the town belonged to the
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
; from 1320 when Skarszewy acquired civic rights and the current coat of arms.
History
The town was first mentioned as a seat of
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
in 1198. It was part of the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Kingdom of Poland until the 14th century. In 1320 it obtained town rights, and in 1370 it was sold by the Order of St. John to the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
. In 1454, upon the request of the anti-Teutonic
Prussian Confederation
The Prussian Confederation (german: Preußischer Bund, pl, Związek Pruski) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Kwidzyn (then officially ''Marienwerder'') by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the a ...
, the town was re-incorporated into the
Kingdom of Poland by King
Casimir IV Jagiellon. During the subsequent
Thirteen Years' War, in 1455, it was ravaged by the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
, who finally renounced any claims to the town in
1466
Year 1466 (Roman numerals, MCDLXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+(-100(C)+500(D))+50(L)+10(X)+5(V) ...
. Again within Poland, administratively it was part of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
in the province of
Royal Prussia in the
.
In 1613 Skarszewy became capital of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
. Between 1629 and 1655 it was devastated by the
Swedes
Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...
. Large fires in the years 1708, 1714, 1731 destroyed almost all the buildings. In 1762–1765,
Józef Wybicki, the author of the lyrics of the
national anthem of Poland
( " Dąbrowski's Mazurka"), in English officially known by its incipit Poland Is Not Yet Lost, is the national anthem of the Republic of Poland.
The original lyrics were written by Józef Wybicki in Reggio Emilia, in Northern Italy, between ...
, studied law at the local court, located in the old castle.
In 1772 the town, known in German as ''Schöneck,'' was annexed by the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
in the
First Partition of Poland.
In 1871, with the Prussian-led
Unification of Germany
The unification of Germany (, ) was the process of building the modern German nation state with federalism, federal features based on the concept of Lesser Germany (one without multinational Austria), which commenced on 18 August 1866 with ad ...
, Schöneck became part of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
. Until 1920, the town was part of the
Berent district in the Prussian Province of
West Prussia
The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. According to the census of 1910, Schöneck had a population of 3,494, of which 2,258 (64.6%) were German-speaking, 1,131 (32.4%) were
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
-speaking, 2 (0.1%) were Kashubian-speaking and 102 (2.9%) were bilingual. At the beginning of the 20th century, Schöneck had a Protestant church, a Catholic church, a synagogue, a district court, an old castle (which at that time housed the dairy) and some medium-sized businesses.
Under the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
, Skarszewy was reassigned to Poland, after the country regained independence. The
Blue Army of Poland commanded by General
Józef Haller entered Skarszewy on 30 January 1920, ending 148 years of Prussian rule. As part of the
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
, administratively it was located in the
Pomeranian Voivodeship
Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province (Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk.
The ...
. After the town became part of Poland, many ethnic Germans emigrated to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and by 1921, Germans became a minority in the town, comprising only around 1,000 (33.2%) out of a total population of 3,010.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, from 1939 to 1945 it was
occupied
' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2 ...
and
annexed
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
by
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and was administered as part of the Berent district in
Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia
Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia (german: Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreußen) was an administrative division of Nazi Germany created on 8 October 1939 from annexed territory of the Free City of Danzig, the Greater Pomeranian Voivodship (Polish Corridor), ...
. Hundreds of
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
from Skarszewy and surrounding villages were imprisoned in the town, and later massacred in various places during the ''
Intelligenzaktion'' in October and November 1939. Over 240 Poles, previously imprisoned in Skarszewy, including teachers, merchants, local officials, priests, activists, craftsmen, workers, farmers, were murdered in the nearby forest by the
SS,
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...
and
Selbstschutz
''Selbstschutz'' (German for "self-protection") is the name given to different iterations of ethnic-German self-protection units formed both after the First World War and in the lead-up to the Second World War.
The first incarnation of the ''Selb ...
.
[Maria Wardzyńska, ''Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion'', IPN, Warszawa, 2009, p. 153, 183 (in Polish)] Over 100 Poles were murdered in the forest between Skarszewy and
Więckowy
Więckowy is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Skarszewy, within Starogard County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately west of Skarszewy, north-west of Starogard Gdański, and south-west of the regi ...
.
The
wójt of Gmina Skarszewy, Emil Więcki, was murdered in a massacre carried out in
Mestwinowo
Mestwinowo is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Liniewo, within Kościerzyna County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Liniewo, east of Kościerzyna, and south-west of the regiona ...
. The local school principal was among Polish teachers and principals murdered in the
Dachau concentration camp
,
, commandant = List of commandants
, known for =
, location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany
, built by = Germany
, operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS)
, original use = Political prison
, construction ...
. In November 1939, around 1,000 Poles, mostly families of those murdered in the massacres, were
expelled to the
General Government
The General Government (german: Generalgouvernement, pl, Generalne Gubernatorstwo, uk, Генеральна губернія), also referred to as the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (german: Generalgouvernement für die be ...
.
Towards the end of the war, Soviet aircraft repeatedly bombed the town and on March 8, 1945 the Red Army's
East Pomeranian Offensive burned parts of the town, causing the destruction of up to 40% of the buildings in Skarszewy. After the war, the town was restored to Poland and the remaining German population was
expelled.
In 2012, the town limits of Skarszewy were expanded, by including the settlement of Pólko.
Notable people
*
Józef Wybicki (1747–1822), Polish nobleman, jurist, poet, political activist, author of the lyrics of the national anthem of Poland
[
* ]Bartłomiej Smuczyński
Bartłomiej Smuczyński (born 25 August 1995) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Wietcisa Skarszewy.
Career
In January 2020, Smuczyński moved to Liga Okręgowa
The liga okręgowa (in some voivodeship named klasa ...
(born 1995), Polish footballer
International relations
Skarszewy is twinned with:
Skarszewy was twinned with Sandy
Sandy may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Sandy (surname), a list of people
*Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983)
* (Sandy) ...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 1996. Each year over summer, students from Sandy Secondary School
Sandy Secondary School (formerly Sandy Upper School) is a coeducational secondary school, located in Sandy, Bedfordshire, England.
The school educates 11-16 year-olds, mainly from the town of Sandy, Great Barford, Potton and the surrounding ...
, Stratton Upper School
Stratton Upper School is a mixed British upper school and sixth form located in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. It is an academy school, governed by the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust.
Profile
The main body of the school educates both male and ...
in Biggleswade and Bedford Girls' School
Bedford Girls' School (BGS) is an independent school for girls which opened in September 2010 located in Bedford, in the English county of Bedfordshire. The school is a result of a merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School, and ...
in Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
travel to Skarszewy for twelve days to teach English to some of the younger generation of the town.
References
External links
Skarszewy Municipal website
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Pomeranian Voivodeship
Starogard County
it:Skarszewy