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)'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship#Poland#Europe , pushpin_relief=1 , pushpin_label_position = top , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship , subdivision_name1 = , leader_party = KO , leader_title = City mayor , leader_name = Paweł Gulewski , established_title = Established , established_date = 8th century , established_title3 = City rights , established_date3 = 1233 , area_total_km2 = 115.75 , population_as_of = 31 December 2021 , population_total = 196,935 (
16th 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and . In English speech, ...
) Data for territorial unit 0463000. , population_density_km2 = 1716 , population_metro = 297646 , demographics_type2 = GDP , demographics2_footnotes = , demographics2_title1 = Bydgoszcz–Toruń metropolitan area , demographics2_info1 = €10.871 billion (2020) , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST =
CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...
, utc_offset_DST = +2 , coordinates = , elevation_m = 65 , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 87-100 to 87-120 , area_code = +48 56 , website = http://www.torun.pl/ , blank_name = Car plates , blank_info = CT , blank_name_sec2 = Highways , blank_info_sec2 = , footnotes = Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the
Toruń Voivodeship Toruń Voivodeship () was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its capital city was Toruń. Major cities and towns (population in 1995) * ...
(1975–1998) and 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 ...
(1921–1945). Since 1999, Toruń has been a seat of the local government of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and is one of its two capitals, together with
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
. The cities and neighboring counties form the Bydgoszcz–Toruń twin city metropolitan area. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland; it was first settled in the 8th century and in 1233 was expanded by the Teutonic Knights. For centuries it was home to people of diverse backgrounds and religions. From 1264 until 1411, Toruń was part of the
Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
and by the 17th century a leading trading point, which greatly affected the city's architecture, ranging from
Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...
to Mannerist and
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
. In the Early Modern period, Toruń was a
royal city Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...
of Poland and one of Poland's four largest cities. With the
partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 12 ...
in the late 18th century, it became part of Prussia, then of the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw, serving as the temporary Polish capital in 1809, then again of Prussia, 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 ...
and, after World War I, of the reborn Polish Republic. During the Second World War, Toruń was spared bombing and destruction; its Old Town and iconic central marketplace have been entirely preserved. Toruń is renowned for its
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...
– the gingerbread-baking tradition dates back nearly a millennium – as well as for its large Cathedral. Toruń is noted for its very high
standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. Standard of living is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual's quality ...
and quality of life. In 1997 the medieval part of the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007 the Old Town of Toruń was added to the list of
Seven Wonders of Poland The Seven Wonders of Poland ( pl, Siedem cudów Polski) is a short list of cultural wonders located in Poland. The creation of the list was initiated by the leading Polish newspaper ''Rzeczpospolita'' in a country-wide plebiscite held in September ...
.


History


Middle Ages

The first settlement in the vicinity of Toruń is dated by
archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
to 1100 BC ( Lusatian culture). During early medieval times, in the 7th through 13th centuries, it was the location of an old Slavonic settlement,Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN Warsaw 1976 at a ford of the Vistula. In the 10th century it became part of the emerging Polish state ruled by the
Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branch ...
. In spring 1231 the Teutonic Knights crossed the river Vistula near Nieszawa and established a fortress. On 28 December 1233, the Teutonic Knights
Hermann von Salza Hermann von Salza (or Herman of Salza; c. 1165 – 20 March 1239) was the fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1210 to 1239. A skilled diplomat with ties to the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope, Hermann oversaw the expansio ...
and
Hermann Balk Hermann Balk (died March 5, 1239, Würzburg), also known as Hermann von Balk or Hermann Balke, was a Knight-Brother of the Teutonic Order and its first '' Landmeister'', or Provincial Master, in both Prussia and Livonia. From 1219 to 1227, he serv ...
, signed the city charters for Toruń (''Thorn'') and Chełmno (''Kulm''). The original document was lost in 1244. The set of rights in general is known as
Kulm law Kulm law, Culm law or Chełmno Law (german: Kulmer Recht; lat, Jus Culmense vetus; pl, Prawo chełmińskie) was a legal constitution for a municipal form of government used in several Central European cities during the Middle Ages. It was initia ...
. In 1236, due to frequent flooding, it was relocated to the present site of the Old Town. In 1239 Franciscan friars settled in the city, followed in 1263 by Dominicans. In 1264 the adjacent New Town was founded, predominantly to house Torun's growing population of craftsmen and artisans, who predominantly came from German-speaking lands. In 1280, the city (or as it was then, both cities) joined the mercantile
Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
, and thus became an important medieval trade centre. In the 14th century, papal verdicts ordered the restoration of the area to Poland, however, the Teutonic Knights did not comply and continued to occupy the region. The city was recaptured by Poland in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War however, after the First Peace of Thorn was signed in the city in February 1411, the city fell back to the Teutonic Order. In 1411, the city left the Hanseatic League. In the 1420s, Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło built the
Dybów Castle Dybów Castle ( pl, Zamek Dybów) is a castle in Toruń, Poland. It is a national Object of Cultural Heritage. Location The castle is located in the Piaski district of Toruń, on the western side of the Vistula river. History Built by Władysła ...
, located in present-day left-bank Toruń, which he visited numerous times. During the next big Polish–Teutonic War, Dybów Castle was occupied by the Teutonic Knights from 1431 to 1435. In 1440, the gentry of Toruń co-founded the Prussian Confederation to further oppose the Knights' policies. From 1452, talks between Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon and the burghers of the Confederation were held at Dybów Castle. The Confederation rose against the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1454 and its delegation submitted a petition to Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon asking him to regain power over the region as its rightful ruler. An act of incorporation was signed in Kraków 6 March 1454, recognizing the region (including Toruń), as part of the
Polish Kingdom The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...
. These events led to the Thirteen Years' War. The citizens of the city, enraged by the Order's ruthless exploitation, conquered the Teutonic castle, and dismantled the fortifications brick by brick, except for the Gdanisko tower which was used until the 18th century to store gunpowder. The local mayor pledged allegiance to the Polish king during the incorporation in March 1454 in Kraków, and then in May 1454, an official ceremony was held in Toruń, in which the nobility, knights, landowners, mayors and local officials from Chełmno Land, including Toruń, again solemnly swore allegiance to the Polish king and the Kingdom of Poland. Since 1454, the city has been authorized by King Casimir IV to mint Polish coins. During the war, Casimir IV often stayed at the Dybów Castle and Toruń financially supported the Polish Army. The New Town and Old Towns amalgamated in 1454. The Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466, with the Second Peace of Thorn, in which the Teutonic Order renounced any claims to the city and recognised it as part of Poland. The Polish king granted the town great privileges, similar to those 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 ...
. Also in 1454 at
Dybów Castle Dybów Castle ( pl, Zamek Dybów) is a castle in Toruń, Poland. It is a national Object of Cultural Heritage. Location The castle is located in the Piaski district of Toruń, on the western side of the Vistula river. History Built by Władysła ...
, the King issued the famous Statutes of Nieszawa, covering a set of privileges for the
Polish nobility The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...
; an event that is regarded as the birth of the noble democracy in Poland, which lasted until the country's demise in 1795.


Early modern period

In 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus was born, and in 1501 Polish king John I Albert died in Toruń; his heart was buried in St. John's Cathedral. In 1500, the
Tuba Dei Tuba Dei (Latin for "God's Trumpet"), is the largest medieval bell in Poland and one of the largest medieval bells in Europe, hanging in the tower of Ss. Johns Cathedral in Toruń. It was cast in Toruń by local founder Martin Schmidt in 1500, a ...
, the largest church bell in Poland at the time, was installed at Toruń Cathedral, and a bridge across the Vistula was built, the country's longest wooden bridge at the time. In 1506, Toruń became a
royal city Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...
of Poland. In 1528, the royal mint started operating in Toruń. In 1568, a gymnasium was founded, which after 1594 became one of the leading schools of northern Poland for centuries to come. Also in 1594, the Toruń's first museum (''Musaeum'') was established at the school, beginning the city's museal traditions. A city of great wealth and influence, it enjoyed voting rights during the
royal election Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
period. Sejms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were held in Toruń in 1576 and 1626. In 1557, during the Protestant Reformation, the city adopted Protestantism. Under Mayor Henryk Stroband (1586–1609), the city became centralized. Administrative power passed into the hands of the city council. In 1595, Jesuits arrived to promote the
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
, taking control of St John's Church. Protestant city officials tried to limit the influx of Catholics into the city, as Catholics (Jesuits and Dominican friars) already controlled most of the churches, leaving only St Mary's for Protestant citizens. In 1645, at a time when religious conflicts occurred in many other European countries and the disastrous Thirty Years' War was fought west of Poland, in Toruń, on the initiative of King Władysław IV Vasa, a three-month congress of European Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists was held, known as ''Colloquium Charitativum;'' an important event in the history of interreligious dialogue. During the Great Northern War (1700–21), the city was besieged by Swedish troops. The restoration of Augustus II the Strong as King of Poland was prepared in the city in the
Treaty of Thorn (1709) Concluded on 9 October 1709, the Treaty of Thorn was an agreement signed in Thorn (Toruń) between Augustus the Strong of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and his counterpart, Peter the Great the Tsar of Russia. Through this agreement, the two ...
by the Russian tsar
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
. In the second half of the 17th century, tensions between Catholics and Protestants grew. In the early 18th century about 50 percent of the populace, especially the gentry and middle class, were German-speaking Protestants, while the other 50 percent were Polish-speaking Roman Catholics. Protestant influence was subsequently pushed back after the
Tumult of Thorn Tumult may refer to: * Violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd Generally speaking, a crowd is defined as a group of people that have gathered for a common purpose or intent such as at a demonstration, a sports event, or durin ...
of 1724.


Late modern period (from 1793)

After the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, the city was annexed by Prussia. It was briefly regained by Poles as part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807–1815, even serving as the temporary capital in April and May 1809. During these years the city began to attract a growing Jewish community. In 1809, Toruń was successfully defended by the Poles against the Austrians. After being re-annexed by Prussia in 1815, Toruń was subjected to
Germanisation Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, German people, people and German culture, culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationa ...
and became a strong center of Polish resistance against such policies. The city's first synagogue was inaugurated in 1847. New Polish institutions were established, such as Towarzystwo Naukowe w Toruniu (''Toruń Scientific Society''), a major Polish institution in the
Prussian Partition The Prussian Partition ( pl, Zabór pruski), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired during the Partitions of Poland, in the late 18th century by the Kingdom of Prussia. The Prussian acquis ...
of Poland, founded in 1875. After World War I, Poland declared independence and regained control over the city. In interwar Poland, Toruń was the 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 ...
.


World War II

During World War II, Germany
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 ...
the city from 7 September 1939 to 1 February 1945. ''
Einsatzkommando During World War II, the Nazi German ' were a sub-group of the ' (mobile killing squads) – up to 3,000 men total – usually composed of 500–1,000 functionaries of the SS and Gestapo, whose mission was to exterminate Jews, Polish intellectu ...
16'' entered the city to commit various crimes against Poles. Under German occupation, local people were subjected to arrests, expulsions, slave labor, deportations to concentration camps and executions, especially the Polish elites as part of the '' Intelligenzaktion''. A group of Polish railwaymen and policemen from Toruń were murdered by the German
gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
and '' Wehrmacht'' in
Gąbin Gąbin is a small town in Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,065 inhabitants as of December 2021. The Warsaw radio mast, which stood near Gąbin, was the tallest structure in the world until its collapse in 1991. History Gąb ...
on 19–21 September 1939. Local Poles, including activists, teachers and priests, arrested in Toruń and Toruń County beginning in September 1939, were initially held in the pre-war prison, and after it became overcrowded in October 1939, the Germans imprisoned Poles in Fort VII of the
Toruń Fortress Toruń Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Toruń, german: Festung Thorn) is a historic fortress located in Toruń, Poland, one of the largest Fortification, fortresses in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It was built in 1872–1894 by the Kingdom ...
.Wardzyńska, p. 161 On 17–19 October 1939 alone, the German police and the '' Selbstschutz'' arrested 1,200 Poles in Toruń and Toruń County. In early November 1939, the Germans carried out further mass arrests of Polish teachers, farmers and priests in Toruń and the county, who were then imprisoned in Fort VII. Imprisoned Poles were then either deported to concentration camps or murdered onsite. Large massacres of over 1,100 Poles from the city and region, including teachers, school principals, local officials, restaurateurs, shop owners, merchants, farmers, railwaymen, policemen, craftsmen, students, priests, workers, doctors, were carried out in the present-day district of Barbarka. Six mass graves were discovered after the war, in five of which the bodies of the victims were burned, as the Germans had tried to cover up the crime. Local teachers were also among Polish teachers murdered in the
Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners ...
, Mauthausen and
Dachau , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...
concentration camps. Nonetheless, the Polish resistance movement was active in the city, and Toruń was the seat of one of the six main commands of the
Union of Armed Struggle Związek Walki Zbrojnej ( abbreviation: ''ZWZ''; Union of Armed Struggle;Thus rendered in Norman Davies, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland'', vol. II, p. 464. also translated as ''Union for Armed Struggle'', ''Association of Armed Strug ...
in occupied Poland (alongside Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań,
Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
and
Lwów Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
). During the occupation, Germany established and operated
Stalag XX-A Stalag XX-A was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located in Toruń in German-occupied Poland. It was not a single camp and contained as many as 20,000 men at its peak. The main camp was located in seven forts of the 19th-century Toruń ...
prisoner-of-war camp in the city, with multiple forced labour subcamps in the region, in which Polish, British,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Australian and Soviet POWs were held. From 1940 to 1943, in the northern part of the city the German transit camp for Poles expelled from Toruń and the surrounding area, became infamous for inhuman sanitary conditions. Over 12,000 Poles passed through the camp, and around 1,000 died there, including about 400 children. From 1941 to 1945, a German
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
camp was located in the city. In the spring of 1942, the Germans murdered 30 Polish scouts aged 13–16 in Fort VII. While the city's population suffered many atrocities, as described, there were no battles or bombings that damaged its buildings. Thus, the city avoided damage during both World Wars, and retained its historic architecture,ranging from
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
through Renaissance and
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
to 19th and 20th century styles.


Sights

Listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1997, Toruń has many monuments of architecture dating back to the Middle Ages. The city is famous for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and many Gothic buildings, all built from
brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
, including monumental churches, the Town Hall and many burgher houses.


Gothic architecture

Toruń has the largest number of preserved Gothic houses in Poland, many with Gothic wall paintings or wood-beam ceilings from the 16th to the 18th centuries. * The Cathedral of SS. John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, an aisled hall church built in the 14th century and extended in the 15th century; outstanding Gothic sculptures and paintings inside (Moses, St. Mary Magdalene, gravestone of Johann von Soest), Renaissance and Baroque epitaphs and altars (among them the epitaph of Copernicus from 1580), as well as the
Tuba Dei Tuba Dei (Latin for "God's Trumpet"), is the largest medieval bell in Poland and one of the largest medieval bells in Europe, hanging in the tower of Ss. Johns Cathedral in Toruń. It was cast in Toruń by local founder Martin Schmidt in 1500, a ...
, the largest medieval church bell in Poland and one of the largest in Europe * St. Mary's church, a formerly Franciscan aisled hall built in the 14th century * St. James the Greater's church (often mistakenly called St Jacob's), a basilica from the 14th century, with monumental wall paintings and Gothic stalls * The
Old Town Hall Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
was inaugurated in 1274, than extended and rebuilt between 1391 and 1399, and extended again at the end of the 16th century; considered one of the most monumental town halls in Central Europe (
Toruń Regional Museum )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...
or ''Muzeum Okręgowe'' in Polish) * City fortifications, begun in the 13th century, extended between the 14th and 15th centuries, mostly demolished in the 19th century, but partially preserved with a few city gates and watchtowers (among them the so-called Leaning Tower) from the Vistula side. See also:
Toruń Fortress Toruń Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Toruń, german: Festung Thorn) is a historic fortress located in Toruń, Poland, one of the largest Fortification, fortresses in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It was built in 1872–1894 by the Kingdom ...
* A 15th-century Gothic house ( now a museum) where Copernicus was reputedly born * Ruins of 13th-century Teutonic Knights' castle * House at the sign of the Star ( pl, Kamienica Pod Gwiazdą, the East Asian Museum, previously Gothic, briefly owned by
Filip Callimachus Filippo Buonaccorsi, called Callimachus, Callimico, Bonacurarius, Caeculus, Geminianensis latin language, (Latin: ''Philippus Callimachus Experiens'', ''Bonacursius''; , 2 May 1437 – 1 November 1496) was an Italian Renaissance Humanism, humanis ...
, then rebuilt in the 16th century and in 1697, with a richly decorated stucco façade and wooden spiral stairs. Toruń, unlike many other historic cities in Poland, escaped substantial destruction in World War II. Particularly left intact was the Old Town, all of whose important architectural monuments are originals, not reconstructions. Major renovation projects have been undertaken in recent years to improve the condition and external presentation of the Old Town. Besides the renovation of various buildings, projects such as the reconstruction of the pavement of the streets and squares (reversing them to their historical appearance), and the introduction of new plants, trees and objects of 'small architecture', are underway. Numerous buildings and other constructions, including the city walls along the boulevard, are illuminated at night, creating an impressive effect - probably unique among Polish cities with respect to the size of Toruń's Old Town and the scale of the illumination project itself. Toruń is also home to the Zoo and Botanical Garden opened in 1965 and 1797 respectively and is one of the city's popular tourist attractions.


Districts

Toruń is divided into 24 administrative districts (dzielnica) or boroughs, each with a degree of autonomy within its own municipal government. The Districts include: Barbarka, Bielany, Bielawy, Bydgoskie Przedmieście, Chełmińskie Przedmieście, Czerniewice, Glinki, Grębocin nad Strugą, Jakubskie Przedmieście, Kaszczorek, Katarzynka, Koniuchy, Mokre, Na Skarpie, Piaski, Podgórz, Rubinkowo, Rudak, Rybaki, Stare Miasto (''Old Town''), Starotoruńskie Przedmieście, Stawki, Winnica, Wrzosy.


Symbols

The colors of Toruń are white and blue in the horizontal arrangement, white top, blue bottom, equal in size. The flag of the city of Toruń is a bipartite sheet. The upper field is white, the lower field is blue. If the flag is hung vertically, the upper edge of the flag must be on the left. The flag with the coat of arms is also in use. The ratio of the height of the coat of arms to the width of the flag is 1:2.


Climate

The climate can be described as humid continental ( Köppen: ''Dfb'') if the isotherm of is used or an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(''Cfb'') if the isotherm is adopted. Back in 1930s, the city passed close to the original boundary and dividing line of climates C and D groups in the north–south direction proposed by climatologist Wladimir Köppen. Toruń is in the transition between the milder climates of the west and north of the Poland and the more extreme ones like the south (warmer summer) and the east (colder winter). It is not much different from the climates of more southerly Kraków and easterly Warsaw, though it has slightly milder winters and more moderate summers.Archived
27 December 2018, at the Wayback Machine.
Being close to definitely
continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
s, it has a high variability caused by the contact of eastern continental air masses and western oceanic ones. This is influenced by the geographical location of the city – the Toruń Basin to the south, and the Vistula Valley to the north.


Demographics

The most recent statistics show a decrease in the population of the city, from 211,169 in 2001 (highest) to 202,562 in 2018. Among the demographic trends influencing this decline, are: suburbanisation, migration to larger urban centres, and wider trends observed in the whole of Poland such as general population decline, slowed down by immigration in 2017. The birth rate in the city in 2017 was 0.75. Low birthrates have been consistent in the city for the first two decades of 21st Century. The official forecasts from Statistics Poland state that by 2050 the city population will have declined to 157,949. Inside the city itself, most of the population is concentrated on the right (northern) bank of the Vistula river. Two of the most densely populated areas are Rubinkowo and Na Skarpie, housing projects built mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, located between the central and easternmost districts; their total population is about 70,000. The Bydgoszcz–Toruń metro area of Toruń and
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
, their counties, and a number of smaller towns, may in total have a population of as much as 800,000. Thus the area contains about one third of the population of the Kuyavia-Pomerania region (which has about 2.1 million inhabitants).


Transport

The transport network in the city has undergone major development in recent years. The partial completion of ring road (East and South), the completion of the second bridge (2013) and various road, and cycling lane improvements, including construction of Trasa Średnicowa, have decidedly improved the traffic in the city. However, noise barriers that have been erected along the new or refurbished roads have been criticised as not conducive to a beautiful urban landscape. The extensive roadworks have also drawn attention to the declining population numbers, casting doubt that the city might over-delivered for the future number of road users, as the demographic trends forecast from Statistics Poland predicts a reduction of population by almost 1/4 by year 2050. The city's public transport system comprises five tram lines and about 40 bus routes, covering the city and some of the neighboring communities. Toruń is situated at a major road junction, one of the most important in Poland. The A1 highway reaches Toruń, and a southern beltway surrounds the city. Besides these, the European route E75 and a number of domestic roads (numbered 10, 15, and 80) run through the city. With three main railway stations ( Toruń Główny, Toruń Miasto and Toruń Wschodni), the city is a major rail junction, with two important lines crossing there ( Warszawa
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
and WrocławOlsztyn). Two other lines stem from Toruń, toward
Malbork Malbork; ; * la, Mariaeburgum, ''Mariae castrum'', ''Marianopolis'', ''Civitas Beatae Virginis'' * Kashubian: ''Malbórg'' * Old Prussian: ''Algemin'' is a town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is the seat of Malbork County and has a ...
and Sierpc. The rail connection with
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
is run under a name "BiT City" as a "metropolitan rail". Its main purpose is to allow traveling between and within these cities using one ticket. A joint venture of Toruń,
Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
, Solec Kujawski and the voivodeship, it is considered as important in integrating Bydgoszcz-Toruń metropolitan area. A major modernization of BiT City railroute, as well as a purchase of completely new vehicles to serve the line, is planned for 2008 and 2009. Technically, it will allow to travel between Toruń-East and Bydgoszcz-Airport stations at a speed of in a time of approximately half an hour. In a few years' time "BiT City" will be integrated with local transportation systems of Toruń and Bydgoszcz, thus creating a uniform metropolitan transportation network – with all necessary funds having been secured in 2008. Since September 2008, the "one-ticket" solution has been introduced also as regards a rail connection with
Włocławek Włocławek (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Leslau) is a city located in central Poland along the Vistula (Wisła) River and is bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park. As of December 2021, the population of the city is 106,928. Loc ...
, as a "regional ticket". The same is planned for connection with Grudziądz. Two bus depots serve to connect the city with other towns and cities in Poland. , a small sport airfield exists in Toruń; however, a modernization of the airport is seriously considered with a number of investors interested in it. Independently of this, Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport, located about from Toruń city centre, serves the whole Bydgoszcz-Toruń metropolitan area, with a number of regular flights to European cities.


Economy

Although a medium-sized city, Toruń is the site of the headquarters of some of the largest companies in Poland, or at least of their subsidiaries. The official unemployment rate, , is 5.4%. In 2006, construction of new plants owned by Sharp Corporation and other companies of mainly Japanese origin has started in the neighboring community of Łysomice - about from city centre. The facilities under construction are located in a newly created special economic zone. As a result of cooperation of the companies mentioned above, a vast high-tech complex is to be constructed in the next few years, providing as many as 10,000 jobs (a prediction for ) at the cost of about 450 million euros. , the creation of another special economic zone is being considered, this time inside city limits. Thanks to its architectural heritage Toruń is visited by more than 1.5 million tourists a year (1.6 million in 2007). This makes tourism an important branch of the local economy, although time spent in the city by individual tourists or the number of hotels, which can serve them, are still not considered satisfactory. Major investments in renovation of the city's monuments, building new hotels (including high-standard ones), improvement in promotion, as well as launching new cultural and scientific events and facilities, give very good prospects for Toruń's tourism. In recent years Toruń has been a site of intense building construction investments, mainly residential and in its transportation network. The latter has been possible partly due to the use of European Union funds assigned for new member states. Toruń city county generates by far the highest number of new dwellings built each year among all Kuyavian-Pomeranian counties, both relative to its population as well as in absolute values. It has led to almost complete rebuilding of some districts. , many major constructions are either under development or are to be launched soon - the value of some of them exceeding 100 million euros. They include a new speedway stadium, major shopping and entertainment centres, a commercial complex popularly called a "New Centre of Toruń", a music theater, a centre of contemporary art, hotels, office buildings, facilities for the
Nicolaus Copernicus University Nicolaus is a masculine given name. It is a Latin, Greek and German form of Nicholas. Nicolaus may refer to: In science: * Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer who provided the first modern formulation of a heliocentric theory of the solar syst ...
, roads and tram routes, sewage and fresh water delivery systems, residential projects, the possibility of a new bridge over the Vistula, and more. Construction of the
A1 motorway A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to: Education * A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages * Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects * A1, a ...
and th e BiT City fast metropolitan railway also directly affects the city. About 25,000 local firms are registered in Toruń.


Culture

Toruń has two drama theatres (''Teatr im. Wilama Horzycy'' with three stages and ''Teatr Wiczy''), two children's theatres ('' Baj Pomorski'' and ''Zaczarowany Świat''), two music theatres (''Mała Rewia'', ''Studencki Teatr Tańca''), and numerous other theatre groups. The city hosts, among others events, the international theatre festival, "Kontakt", annually in May. A building called ''Baj Pomorski'' has recently been completely reconstructed. It is now one of the most modern cultural facilities in the city, with its front elevation in the shape of a gigantic chest of drawers. It is located at the south-east edge of the Old Town. Toruń has two cinemas including a Cinema City, which has over 2,000 seats. Over ten major museums document the history of Toruń and the region. Among others, the "House of Kopernik" and the accompanying museum commemorate Nicolaus Copernicus and his revolutionary work, the university museum reveals the history of the city's academic past. The
Tony Halik Tony Halik, born Mieczysław Antoni Sędzimir Halik (January 24, 1921 – May 23, 1998) was a Polish film operator, documentary film-maker, author of travel books, traveller, explorer, and polyglot (speaking Spanish, English, French, Portuguese ...
Travelers' Museum (
Muzeum Podróżników im. Tony Halika Muzeum () is a Prague Metro station providing the interchange between Lines A and C, and serving the National Museum. It is located at the top end of Wenceslas Square. The Line C station was opened on 9 May 1974, with the first section of P ...
) was established in 2003 after
Elżbieta Dzikowska Elżbieta Dzikowska (Międzyrzec Podlaski, 19 March 1937 as Józefa Górska) is a Polish art historian, sinology, sinologist, explorer, director and operator of documentary films, the author of many books, television programs, radio broadcasts, art ...
donated to citizens of Toruń a collection of objects from various countries and cultures following the death of her husband, famous explorer and writer, Toruń native,
Tony Halik Tony Halik, born Mieczysław Antoni Sędzimir Halik (January 24, 1921 – May 23, 1998) was a Polish film operator, documentary film-maker, author of travel books, traveller, explorer, and polyglot (speaking Spanish, English, French, Portuguese ...
. It is managed by the
District Museum in Toruń Toruń Regional Museum ( pl, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu), located in the ''Ratusz'' hall of Toruń, is one of the oldest and largest museums in Poland. It started in 1594 as the mere Cabinet of Curiosities at the library of the academic Gimnazjum ...
. The Centre of Contemporary Art (''Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej'' - ''CSW'') opened in June 2008 and is one of the most important cultural facilities of this kind in Poland. The modern building is located in the very centre of the city, adjacent to the Old Town. The Toruń Symphonic Orchestra (formerly the Toruń Chamber Orchestra) is well-rooted in the Toruń cultural landscape. Toruń is home to a
planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...
(located downtown) and an
astronomical observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
(located in nearby village of Piwnice). The latter boasts the largest
radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the radio frequency ...
in Central Europe with a diameter of , second only to the
Effelsberg The Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope is a radio telescope in the Ahr Hills (part of the Eifel) in Bad Münstereifel, Germany. For 29 years the Effelsberg Radio Telescope was the largest fully steerable radio telescope on Earth, surpassing the ...
radio telescope. Toruń is well known for
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...
, a type of piernik often made in elaborate molds. Museum of Toruń Gingerbread is a large museum dedicated to it. There are also several gingerbread workshops in the town that offer hands-on experiences for tourists, including the popular Living Museum of Gingerbread. The 15-year-old composer
Fryderyk Chopin The Fryderyk is the annual award in Polish music. Its name refers to the original Polish spelling variant of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin's first name. Its status in the Polish public can be compared to the American Grammy and the UK's BRI ...
was smitten with Toruń gingerbread when he visited his godfather, Fryderyk Skarbek, there in the summer of 1825. Toruń is a center of conservative Roman Catholic culture. Redemptorist
Tadeusz Rydzyk Tadeusz Rydzyk (; born 3 May 1945 in Olkusz)Biography in Polish , http://ludzie.wprost.pl/sylwetka/Tadeusz-Rydzyk/ is a Roman Catholic priest and Redemptorist, founder and director of the conservative Radio Maryja station, and founder of the Univ ...
has organized here Radio Maryja,
Telewizja Trwam TV Trwam is a Polish TV channel in Toruń, Poland, belonging to the Lux Veritatis Foundation. Ownership and financing The station is owned by the Warsaw Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and is financed through donations f ...
, a college whose students contribute to the mentioned media. Now a museum is being constructed. The
12999 Toruń 12999 Toruń, provisional designation , is a carbonaceous Baptistina asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 August 1981, by British–American astronomer Edward Bowel ...
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
is named after the city.


Education

Over thirty elementary and primary schools and over ten high schools make up the educational base of Toruń. Besides these, students can also attend a handful of private schools. The largest institution of higher education in Toruń, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń serves over 20 thousand students and was founded in 1945, based on the
Toruń Scientific Society )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...
,
Stefan Batory University in Wilno Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow a ...
, and
Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...
. The existence of a high-ranked and high-profiled university with so many students plays a great role the city's position and importance in general, as well as in creating an image of Toruń's streets and clubs filled with crowds of young people. It also has a serious influence on local economy. Other public institutions of higher education: * Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne (a section of the Theological Faculty of the Nicolaus Copernicus University) * The Teacher Training College - Nauczycielskie Kolegium Języków Obcych (affiliated to the Nicolaus Copernicus University) * College of Fashion (Kolegium Mody) *
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn The University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn was established on 1 September 1999, in accordance with the new Statute of Sejm signed by Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, as well as Minister of Education Mirosław Handke, in August of th ...
- Faculty of Geodesy and Land Management Department in Toruń * College of Social Work - Kolegium Pracowników Służb Społecznych * University of Gdańsk - College of Language There are also a number of private higher education facilities: * WSB Merito Universities - WSB Merito University in Toruń * The University of Social & Medial Culture in Toruń - Wyższa Szkoła Kultury Społecznej i Medialnej (affiliate to the Radio Maryja) * Toruńska Szkoła Wyższa * Wyższa Szkoła Filologii Hebrajskiej (Higher School of Hebrew Philology) * Toruń School of Entrepreneurship - Toruńska Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości Also located in Toruń is one of the oldest high schools in Poland, I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Mikołaja Kopernika, which dates back to a gymnasium founded in 1568.


Healthcare

Six hospitals of various specializations provide medical service for Toruń itself, its surrounding area and to the region in general. The two largest of these hospitals, recently run by the voivodeship, are to be taken over by Nicolaus Copernicus University and run as its clinical units. At least one of them is to change its status in 2008, with the formal procedures being very advanced. In addition, there are a number of other healthcare facilities in the city.


Media

* Press ** daily newspapers:
Nasz Dziennik ''Nasz Dziennik'' ("Our Daily") is a Polish language, Polish-language Roman Catholic daily newspaper published six times a week in Warsaw, Poland. It is connected to the Lux Veritatis Foundation. Its viewpoint has been described as right-wing to ...
,
Rzeczpospolita () is the official name of Poland and a traditional name for some of its predecessor states. It is a compound of "thing, matter" and "common", a calque of Latin ''rés pública'' ( "thing" + "public, common"), i.e. ''republic'', in Engli ...
, Gazeta Wyborcza Toruń,
Gazeta Pomorska Gazeta may refer to: in Albania-language newspapers, *Gazeta 55, daily newspaper *Gazeta Rilindja Demokratike, daily newspaper *Gazeta Shqip, daily newspaper in Polish-language newspapers, * Gazetagazeta.com, a Polish-language daily newspaper, pub ...
, Nowości,
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
** Weekly magazines:
Niedziela Niedziela is a Polish surname Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Sla ...
,
City Toruń A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, Teraz Toruń ** Other: Undergrunt, Immuniet, Ilustrator, Poza Toruń * Radio Stations: ** Polskie Radio Pomorza i Kujaw, ** Radio ESKA – which plays international hits, along with Polish music ** Radio GRA ** Radio ZET Gold ** Radio Sfera ** Radio WAWA **
RMF FM RMF FM (abriviation to ''Radio Muzyka Fakty FM'', translation: ''Radio Music Facts FM''; previously: ''Radio Małopolska Fun FM''; translation: ''Radio Lesser Poland Fun FM'') is the first commercial radio station in Poland, currently broadcas ...
** Radio Maryja – a radio station that broadcasts religious observances such as mass and prayer in Polish * TV Stations: ** TVN/
TVN24 TVN24 is a Polish 24-hour commercial news channel, launched on 9 August 2001. Being a part of the TVN Network, TVN24 has been owned since July 2017 by US-based media company Warner Bros. Discovery. It gained broader popularity after the Septem ...
 – regional office ** TVP Info – Oddział w Bydgoszczy, Redakcja Terenowa w Toruniu, **
Telewizja Trwam TV Trwam is a Polish TV channel in Toruń, Poland, belonging to the Lux Veritatis Foundation. Ownership and financing The station is owned by the Warsaw Province of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and is financed through donations f ...
**
Podróże TV Podróże is a human settlement, settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Wicko, within Lębork County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Wicko, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Wicko, north-west of ...
** Telewizja Kablowa Toruń ** Telewizja TAT Studio Region ** Telewizja Petrus


Sports

* KS Toruń –
motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...
team, competing in the Speedway Ekstraliga, four times Polish Champions, whose home ground is the
MotoArena Toruń Motoarena Toruń im. Mariana Rosego is a multi-use stadium in Toruń, Poland. It is currently used mostly for motorcycle speedway matches and it is used for car racing and concerts and it is the home stadium of KST Unibax Toruń in the Speedwa ...
* KS Toruń HSA – ice hockey club which plays in the top hockey league in Poland,
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...
runners-up, 2005 Polish Cup winner * Elana Toruń – football team, competing in the 4th division in Poland, whose home ground is the Municipal Stadium * Pomorzanin Toruń – field hockey (premier league in Poland), football (4th division in Poland), boxing * Twarde Pierniki Polski Cukier Toruń – basketball club, which is competing in the Polish Basketball League (men premier league in Poland), two times runners-up, whose home ground is the Arena Toruń * Energa Katarzynki Toruń – basketball club, competing in the
Basket Liga Kobiet Basket Liga Kobiet (BLK), currently known for sponsorship reasons as Energa Basket Liga Kobiet (EBLK; 2001–2013 Polska Liga Koszykówki Kobiet, PLKK) is a professional women's club basketball league in Poland. It constitutes the first and highes ...
(women premier league in Poland), finishing 3rd in 2010, 2012, 2015, whose home ground is the Arena Toruń *
Angels Toruń Angels Toruń is an American football team based in Toruń, Poland. The team currently competes in the PLFA II of Polish American Football League.The club also hosts the Angels Junior (PLFA J for under-17 players) and reserve team Metropolitans in ...
 – American football – Polish American Football League First Division * Nestle-Pacyfic – cycling * Toruński Klub Bowlingowy – bowling * Budowlani Toruń – volleyball (women premier league in Poland), whose home ground is the Arena Toruń * UKS Budowlanka Toruń – volleyball * Toruński KS – defunct Polish football club, co-founders of the
Polish football league The Polish Football League ( pl, Polska Futbol Liga, shortly PFL) is an American football league in Poland. Founded in 2021 after merge of the Topliga and the LFA which have been split in 2017. The league is played under the newly formed Po ...
* The
E11 European long distance path The E11 European long distance path or E11 path is one of the European long-distance paths, running 4700 km (about 2900 miles) west-east from The Hague in the Netherlands through Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia to Tallinn, Estonia. It sta ...
for hikers passes through Toruń


Notable people

Notable residents of Toruń include: *
Filippo Buonaccorsi Filippo Buonaccorsi, called Callimachus, Callimico, Bonacurarius, Caeculus, Geminianensis (Latin: ''Philippus Callimachus Experiens'', ''Bonacursius''; , 2 May 1437 – 1 November 1496) was an Italian humanist, writer and diplomat active in Pola ...
(1437–1496), Italian humanist, writer, and diplomat * Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), Renaissance polymath and astronomer. *
Anna Vasa of Sweden Anna Vasa of Sweden (also Anne, pl, Anna Wazówna; 17 May 1568 – 26 February 1625) was a Polish and Swedish princess, starosta of Brodnica and Golub. She was the youngest child of King John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon. She was cl ...
(1568–1625), Polish and Swedish princess * Bartholomeus Strobel (1591–1650), Baroque painter * Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring (1755–1830), German physician and anatomist *
Samuel Linde Samuel Gottlieb Linde (polonised ''Samuel Bogumił Linde''; 11 or 24 April 1771, in Toruń – 8 August 1847, in Warsaw) was a linguist, librarian, and lexicographer of the Polish language. He was director of the Prussian-founded Warsaw Lyceum ...
(1771–1847), linguist, librarian, and lexicographer of the Polish language * Fryderyk Skarbek (1792–1866), economist, novelist, historian, social activist, administrator, politician, and penologist * Zvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795–1874), Orthodox rabbi *
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
(1810–1849), composer and virtuoso pianist of the
Romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...
period. * Julie Wolfthorn (1864–1944), German painter *
Władysław Dziewulski Władysław Dziewulski (2 September 1878 – 6 February 1962) was a Polish astronomer and mathematician. He spent most his life performing astronomical research, and published over 200 papers. Life He studied mathematics and astronomy in his ...
(1878–1962), astronomer and mathematician. * Hermann Rauschning (1887–1982), German conservative reactionary * Roman Ingarden (1893–1970), philosopher *
Lotte Jacobi Lotte Jacobi (August 17, 1896 – May 6, 1990) was a leading American portrait photographer and photojournalist, known for her high-contrast black-and-white portrait photography, characterized by intimate, sometimes dramatic, sometimes idiosyn ...
(1896–1990), American portrait photographer and photojournalist *
Elżbieta Zawacka Elżbieta Zawacka (; 19 March 1909 – 10 January 2009), known also by her war-time nom de guerre Zo, was a Polish university professor, scouting instructor, SOE agent and a freedom fighter during World War II. She was promoted to brigadier g ...
(1909–2009), university professor, scouting instructor, SOE agent, and a freedom fighter during World War II *
Tony Halik Tony Halik, born Mieczysław Antoni Sędzimir Halik (January 24, 1921 – May 23, 1998) was a Polish film operator, documentary film-maker, author of travel books, traveller, explorer, and polyglot (speaking Spanish, English, French, Portuguese ...
(1921–1998), film operator, documentary filmmaker, travel writer, traveller, explorer, and polyglot * Kazimierz Serocki (1922–1981), composer *
Bodo Tümmler Bodo Tümmler (born 8 December 1943) is a German former middle-distance runner. He competed for West Germany at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics in the 1500 meter event, and won a bronze medal in 1968. Biography Tümmler was born in Toruń (Thorn), pa ...
(born 1943), German middle-distance runner * Aleksander Wolszczan (born 1946), astronomer *
Bogusław Linda Bogusław Linda (; born 27 June 1952) is a Polish actor known from films such as ''Psy'' and ''Tato''. He appeared in Andrzej Wajda's ''Man of Iron'' and ''Danton'' and in Krzysztof Kieślowski's ''Blind Chance'' and the seventh episode of Kieśl ...
(born 1952), actor *
Michał Zaleski Michał Franciszek Zaleski (born 14 July 1952) is a Polish politician. Zaleski was the mayor of Toruń from 18 November 2002 until April 2024. Biography Zaleski was born on 14 July 1952 in Jabłonowo Pomorskie, Poland. He attended the Nicolaus Cop ...
(born 1952), politician *
Jadwiga Rappé Jadwiga Rappé (born 24 February 1952) is a Polish operatic contralto, born in Toruń. Rappé studied Slavic philology at the University of Warsaw and voice at the Wroclaw Music Academy. In 1980 she was awarded first prize at the International B ...
(born 1952), operatic contralto *
Waldemar Fydrych Waldemar Andrzej Fydrych "Major" (born April 8, 1953) is a Polish activist and founding leader of the Orange Alternative movement in Poland. Early career Fydrych was born in Toruń, Poland on April 8, 1953. He is a graduate of the History and Hi ...
(born 1953), Polish activist, leader of the Orange Alternative movement *
Jerzy Wenderlich Jerzy Jan Wenderlich (pronounced ; born 22 April 1954 in Toruń) is a Polish politician. He was initially elected to Sejm in 1993, representing the Democratic Left Alliance, and was reelected in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007. In the 2004 European Pa ...
(born 1954), politician * Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (born 1972), politician * Piotr Głowacki (born 1980), actor *
Tomasz Wasilewski Tomasz Wasilewski (born 26 September 1980) is a Polish film director and screenwriter. His 2016 film '' United States of Love'' was shown at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival The 66th Berlin International Film Festival was held fro ...
(born 1980), film director and screenwriter *
Olga Bołądź Olga Bołądź (born 29 February 1984) is a Polish actress. She has appeared in more than thirty films since 2006. Selected filmography References External links * 1984 births Living people Polish film actresses {{Poland-ac ...
(born 1984), actress * Adrian Kubicki (born 1987), Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York City


Sport

*
Teresa Weyna Teresa Urszula Weyna (born 30 May 1950) is a Polish former ice dancer. Skating with Piotr Bojańczyk, she became a nine-time Polish national champion (1968–76) and placed in the top ten at six European Championships, three World Championship ...
(born 1950), ice dancer *
Tomasz Warczachowski Tomasz Warczachowski (born 13 September 1974 in Toruń) is a Polish football defender who played in the II liga (second tier) for Arka Gdynia and Unia Janikowo. Career Club The club he spent a lot of years of his career was Pomorzanin Toruń. ...
(born 1974), footballer *
Michał Gołaś Michał Gołaś (born 29 April 1984) is a Polish former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2007 and 2021 for five different professional teams. Specialising as a domestique, Gołaś took two victories during his pro ...
(born 1984), road bicycle racer *
Adam Waczyński Adam Waczyński (born October 15, 1989) is a Polish professional basketball player for Baxi Manresa of the Liga ACB. He also represents the senior Polish national basketball team. He is a 1.99 m (6'6 ") tall shooting guard-small forward. Profes ...
(born 1989), basketball player * Michał Kwiatkowski (born 1990), road bicycle racer *
Katarzyna Zillmann Katarzyna Zillmann (born 26 July 1995) is a Polish rower. She won the gold medal in the quadruple sculls at the 2018 World Rowing Championships as well as silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Life and career She was born in 1995 in ...
(born 1995), rower *
Jakub Piotrowski Jakub Piotrowski (born 4 October 1997) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad. Career Between 2015 and 2018, Piotrowski played for Polish side Pogoń Szczecin. On 14 May 2018, he si ...
(born 1997), footballer


International relations

Honouring Toruń's sister relationship with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Bulwar Filadelfijski (''Philadelphia Boulevard''), a long street running mostly between Vistula River and walls of the Old Town and the boulevard itself, bears its name. The Ślimak Getyński is one of the lanes connecting Piłsudski Bridge / John Paul II Avenue with Philadelphia Boulevard at their downtown interchange. It honours the relationship with Göttingen, its name derived from the street's half-circular shape (Polish word ''ślimak'' meaning "snail").


Twin towns – Sister cities

Toruń is twinned with: Former twin towns: * Kaliningrad, Russia (since 1995 until 2022, terminated due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine)


Gallery

File:Torun ratusz corr.jpg, Old Town Hall File:Torun apartment house under the star2.jpg, House Under the Star File:Toruń, Kościół Św. Ducha.jpg, Holy Spirit Church File:Artus Court in Toruń in National Day decoration.jpg, Artus Court File:Toruń, ul. Piekary 35, 37, 39 (OLA Z.).JPG, Caesar's Arch Tenement House File:Convent Gate in Toruń side.jpg, ''Brama Klasztorna'' (Convent Gate) File:Kościół św. Katarzyny w Toruniu44.jpg, Saint Catherine of Alexandria church File:Toruń, kamienice przy ul. Warszawskiej.JPG, Historic tenement houses along Warszawska Street File:10 Wały Generała Sikorskiego in Toruń (01).JPG, Former Police Station Building File:Węzeł przesiadkowy na Placu 18. Stycznia, Toruń.jpg, City tram line File:Toruń - Poczta Główna 01.jpg, Main Post Office File:Toruń Teatr Baj Pomorski.jpg,
Baj Pomorski Theatre The Baj Pomorski Theatre is a puppet theatre, located in Toruń in Poland. History The Baj Pomorski Theatre was started thanks to Irena Pikiel-Samorewiczowa – an artist, painter, and repatriate from Vilnius who had come to Bydgoszcz in ...
File:Toruń, Szeroka Street (DerHexer) 2010-07-17 053.jpg, Szeroka Street File:Pomnik Ofiar Zbrodni Pomorskiej 1939 w Toruniu.jpg, Memorial to the victims of ''
Intelligenzaktion Pommern The ''Intelligenzaktion Pommern''Stefan Sutkowski (2001), ''The history of music in Poland: The Contemporary Era. 1939–1974''. Vol. 7, page 37 "...some 183 professors of the Jagiellonian University and the Academy of Mining and Foundry in Craco ...
'' File:Toruń (DerHexer) 2010-07-17 024.jpg, Collegium Maius of the Nicolaus Copernicus University File:Torun (15534603971).jpg, City panorama File:Torun zamek Dybow brama.jpg,
Dybów Castle Dybów Castle ( pl, Zamek Dybów) is a castle in Toruń, Poland. It is a national Object of Cultural Heritage. Location The castle is located in the Piaski district of Toruń, on the western side of the Vistula river. History Built by Władysła ...
File:Spichrze, piekary.jpg, Old granaries in the Old Town File:Muzeum Diecezjalne w Toruniu.jpg, Diocesan Museum File:Torun Muzeum Podroznikow Franciszkanska.jpg,
Tony Halik Tony Halik, born Mieczysław Antoni Sędzimir Halik (January 24, 1921 – May 23, 1998) was a Polish film operator, documentary film-maker, author of travel books, traveller, explorer, and polyglot (speaking Spanish, English, French, Portuguese ...
Travelers' Museum File:Torun most Zawackiej (08).jpg, Gen.
Elżbieta Zawacka Elżbieta Zawacka (; 19 March 1909 – 10 January 2009), known also by her war-time nom de guerre Zo, was a Polish university professor, scouting instructor, SOE agent and a freedom fighter during World War II. She was promoted to brigadier g ...
Bridge File:Most Piłsudskiego s3.jpg, Józef Piłsudski Bridge over the Vistula River File:Torun areszt sledczy (1).jpg, Historic prison building File:Krzywa Wieza in Torun (5).jpg,
Leaning Tower of Toruń The Leaning Tower of Toruń is a medieval tower in Toruń, Poland. It is known as a leaning tower because the top of the tower is displaced from where it would be if the tower were perfectly vertical. Located on Pod Krzywą Wieżą street, it i ...
File:Brama Mostowa in Torun (3).jpg, Mostowa Gate File:Torun NMP witraz prezbiterium wsch 01.jpg, St. Mary's Church


In popular culture

* Thorn (Toruń) is one of the starting towns of the State of the Teutonic Order in the turn-based strategy game '' Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms''. * Toruń also makes an appearance in the alternate history RTS Command and Conquer: Red Alert; in the Soviet campaign of the game, the player is tasked on liquidating the city's inhabitants after the Soviet leadership discover resistance fighters had aided escaped test subjects.


See also

*
Tourism in Poland Poland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań, Szczecin, ...
* Gingerbread Museum


Notes


References


External links


Municipal website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Torun City counties of Poland Cities and towns in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Populated places on the Vistula Members of the Hanseatic League Chełmno Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939) Kulm law