Kętrzyn (, until 1946 ''Rastembork''; ) is a town in northeastern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

with 27,478 inhabitants (2019). It is the capital of

Kętrzyn County __NOTOC__ Kętrzyn County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, on the border with Russia. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local ...

in the Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship. The town is known for the surrounding Masurian Lakeland and numerous monuments of historical value such as the Wolf's Lair in nearby Gierłoż, which was

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's primary headquarters over the course of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

's military campaign on the Eastern Front during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The town is also known for its 14th century Teutonic Kętrzyn Castle.

History

The original inhabitants of the region were the Balt tribe of the

Aesti The Aesti (also Aestii, Astui or Aests) were an ancient people first described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his treatise ''Germania'' (circa 98 AD). According to Tacitus, the territory of Aesti was located somewhere east of the ''Suiones'' ...

, mentioned by

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...

in his ''Germania'' (AD 98). The town, known in German as ''Rastenburg'' and in Polish as ''Rastembork'', was established in 1329 in the State of the Teutonic Knights and was granted town rights in 1357 by Henning Schindekop. After the Battle of Grunwald, in 1410, the mayor surrendered the town to Poland, however, it fell back to the Teutonic Knights in 1411. In 1440, the town joined the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation. dr Jerzy Sikorski, Historia miasta Kętrzyn Upon the request of the Confederation, King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated the region and town to the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

in 1454. The town then recognized the Polish King as the rightful ruler and the townspeople sent their representative to

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

to pay homage to the King. After the Thirteen Years’ War (1454–1466) the town was part of Poland as a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

held by the Teutonic Order's state and, from 1525 to 1701, it was part of the

Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (, , ) or Ducal Prussia (; ) was a duchy in the region of Prussia established as a result of secularization of the Monastic Prussia, the territory that remained under the control of the State of the Teutonic Order until t ...

, a Polish fief until 1657. In the second half of the 17th century,

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

constituted around a half of the town's population, the other half being

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

. In 1667, a Polish church school was established. In 1701 the town became part of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

and subsequently, in 1871, part of Germany. During the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, from 1758 to 1762, the town was occupied by the Russians, in June 1807, throughout the

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, the division of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski was stationed in the town. Following the unsuccessful Polish

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

, in 1832–1833, Polish insurgents, including several officers, were interned in the town. In the late 19th century a Polish Lutheran parish still existed, despite the policy of Germanisation conducted by the Prussian authorities. In the second half of the 19th century, a sugar factory, brewery and mill were built.

20th century

Rastenburg and the surrounding district was the scene of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

's First Battle of the Masurian Lakes and Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

's wartime military headquarters, the Wolf's Lair, was in the forest east of Rastenburg. The bunker was the setting for the failed assassination attempt of the 20 July plot against Hitler. During the war, the Germans operated a forced labour camp for

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

in the town. In 1945, the area suffered devastation from both the retreating Germans and advancing Soviets during the Vistula-Oder campaign. Some ruins of the Wolf's Lair remain. The town was a

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

garrison town until it was occupied by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

on 27 January 1945. The largely abandoned town was heavily destroyed by the Soviets. After German surrender, the town was assigned to Poland by the Soviets. Sovereignty over the town was officially transferred on May 18, 1945. At the Potsdam Conference, the Western Allies accepted establishment of Polish rule. The town's surviving German residents who had not evacuated were subsequently expelled westward in accordance with provisions included in the

Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...

and replaced with

, most of whom were themselves expelled from the pre-war Polish Vilnius Region that was annexed by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and given to the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The town was given the historic Polish name ''Rastembork'' in 1945, and in 1946 it was renamed to ''Kętrzyn'' after the Polish historian, activist and patriot Wojciech Kętrzyński, who attended the local gymnasium in the years 1855–1859. After the war, the town's life was being rebuilt. In 1945, the Municipal Theater was established. Thanks to voluntary contributions, books were purchased for newly organized public libraries. A museum was created in the renovated castle. From 1975 to 1998, Kętrzyn was administratively located in the Olsztyn Voivodeship.

Population

Climate

Kętrzyn's climate is either oceanic (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb'') or humid continental (

: ''Dfb''), depending on the isotherm used. The climate of the city has a considerable thermal amplitude, but still with some not so pronounced influence of the sea.

Sports

The local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team is . It competes in the lower leagues.

People

* Johann Dietrich von Hülsen (1693–1767), Prussian general * Karl Bogislaus Reichert (1811–1883), German anatomist, embryologist and histologist. * Wojciech Kętrzyński (1838–1918), Polish historian and activist * Elisabet Boehm (1859–1943), German women's rights advocate *

Arno Holz Arno Hermann Oscar Alfred Holz (26 April 1863 – October 1929) was a German naturalist poet and dramatist. He is best known for his poetry collection ''Phantasus'' (1898). He was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel prize in litera ...

(1863–1929), German poet and dramatist * Wilhelm Wien (1864–1928), German physicist worked on blackbody radiation * Emma Döll (1873–1930), German politician (SPD/USPD/KPD) * Rüdiger von Heyking (1894–1956), German

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

general * Hanns Scharff (1907–1992), German Luftwaffe interrogator internationally renowned for developing humane, effective interrogation techniques * Waldemar Grzimek (1918–1984), German sculptor * Siegfried Tiefensee (1922–2009), German composer * Dietrich von Bausznern (1928–1980), German composer, cantor, organist and music teacher * Marek Ziółkowski (born 1955), Polish diplomat * Krzysztof Kononowicz (1963–2025), former candidate for the office of mayor of

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...

and internet celebrity * Piotr Lech (born 1968), Polish footballer * Krzysztof Raczkowski (1970–2005), musician and drummer of the Polish

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

band Vader * Piotr Trafarski (born 1983), Polish footballer

Gallery

File:Zamek w Kętrzynie 2.jpg, Kętrzyn Castle File:Ratusz w Kętrzynie 001.jpg, Town Hall File:2008-02 Kętrzyn 06.jpg, Saint Catherine of Alexandria church File:Jezioro Kętrzyńskie.jpg, Kętrzyn Lake File:Kętrzyn kościół ewangelicko-augsburski.jpg, Saint John church File:Kętrzyn - Starostwo Powiatowe (02).jpg,

seat File:KĘTRZYN, AB - 046.JPG, Train station File:KĘTRZYN, AB - 031.JPG, Tax office File:Kętrzyn, ul. Traugutta 27 (pałacyk).jpg, Old townhouses in the town center File:Ketrzyn Sikorskiego kamienice.jpg, Old townhouses in the town center File:Ketrzyn Dworcowa 1 (1).jpg, Former bank building File:K-pocztowa5-DSCN1228.jpg, Old house

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Kętrzyn is twinned with: * Volodymyr,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel i ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

* Zlaté Hory,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

References

External links

Municipal webpage

Kętrzyn
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Kętrzyn County Populated places established in the 1320s