Pałuki () is a historic and ethnographic region lying in central

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 ...

, part of

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland. The bound ...

neighbouring

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

and

Kuyavia Kuyavia (; ), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three traditional parts: north-western (with th ...

. In terms of

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

the region lies in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship and Greater Poland Voivodship. A diverse

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

and numerous

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

s serve as tourist attractions. Pałuki is commonly called "the land of 130 lakes" or sometimes even "Little Mazury". The "Piast Trail", leading through several places connected with the origins of the Polish State (

Gniezno Gniezno (; ; ) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (''powiat'') ...

Kruszwica Kruszwica () is a town in central Poland, in the Inowrocław County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has a population of 9,161 (2010). Initially founded in the 6th century, Kruszwica is the oldest town in the region and features a medieva ...

), runs across the south of Pałuki.

Żnin Żnin (; , 1941–45: ) is a town in north-central Poland with a population of 14,181 (June 2014). It is in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (previously Bydgoszcz Voivodeship) and is the capital of Żnin County. The historical town, initially es ...

Szubin Szubin () is a town in Nakło County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, located southwest of Bydgoszcz. It has a population of around 9,333 (as of 2010). It is located on the Gąsawka River in the ethnocultural region of Pałuki. A small ...

, Kcynia and

Barcin Barcin is a town in central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Żnin County. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 7,255. History Barcin was founded in the 12th century, when it was part of Piast dynasty, Piast-ruled Pol ...

are major towns of the regions. Biskupin, Wenecja and Gąsawa also attract visitors.

History

The name Pałuki is likely derived from łuk, łęk, or łęg, signifying grassy lowlands between arable land. An alternative theory suggests the name comes from the shape of the small hilltops which dot the landscape. The name appeared in the 14th century in the Latin form ''terra Palucacensis'' in documents by Jan of Czarnków and, later,

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

. Pałuki formed part of the Kalisz Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1655, it was invaded by Sweden, and the Battle of Kcynia was fought there. The region was invaded by Germany during the

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

, which started

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 ...

in September 1939. The German occupiers launched the ''

Intelligenzaktion The ''Intelligenzaktion'' (), or the Intelligentsia mass shootings, was a series of mass murders committed against the Polish people, Polish intelligentsia (teachers, priests, physicians, and other prominent members of Polish society) during the ...

'' genocidal campaign against the Polish population. Major sites of massacres of Poles in the region included Paterek and Bukowiec. The Germans also carried out expulsion of Poles, whose houses and farms were then handed over to German colonists in accordance with the ''

Lebensraum (, ) is a German concept of expansionism and Völkisch movement, ''Völkisch'' nationalism, the philosophy and policies of which were common to German politics from the 1890s to the 1940s. First popularized around 1901, '' lso in:' beca ...

'' policy. Many Poles were enslaved as

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, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

and either sent to German colonists in the region or deported to Germany. The Polish resistance movement was active in the region. Germany operated the Stalag XXI-B, Oflag XXI-B and Oflag 64

prisoner-of-war camps A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

for Polish, French, British, American, and other Allied POWs in

and Tur.

Towns

* Gąsawa *

Gołańcz Gołańcz () is a town in Wągrowiec County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,333 inhabitants (2010). History Gołańcz was first mentioned in a document from 1222. It was granted town rights in the 14th century. It was a private tow ...

* Janowiec Wielkopolski * Kcynia *

Łabiszyn Łabiszyn is a small town in Żnin County, in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland, with 4,452 inhabitants (2010). It is located on the Noteć river near Żnin, on the border between the historic regions of Pałuki and Kuyavia. History ...

* Margonin *

Szamocin Szamocin () is a town in Chodzież County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland. History ''Szamoczino'' in the Piast-ruled Kingdom of Poland was first mentioned in a 1364 deed, although it surely existed earlier and was probably founded in the ...

Wągrowiec Wągrowiec () is a town in west-central Poland, from both Poznań and Bydgoszcz. Since the 18th century it has been the seat of a powiat. Administratively it is attached to the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The town is situated in the middle of th ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paluki Geography of Greater Poland Voivodeship Regions of Poland

History

Towns

See also

References