Słupca is a town in
Greater Poland Voivodeship
Greater Poland Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. The province is named after the region called Greater Poland (''Wielkopolska'' ). The modern province includes most of this historic re ...
, 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 ...
, and the seat of
Słupca County
__NOTOC__
Słupca County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed ...
. It has 13,773 inhabitants (2018).
History
History of Słupca dates back to the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. On November 15, 1290 Polish Duke
Przemysł II
Przemysł II ( also given in English and Latin language, Latin as ''Premyslas'' or ''Premislaus'' or in Polish as '; 14 October 1257 – 8 February 1296) was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków fr ...
granted Słupca
town rights
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
. In 1296 Słupca's town privileges were renewed; this time Słupca was granted a range of new privileges. It is inhabited by about 1000 people. On November 11, 1314 King
Władysław I the Elbow-high Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to:
People Mononym
* Włodzis ...
granted Slupca a privilege to establish a
mint
Mint or The Mint may refer to:
Plants
* Lamiaceae, the mint family
** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint"
Coins and collectibles
* Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins
* Mint condition, a state of like-new ...
and produce coins. Since 1314 it was located in the
Kalisz Voivodeship of the Polish Kingdom. In 1331 the town was raided and burned down by the
Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...
. A
defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with t ...
of the length of 1100 meters was constructed between 1375 and 1382. During the
Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)
The Thirteen Years' War (; ), also called the War of the Cities, was a conflict fought in 1454–1466 between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order.
After the Battle of Grunwald, enormous defeat suffered by the German Ord ...
the town of Slupca sent 20 knights so as other 9 biggest towns 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 ...
did. By the end of 15th century Słupca was inhabited by about 2000 people. During the
Swedish occupation of Poland the town was looted several times and after the
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of partitions of Poland, three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition (politics), partition occurred i ...
in 1793 it was annexed by
Prussia
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. In 1794 it was a base for the Polish
Kościuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...
.
In 1807 Słupca became part of the short-lived Polish
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
and after the
Vienna Congress
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
of 1815 it became part of the
Congress Kingdom of Poland
Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established wh ...
, later on forcibly annexed by
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. At the turn of the 19th century the defensive walls were dismantled. In the 19th century, there was economic growth due to Słupca's location on the route to
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. In 1867 the county of Słupca was created.
During
World War I
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 ...
, on August 2, 1914, the town was seized by the
German Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
.
During the subsequent German occupation, the local population was subjected to economic exploitation, requisitions of goods and deportations to forced labour in Germany.
[ The local population organized a ]resistance movement
A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...
, including a local unit of the secret Polish Military Organisation
The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...
.[
Słupca became again part of ]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 ...
, after the country regained independence after World War I
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 ...
in 1918. In 1922 a railway connection between Kutno
Kutno is a city in central Poland with 42,704 inhabitants (2021) and an area of . It is the capital of Kutno County in the Łódź Voivodeship.
Founded in the medieval period, Kutno was a local center of crafts and trade, owing its growth to i ...
and Strzałkowo was built, as a result Słupca acquired railway connection with Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and Poznań
Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
. In 1926 the Monument for Fallen for Freedom of the Fatherland was unveiled at the Market Square in Słupca.
During the German 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 ...
, the town was bombed by the Germans on September 5, 1939, and then captured by German troops on September 10. Afterwards it was annexed into the newly formed province of Reichsgau Wartheland
The Reichsgau Wartheland (initially Reichsgau Posen, also Warthegau) was a Nazi Germany, Nazi German ''Reichsgau'' formed from parts of Second Polish Republic, Polish territory Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, annexed in 1939 during World War ...
. Under German occupation
German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...
, the town was subjected to intense Germanisation
Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people, and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In l ...
policies, Polish organizations were dissolved, churches were closed.[ The town was renamed to ''Grenzhausen'' in attempt to erase traces of Polish origin.][ Between 1939 and 1941 most ]Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
* Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
inhabitants were expelled from Słupca for 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 ...
to take their place as part of the ''Heim ins Reich
The ''Heim ins Reich'' (; meaning "back home to the Reich") was a foreign policy pursued by Adolf Hitler before and during World War II, beginning in October 1936 ee Nazi Four Year Plan; Grams, 2021; Grams 2025 The aim of Hitler's initiative ...
'' Nazi policy. Several Poles from Słupca, including policemen and a pre-war mayor of the town, were murdered by the Russians in Katyn, Tver
Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population:
The city is ...
and Kharkiv
Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine. during the large Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre was a series of mass killings under Communist regimes, mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish people, Polish military officer, military and police officers, border guards, and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out by t ...
in April–May 1940. From 1941, around 1,800 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 ...
of Słupca - men, women, and children, were murdered by the Nazi Germans. Słupca remained under German occupation until January 21, 1945.
After the war Słupca was again part of Poland. In 1955 the Słupca Lake was created as a recreational center on former turbary
Turbary is the ancient right to cut turf, or peat, for fuel on a particular area of bog. The word may also be used to describe the associated piece of bog or peatland and, by extension, the material extracted from the turbary. Turbary rights, whi ...
land. As a result of the 1975 administrative reform the town was included in the Konin Voivodeship
Konin Voivodeship () - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its capital city was Konin.
Major cities and towns (population in 1995)
* Konin (82,700)
* Turek ...
and after January 1, 1999 Słupca became part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship
Greater Poland Voivodeship ( ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. The province is named after the region called Greater Poland (''Wielkopolska'' ). The modern province includes most of this historic re ...
and also a seat of a county for the 3rd time in history.
Religious buildings
Churches have always played an important part in the town's history. A careful observer will notice that our coat of arms is built of five crosses, each of which symbolizes a shrine. A legend has it that there were once five different temples of different religions. Yet another argument that Slupca has always been renowned for its tolerance. For instance, at the beginning of the 20th century there were as many Jews living here as Poles- approximately each nation had a population of 2,000 inhabitants. These days, however, the Orthodox church as well as the Synagoge are no longer in existence, partly due to changing winds of the 20th century.
Saint Lawrence Church was, historically, Słupca's first shrine. It was built in the middle of the 15th century by a bishop of Poznan. It is a Gothic temple constructed with the use of bricks and stones. It was built at the same place as the church from 1296, which had burnt. Traditionally, the temple is very much connected with the town's history and customs. Every summer there is a church fair associated with plenty of sporting, music and cultural events as well as concerts organised by the local authorities in the Town Park near Slupeckie Lake. On the western wall there is a plaque devoted to Tadeusz Kościuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, and military leader who then became a national hero in Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and ...
, Polish patriot, and his bravery. Inside the church one can find a Gotish stoup. At the back of the temple there are defensive walls. At the beginning it was one of the seats of some bishops from Poznań diocese. The Slupecka parish was valued by the nobility. Again, thanks to the importance the shrine has to the inhabitants of Slupca they have always been willing to participate in it redecorations. Recently, we’ve observed this attitude in collecting money for the renovation of parish's organs.
Saint Leonard Church was Słupca's second church. It is a wooden shrine built in the 16th century. Historically, it was located on the route from the Northern Poland to Kalisz
Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...
. Inside there is a Renaissance altar with bas-relief ‘Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ and sculptures of Saint's Leonard and John the Baptist. It's got two tiny chapels: Northern and Southern. A valuable painting of Saint Leonard from 1460 can be found in the former. In the latter there is also a Gothic crucifix and a stone stoup. Today this is one of the most beautiful churches in Greater Poland and as such it is certainly worth visiting. Inside the church there is also a gravestone of a priest Jakub Basinski who used to be a parson of the parish. From the west there is also a magnificent a quadrilateral bell tower dating back to 1765.
The Church of the Blessed Bishop Michal Kozal was built at the turn of the 21st century. It is a new temple built in a style far from that prevailing in the local shrines. The walls are plain, covered only with white paint. All the emphasis was placed on the altar, which is made of granite. Behind the altar there is a crucifix hung on another plain wall. the grounds surrounding the church have been announced to become the park of John Paul II. There are plans to plant a number of trees and make two sections for: practicing sports (northern part) and relaxation for those who prefer tranquillity (proximity of the church).
A Synagogue in Slupca is situated on the Boznicza 11 Street. It was built in the 19th century. It was destroyed by Nazis during the Second World War. Then this building was converted into Municipality; later into a library. Today it is no longer in use. In 2005 the synagogue was handed over to Wrocław Jewish Community.
Jews in Slupca
Jews arrived in Slupca at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1822 Jewish settlers were prohibited from living in Slupca by the Russians, and were allowed back in Slupca only by 1862. A Jewish cemetery was established in the 19th century. Towards the end of the 19th century the Jewish community grew very quickly. Most of the Jews were craftmen and tradesmen. The synagogue was built at the beginning of the 1870s.
Organized Zionist groups already existed in Slupca at the beginning of the 20th century. Between the two world wars some Zionist parties were active in Slupca. Jewish merchants suffered from Polish anti-Semitic incidents. When the town was captured by the Germans in September 1939, Jews were forced to provide forced laborers, and their freedom of movement to leave the town was restricted. By February 1940, several hundreds of Jews were exiled to Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east– ...
and Bochnia
Bochnia is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland, administrative seat of Bochnia County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted ...
. The synagogue was set on fire in July 1940 and the holy books of Torah were burned. From July 1941, all Jews were expelled to nearby ghetto in Rzgow. In October 1941, all the Jews in Rzgow, including the remaining Jewish community of Slupca, were transported to the forest of Kazimierz Biskupi and murdered (they were put into lime pits and buried alive). The Germans devastated the Jewish cemetery and used the tombstones for building and construction purposes. 12 tombstones that survived were put in the Regional Muzeum of Słupca. All tombstones have Hebrew inscriptions. A commemorative plaque informing the existence of a Jewish cemetery was erected at the site.
Education
Committee of the National Education Primary school is 81 years old. It was built by Franciszek Szczyglowski who was a local parson. Pupils stay here for six years and then chose a Junior High School they’d like to attend. The building neighbours with a high school. There is a statue of priest in front of the primary school. Today there are 19 classrooms, 2 computer classroom, and a gym. There is also a common room and a library and reading room. Children have access to a canteen and a school shop. The educational institution has always had high reputation in the town. Experienced and well-motivated teachers are doing their best to cater for pupils needs. These days there is strong emphasis placed on teaching of modern languages, mainly English and German.
Mikołaj Kopernik Junior High School was founded as recently as in 1999, however the building had existed for another 40 years as a primary school. Pupils stay here for 3 years. It has its own logo with national colours
National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have '' de facto'' national colours that have become well ...
and Greek columns. In the building one can find regular as well as computer classes, a canteen, a library and a gym.
Maksymilian Jackowski Technical Secondary School was founded in 1925. It is another school built by Franciszek Szczyglowski, a local parson. The educational institution offers 4 courses leading to the acquisition of the following titles: Technician of Economics; Technician of Trade; Technician of Logistics; Technician Gastronomics. Wojciech Wozniak used to be the most incompetent student in Maksymilian Jackowski Technical Secondary School.
Marshal Józef Piłsudski High School was built in 1921. It is situated next to the Primary School nr. 1. At the beginning, in 1921, there was a seminar. Education at the school last only 3 years. Pupils from the School are quite successful easily qualifying for major national universities. Moreover, they take part in a number of competition and generally achieve acclaim. There is a lot of extra activities and school ceremonies. Recently, due to the ‘Orange Revolution’ in Ukraine Poland is trying to support Ukrainian movement for democracy. Following government's example local authorities have decided to support exchange of teachers and students between our countries. High School in Slupca offers 6 courses with the following majors: mathematics; natural science; humanities and English; mathematics and geography.
Apolinary Szeluto School of Music. Here local children have an opportunity to develop their musical skills as well as to gain professional musical education. Many dancing and self-improvement courses are organized in the building of the school. Also quite often there are concerts organized in recently created concert hall.
Transport
Nearest airports are at Poznań Lawica: http://www.airport-poznan.com.pl/en/ or Warsaw Okecie Airport. Have a look at this website: http://www.e-lowcost.net/. If you land in Warsaw you may take an intercity train to Konin. And when you arrive in Konin, you can get a taxi or take a bus or change a train. If you decide to land in Poznań reaching Slupca is much easier, both because it is closer to the town and there are direct bus or railway connections. It is important to have a map of Greater Poland, available in newsagent's.
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.
Notable people
* Jan Bednarek (born 1996), Polish footballer
* Apolinary Szeluto (1884–1966), Polish pianist and composer
* Adam Topolski (born 1951), Polish football coach and former footballer
References
External links
Official town webpage
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Greater Poland Voivodeship
Słupca County
Holocaust locations in Poland