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Ostrów Wielkopolski
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Flag Coat of arms
Ostrów Wielkopolski
Coordinates: 51°39′N 17°42′E / 51.650°N 17.700°E / 51.650; 17.700
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Greater Poland
County	Ostrów Wielkopolski County
Gmina	Ostrów Wielkopolski (urban gmina)
Established	14th century
Town rights	15th century
Government
• Mayor	Beata Klimek
Area
• Total	41.9 km2 (16.2 sq mi)
Highest elevation	175 m (574 ft)
Lowest elevation	123 m (404 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	72,810
• Density	1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	63-400 to 63-417
Area code(s)	+48 62
Car plates	POS
Climate	Cfb
Website	http://www.umostrow.pl/

Ostrów Wielkopolski ([ˈɔstruf vʲɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲi]) (often abbreviated Ostrów Wlkp., formerly called only Ostrów, German: Ostrowo, Latin: Ostrovia) is a city in central Poland with 72,810 inhabitants (2011), situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostrów Wielkopolski County. It is the fifth-largest city in the voivodehip after Poznań, Kalisz, Konin and Piła.

History

Recently, a small fortified dwelling dating from the 10th century was discovered on the north-east side of the town's limits. An archeological excavation is now in progress.

Ostrów received town privileges in 1404 but the economic stagnation caused by fires, wars, and a weak 16th-century nobility, led to the town’s officials dropping its town status in 1711. In 1714, one of the nobility of Ostrów, Jan Jerzy Przebendowski, intervened at the royal court, for the status to be reinstated. By the power of a Royal Marshall (English: Marshal), Franciszek Bielinski, the town received its status back with greater privileges. Another noble family, the Radziwiłłowie took patronage over the town and looked over its many investments. The care of the town’s owners, work of its people, and dedication of its officials, as well as its location, favored the town’s continuous growth. The establishment of a railroad hub in Ostrów was a vital turning point in its development, helping to lend the town prominent status on the local and national scene.

During the time of Partition and both World Wars, Ostrów became an important center for nationalist movements. One of the town’s historic episodes was the so-called Republic of Ostrów (Republika Ostrowska), which was the citizens’ upheaval of 1918. No blood was shed at that upheaval and all political powers were taken over from the Prussian authorities. In between the First and Second World Wars, Ostrów was one of the fastest growing towns: the number of inhabitants doubled, showy houses were built and modern railcar manufacturing (Fabryka Wagon) began.

During World War II, a Nazi labor camp, Staatspolizeistelle Litzmannstadt Arbeitserziehungslager Ostrowo,^[1] operated within the town's limits, where 193 people died. The town was one of the major anti-Nazi conspiracy centers in the Great Poland region. In 1941, after the Gestapo's crackdown on the headquarters of the Poznań branch of the underground army Union for Armed Struggle-ZWZ, the headquarters were moved to Ostrów. From here the re-structure of the Poznań region of the Union was conducted.

Notable residents

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  Ehrenfried-Oskar Boege (1889–1965) – German general


• 
  Paweł Bryliński – folklore sculptor


• 
  Mirosław Ferić – fighter pilot for 303 Squadron during Second World War


• 
  Heinrich Graetz – historian


• 
  Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz – poet, writer (Letters from Ostrów)


• 
  Bartłomiej Jaszka – star handball player


• 
  Krzysztof Komeda – jazz pianist


• 
  Krzysztof Kwiatkowski – computer scientist, researcher, software developer


• 
  Moritz Landé (1829–1888) – German architect


• 
  Krzysztof Lijewski – star handball player


• 
  Marcin Lijewski – star handball player


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  Władysław Marcinkowski – sculptor


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  Władysław Markiewicz – sociologist


• 
  Bernhard Rawitz – German anatomist


• 
  Manfred von Richthofen – "Red Baron", German fighter pilot (World War I); briefly stationed in the city's cavalry unit before being sent to the Western Front


• 
  Jan Żniniewicz – physician, author of the new method of hydrotherapy (balneological method of treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases)

Education

• Społeczna Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości i Zarządzania in Łódź, branch in Ostrów Wlkp.


• 
  Technical University of Łódź, branch in Ostrów Wlkp.

Sports

• 
  Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski – men's basketball team, second in Polska Liga Koszykówki in the 2017/2018 season


• 
  Ostrovia 1909 Ostrów Wielkopolski – men's soccer team


• 
  KM Ostrów Wielkopolski – speedway team

From 5 July to 20 July 2013 Ostrów Wielkopolski hosted the 17th European Gliding Championships. The local pilot, Łukasz Błaszczyk, took a bronze medal in the Club Class.^[2]

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  Ostrów Wielkopolski Co-Cathedral
  

  
  

  
  


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  High School in Ostrów
  

  
  

  
  


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  Ostrow city hall
  

  
  

  
  


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  St. Mary's Church
  

  
  

  
  


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  Former synagogue
  

  
  

  
  


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  Main Post Office
  

  
  

  
  


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  Main station
  

  
  

  
  

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Ostrów Wielkopolski is twinned with:

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ostrów Wielkopolski.

• City hall home page

Coordinates: 51°39′N 17°42′E / 51.650°N 17.700°E / 51.650; 17.700