Barwice
Market Square (Rynek)
Market Square (Rynek)
Flag of Barwice
Flag
Coat of arms of Barwice
Coat of arms
Barwice is located in Poland
Barwice
Barwice
Coordinates: 53°44′N 16°21′E / 53.733°N 16.350°E / 53.733; 16.350
Country Poland
VoivodeshipWest Pomeranian
CountySzczecinek
GminaBarwice
Government
[1]
 • MayorMariusz Kieling
Area
[2]
 • Total7.52 km2 (2.90 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2021)[3][4]
 • Total3,627
 • Density482/km2 (1,250/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
78-460
Area code+48 94
Car platesZSZ
Voivodeship roads
Websitehttp://www.barwice.pl

Barwice [barˈvʲit͡sɛ] (German: Bärwalde) is a town in Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodship, in Szczecinek County. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 3,627.[3]

Geography

The town is located on the Baltic Uplands in Farther Pomerania at an altitude of about 150 to 180 meters above sea level within the upper region of the river Parsęta. 20 kilometers further south the Drawsko Pomorskie begins. The next larger city is Szczecinek.

History

Saint Stephen church

The settlement is first mentioned as civitas Barwitz in historical records from 1286, when it was granted by Polish Duke Przemysł II to the Knights Templar, but since it is located in the vicinity of a pre-historical salt road leading to the saltworks of Kołobrzeg, it probably had been founded much earlier.

The town and its neighbouring villages became in 1477 under duke Bogislaw X (1454–1523) part of the Duchy of Pomerania. In the 16th century the town and the surrounding lands were in the possession of four noble families: von Glasenapp, von Wolde, von Zastrow and von Münchow. The oldest town seal is from 1564 and carries the inscription Sigillum civitatis Berwoldie.[5] During the second half of the 16th century, duke John Frederick (1542–1600) granted to the town the right to hold trade fairs three times a year.

In 1626 a blaze destroyed parts of the town, including both the town hall and the church. Because of this, the town was freed from tax paying for the next five years. During the Thirty Years' War the town was occupied in 1630 by Swedish military of Gustav II Adolph (1534–1632) and suffered heavy damages. During the Seven Years' War Russian troops devastated the town's archives within the town hall, so that all older historical documents went lost.[6]

In the 18th century the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and from 1871 to 1945 it was part of Germany. Since 1766 five fairs per year were allowed to be arranged. In the 18th century, immigrants from France founded a tobacco factory in the town.

Before World War II it had been the site of a county court and of a customs office, and it had a secondary school. The local industry manufactured machinery and produced building materials made from sandstone. There existed both sawmills and grain mills. The town was a centre of agricultural trade, the main trade products being grain, potatoes and cattle. During World War II, the Germans operated a labor camp for French and Belgian prisoners of war from the Stalag II-B prisoner-of-war camp in the town.[7]

In March 1945, shortly before the end of World War II, the town was captured by the Soviet Army. Under the terms of the Potsdam Agreement, the town became again part of Poland after the war.

A memorial stone from 1988, erected on the 70th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence
Municipal office

Demographics

Number of inhabitants by year[3][8][9][10]
  • 1740: 472
  • 1783: 533; incl. 6 Jews.
  • 1794: 663; incl. 7 Jews.
  • 1812: 804; incl. 6 Catholics and 34 Jews.
  • 1816: 854; incl. 5 Catholics and 59 Jews.
  • 1831: 1,180; incl. 6 Catholics and 85 Jews.
  • 1843: 1,571; incl. 3 Catholics and 129 Jews.
  • 1852: 1,741; incl. 4 Catholics and 143 Jews.
  • 1861: 1,964; incl. 8 Catholics and 180 Jews.
  • 1900: 2,338
  • 1925: 2,530
  • 2004: 3,876
  • 2021: 3,627

Transport

Voivodeship roads nr. 171 and 172 pass through the town.

Since 1999 the railway between Grzmiąca and Kostrzyn has been closed down, hence a rail connection to Barwice no longer exists.

Sports

The local football team is Błonie Barwice, founded in 1952.[11] It competes in the regional lower leagues.

Notable people

References

Literature
  • Gustav Kratz: Die Städte der Provinz Pommern - Abriß ihrer Geschichte, zumeist nach Urkunden. Berlin 1865 (reprinted in 1996 by Sändig Reprint Verlag, Vaduz/Liechtenstein, ISBN 3-253-02734-1; reprinted in 2011 by Kessinger Publishing, U.S.A., ISBN 1-161-12969-3), pp. 18–19. (in German, online).
Notes
  1. ↑ "Kierownictwo Urzędu". barwice.pl (in Polish). Miasto Barwice. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  2. ↑ "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2022-08-30. Category K1, group G441, subgroup P1410. Data for territorial unit 3215024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2022-08-30. Category K3, group G7, subgroup P1336. Data for territorial unit 3215024.
  4. ↑ "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2022-08-30. Category K3, group G7, subgroup P2425. Data for territorial unit 3215024.
  5. ↑ Kratz (1865), p. 18 (in German)
  6. ↑ Christian Friedrich Wutstrack: Nachtrag zu der Kurzen historisch-geographisch-statistischen Beschreibung von dem königlich-preußischen Herzogtum Vor- und Hinterpommern. Stettin 1795, p. 228 (in German)
  7. ↑ "Les Kommandos". Stalag IIB Hammerstein, Czarne en Pologne (in French). Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Kratz (1865), p. 19 (in German)
  9. ↑ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 6th edition, vol. 2, Leipzig and Vienna 1906, p. 411 (in German).
  10. ↑ Der Große Brockhaus. 15th edition, vol. 2, Leipzig 1929, p. 341 (in German).
  11. ↑ "Historia". Strona klubu Błonie Barwice (in Polish). Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  12. ↑ IMDb Database retrieved 24 October 2018.
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