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Żuławy Wiślane (i.e. "the
Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
fens A fen is a type of wetland. Fen, Fenn, Fens, Fenns, may also refer to: People * Fen (name), a Chinese given name and surname * Fen Cresswell (1915–1966), New Zealand cricketer * Fen McDonald (1891–1915), Australian rules footballer * Kees ...
", plural from "żuława") is the alluvial delta area of the
Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
, in the northern part of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, in large part reclaimed artificially by means of dykes, pumps, channels (over 17000 km of total length) and extensive drainage system. Its shape is similar to a reversed triangle formed by branching of Vistula into two separate rivers,
Leniwka The Leniwka () is the former name of the western branch of the Vistula (now Vistula) in northern Poland. It is long, and flows into Gdańsk Bay, forming the borders of Sobieszewo Island. It begins behind the lock in Biała Góra, where the No ...
and
Nogat The Nogat is a 62 km long delta branch of the Vistula River in northern Poland. Unlike the main river, it does not empty into Gdańsk Bay but rather into the Vistula Lagoon. The Nogat has its origin near the village of Biała Góra as a ...
at its height, confined by rivers themselves, and closed by Mierzeja Wiślana at its base. It is a deforested, agricultural plain that covers about 1000 square km.


Etymology

There is no definite statement for the origin of the name "Żuławy". The term is believed to be derived from the word "solov" in old
Prussian language Old Prussian was a Western Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages, which was once spoken by the Old Prussians, the Baltic peoples of the Prussian region. The language is called Old Prussian to avoid con ...
, or from Polish noun "żuł" for mud.


History


Prehistory and initial settlement

The first traces of settlements reach back to the period between 2500 and 1700 BC, being proved by excavation sites from Niedźwiedziówka, Lubieszewo, Ostaszewo, Kaczynos, Kończewice, Krasnołęka, Lasowice Wielkie or Lichnowy. They appear to have been of impermanent form as they served presumably for fishery and amber acquirement. The range and density of settlements had not changed in a course of the next centuries until around the ninth century, when emergence of the Baltic tribe Estowie boosted occupation of Żuławy Wiślane. One, the best known is Truso, a large fishery-trading center in present Janów Pomorski near
Elbląg Elbląg (; german: Elbing, Old Prussian: ''Elbings'') is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 117,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg Count ...
. Before the thirteenth century population was generally restricted to morainic heights around the delta, in the surroundings of
Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
, Miłobądzu, Gorzędzieju, Lichnowach and Węgrach (the Slavic people), and alongside lake Drużno and Wysoczyźnie Elbląskiej (for Old Prussians).


Expansion

In the 13th century by contrast, the local population experienced a rapid growth brought about by mixed Slavic-Prussian colonization. In effect, new villages had emerged, and from them many have survived up to now under unchanged names. In a space of one hundred years, the Slavic settlements reached the line Płonia Wielka, Cedry Wielkie, Ostaszewo, Lubieszewo, Świerki, Malbork. On the other hand, Żuławy Wiślane drew numerous Dutch and German immigrants.


After the Partitions of Poland

In the aftermath of the
Second Partition of Poland The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the Polish–Russian W ...
in 1793, the Żuławy Wiślane settlements were incorporated into the Prussian Kingdom as two districts: Danziger Niederung and
Danziger Höhe The Danziger Höhe (i.e. Danzig Heights; Kreis Danziger Höhe) was an administrative Districts of Prussia, district founded in 1887 and dissolved in 1939. The district administration was based in the Gdańsk, City of Danzig, which itself did not f ...
. After Poland regained independence in 1918, the settlements neither stayed in Germany nor were they included in the new Polish state; instead, they became part of the
Free City of Danzig The Free City of Danzig (german: Freie Stadt Danzig; pl, Wolne Miasto Gdańsk; csb, Wòlny Gard Gduńsk) was a city-state under the protection of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gda ...
. When Hitler came into power in Germany, the Free City of Danzig in due course fell into the influence zone of Germany. When
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
was finally over, the two Żuławy Wiślane were turned over to the Polish state in 1945. Almost all of the German inhabitants have been expelled, and the region has been resettled with Polish people. Historically part of
Royal Prussia Royal Prussia ( pl, Prusy Królewskie; german: Königlich-Preußen or , csb, Królewsczé Prësë) or Polish PrussiaAnton Friedrich Büsching, Patrick Murdoch. ''A New System of Geography'', London 1762p. 588/ref> (Polish: ; German: ) was a ...
and then
West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a Provinces of Prussia, province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kin ...
, since 1999 the area covers the easternmost part of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province ( Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. Th ...
.


Kursenieki

While today the
Kursenieki The Kursenieki ( lv, kursenieki, kāpenieki, german: Kuren – 'Curonians'; lt, kuršiai; pl, Kuronowie pruscy – 'Prussian Curonians') are a nearly extinct Baltic ethnic group living along the Curonian Spit. "Kuršiai" refers only to inhabi ...
, also known as Kuršininkai are a nearly extinct
Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
ethnic group living along the
Curonian Spit The Curonian (Courish) Spit ( lt, Kuršių nerija; russian: Ку́ршская коса́ (Kurshskaya kosa); german: Kurische Nehrung, ; lv, Kuršu kāpas) is a long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Balti ...
, in 1649 Kuršininkai settlement spanned from Memel (Klaipėda) to Danzig (Gdańsk), including in the area of the
Nemunas Delta Nemunas Delta is the Lithuanian name for the Neman (Nemunas) River Delta, in Lithuania. Prior to post-World War II border changes, it was known in German as the ''Memel Niederung'', as the Neman was for centuries called the Memel in German. When ...
. The Kuršininkai were eventually assimilated by the
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
, except along the Curonian Spit where some still live. The Kuršininkai were considered
Latvians Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common L ...
until after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
when
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
gained independence from the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, a consideration based on linguistic arguments. This was the rationale for Latvian claims over the Curonian Spit, Memel, and other territories of
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label= Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
which would be later dropped.


Geography

Żuławy is traditionally divided, according to the historical ownership, into: * Żuławy Gdańskie - the western part, from
Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
to the Vistula * Żuławy Malborskie or Żuławy Wielkie (Greater Zulawy) - the part between Vistula and its right arm
Nogat The Nogat is a 62 km long delta branch of the Vistula River in northern Poland. Unlike the main river, it does not empty into Gdańsk Bay but rather into the Vistula Lagoon. The Nogat has its origin near the village of Biała Góra as a ...
* Żuławy Elbląskie - on the eastern bank of the Nogat. Terrain seems to look strikingly flat, but a topographic map states otherwise. For instance, land slopes down at some points below sea level. Depressions account for 28% of the overall area of the delta. The lowest point, 1.8 m below the surface, is located by Jezioro Drużno, at the state road 22 between
Elbląg Elbląg (; german: Elbing, Old Prussian: ''Elbings'') is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 117,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg Count ...
and
Malbork Malbork; ; * la, Mariaeburgum, ''Mariae castrum'', ''Marianopolis'', ''Civitas Beatae Virginis'' * Kashubian: ''Malbórg'' * Old Prussian: ''Algemin'' is a town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is the seat of Malbork County and has ...
in Raczki Elbląskie, making that terrain the lowest point in Poland. Second in size depression land area is placed around
Nowy Dwór Gdański Nowy Dwor Gdanski (; ; formerly german: Tiegenhof) is a town in Poland on the Tuja river in the Żuławy Wiślane region, capital of Nowy Dwór Gdański County, located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, with 10,171 inhabitants (2012). History The s ...
. Surface water has lost its unique character due to impact of human activity. Water does not flow as freely as in other parts of the country, because most of the water is on equal altitude, and in fact its circulation is carried out artificially.
(..) Centuries of human activities are visible in the thousands of kilometers of canals and drainage ditches, a dense drainage network, the banking up of the rivers, pumping stations and the formation of a system of polders. In effect, the natural environment underwent such transformation that it would be difficult to find any fragments, which remain unchanged." (B. Augustowski, ''Żuławy Wiślane'', Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1976)


References

* ''Żuławy Wiślane - Informator Krajoznawczy'' (Demart, Warszawa, 2004 * ''Changes in the area and depth of the depression in Zulawy Elblaskie'', Joanna Fac-Beneda, ''Peribalticum VIII'', Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 2000 * ''Żuławy Wiślane'' (Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1976) * ''Pomorze Gdańskie vol.3 - Żuławy Wiślane'' (Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, Gdańsk 1966)


External links

* http://www.zulawy.art.pl/zulawy_outline/zulawy_what.html * http://home.planet.nl/~farjo001/weichsel_uk.htm * http://holland.org.pl/art.php?kat=art&dzial=zul&id=3&lang=en {{DEFAULTSORT:Zulawy Wislane Landforms of Poland Vistula basin Ramsar sites in Poland