Kwidzyn (; ;

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Quedin'';

Old Prussian Old Prussian is an extinct West 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 av ...

: ''Kwēdina'') is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in northern

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 ...

on the Liwa River. With a population of 36,731, it is the capital of

Kwidzyn County __NOTOC__ Kwidzyn County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. ...

in the

Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship ( ; ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. The voivodeship was established on January 1, 1999, out of the former voivodeships of Gdańsk Voivo ...

Geography

Kwidzyn is located on the Liwa River, some east of the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

river, approximately south of

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

and southwest of

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...

. It is part of the region of Powiśle.

History

Early history

The

Pomesania Pomesanians were a Prussian clan. They lived in Pomesania (; ; ), a historical region in modern northern Poland, located between the Nogat and Vistula Rivers to the west and the Elbląg River to the east. It is located around the modern towns ...

n settlement called ''Kwedis'' existed in the 11th century. In 1232, 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 ...

built the

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

and established the town of Marienwerder (now Kwidzyn) the following year. In 1243, the

Bishopric of Pomesania The Bishopric of Pomesania (; ) was a Catholic diocese in the Prussian regions of Pomesania and Pogesania, in modern northern Poland until the 16th century, then shortly a Lutheran diocese, and became a Latin titular see. The former Cathedral ...

received both the town and castle from the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

as fiefs, and the settlement became the seat of the

Bishops of Pomesania The Bishopric of Pomesania (; ) was a Catholic diocese in the Prussian regions of Pomesania and Pogesania, in modern northern Poland until the 16th century, then shortly a Lutheran diocese, and became a Latin titular see. The former Cathedral ...

within

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, ...

. The town was populated by artisans and traders, originating from towns in the northern parts of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. A Teutonic knight,

Werner von Orseln Werner von Orseln (18 November 1330) was the 17th Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1324 until his murder in 1330. Von Orseln hailed from a noble family of ''vogts'' (reeves) of the Counts of Falkenstein in Oberursel near Frankfurt. It is ...

, was murdered in Marienburg (Malbork) in 1330. He was among the first to be buried in the newly erected cathedral of the town. St.

Dorothea of Montau Dorothea of Montau (6 February 1347 – 25 June 1394) was an anchoress and visionary of 14th century Prussia. After centuries of veneration in Central Europe, she was beatified in 1976. Life Dorothea was born at Groß Montau, Prussia (now M� ...

lived in Marienwerder from 1391 until her death in 1394; future pilgrims visiting her

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

would contribute to the flourishing economy. The

Prussian Confederation The Prussian Confederation (, ) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Marienwerder (present-day Kwidzyn) by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the arbitrariness of the Teutonic Knights. It was based o ...

, which opposed Teutonic rule, was founded in the town on March 14, 1440. The town itself joined the organization on 17 April 1440. Upon the request of the organization in 1454 Polish King

Casimir IV Jagiellon Casimir IV (Casimir Andrew Jagiellon; ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447 until his death in 1492. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers; under ...

incorporated the region and town to the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

, and the Thirteen Years' War broke out. In 1466, after the defeat of the Teutonic Knights in the war, the town became part of Poland as a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

held by the Teutonic Knights. In 1525, the Teutonic state was transformed into a secular and Lutheran

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important differe ...

under the last

Grand Master of the Teutonic Order The grand master of the Teutonic Order (; ) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the Grand master (order), grand master of other Military order (religious society), military orders and the superior general in non-milit ...

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...

, a political foundation only possible with the consent of the Polish King

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV of P ...

. The town was visited by Polish Kings

Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund II Augustus (, ; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and t ...

in 1552 and

Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576). The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...

in 1576. In 1618 the ducal rights were inherited by the

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

branch of the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern Castle, Hohenzollern, Margraviate of Bran ...

, remaining under Polish suzerainty. In 1657 the Brandenburg dukes severed ties with the Polish crown and in 1701 elevated their realm to the sovereign

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

. During the

War of the Polish Succession The War of the Polish Succession (; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a civil war in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth over the succession to Augustus II the Strong, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of ...

, Polish King

Stanisław Leszczyński Stanisław I Leszczyński (Stanisław Bogusław; 20 October 1677 – 23 February 1766), also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at various times Prince of Deux-Ponts, Duk ...

stayed in the town in July 1734.

Late modern period

In 1765 Prussia established a customs chamber for Polish products floated down the Vistula to Polish Baltic ports. The town of Marienwerder meanwhile had become the capital of the District of Marienwerder. In 1772, the Marienwerder district was integrated into the newly established Prussian Province of

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and from 1878 to 1919. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773, formed from Royal Prussia of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonweal ...

, which consisted mostly of territories annexed in the

First Partition of Poland The First Partition of Poland took place in 1772 as the first of three partitions that eventually ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The growth of power in the Russian Empire threatened the Kingdom of Prussia an ...

. In November 1831, several Polish cavalry units of the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...

stopped in the town on the way to their internment places. By the enlargement of its administrative functions, the population of the town started to grow and in 1885, it numbered 8,079. This population was composed mostly of

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

inhabitants, many of whom were engaged in trades connected with the manufacturing of sugar, vinegar and brewing as well as dairy farming, fruit growing and the industrial construction of machines. In 1910, Marienwerder had a population of 12,983 of which 12,408 (95.6%) were German-speaking and 346 (2.7%) were Polish-speaking.

Interbellum and World War II

As a result of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

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 ...

, the district of Marienwerder was divided. The parts west of the Vistula were incorporated into the

Polish Second Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I. ...

, which had just regained its independence. The parts east of the Vistula, to which the town of Marienwerder belonged, was to take part in the

East Prussian plebiscite The East Prussian plebiscite (), also known as the Allenstein and Marienwerder plebiscite or Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle plebiscite (), was a plebiscite for the self-determination of the regions of southern Warmia (Ermland), Masuria (Mazury, Ma ...

, which was organized under the control of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

. The Inter-Allied Commission with nearly 2,000 troops often favored the Germans, and its services towards Poles were often delayed and limited, while the administration remained under German control. The town was home to the Polish Warmian Plebiscite Committee and the Committee for Polish Affairs, which, however, had to operate partly secretly. On May 16, 1920, the largest Polish plebiscite demonstration in Powiśle took place in the town, and Poles had to organize defenses against attacks by German militias. According to Polish sources there was German electoral fraud''Plebiscyt 1920 roku. Walka o Polskość Warmii, Mazur i Powiśla'', p. 18 resulted in 7,811 votes given to remain in East Prussia, and therefore Germany, and only 362 for Poland. Afterwards,

anti-Polish Polonophobia, also referred to as anti-Polonism () or anti-Polish sentiment are terms for negative attitudes, prejudices, and actions against Poles as an ethnic group, Poland as their country, and their culture. These include ethnic prejudic ...

terror intensified. According to the

Geneva Conventions upright=1.15, The original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are international humanitarian laws consisting of four treaties and three additional protocols that establish international legal standards for humanitarian t ...

, the Polish community was entitled to its own schools, and from 1934 local Poles strove to establish a Polish school. The Germans blocked the establishment of the school, and Polish organizations filed 100 complaints to the German administration before the Polish private gymnasium was finally established on November 10, 1937. Local German press incited the Germans against the Polish school, and in 1938 a fourteen-year-old boy was shot at the school playground, which the German police ignored, and the shooter was not caught. The Germans, especially the

Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...

, repeatedly harassed and attacked Polish students and devastated the school. It was forcibly closed down on August 25, 1939. The German police surrounded the Polish school and arrested its principal Władysław Gębik, 13 teachers, other staff and 162 students, who were imprisoned in Tapiau (today

Gvardeysk Gvardeysk ( rus, Гвардейск, p=ɡvɐrˈdʲejsk, a=Ru-Гвардейск.oga; known prior to 1946 by its German name Tapiau ; ; ), is a town and the administrative center of Gvardeysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on t ...

), Strobjehnen ( Kulikovo) and Grünhoff (

Roshchino Roshchino () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Modern localities ;Urban localities * Roshchino, Leningrad Oblast, an urban-type settlement under the administrative jurisdiction of Roshchinskoye Settlement Municipal Formation ...

). Later on, students under the age of 18 were released, older students were forcibly conscripted into the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

, while teachers and staff were deported to

concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...

, where most of them were murdered. The head of the local Polish ''Bank Ludowy'' was also arrested, and the local Polish consulate was cut off from telephone lines, nevertheless the

state radio State Radio was a Boston-based Rock music, rock trio comprising singer and primary songwriter Chad Stokes Urmston (also a member of Dispatch (band), Dispatch), bassist Chuck Fay, and, formerly, drummer Michael Najarian. The band's songs focus on ...

in Poland still provided information regarding the attack on the Polish school on the same day. Nazi Germany co-formed the ''

Einsatzgruppe V (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the impl ...

'' in the town, which then entered several Polish cities, including

Grudziądz Grudziądz (, ) is a city in northern Poland, with 92,552 inhabitants (2021). Located on the Vistula River, it lies within the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and is the fourth-largest city in its province. Grudziądz is one of the oldest citie ...

Ciechanów Ciechanów is a city in north-central Poland, seat of the Ciechanów County in the Masovian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 43,495. A city with almost a thousand years of history, recorded in 1065, Ciechanów is one of ...

Łomża Łomża () is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the se ...

and

Siedlce Siedlce () ( ) is a city in the Masovian Voivodeship in eastern Poland with 77,354 inhabitants (). The city is situated between two small rivers, the Muchawka and the Helenka, and lies along the European route E30, around east of Warsaw. It is ...

, to commit various atrocities against Poles 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 ...

. Many Poles expelled from

German-occupied Poland German-occupied Poland can refer to: * General Government * Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany * Occupation of Poland (1939–1945) * Prussian Partition The Prussian Partition (), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish� ...

were deported to

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 ...

in the town's vicinity. The Germans also operated a subcamp of the

Stutthof concentration camp Stutthof was a Nazi concentration camp established by Nazi Germany in a secluded, marshy, and wooded area near the village of Stutthof (now Sztutowo) 34 km (21 mi) east of the city of Danzig (Gdańsk) in the territory of the German-an ...

in the town. On 21 January at approximately 16:00, a surprising order came to evacuvate the civilians westwards towards

Chojnice Chojnice (; or ; or ) is a town in northern Poland with 38,789 inhabitants, as of June 2023, near the Tuchola Forest. It is the capital of the Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Founded in , Chojnice is a former royal city of Poland ...

. When the Red Army invaded East Prussia at least 95% of the citizens of Marienwerder were speaking German as their mother tongue, and therefore they feared the atrocities committed to the German population. A majority of them left the city but not all arrived save territory alive. Those which stayed were robbed, raped and eventually murdered by the Red Army. On 30 January the town was captured by the Red Army. The Red Army established a war hospital in the town for 20,000 people. The town center was burned and pillaged by

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

soldiers. In the course of 1945 the city was emptied of the last German inhabitants. Meanwhile, large parts of the inner city were sacked. Since then, Polish newcomers from Poland and Lithuania repopulated the town and its environments. The Lutheran ecclesiastical buildings were handed over to the Catholic Church. After

, the town became again part of Poland under the terms of the

Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...

, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the 1980s.

Recent period

From 1975 to 1998, it was administratively located in the Elbląg Voivodeship. In 1982, the communists brutally crushed the protest of interned anti-communist oppositionists.

Demographics

Points of interest

The main landmark is the

Kwidzyn Castle Kwidzyn Castle (German: Marienwerder) is a large brick Gothic castle in the town of Kwidzyn, Poland. The castle is modeled on the Gothic castles of the Teutonic Knights'. Description The castle is located by Gdańska Street (''Ulica Gdańska ...

, a 14th-century

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (, , ) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Baltic region, Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though Glacial erratic, ...

Ordensburg ''Ordensburg'' (plural ''Ordensburgen'') is a German language, German term meaning a "castle of a (military) order". It is used specifically for the fortified structures built by Crusades, crusading German Military order (religious society), m ...

castle and cathedral complex of the Pomesanian Cathedral Chapter, which now houses a museum. It is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland. The adjacent co-cathedral of St. John the Evangelist was built between 1343 and 1384, and serves as a co-cathedral of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Elbląg The Diocese of Elbląg () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese located in the city of Elbląg in Poland. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Warmia. History The diocese wa ...

. It contains the tombs of three Grand Masters of the Teutonic Knights as well as numerous bishops. A bridge connects the castle to a sewer tower which was once situated on a river that has since dried up. Other sights include the Appellate Court for Kwidzyn County, the town hall, the Holy Trinity church, the Saint Padre Pio chapel, various government buildings and old townhouses.

Economy

Kwidzyn has one of Poland's largest

pulp mill A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fiber sources into a thick fiber board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical, or ...

s. Established in 1971 as the state-owned ''Zakłady Celulozowo-Papiernicze'', it was privatized and sold to

International Paper The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31 ...

in 1992. Since 2021, it has been operated by

Mayr-Melnhof Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG is a manufacturer in the paper and packaging industry, based in Vienna, Austria. The company is 65% family owned, with the rest free-float, and is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange (Wiener Börse). Mayr-Melnhof packaging ...

. The second biggest employer is

Jabil Jabil Inc. is an American multinational manufacturing company involved in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of electronic circuit board assemblies and systems, along with supply chain services, primarily serving original equipment manu ...

, an

electronics manufacturing services Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) is a term used for companies that design, manufacture, test, distribute, and provide return/repair services for electronic components and assemblies for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The concept ...

company.Turystyka, historia, zabytki.
Kwidzyn ''Moje miasto''. There is also a branch of Powisla University.

Sports

The town's main sports clubs are: *

MMTS Kwidzyn MMTS Kwidzyn is a men's handball club from Kwidzyn, Poland, that plays in the Superliga. The current name of the club is Energa Borys MMTS Kwidzyn due to sponsorship reasons. History The team was founded in 1998. In the 1999/2000 season, i ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

club which plays in the

Polish Superliga The Polish Superliga, officially known as the Orlen Superliga due to its sponsorship by Orlen, is the top men's handball league in Poland. It is currently a 14 teams league, played from September to May. The competition was founded in 1956 under ...

(top division; as of 2022), runners-up in season 2009–10 *

Basket Kwidzyn Bank BPS Basket Kwidzyn is a Polish basketball team, based in Kwidzyn, playing in Dominet Bank Ekstraliga. Achievements * Promotion to 1 liga in 2004 * Promotion to Dominet Bank Ekstraliga in season 2006/2007 * 8th place in Dominet Bank Ekstral ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

club which plays in the lower leagues, but played in the

Polish Basketball League Polska Liga Koszykówki (PLK) (English language, English: Polish Basketball League), officially known as the Orlen Basket Liga due to its sponsorship by Orlen, is a professional men's club basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Poland. I ...

(top division) in the past *

Rodło Kwidzyn Rodło Kwidzyn is a football club based in Kwidzyn, Poland. As of the 2024–25 season, they compete in the Gdańsk II group of the Liga okręgowa, regional league. Honours Domestic *Polish Cup ** Round of 32: 1997–98 References External l ...

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 ...

club which plays in the lower leagues The city has lower average crime and unemployment rates when compared with national averages. These lower rates are attributed to youth sports programs, namely MMTS Kwidzyn and MTS

Transport

The intersections of Polish national roads 55 and 90,

voivodeship road According to classes and categories of public roads in Poland, a voivodeship A voivodeship ( ) or voivodate is the area administered by a voivode (governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed sinc ...

s 521 and 532, and voivodeship roads 518 and 588, are located either in Kwidzyn or just outside of the town limits. The city's railway station serves regional connections to nearby cities, including

Malbork Malbork (German: ''Marienburg'') is a town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is the seat of Malbork County and has a population of 36,709 people as of 2024. The town is located on the Nogat river, in the historical region of Pomerelia. Fo ...

Gardeja Gardeja is a village in Kwidzyn County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Gardeja. It had been a town during the time span 1334–1945. Geographical location Gardeja l ...

. It is operated mainly by

Polregio Polregio (formerly ''Przewozy Regionalne'') is a train operator in Poland, responsible for local and interregional passenger transportation. Each day it runs approximately 3,000 regional trains. In 2002 it carried 215 million passengers. T ...

Notable people

(1347–1394), hermitess and visionary of 14th century Germany, canonized in 1976. *

Paul Speratus Paul Speratus (13 December 148412 August 1551) was a Swabian Catholic priest who became a Protestant preacher, reformer and hymn-writer. In 1523, he helped Martin Luther to create the First Lutheran hymnal, published in 1524 and called ''Achtlied ...

(1484–1551), Catholic priest who became a Protestant preacher, reformer and hymn-writer *

Eduard Heinrich von Flottwell Eduard Heinrich Flottwell (23 July 1786 – 28 May 1865; after 1861 von Flottwell) was a Prussian '' Staatsminister''. He served as '' Oberpräsident'' (governor) of the Grand Duchy of Posen (from 1830) and of the Saxony (from 1841), Westphal ...

(1786–1865), Prussian Staatsminister and Regierungspräsident of Marienwerder in 1825 *

Hans Adolf Erdmann von Auerswald Hans Adolf Erdmann von Auerswald (1792 – September 18, 1848) was a Prussian general and politician. Biography Auerswald was born in Faulen, West Prussia where the family possessed the estates of Plauth and Tromnau. He entered the Prussi ...

(1792–1848), Prussian general and politician *

Karl Ludwig Hencke Karl Ludwig Hencke (8 April 1793 – 21 September 1866) was a German amateur astronomer and discoverer of minor planets. He is sometimes confused with Johann Franz Encke, another :German astronomers, German astronomer. Biography Hencke was born ...

(1793–1866 in Marienwerder), amateur astronomer and discoverer of minor planets *

Rudolf von Auerswald Rudolf Ludwig Cäsar von Auerswald (1 September 1795 – 15 January 1866) was a German official who served as Prime Minister of Prussia during the Revolution of 1848. Later, during the ministry of Charles Anthony, Prince of Hohenzollern, h ...

(1795–1866), Prime Minister of Prussia * Carl Julius Meyer von Klinggräff (1809–1879), German botanist *

Hermann von Dechend Hermann Friedrich Alexander Dechend, in 1865 ennobled as von Dechend (2 April 1814 – 30 April 1890), was a senior Prussian civil servant and politician who served as the first President of the Reichsbank. Biography Dechend was born in Marien ...

(1814–1890), first President of the

Reichsbank The ''Reichsbank'' (; ) was the central bank of the German Empire from 1876 until the end of Nazi Germany in 1945. Background The monetary institutions in Germany had been unsuited for its economic development for several decades before unifica ...

Heinrich Julian Schmidt Heinrich Julian Schmidt (March 7, 1818 – March 27, 1886) was a German journalist and historian of literature. Biography He was born in Marienwerder (today Kwidzyn) in West Prussia. After studying history and philosophy at the University of K� ...

(1818–1886), German journalist and historian of literature *

Rudolf Heidenhain Rudolf Peter Heinrich Heidenhain (; 29 January 1834 – 13 October 1897) was a German physiologist born in Marienwerder, Province of Prussia (now Kwidzyn, Poland). His son, Martin Heidenhain, was a highly regarded anatomist. Academic career ...

(1834–1897), German physiologist *

Gustav Cohn Gustav Cohn (12 December 1840 in Marienwerder, West Prussia – 17 September 1919) was a German economist, noted for his pioneering contributions to the theory and policy of transportation and public finance. He was educated at Berlin and Jena univ ...

(1840–1919), German economist, particularly re. public finance *

Kurt Rosenfeld Kurt Rosenfeld (1 February 1877 – 25 September 1943) was a German lawyer and politician (Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD). He was a member of the Reichstag (Weimar Republic), national parliament () between 1920 and 1932. Early life Kur ...

(1877–1943), lawyer and politician * Józef Krasnowolski (1879–1939), Polish painter * Fritz Goerdeler (1886–1945), German jurist and resistance fighter; mayor 1920–33 *

Joachim Witthöft __NOTOC__ Joachim Witthöft (23 September 1887 – 7 July 1966) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Witthöft commanded Army Group South Rear Area (as Army Group B) during the 1942 ...

(1887–1966), general *

Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow __NOTOC__ Kurt-Jürgen Freiherr von Lützow (7 August 1892 – 20 July 1961) was a German general during World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, awarded by Nazi Germany for successful military leadership. ...

(1892–1961), general *

Ida Siekmann Ida Siekmann (23 August 1902 – 22 August 1961) was a German nurse who became the first known person to die at the Berlin Wall, only nine days after the beginning of its construction. Biography Ida Siekmann was born on 23 August 1902, in ...

(1902–1961) nurse, first

victim Victim(s) or The Victim may refer to: People * Crime victim * Victim, in psychotherapy, a posited role in the Karpman drama triangle model of transactional analysis * Casualty (person), the victim of an event Films and television * ''The Victim ...

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

Ernst Schiffner Ernst Günther Schiffner (23 July 1903, Marienwerder, West Prussia – 20 March 1980, Hamburg or Celle) was a German actor and director. Life The merchant's son had already played theater since 1919 and received his first roles at the Schauspie ...

(1903–1980), German actor and director * Ernst Tillich (1910–1985), German theologian * Bernard Friese (1927–2010), co-founder of

Gilbern Gilbern, ''Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd '', was a Welsh car manufacturer from 1959 to 1973, based in Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales. History Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd was founded by Giles Smith (previously a but ...

cars *

Hardy Rodenstock Meinhard Görke, known as Hardy Rodenstock (7 December 1941 – 19 May 2018) was a German publisher and manager of pop and Schlager music, and a prominent wine collector, connoisseur, and trader, with a special interest in old and rare wines. ...

(1941–2018), music publisher and manager; dealer in old and rare wine * (1947–2006), Polish test pilot * Wiesław Hartman (1950–2021), Polish show jumping equestrian, silver medallist in the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

Wojciech Belon Wojciech Belon (March 14, 1952 in Kwidzyn – May 3, 1985 in Kraków), also known as Wojtek Bellon, was a Polish poet, songwriter and folksinger. His best known ballad ''Majster Bieda (Master Poor)'' and most of his compositions have never been r ...

(1952–1985), Polish poet, songwriter and folksinger * Izabela Tomaszewska (1955–2010), Polish government official and archeologist * Tomasz Piotr Nowak (born 1956), Polish politician *

Jacek Borcuch Jacek Borcuch (born 17 April 1970) is a Polish actor, screenwriter and film director. He contributed to more than fifteen films since 1995. Selected filmography References External links * 1970 births Living people Polish male film ...

(born 1970), Polish actor and film director * Marek Szulen (born 1975), Polish composer of electronic music, lives in the Netherlands *

Maciej Silski Maciej Silski (also known as Maciek Silski, born 10 January 1976 in Kwidzyn, Poland) is a Polish singer who rose to fame in his country after winning '' Idol Poland 4'', the Polish version of ''Pop Idol'', televised by Polsat. He won with 53.58% of ...

(born 1976), Polish singer * Patryk Rombel (born 1983), Polish handball coach, currently coaching the Polish national team

Gallery

File:Kwidzyn, katedra, ob. kościół p.w. św. Jana Ewangelisty.jpg, Kwidzyn Cathedral File:SM Kwidzyn Sąd Rejonowy (0) ID 636613.jpg, District court File:SM Kwidzyn Braterstwa Narodów 50 Poczta (0) ID 636564.jpg, Main post office File:Kwidzyn, Powiślańska Szkoła Wyższa - panoramio.jpg, Powiślańska Szkoła Wyższa (''Powiśle College'') File:Budynek Sztabowy Koszar Wojskowych w Kwidzynie - widok od tyłu.jpg, Neo-gothic complex of barracks, 19th century File:Adoration Chapel in Kwidzyn.jpg, Saint Padre Pio chapel File:Kwidzyn-kosciol-sw-Trojcy.jpg, Holy Trinity church File:Kwidzyn, Urząd Finansowy, ob. biblioteka, kon. XIX.JPG, Library and a monument of

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

File:Kwidzyn, dawny szpital św. Jerzego.jpg, Former Saint George hospital File:Kwidzyn palac Fermora 07.jpg, Vocational school File:Kwidzyn, kino Tęcza - panoramio.jpg, Former casino and cinema building File:Przedszkole Miejskie nr 1 w Kwidzynie.jpg, Municipal Preschool No. 1

International relations

Kwidzyn is twinned with:

References

Sources

External links

Municipal website

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Pomeranian Voivodeship Kwidzyn County