Olecko (former since 1560, colloquially also , since 1928) 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 northeastern

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 ...

. It is in

Masuria Masuria ( ; ; ) is an ethnographic and geographic region in northern and northeastern Poland, known for its 2,000 lakes. Masuria occupies much of the Masurian Lake District. Administratively, it is part of the Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship (ad ...

, near

Ełk Ełk is a city in northeastern Poland with 61,677 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the seat of Ełk County in the Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship. It lies on the shore of Ełk Lake, which was formed by a glacier, and is surrounded by extensiv ...

and

Suwałki Suwałki (; ; or סוּוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. A relatively young ci ...

, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It is at the mouth of the Lega river which flows into the Great Olecko Lake (''Jezioro Oleckie Wielkie'') on its southwestern shore. Olecko is the seat of Olecko County.

History

Since the 1540s, there was a hunting lodge on the Lega River, soon expanded into a castle, and a settlement, both called ''Olecko''. ''Margrabowa'' was founded as a town by

Albert, Duke of Prussia Albert of Prussia (; 17 May 149020 March 1568) was a German prince who was the 37th grand master of the Teutonic Knights and, after converting to Lutheranism, became the first ruler of the Duchy of Prussia, the secularized state that emerged fr ...

, a vassal of

, on January 1, 1560.Wakar, p. 75 The name was derived from the word ''Margrabia'' (Polish for

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

), the duke's title as the margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach's prince, by adding the

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns and adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can ca ...

"-owa", which is typical in Poland for place names derived from personal names and titles. The town's coat of arms still reflects the Brandenburg red eagle and the Hohenzollern black and white which go back to Duke Albert. The town's first

wójt A wójt is the highest administrative officer of a Polish ''rural gmina'', i.e., of a commune (''gmina'') comprising only villages. (The head of a town or city is called, respectively, the ''burmistrz'' or "president".) History and etymology T ...

was Adam Wojdowski. Wojdowski brought

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

from

Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...

and Masuria to settle the town. Already in 1560, the new residents appointed a town council and municipal court and selected fellow Pole Stanisław Milewski as the first mayor. As of 1600, the population was exclusively Polish. The Poles referred to the town by its older Polish name ''Olecko''. In 1616, the seat of the local

starost Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands. The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...

s was definitively moved from Straduny to Olecko. The town remained under Polish suzerainty until 1657 when the

Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (, , ) or Ducal Prussia (; ) was a duchy in the region of Prussia established as a result of secularization of the Monastic Prussia, the territory that remained under the control of the State of the Teutonic Order until t ...

became independent. In 1701 it became part of the

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 ...

, and in 1871 part of

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. 922 people died during the Great Northern War plague outbreak in 1710. In June 1807, Polish soldiers of General Józef Zajączek took Olecko, then left the town to be replaced by the 2nd Infantry Regiment of Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.Wakar, p. 114 Dąbrowski himself visited the town several times. It was believed that both the town and the Masuria region would eventually be part of the restored Polish state after the defeat of Prussia. In June 1812, the IV Cavalry Corps of the French Army with the Polish 4th Light Cavalry Division marched through the town towards

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Between 1818 and 1945, Marggrabowa became the seat of ''Oletzko County'' (German: ''Kreis Oletzko'') in the province of

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

. From the beginning of the 19th century, the Prussian authorities launched attempts to Germanize the population, as Poles made up 90% of the county's population as of 1818. Germanization at first was pursued because of a fear of Polonization in Masuria since the German languages' status was fragile in the region, but in the aftermath of

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. ...

the Prussian government took a more hardline approach, proclaiming that all pupils must learn German in school. In 1836, the local priesthood organized a

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

in the town which protested against Germanization policies. The synod's protest was signed by all the pastors in the county, and its arguments were later used by the well-known defenders of the Polish language in Masuria, Gustaw Gizewiusz and Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongovius.Wakar, p. 127 The protests were successful, however, the campaign of Germanization was resumed in 1865 and later intensified. As a result, during the second half of the 19th century the proportion of German speakers increased. 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 ...

, the city was occupied by the Russian army during the Russian invasion of East Prussia, and then again from 6 November 1914 to 12 February 1915. In 1920, after Poland regained independent existence following

, a

plebiscite A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a direct vote by the electorate (rather than their representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either binding (resulting in the adoption of a new policy) or adv ...

was to be held in the area by the League of Nations, according to 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 ...

, to determine the future of the region and the town. In Oletzko, a German mob dispersed a Polish public meeting at the market square and beat up gathered Polish activists.Wakar, p. 151 On the day of the plebiscite, July 11, 1920, a crowd of Germans chanting anti-Polish slogans marched to cast their votes. In turn, many Polish supporters boycotted the plebiscite, considering it a farce, and also because they feared German threats of revenge. The plebiscite in the town resulted in 3,903 votes for Germany and none for Poland. As a result, the town was renamed Treuburg (lit.: ''loyal castle'') in 1928. During

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, but also some Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians, were enslaved by the Germans as

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. In the final stages of the war, the Germans forcibly evacuated the town's residents. The abandoned town was captured by the Red Army on January 23, 1945, and afterwards it became again part of Poland under territorial changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference in July–August 1945. The town was repopulated by Polish settlers, both from nearby Suwałki and

Podlachia Podlachia, also known by its Polish name Podlasie (; ; ), is a historical region in north-eastern Poland. Its largest city is Białystok, whereas the historical capital is Drohiczyn. Similarly to several other historical regions of Poland, e.g ...

regions, and from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union. In 1949, a dairy and egg cooperative was launched in Olecko, and in 1950, it also began producing cheese.

Sights

''Plac Wolności'' (Freedom Square) is one of the largest market squares in Poland. The Our Lady Queen of Poland church is situated on a tree-covered hill in its northern part. Another notable sight is the Oleckie Wielkie Lake with a promenade, a municipal beach and preserved historic pier.

Transport

The Olecko train station in the western part of town is a regional railway junction: there were main lines to Gołdap,

and

. The local railway connections to Mieruniszki, Kruklanki and Sulejki are out of service or dismantled. Currently, only bus service runs from the train station.

Culture

The main cultural institution of Olecko is the "Mazury Garbate" Regional Cultural Center with its cinema, theater, etc. ''Miejsko-Powiatowa Biblioteka Publiczna'' is the main public library of the town. Olecko hosts the annual festivals Przystanek Olecko, which includes mostly rock acts, and Mazurskie Spotkania z Folklorem ("Masurian Meetings with Folklore"), dedicated to folk music with performers from Poland and various other countries. The Olecko Milk and Honey Festival, an annual fair dedicated to milk and honey products, is held in August, in reference to local traditions of milk, dairy and honey production. The honey of Olecko land, which comes in several varieties, i.e. multi-flower honey, linden honey,

rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus'' subsp. ''napus''), also known as rape and oilseed rape and canola, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturall ...

honey, forest honey, buckwheat honey, and honeydew honey, is an officially protected

traditional food Traditional foods are foods and Dish (food), dishes that are passed on through generations or which have been consumed for many generations. Traditional foods and dishes are traditional in nature, and may have a historic precedent in a national ...

of the Olecko County, as designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland.

Sports

The town's leading sport club is with

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 ...

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 ...

table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

and

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

sections. Other clubs include athletics club Korab Olecko, shooting club Wilk Olecko and women's

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

club Perła Olecka.

Education

* Liceum Ogólnokształące im. Jana Kochanowskiego (high school) * Technical Schools Complex (high school) * Liceum and Vocational School Complex (high school) * St. Filippo Smaldone School and Educational Center for Deaf Children (high school and elementary school) *

Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...

Elementary School No. 1 *

Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...

Elementary School No. 2 *

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

Elementary School No. 3 * Jan Twardowski Elementary School No. 4 * Social Elementary School of the Social Educational Society (private)

Notable residents

* Gustav Bergenroth (1813–1869), German historian * Kurt Blumenfeld (1884–1963), Zionist * Arthur Zimmermann (1864–1940), diplomat, author of the Zimmermann Telegram * Filip Jan Rymsza (born 1977), Polish-American filmmaker and writer * Bartosz Romańczuk (born 1983), Polish footballer

International relations

Olecko is a member of Cittaslow.

Twin towns — sister cities

Olecko is twinned with: *

Jõhvi Jõhvi ( ; ; ) is a town in northeastern Estonia, and the administrative seat of Ida-Viru County and Jõhvi Parish. The town is located about 50 km west of the Estonia–Russia international border. History Jõhvi was first mentioned as ...

, Estonia

References

External links

Municipal website of Olecko (en)(pl)

Website of Olecko (pl)

iOlecko - news, events, history, photos from Olecko (pl)
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Olecko County Populated lakeshore places in Poland Masuria (region) Cittaslow it:Olecko