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'''Chojnice''' ({{IPA|pl|xɔjˈɲit͡sɛ|lang|pl-Chojnice.ogg}}; {{Langx|csb|Chònice}} or {{lang|csb|Chòjnice}}; {{langx|de|Konitz}} or {{lang|de|Conitz}}) is a town in northern [[Poland]] with 38,789 inhabitants, as of June 2023,<ref name = population /> near the [[Tuchola Forest]]. It is the capital of the [[Chojnice County]] in the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]].
'''Chojnice''' ({{IPA|pl|xɔjˈɲit͡sɛ|lang|pl-Chojnice.ogg}}; {{Langx|csb|Chònice}} or {{lang|csb|Chòjnice}}; {{langx|de|Konitz}} or {{lang|de|Conitz}}) is a town in northern [[Poland]] with a population of 38,789 (as of June 2023),<ref name = population /> near the [[Tuchola Forest]].{{TERYT}} It is the capital of [[Chojnice County]] in the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]].


Founded in {{circa|1205}}, Chojnice is a former [[royal city]] of Poland and was an important center of cloth production in Poland. It is the location of one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland, and was an important center of Polish youth resistance against the Germanisation policies of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] following the [[Partitions of Poland]]. It was the site of several significant battles, and during [[World War II]] [[Nazi Germany|German occupiers]] massacred some 2,000 Poles on its outskirts.
Founded in {{circa|1205}}, Chojnice is a former [[royal city]] of Poland and was an important center of cloth production. It is home to one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland, and played a significant role in Polish youth resistance against the Germanisation policies of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] following the [[Partitions of Poland]]. The town was also the site of several significant battles, and during [[World War II]], [[Nazi Germany|German occupiers]] massacred approximately 2,000 Poles on its outskirts.


Chojnice is a railroad junction with railroads towards [[Brodnica]], [[Kościerzyna]], [[Piła]], [[Szczecinek]] and [[Tczew]]. It contains several [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] and [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] heritage sights, and is the largest town in the immediate vicinity of the [[Tuchola Forest]], a large forest complex of north-central Poland.
Chojnice is a railroad junction with connections to [[Brodnica]], [[Kościerzyna]], [[Piła]], [[Szczecinek]], and [[Tczew]]. It contains several [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] and [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] heritage sights, and is the largest town near the [[Tuchola Forest]], a large forest complex in north-central Poland.


==History==
==History==


===Piast Poland===
===Piast Poland ({{circa|1205}}–1309)===
[[File:Brama Człuchowska - panoramio - geo573.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Człuchów]] Gate, one of the landmarks of Chojnice, houses the local historical museum]]
Chojnice was founded {{circa|1205}}<ref>Stanisław Gierszewski, ''Chojnice: dzieje miasta i powiatu'', Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich, 1971, p. 54</ref> in the duchy of [[Gdańsk Pomerania]] (Pomeralia). At the time, the duchy was ruled by the [[Samborides]], originally appointed governors by [[Bolesław III Wrymouth]] of Poland. Gdańsk Pomerania had been part of Poland since the 10th century. It experienced few episodes of autonomy, such as 1227–1282 under [[Swietopelk II]].<ref>James Minahan, ''One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, p. 375, {{ISBN|0-313-30984-1}}.</ref>
Chojnice was founded around 1205<ref>Stanisław Gierszewski, ''Chojnice: dzieje miasta i powiatu'', Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich, 1971, p. 54</ref> in [[Gdańsk Pomerania]] (Pomeralia), a duchy ruled at the time by the [[Samborides]], who had originally been appointed governors of the province by [[Bolesław III Wrymouth]] of Poland. Gdańsk Pomerania had been part of Poland since the 10th century, with few episodes of autonomy, yet under [[Swietopelk II]], who came into power in 1217, it gained independence in 1227,<ref>James Minahan, ''One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, p. 375, {{ISBN|0-313-30984-1}}.</ref> and by 1282 it had returned to Poland.


The town's name is Polish in origin and comes from the name of the river Chojnica (today named Jarcewska Struga) that was located near the town.<ref>Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego - page 46
The town's name first appears in documents in 1275.<ref>[http://www.miastochojnice.pl/?a=19 Chojnice - Urząd Miejski - Historia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It is of Polish origin, derived from the nearby river Chojnica (now called Jarcewska Struga).<ref>Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego - page 46
Hubert Górnowicz, Zygmunt Brocki, Edward Breza - 1999
Hubert Górnowicz, Zygmunt Brocki, Edward Breza - 1999
Tak więc Chojnica (późniejsze Chojnice) jest polską nazwą topograficzną, ponowioną od nazwy rzeki Chojnica</ref> The name first appears in written documents in 1275.<ref>[http://www.miastochojnice.pl/?a=19 Chojnice - Urząd Miejski - Historia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Tak więc Chojnica (późniejsze Chojnice) jest polską nazwą topograficzną, ponowioną od nazwy rzeki Chojnica</ref>


===State of the Teutonic Order (1309–1466)===
===State of the Teutonic Order (1309–1466)===
In 1309, the [[Teutonic Knights]] took over the town, and Chojnice became part of the [[State of the Teutonic Order]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://extraswiecie.pl/historia/kiedy-nie-pomogly-machiny-miotajace-krzyzacy-postawili-szubienice |title=Kiedy nie pomogły machiny miotające, Krzyżacy postawili szubienice |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref> Under [[Winrich von Kniprode]] the defensive capabilities and inner structures of the town were improved considerably. Around the middle of the 14th century the stone church of St. John was built. At the same time the [[Augustinians]] from the town of [[Stargard Szczeciński|Stargard]] in [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomerania]] settled in the town; they opened their monastery in 1365. Textile production flourished, and between 1417 and 1436 Konitz became an important centre for textile production.
[[File:Brama Człuchowska - panoramio - geo573.jpg|thumb|left|upright|14th century [[Człuchów]] Gate, a landmark of Chojnice, houses the local historical museum]]
In 1309, the [[Teutonic Knights]] took over Chojnice, incorporating it into the [[State of the Teutonic Order]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://extraswiecie.pl/historia/kiedy-nie-pomogly-machiny-miotajace-krzyzacy-postawili-szubienice |title=Kiedy nie pomogły machiny miotające, Krzyżacy postawili szubienice |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref> Under Grand Master [[Winrich von Kniprode]], the town's defenses and inner structures were extensively reinforced. During this period, the Basilica of St. John's Beheading was built {{circa|1340–1360}}. In 1365, [[Augustinians]] from [[Stargard Szczeciński|Stargard]] in [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomerania]] established a monastery in the town. Textile production flourished, and Chojnice became a notable textile centre between 1417 and 1436.


During the [[Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War]], in 1410, the town was briefly occupied by Polish troops. In 1440 the town joined the [[Prussian Confederation]], which opposed Teutonic rule,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=[[Poznań]]|language=pl|page=XXXVII}}</ref> however, it later left the organisation. In 1454 King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] re-incorporated the territory to the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]], and the townspeople overthrew the pro-Teutonic town council in attempt to join Poland, however the council with the Teutonic Knights recaptured the town shortly after.<ref name=mb>{{cite magazine|last=Biskup|first=Marian|year=2014|title=Oblężenie i odzyskanie Chojnic przez Polskę w r. 1466|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=15}}</ref> On 18 September 1454 the Polish army led by King Casimir IV Jagiellon lost the [[Battle of Chojnice (1454)|Battle of Chojnice]]. During the subsequent [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)|Thirteen Years' War]] there were attempts of the townspeople to resist the Teutonic Knights.<ref name=mb/> Shortly before the end of the war the troops of the Teutonic Order, led by [[Bethe|Captain Kaspar Nostitz von Bethe]], surrendered the town in 1466 to the Polish army led by [[Piotr Dunin]], after a three-month siege,<ref name=cm/> as the last Teutonic-held town in [[Gdańsk Pomerania]].<ref name=mb19>Biskup, p. 19</ref>
During the [[Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War]], in 1410, the town was briefly occupied by Polish forces. In 1440, Chojnice temporarily joined the [[Prussian Confederation]], which opposed Teutonic rule.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=[[Poznań]]|language=pl|page=XXXVII}}</ref> In 1454, King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] re-incorporated the territory into the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]], and townspeople overthrew the pro-Teutonic town council. Shortly afterwards, the council, aided by the Teutonic Knights, recaptured the town.<ref name=mb>{{cite magazine|last=Biskup|first=Marian|year=2014|title=Oblężenie i odzyskanie Chojnic przez Polskę w r. 1466|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=15}}</ref> On 18 September 1454, the Polish army led by King Casimir IV Jagiellon lost the [[Battle of Chojnice (1454)|Battle of Chojnice]].  
 
During the subsequent [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)|Thirteen Years' War]], townspeople tried to resist Teutonic control.<ref name=mb/> In 1466, after a three-month siege, the Teutonic troops under Captain [[Bethe|Caspar von Bethe]] surrendered Chojnice,<ref name=cm/> the last Teutonic town in [[Gdańsk Pomerania]],<ref name=mb19>Biskup, p. 19</ref> to the Polish troops under [[Piotr Dunin]].


===Kingdom of Poland (1466–1772)===
===Kingdom of Poland (1466–1772)===
[[File:LO Filomatow Chojnickich.JPG|thumb|''Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich'', one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland]]
[[File:LO Filomatow Chojnickich.JPG|thumb|Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich, one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland]]
After the [[Second Peace of Thorn]] of 1466 the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to Chojnice, and the town became again part of Poland.<ref>Górski, p. 89-90, 207</ref><ref name=mb19/><ref name=cm>{{cite news|url=https://chojnicemuzeum.pl/index.php?z-dziejow-miasta,64 |title=Z dziejów miasta |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref> In this time the Barons of [[Betha]] who traditionally ruled the city left the town and took up residence in the Prussian and Austrian courts. The town was then located in the Człuchów County in the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]]. Chojnice was an important center of cloth production in Poland.<ref name=wl>{{cite magazine|last=Look|first=Witold|year=2014|title=Sukiennictwo chojnickie|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=20}}</ref> Cloth production was the main branch of the local economy, and in 1570, clothiers constituted 36% of all craftsmen in the town.<ref name=wl/> To this day, one of the main streets in the town center is called ''Ulica Sukienników'' ("Clothiers' Street").<ref name=wl/>
After the [[Second Peace of Thorn]] in 1466, the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to Chojnice, and the town became again part of Poland.<ref>Górski, p. 89-90, 207</ref><ref name=mb19/><ref name=cm>{{cite news|url=https://chojnicemuzeum.pl/index.php?z-dziejow-miasta,64 |title=Z dziejów miasta |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref> At this time, the Barons of [[Betha]], who had traditionally ruled the city, left and took up residence in the Prussian and Austrian courts. The town was then located within the Człuchów County in the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]].  
 
Chojnice continued to be an important center of cloth production in Poland.<ref name="wl">{{cite magazine|last=Look|first=Witold|year=2014|title=Sukiennictwo chojnickie|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=20}}</ref> Cloth production was the main branch of the local economy, and in 1570, clothiers constituted 36% of all craftsmen in the town.<ref name="wl" /> To this day, one of the main streets in the town centre is called Ulica Sukienników ("Clothiers' Street").<ref name="wl" />


In the 16th century the city council accepted the Protestant [[Reformation]] officially, and Protestants took over the parish church. The Roman Catholic priest Jan Siński died in the following turmoil. In 1555 King [[Sigismund II Augustus]] confirmed religious freedom for the city.<ref name=cm/> In 1616 the St. John's church was restored to the Catholics thanks to local parish priest Jan Doręgowski.<ref name=cm/> In 1620 the first [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] came into the town and began the [[Counter Reformation]]. In 1622 the Jesuits founded a school, which under the name ''Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich w Chojnicach'' is today one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland.
In the 16th century, the city council officially accepted the Protestant [[Reformation]], leading to Protestants taking over the parish church of St. John. The Roman Catholic priest Jan Siński died amid the ensuing turmoil. In 1555, King [[Sigismund II Augustus]] confirmed religious freedom for the city.<ref name="cm" /> In 1616, St. John's church was restored to the Catholics thanks to local parish priest Jan Doręgowski.<ref name="cm" /> In 1620, the first [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] arrived and began the [[Counter Reformation]]. In 1622, they founded a school that, today known as Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich w Chojnicach ("High School of the Philomaths in Chojnice"), remains one of the oldest [[high school]]s in Poland.


In the year 1627 a fire destroyed parts of the town. During the [[Second Northern War]] (against Sweden, 1655–1660) the [[Battle of Chojnice (1656)]] was fought. The town suffered heavily from the siege, plundering and fire, especially in 1657. Cloth production declined as a result of the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion]], however, it soon revived.<ref name=wl21>Look, p. 21</ref> In 1733–1744 the [[Baroque in Poland|Baroque]] Jesuit Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built.<ref name=znmp>{{cite web|url=https://www.miastochojnice.pl/kosciol_pojezuicki_p-w-__zwiastowania_najswietszej_marii_panny-5447/|title=Kościół pojezuicki p.w. Zwiastowania Najświętszej Marii Panny|website=Urząd Miejski w Chojnicach|date=18 May 2014|access-date=28 June 2020|language=pl, en, de}}</ref> A large fire destroyed the town again in 1742.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://historiachojnic.com/16-z-kart-historii/xvi-xviii-wiek/36-z-burmistrzowskiego-pamietnika.html |title=Z PAMIĘTNIKA BURMISTRZA |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>
In 1627, a fire destroyed parts of the town. During the [[Second Northern War]] against Sweden, the [[Battle of Chojnice (1656)]] was fought. The town suffered heavily from siege, plundering and fire, especially in 1657. Although cloth production declined due to the [[Deluge (history)|Swedish invasion]], it soon revived.<ref name="wl21">Look, p. 21</ref> Between 1733 and 1744, the [[Baroque in Poland|Baroque]] Jesuit Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built.<ref name="znmp">{{cite web|url=https://www.miastochojnice.pl/kosciol_pojezuicki_p-w-__zwiastowania_najswietszej_marii_panny-5447/|title=Kościół pojezuicki p.w. Zwiastowania Najświętszej Marii Panny|website=Urząd Miejski w Chojnicach|date=18 May 2014|access-date=28 June 2020|language=pl, en, de}}</ref> A large fire devastated the town again in 1742.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://historiachojnic.com/16-z-kart-historii/xvi-xviii-wiek/36-z-burmistrzowskiego-pamietnika.html |title=Z PAMIĘTNIKA BURMISTRZA |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>


===Prussia (1772–1871) and German Empire (1871–1920)===
===Prussia (1772–1871) and German Empire (1871–1920)===
After the [[first partition of Poland]] the town became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1772. The Prussians abolished the local government, which was restored in 1809.<ref name=cm/> The cloth industry collapsed.<ref name=wl21/> The town was subject to [[Anti-Polish sentiment|anti-Polish]] policies, including [[Germanisation of Poles during the Partitions|Germanisation]]. At the local gymnasium, Polish was taught only two hours a week, in 1815-1820 and 1846–1912, and in 1889 the history of Polish literature was removed from the curriculum, while Polish history was not taught at all.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Szews|first=Jerzy|year=2014|title=Filomaci chojniccy|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=41}}</ref> Probably in 1830 a secret organization of Polish students was established in the local school.<ref name=js42>Szews, p. 42</ref> Some Polish students joined the Polish uprisings of [[November Uprising|1830]] and [[January Uprising|1863]] in the [[Russian Partition]] of Poland.<ref name=js42/> The organisation probably ceased to exist in the 1860s, because in 1870, a new youth [[philomath]] organization ''Mickiewicz'' was founded, named after the Polish national poet [[Adam Mickiewicz]].<ref name=js43>Szews, p. 43</ref> In 1901, due to the threat of repressions by the German authorities, the organization was dissolved to be reactivated after a few months.<ref name=js43/> Among local philomaths were prominent Polish-Kashubian activists and writers [[Aleksander Majkowski]], [[Florian Ceynowa]] and [[Jan Karnowski]], future minister and senator in independent Poland {{interlanguage link|Leon Janta-Połczyński|pl}}, priest, historian and co-founder of the Toruń Scientific Society {{interlanguage link|Stanisław Kujot|pl}}, co-founder and president of the first Polish scientific society in the [[United States]] Dominik Szopiński, as well as priests and activists {{interlanguage link|Bernard Łosiński|pl}} and {{interlanguage link|Konstantyn Krefft|pl}}, who were later murdered by the Germans in [[Nazi concentration camps]] in 1940.<ref>Szews, p. 45-47</ref> One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful Polish [[November Uprising]] from partitioned Poland to the [[Great Emigration]] led through the town.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Umiński|first=Janusz|year=1998|title=Losy internowanych na Pomorzu żołnierzy powstania listopadowego|magazine=Jantarowe Szlaki|volume=4 |language=pl|issue=250|page=16}}</ref> In 1911 the first Polish secret [[scout troop]] in the [[Prussian Partition]] of Poland was established in the town by {{interlanguage link|Szczepan Łukowicz|pl}}, who as a military officer later fought in defense of Poland during the [[Polish–Soviet War]] (1920) and the German [[Siege of Warsaw (1939)]], and was murdered by the Germans during [[World War II]].<ref>Szews, p. 44. 46</ref>
After the [[first partition of Poland]] in 1772, the town became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. The Prussian authorities abolished the local government, which was only restored in 1809.<ref name=cm/>
 
====Infrastructure and Social Developments====
Following Chojnice's integration into Prussia, the cloth industry collapsed due to the newly introduced borders.<ref name=wl21/> Infrastructure developed significantly in the second half of the 19th century. A telegraph connection to [[Szczecin]] (then ''Stettin'') began operating in 1864, and the railway reached the town in 1868, boosting industrial growth. A gas power plant was installed in 1870, followed by rail links to [[Tczew]] (''Dirschau'') in 1873 and to [[Szczecin]] in 1877. A new hospital was completed in 1886, and a new railway connection to [[Nakło]] (''Nakel'') opened in 1894. In 1900, the town gained both a water supply system and an electricity plant, and in 1902, a railway link to [[Kościerzyna]] (''Berent'') was added. A sewage system was completed in 1909.
 
During the [[Konitz Affair]] 1900–1902, Germans and Poles<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Helmut Walser|title=The Butcher's Tale: Murder and Amti-Semitism in a German Town|date=2002|publisher=W. W. Norton|isbn=9780393050981|pages=164 ff.|quote=In the gathering heat of the moment, the community that emerged included Germans and Poles, Protestants and Catholics, peasants and workers, subalterns and shopkeepers, artisans and their apprentices, women as well as men, young and old.}}</ref> committed an antisemitic pogrom. In 1912, ''Gazeta Chojnicka'', the first Polish-language newspaper, was published in the town.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://historiachojnic.com/lata-miedzywojenne/14-z-kart-historii/lata-miedzywojenne/94-rola-i-znaczenie-prasy-lokalnej.html |title=ROLA I ZNACZENIE PRASY LOKALNEJ |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>
 
====Germanisation and Polish Resistance====
The town was subject to [[Anti-Polish sentiment|anti-Polish]] policies and experienced the heaviest [[Germanisation of Poles during the Partitions|Germanisation]] in Gdańsk Pomerania.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Mynarczyk|first=Paweł Piotr|year=2010|title=Sytuacja polityczna i społeczna w Chojnicach od roku 1920 do przewrotu majowego|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=25}}</ref><ref name="muzeum"/> At the local gymnasium, Polish was taught only two hours a week during 1815–1820 and 1846–1912. In 1889, the history of Polish literature was removed from the curriculum and Polish history was omitted entirely.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Szews|first=Jerzy|year=2014|title=Filomaci chojniccy|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=29|page=41}}</ref>  
 
Likely around 1830, a secret organization of Polish students formed at the local school.<ref name="js42">Szews, p. 42</ref> Some Polish students participated in the Polish uprisings of [[November Uprising|1830]] and [[January Uprising|1863]] in the [[Russian Partition]] of Poland.<ref name="js42" /> The organization probably ceased to exist in the 1860s; in 1870, a new youth [[philomath]] organization ''Mickiewicz'' was founded, named after the Polish national poet [[Adam Mickiewicz]].<ref name="js43">Szews, p. 43</ref> In 1901, due to the threat of repressions by the German authorities, it was dissolved but reactivated a few months later.<ref name="js43" />  
 
Among local philomaths were:<ref>Szews, p. 45-47</ref>
* Polish-Kashubian activists and writers [[Aleksander Majkowski]], [[Florian Ceynowa]] and [[Jan Karnowski]]  
* Future minister and senator in independent Poland {{interlanguage link|Leon Janta-Połczyński|pl}}
* Priest, historian and co-founder of the Toruń Scientific Society {{interlanguage link|Stanisław Kujot|pl}}
* Co-founder and president of the first Polish scientific society in the [[United States]] Dominik Szopiński
* Priests and activists {{interlanguage link|Bernard Łosiński|pl}} and {{interlanguage link|Konstantyn Krefft|pl}}, both murdered by [[Nazi Germany|the Nazis]] in [[concentration camps]] in 1940


In 1864 a telegraph connection to [[Szczecin]] (then ''Stettin'') began operation. In 1868 the town was connected to the railway network. This improved industrial development quite considerably. In 1870 a gas power plant was installed. The town was connected in 1873 by the railway to Dirschau ([[Tczew]]) and in 1877 by railway to [[Stettin]]. In 1886 a new hospital was built in the town. A new railway line to Nakel ([[Nakło]]) was opened in 1894. In the year of 1900 the town obtained both a water supply system and an electricity power plant. In 1902 a railway line to Berent ([[Kościerzyna]]) was opened. During the time span 1900–1902 the [[Konitz Affair|Konitz ritual murder case & antisemitic pogrom]] was committed by the Germans. In 1909 a sewage system was installed in the town. In 1912 the ''Gazeta Chojnicka'', the first Polish language newspaper, appeared in the town.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://historiachojnic.com/lata-miedzywojenne/14-z-kart-historii/lata-miedzywojenne/94-rola-i-znaczenie-prasy-lokalnej.html |title=ROLA I ZNACZENIE PRASY LOKALNEJ |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref> Chojnice experienced the heaviest [[Germanisation of Poles during the Partitions|Germanisation]] in Gdańsk Pomerania.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Mynarczyk|first=Paweł Piotr|year=2010|title=Sytuacja polityczna i społeczna w Chojnicach od roku 1920 do przewrotu majowego|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=25}}</ref><ref name="muzeum" />
One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful Polish [[November Uprising]] from partitioned Poland to the [[Great Emigration]] led through the town.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Umiński|first=Janusz|year=1998|title=Losy internowanych na Pomorzu żołnierzy powstania listopadowego|magazine=Jantarowe Szlaki|volume=4 |language=pl|issue=250|page=16}}</ref> In 1911, the first Polish secret [[scout troop]] in the [[Prussian Partition]] of Poland was established in the town by {{interlanguage link|Szczepan Łukowicz|pl}}. He later fought as a military officer in defense of Poland during the [[Polish–Soviet War]] (1920) and the German [[Siege of Warsaw (1939)]]. Łukowicz was murdered by [[Nazi Germany]] during [[World War II]].<ref>Szews, p. 44. 46</ref>


===Poland (1920–1939)===
===Poland (1920–1939)===


[[File:Henryk Poddębski - Chojnice (131-16504).jpg|thumb|Chojnice in 1938]]
[[File:Henryk Poddębski - Chojnice (131-16504).jpg|thumb|Chojnice in 1938]]
After the regulations of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] had become effective in 1920, Chojnice together with 62% of the former province of [[West Prussia]] was re-integrated into the [[Second Polish Republic]], which regained independence in 1918, and Polish troops entered the town. A local citizen, Barbara Stammowa, symbolically broke shackles on the balcony of the town hall - in revenge Nazis murdered her in 1939 when the town was [[German invasion of Poland|re-occupied by Germany]].<ref name=mh>{{cite magazine|last=Hamerska|first=Małgorzata|year=2012|title=Miejsca pamięci narodowej w powiecie chojnickim|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=27|page=59}}</ref> In the [[interwar period]] two official visits of Presidents of Poland to Chojnice took place, as [[Stanisław Wojciechowski]] visited the town in 1924 and [[Ignacy Mościcki]] in 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historiachojnic.pl/artykuly/materialy/Lata-miedzywojenne/101/panie-i-panowie---prezydent-rp|title=Panie i Panowie - Prezydent RP|website=Historia Chojnic|access-date=28 June 2020|language=pl}}</ref> In 1932 a regional museum was opened in Chojnice.
After the [[Treaty of Versailles]] came into effect in 1920, Chojnice – along with 62% of the former province of [[West Prussia]] – was re-integrated into the [[Second Polish Republic]], which had regained independence in 1918. Polish troops entered the town, and local citizen Barbara Stammowa symbolically broke shackles on the balcony of the town hall. In revenge, she was murdered by the Nazis in 1939 when the town was [[German invasion of Poland|re-occupied by Germany]].<ref name=mh>{{cite magazine|last=Hamerska|first=Małgorzata|year=2012|title=Miejsca pamięci narodowej w powiecie chojnickim|magazine=Zeszyty Chojnickie|language=pl|location=Chojnice|publisher=Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk|issue=27|page=59}}</ref> In the [[interwar period]], Chojnice hosted two official visits by Polish presidents: [[Stanisław Wojciechowski]] in 1924 and [[Ignacy Mościcki]] in 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historiachojnic.pl/artykuly/materialy/Lata-miedzywojenne/101/panie-i-panowie---prezydent-rp|title=Panie i Panowie - Prezydent RP|website=Historia Chojnic|access-date=28 June 2020|language=pl}}</ref> In 1932, a regional museum was opened in Chojnice.


===World War II and Nazi German occupation (1939–1945)===
===World War II and Nazi German occupation (1939–1945)===
[[File:Pomnik przy ulicy 31 Stycznia - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Monument to Polish teachers murdered by the Germans]]
[[File:Pomnik przy ulicy 31 Stycznia - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Monument commemorating Polish teachers murdered by German occupiers]]
During the Nazi German [[invasion of Poland]] [[Wehrmacht]] troops occupied Chojnice on September 1, 1939, in the morning at 4:45 o'clock. This invasion gave rise to the [[Battle of Chojnice (1939)|Battle of Chojnice]].
On 1 September 1939 at 04:45, [[Wehrmacht]] troops occupied Chojnice during the Nazi German [[invasion of Poland]], marking the beginning of the [[Battle of Chojnice (1939)|Battle of Chojnice]].


From the beginning of the [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|German occupation]], German militiamen attacked their Jewish and Polish neighbors. On 26 September 1939 forty people were shot, followed by a priest and 208 psychiatric patients.<ref name="Stargardt1">[https://books.google.com/books?id=7drvCAAAQBAJ&dq=Konitz+wave+of+violence+1939&pg=PT46 The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939–45], Nicholas Stargardt</ref> From late October 1939 through early 1940, mass executions were conducted by [[SS]] and the German police as part of the ''[[Intelligenzaktion]]'', an action against the Polish [[intelligentsia]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=12PauR6bjrIC&dq=Konitz+intelligentsia+1939+1940&pg=PT118 Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis], [[Nicholas Stargardt]]</ref> In total, by January 1940 900 Poles and Jews from Chojnice and its surrounding villages were killed,<ref name="Stargardt1"/> including parliamentarians, teachers, merchants, postal workers, border guards, priests, farmers.<ref name=mh/> The site of the massacres was the Igły Valley near Chojnice, later also known as the Valley of Death.<ref>Hamerska, p. 58</ref>
From the start of the [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|German occupation]], German militiamen attacked their Jewish and Polish neighbors. On 26 September 1939, forty people were shot, followed by the murder of a priest and 208 psychiatric patients.<ref name="Stargardt1">[https://books.google.com/books?id=7drvCAAAQBAJ&dq=Konitz+wave+of+violence+1939&pg=PT46 The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939–45], Nicholas Stargardt</ref> Between late October 1939 and early 1940, mass executions were conducted by the [[SS]] and German police as part of the [[Intelligenzaktion]], a campaign targeting the Polish [[intelligentsia]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=12PauR6bjrIC&dq=Konitz+intelligentsia+1939+1940&pg=PT118 Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis], [[Nicholas Stargardt]]</ref> By January 1940, approximately 900 Poles and Jews from Chojnice and surrounding villages had been killed,<ref name="Stargardt1"/> including parliamentarians, teachers, merchants, postal workers, border guards, priests, and farmers.<ref name=mh/> These massacres took place in the Igły Valley near Chojnice, later also known as the Valley of Death.<ref>Hamerska, p. 58</ref>


[[Hans Kruger]] - a Nazi activist - became a judge in Chojnice, and during his rule executions of the local population followed.<ref>
[[Hans Kruger]], a Nazi activist, served as a judge in Chojnice during this period, overseeing executions of the local population.<ref>
Funktionäre Mit Vergangenheit: Das Gründungspräsidium Des Bundesverbandes Der Vertriebenen Und Das "dritte Reich" 2013
Funktionäre Mit Vergangenheit: Das Gründungspräsidium Des Bundesverbandes Der Vertriebenen Und Das "dritte Reich" 2013
  Michael Schwartz page 437 Walter de Gruyter 2013</ref> On January 18, 1945, the Germans carried out a single large massacre in the Igły Valley, in which they murdered some 800 Poles.<ref name=mh/>
  Michael Schwartz page 437 Walter de Gruyter 2013</ref> On 18 January 1945, the Nazis carried out a large massacre in the Igły Valley, killing around 800 Poles.<ref name=mh/>


During the occupation, the Annunciation of Mary church was taken over by Protestants and its interior was devastated.<ref name=znmp/>
During the occupation, the Church of the Annunciation of Mary was seized by Protestants and its interior was devastated.<ref name=znmp/>


The [[Pomeranian Griffin]], [[Kashubian Griffin]] and [[Home Army]] [[Polish resistance movement in World War II|Polish underground resistance organisations]] were active in the area. In 1943, local Poles managed to save some [[Kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany|kidnapped Polish children]] from the [[Zamość]] region, by buying them from the Germans at the local train station.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kozaczyńska|first=Beata|editor-last=Kostkiewicz|editor-first=Janina|year=2020|title=Zbrodnia bez kary... Eksterminacja i cierpienie polskich dzieci pod okupacją niemiecką (1939–1945)|language=pl|location=[[Kraków]]|publisher=[[Jagiellonian University|Uniwersytet Jagielloński]], [[Biblioteka Jagiellońska]]|page=123|chapter=Gdy zabrakło łez... Tragizm losu polskich dzieci wysiedlonych z Zamojszczyzny (1942-1943)}}</ref>
[[Polish resistance movement in World War II|Polish underground resistance organisations]] active in the area included the [[Pomeranian Griffin]], [[Kashubian Griffin]], and [[Home Army]]. In 1943, local Poles successfully rescued some [[Kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany|kidnapped Polish children]] from the [[Zamość]] region by ransoming them from the German occupiers at the local train station.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kozaczyńska|first=Beata|editor-last=Kostkiewicz|editor-first=Janina|year=2020|title=Zbrodnia bez kary... Eksterminacja i cierpienie polskich dzieci pod okupacją niemiecką (1939–1945)|language=pl|location=[[Kraków]]|publisher=[[Jagiellonian University|Uniwersytet Jagielloński]], [[Biblioteka Jagiellońska]]|page=123|chapter=Gdy zabrakło łez... Tragizm losu polskich dzieci wysiedlonych z Zamojszczyzny (1942-1943)}}</ref>


===Chojnice since 1945===
===Chojnice since 1945===
In February 1945 the [[Red Army]] captured the town. During the fighting about 800 soldiers died, and the town centre was heavily damaged. After the end of World War II Polish authorities began the reconstruction of the city. In 1945–1975, it was part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and during the time span 1975–1998 the town belonged to the [[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]].
In February 1945, the [[Red Army]] captured the town. About 800 soldiers died during the fighting, and the town center was heavily damaged. After the war, Polish authorities began rebuilding the town and oversaw the [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II|expulsion of the remaining German population]] under Allied agreements.
 
From 1945 to 1975, Chojnice was part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and between 1975–1998, the town belonged to the [[Bydgoszcz Voivodeship]].


In 2002 a new, modern hospital was opened on the north-west outskirts of the town.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chojnice.com/wiadomosci/teksty/Chojnicki-Szpital-ma-juz-10-lat/7821 |title=Chojnicki Szpital ma już 10 lat! |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>
In 2002 a new, modern hospital was opened on the northwestern outskirts of the town.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chojnice.com/wiadomosci/teksty/Chojnicki-Szpital-ma-juz-10-lat/7821 |title=Chojnicki Szpital ma już 10 lat! |access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>


==Demographics==
==Demographics==
The population of Chojnice has increased generally since the 18th century. However, [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], reduced the town's population. When the regulations of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] became effective in 1920, many [[ethnic Germans|Germans]] left the town. The influence of World War II is evident in the 1948 census showing that the population was reduced by 1,900 people compared to 1933. After World War II Germans inhabitants either fled or were [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] from the city in accordance with the [[Potsdam Agreement]].
The population of Chojnice has generally increased since the 18th century. However, both [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] caused significant population declines. Following the implementation of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] in 1920, many [[Germans]] left the town as the area was transferred to Poland. The impact of World War II is reflected in the 1948 census, which showed a reduction of approximately 1,900 residents compared to 1933. After World War II, the remaining German inhabitants either fled or were [[Expulsion of Germans after World War II|expelled]] from the city in accordance with the [[Potsdam Agreement]].


Detailed data as of 31 December 2021:<ref name = population />
Detailed data as of 31 December 2021:<ref name = population />
Line 125: Line 148:
| image3 = Chojnice-Kościół gimnazjalny.jpg
| image3 = Chojnice-Kościół gimnazjalny.jpg
| image4 = Chojnice Fontanna.jpg
| image4 = Chojnice Fontanna.jpg
| caption1 = Basilica of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
| caption1 = Basilica of St. John's Beheading
| caption2 = Old Town
| caption2 = Old Town
| caption3 = Annunciation of the Mary Church
| caption3 = Church of the Annunciation of Mary
| caption4 = Fountain at the market square
| caption4 = Fountain at the market square
}}
}}
The [[Museum of History and Ethnography in Chojnice]] opened in 1932. It was damaged during World War II and reopened in 1960.<ref name=muzeum>{{Cite web|url=https://chojnicemuzeum.pl/|title=Strona główna - Muzeum Historyczno-Etnograficzne w Chojnicach|website=chojnicemuzeum.pl|access-date=2019-02-27}}</ref> It is located in the medieval town walls and Człuchów Gate.
The [[Museum of History and Ethnography in Chojnice]] opened in 1932. It was damaged during World War II and reopened in 1960.<ref name=muzeum>{{Cite web|url=https://chojnicemuzeum.pl/|title=Strona główna - Muzeum Historyczno-Etnograficzne w Chojnicach|website=chojnicemuzeum.pl|access-date=2019-02-27}}</ref> It is located in the medieval town walls and Człuchów Gate.


The town also has a number of medieval and early modern buildings, including several churches. The most prominent churches are the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] {{ill|Basilica of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist in Chojnice|pl|Bazylika Ścięcia św. Jana Chrzciciela w Chojnicach}} and the [[Baroque in Poland|Baroque]] {{ill|Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chojnice|pl|Kościół Zwiastowania Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Chojnicach}}.
The town also has a number of medieval and early modern buildings, including several churches. The most prominent churches are the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] {{ill|Basilica of St. John's Beheading|pl|Bazylika Ścięcia św. Jana Chrzciciela w Chojnicach}} and the [[Baroque in Poland|Baroque]] {{ill|Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary|pl|Kościół Zwiastowania Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Chojnicach}}.


== Geography ==
== Geography ==
Line 392: Line 415:
[[File:Michal Kazimierz Radziwill (264518).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł]]
[[File:Michal Kazimierz Radziwill (264518).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł]]
[[File:Misheel Jargalsaikhan in 2016 (cropped).png|upright=0.7|thumb|Misheel Jargalsaikhan, 2016]]
[[File:Misheel Jargalsaikhan in 2016 (cropped).png|upright=0.7|thumb|Misheel Jargalsaikhan, 2016]]
* [[Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł]] (1625–1680), Polish-Lithuanian magnate, starost of Chojnice
* [[Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł]] (1625–1680), Polish–Lithuanian magnate, starost of Chojnice
* [[Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky]] (1710–1775) a Prussian diplomat and merchant of trinkets, silk, taft, porcelain, grain and bills of exchange
* [[Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky]] (1710–1775), Prussian diplomat and merchant of trinkets, silk, taft, porcelain, grain, and bills of exchange
* [[Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf]] (1724–1784) was a German botanist, physician, and astronomer  
* [[Nathanael Matthaeus von Wolf]] (1724–1784), German botanist, physician, and astronomer
* [[Johann Daniel Titius]] (1729–1796), astronomer, physicist, biologist
* [[Johann Daniel Titius]] (1729–1796), German astronomer, physicist, and biologist
* [[Antoni Klawiter]] (1836–1913) a Roman Catholic and later an independent Polish Catholic priest
* [[Antoni Klawiter]] (1836–1913), Roman Catholic and later independent Polish Catholic priest
* [[Emil Albert Friedberg]] (1837–1910) a German jurist and canonist.
* [[Emil Albert Friedberg]] (1837–1910), German jurist and canonist
* [[Rudolf Arnold Nieberding]] (1838–1912), jurist and politician
* [[Rudolf Arnold Nieberding]] (1838–1912), German jurist and politician
* [[Hartwig Cassel]] (1850–1929) a chess journalist, editor and promoter
* [[Hartwig Cassel]] (1850–1929), German chess journalist, editor, and promoter
* [[Hugo Heimann]] (1859–1951), German publisher and politician
* [[Hugo Heimann]] (1859–1951), German publisher and politician
*[[Leopold Prince]] (1880–1951), Jewish-American lawyer, politician, judge, and conductor; born here
*[[Leopold Prince]] (1880–1951), German-born Jewish–American lawyer, politician, judge, and conductor
* [[Heinrich Recke]] (1890–1943), [[Wehrmacht]] general
* [[Heinrich Recke]] (1890–1943), German [[Wehrmacht]] general
* [[Willi Apel]] (1893–1988), German-US musicologist; born here
* [[Willi Apel]] (1893–1988), German–American musicologist
* [[Eugeniusz Kłopotek]] (born 1953) a Polish politician and [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]  
* [[Eugeniusz Kłopotek]] (born 1953), Polish politician and [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]  
* [[Dariusz Pasieka]] (born 1965), Polish former professional footballer, over 360 pro games
* [[Dariusz Pasieka]] (born 1965), Polish former professional footballer with over 360 pro games
* [[Misheel Jargalsaikhan]] (born 1988) a Polish child actress of Mongolian heritage
* [[Misheel Jargalsaikhan]] (born 1988), Polish child actress of Mongolian heritage
* [[Irmina Gliszczyńska]] (born 1992) a Polish competitive sailor, competed at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Irmina Gliszczyńska]] (born 1992), Polish competitive sailor who competed at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Arkadiusz Reca]] (born 1995) a Polish professional [[association football|football]] player
* [[Arkadiusz Reca]] (born 1995), Polish professional [[association football|football]] player


==International relations==
==Twin towns==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}
Chojnice is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
Chojnice is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:

Latest revision as of 18:44, 18 October 2025

Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Main other Chojnice (Script error: No such module "IPA".; Template:Langx or Script error: No such module "Lang".; Template:Langx or Script error: No such module "Lang".) is a town in northern Poland with a population of 38,789 (as of June 2023),[1] near the Tuchola Forest.Template:TERYT It is the capital of Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Founded in Template:Circa, Chojnice is a former royal city of Poland and was an important center of cloth production. It is home to one of the oldest high schools in Poland, and played a significant role in Polish youth resistance against the Germanisation policies of Prussia following the Partitions of Poland. The town was also the site of several significant battles, and during World War II, German occupiers massacred approximately 2,000 Poles on its outskirts.

Chojnice is a railroad junction with connections to Brodnica, Kościerzyna, Piła, Szczecinek, and Tczew. It contains several Gothic and Baroque heritage sights, and is the largest town near the Tuchola Forest, a large forest complex in north-central Poland.

History

Piast Poland (Template:Circa–1309)

Chojnice was founded Template:Circa[2] in the duchy of Gdańsk Pomerania (Pomeralia). At the time, the duchy was ruled by the Samborides, originally appointed governors by Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland. Gdańsk Pomerania had been part of Poland since the 10th century. It experienced few episodes of autonomy, such as 1227–1282 under Swietopelk II.[3]

The town's name first appears in documents in 1275.[4] It is of Polish origin, derived from the nearby river Chojnica (now called Jarcewska Struga).[5]

State of the Teutonic Order (1309–1466)

File:Brama Człuchowska - panoramio - geo573.jpg
14th century Człuchów Gate, a landmark of Chojnice, houses the local historical museum

In 1309, the Teutonic Knights took over Chojnice, incorporating it into the State of the Teutonic Order.[6] Under Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode, the town's defenses and inner structures were extensively reinforced. During this period, the Basilica of St. John's Beheading was built Template:Circa. In 1365, Augustinians from Stargard in Pomerania established a monastery in the town. Textile production flourished, and Chojnice became a notable textile centre between 1417 and 1436.

During the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War, in 1410, the town was briefly occupied by Polish forces. In 1440, Chojnice temporarily joined the Prussian Confederation, which opposed Teutonic rule.[7] In 1454, King Casimir IV Jagiellon re-incorporated the territory into the Kingdom of Poland, and townspeople overthrew the pro-Teutonic town council. Shortly afterwards, the council, aided by the Teutonic Knights, recaptured the town.[8] On 18 September 1454, the Polish army led by King Casimir IV Jagiellon lost the Battle of Chojnice.

During the subsequent Thirteen Years' War, townspeople tried to resist Teutonic control.[8] In 1466, after a three-month siege, the Teutonic troops under Captain Caspar von Bethe surrendered Chojnice,[9] the last Teutonic town in Gdańsk Pomerania,[10] to the Polish troops under Piotr Dunin.

Kingdom of Poland (1466–1772)

File:LO Filomatow Chojnickich.JPG
Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich, one of the oldest high schools in Poland

After the Second Peace of Thorn in 1466, the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to Chojnice, and the town became again part of Poland.[11][10][9] At this time, the Barons of Betha, who had traditionally ruled the city, left and took up residence in the Prussian and Austrian courts. The town was then located within the Człuchów County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

Chojnice continued to be an important center of cloth production in Poland.[12] Cloth production was the main branch of the local economy, and in 1570, clothiers constituted 36% of all craftsmen in the town.[12] To this day, one of the main streets in the town centre is called Ulica Sukienników ("Clothiers' Street").[12]

In the 16th century, the city council officially accepted the Protestant Reformation, leading to Protestants taking over the parish church of St. John. The Roman Catholic priest Jan Siński died amid the ensuing turmoil. In 1555, King Sigismund II Augustus confirmed religious freedom for the city.[9] In 1616, St. John's church was restored to the Catholics thanks to local parish priest Jan Doręgowski.[9] In 1620, the first Jesuits arrived and began the Counter Reformation. In 1622, they founded a school that, today known as Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Filomatów Chojnickich w Chojnicach ("High School of the Philomaths in Chojnice"), remains one of the oldest high schools in Poland.

In 1627, a fire destroyed parts of the town. During the Second Northern War against Sweden, the Battle of Chojnice (1656) was fought. The town suffered heavily from siege, plundering and fire, especially in 1657. Although cloth production declined due to the Swedish invasion, it soon revived.[13] Between 1733 and 1744, the Baroque Jesuit Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built.[14] A large fire devastated the town again in 1742.[15]

Prussia (1772–1871) and German Empire (1871–1920)

After the first partition of Poland in 1772, the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The Prussian authorities abolished the local government, which was only restored in 1809.[9]

Infrastructure and Social Developments

Following Chojnice's integration into Prussia, the cloth industry collapsed due to the newly introduced borders.[13] Infrastructure developed significantly in the second half of the 19th century. A telegraph connection to Szczecin (then Stettin) began operating in 1864, and the railway reached the town in 1868, boosting industrial growth. A gas power plant was installed in 1870, followed by rail links to Tczew (Dirschau) in 1873 and to Szczecin in 1877. A new hospital was completed in 1886, and a new railway connection to Nakło (Nakel) opened in 1894. In 1900, the town gained both a water supply system and an electricity plant, and in 1902, a railway link to Kościerzyna (Berent) was added. A sewage system was completed in 1909.

During the Konitz Affair 1900–1902, Germans and Poles[16] committed an antisemitic pogrom. In 1912, Gazeta Chojnicka, the first Polish-language newspaper, was published in the town.[17]

Germanisation and Polish Resistance

The town was subject to anti-Polish policies and experienced the heaviest Germanisation in Gdańsk Pomerania.[18][19] At the local gymnasium, Polish was taught only two hours a week during 1815–1820 and 1846–1912. In 1889, the history of Polish literature was removed from the curriculum and Polish history was omitted entirely.[20]

Likely around 1830, a secret organization of Polish students formed at the local school.[21] Some Polish students participated in the Polish uprisings of 1830 and 1863 in the Russian Partition of Poland.[21] The organization probably ceased to exist in the 1860s; in 1870, a new youth philomath organization Mickiewicz was founded, named after the Polish national poet Adam Mickiewicz.[22] In 1901, due to the threat of repressions by the German authorities, it was dissolved but reactivated a few months later.[22]

Among local philomaths were:[23]

One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful Polish November Uprising from partitioned Poland to the Great Emigration led through the town.[24] In 1911, the first Polish secret scout troop in the Prussian Partition of Poland was established in the town by Template:Interlanguage link. He later fought as a military officer in defense of Poland during the Polish–Soviet War (1920) and the German Siege of Warsaw (1939). Łukowicz was murdered by Nazi Germany during World War II.[25]

Poland (1920–1939)

File:Henryk Poddębski - Chojnice (131-16504).jpg
Chojnice in 1938

After the Treaty of Versailles came into effect in 1920, Chojnice – along with 62% of the former province of West Prussia – was re-integrated into the Second Polish Republic, which had regained independence in 1918. Polish troops entered the town, and local citizen Barbara Stammowa symbolically broke shackles on the balcony of the town hall. In revenge, she was murdered by the Nazis in 1939 when the town was re-occupied by Germany.[26] In the interwar period, Chojnice hosted two official visits by Polish presidents: Stanisław Wojciechowski in 1924 and Ignacy Mościcki in 1927.[27] In 1932, a regional museum was opened in Chojnice.

World War II and Nazi German occupation (1939–1945)

File:Pomnik przy ulicy 31 Stycznia - panoramio.jpg
Monument commemorating Polish teachers murdered by German occupiers

On 1 September 1939 at 04:45, Wehrmacht troops occupied Chojnice during the Nazi German invasion of Poland, marking the beginning of the Battle of Chojnice.

From the start of the German occupation, German militiamen attacked their Jewish and Polish neighbors. On 26 September 1939, forty people were shot, followed by the murder of a priest and 208 psychiatric patients.[28] Between late October 1939 and early 1940, mass executions were conducted by the SS and German police as part of the Intelligenzaktion, a campaign targeting the Polish intelligentsia.[29] By January 1940, approximately 900 Poles and Jews from Chojnice and surrounding villages had been killed,[28] including parliamentarians, teachers, merchants, postal workers, border guards, priests, and farmers.[26] These massacres took place in the Igły Valley near Chojnice, later also known as the Valley of Death.[30]

Hans Kruger, a Nazi activist, served as a judge in Chojnice during this period, overseeing executions of the local population.[31] On 18 January 1945, the Nazis carried out a large massacre in the Igły Valley, killing around 800 Poles.[26]

During the occupation, the Church of the Annunciation of Mary was seized by Protestants and its interior was devastated.[14]

Polish underground resistance organisations active in the area included the Pomeranian Griffin, Kashubian Griffin, and Home Army. In 1943, local Poles successfully rescued some kidnapped Polish children from the Zamość region by ransoming them from the German occupiers at the local train station.[32]

Chojnice since 1945

In February 1945, the Red Army captured the town. About 800 soldiers died during the fighting, and the town center was heavily damaged. After the war, Polish authorities began rebuilding the town and oversaw the expulsion of the remaining German population under Allied agreements.

From 1945 to 1975, Chojnice was part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and between 1975–1998, the town belonged to the Bydgoszcz Voivodeship.

In 2002 a new, modern hospital was opened on the northwestern outskirts of the town.[33]

Demographics

The population of Chojnice has generally increased since the 18th century. However, both World War I and World War II caused significant population declines. Following the implementation of the Treaty of Versailles in 1920, many Germans left the town as the area was transferred to Poland. The impact of World War II is reflected in the 1948 census, which showed a reduction of approximately 1,900 residents compared to 1933. After World War II, the remaining German inhabitants either fled or were expelled from the city in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.

Detailed data as of 31 December 2021:[1]

Description All Women Men
Unit person percentage person percentage person percentage
Population 39423 100 20414 51.8% 19009 48.2%
Population density 1872.8 969.8 903.0

Number of inhabitants by year

Template:Historical populations

Attractions

Template:Multiple image The Museum of History and Ethnography in Chojnice opened in 1932. It was damaged during World War II and reopened in 1960.[19] It is located in the medieval town walls and Człuchów Gate.

The town also has a number of medieval and early modern buildings, including several churches. The most prominent churches are the Gothic Template:Ill and the Baroque Template:Ill.

Geography

Climate

Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[34]

Template:Weather box

Sport

Chojniczanka Chojnice football club is based in the town.

Notable people

File:Michal Kazimierz Radziwill (264518).jpg
Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł
File:Misheel Jargalsaikhan in 2016 (cropped).png
Misheel Jargalsaikhan, 2016

Twin towns

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See also

References

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External links

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Template:Chojnice County Template:Gmina Chojnice

Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ a b Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named population
  2. ↑ Stanisław Gierszewski, Chojnice: dzieje miasta i powiatu, Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich, 1971, p. 54
  3. ↑ James Minahan, One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, p. 375, Template:ISBN.
  4. ↑ Chojnice - Urząd Miejski - Historia
  5. ↑ Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego - page 46 Hubert Górnowicz, Zygmunt Brocki, Edward Breza - 1999 Tak więc Chojnica (późniejsze Chojnice) jest polską nazwą topograficzną, ponowioną od nazwy rzeki Chojnica
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b Template:Cite magazine
  9. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b Biskup, p. 19
  11. ↑ Górski, p. 89-90, 207
  12. ↑ a b c Template:Cite magazine
  13. ↑ a b Look, p. 21
  14. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  19. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  21. ↑ a b Szews, p. 42
  22. ↑ a b Szews, p. 43
  23. ↑ Szews, p. 45-47
  24. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  25. ↑ Szews, p. 44. 46
  26. ↑ a b c Template:Cite magazine
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ a b The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939–45, Nicholas Stargardt
  29. ↑ Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis, Nicholas Stargardt
  30. ↑ Hamerska, p. 58
  31. ↑ Funktionäre Mit Vergangenheit: Das Gründungspräsidium Des Bundesverbandes Der Vertriebenen Und Das "dritte Reich" 2013 Michael Schwartz page 437 Walter de Gruyter 2013
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Climate Summary for Chojnice, Poland
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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