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73-589: Bydgoszcz metropolitan area comprising the city and several adjacent communities is inhabited by half a million people, and forms a part of an extended polycentric Bydgoszcz-Toruń metropolitan area with the population of approximately 0.8 million inhabitants. Since the Middle Ages, Bydgoszcz served as a royal city of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland until partitions and experienced the industrialisation period bolstered by

146-528: A Rose or the Holy Virgin of Beautiful Love from the 16th century. The colourful 20th-century polychrome is also especially worthy of note. The Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin , commonly referred to as "The Church of Poor Clares ," is a famous landmark of the city. It is a small, Gothic-Renaissance (including Neo-Renaissance additions), single-aisle church built between 1582 and 1602. The interior

219-818: A canal, which would connect the Vistula via the Brda with the Noteć river. Józef Wybicki , Polish jurist and political activist best known as the author of the lyrics of the national anthem of Poland , worked at the Crown Tribunal in Bydgoszcz. In 1772, in the First Partition of Poland , the town was acquired by the Kingdom of Prussia as Bromberg and incorporated into the Netze District in

292-614: A contentious Polish monarch . The ecclesiastical court of the Pope was also called upon. Pope Benedict XII did not uphold the judgements of the Warsaw Process of 1339  [ pl ] (a pontifical arbitration court process before envoys of Pope Benedict XII, between Poland and the Teutonic Order, that ruled in Poland's favour for the return of the disputed lands and awarded compensation in

365-586: A solution that would be less harmful to the Polish Kingdom, that of peace. The Teutonic Order were at their peak of power and the outcome of a possible war would probably be unfavourable for Poland. In the provisions of the Kalisz treaty, King Casimir III was to give up the title and heir of Pomerelia. However, the rule of the previous supremacy of the Polish king over Pomerelia including Gdańsk, Chełmno Land and Michałów Land

438-488: A stronghold on the Vistula trade routes . The gród of Bydgoszcz was built between 1037 and 1053 during the reign of Casimir I the Restorer . In the 13th century it was the site of a castellany , mentioned in 1238, probably founded in the early 12th century during the reign of Bolesław III Wrymouth . In the 13th century, the church of Saint Giles was built as the first church of Bydgoszcz. The Germans later demolished it in

511-549: A supposed formal meeting in the city hall, from where they were taken to a nearby forest and exterminated. The Kreisleiter also ordered the execution of their family members to "avoid creating martyrs". By decision from September 5, 1939, one of the first three German special courts in occupied Poland was established in Bydgoszcz. The Germans established several camps and prisons for Poles. As of September 30, 1939, over 3,000 individuals were imprisoned there, and in October and November,

584-523: A very prestigious Academy of Music . Bydgoszcz is also an important place for contemporary European culture; one of the most important European centers of jazz music, the Brain club, was founded in Bydgoszcz by Jacek Majewski and Slawomir Janicki. Bydgoszcz was a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2016. It joined the list of UNESCO 's Cities of Music in 2023. Muzeum Okręgowe im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego ( Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum )

657-550: Is a municipally-owned museum. Apart from a large collection of Leon Wyczółkowski 's works, it houses permanent as well as temporary exhibitions of art. It is based in several buildings, including the old granaries on the Brda River and Mill Island and the remaining building of the Polish royal mint. Exploseum , a museum built around the World War II Nazi Germany munitions factory, is also part of it. In Bydgoszcz,

730-413: Is among the most spectacular and atmospheric places in Bydgoszcz. What makes it unique is the location in the very heart of the city centre, just a few steps from the old Market Square. It was the 'industrial' centre of Bydgoszcz in the Middle Ages and for several hundred years thereafter, and it was here that the famous royal mint operated in the 17th century. Most of the buildings which can still be seen on

803-561: Is rather austere since the church has been stripped of most of its furnishings. This is not a surprising fact, considering that in the 19th century the Prussian authorities dissolved the Order of St Clare and turned the church into a warehouse, among other uses. Nonetheless, the church is worth visiting. In particular, the original wooden polychrome ceiling dating from the 17th century draws the attention of every visitor. Wyspa Młyńska ( Mill Island )

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876-463: Is served by an international airport and is a member of Eurocities . Bydgoszcz is an architecturally rich city, with gothic , neo-gothic , neo-baroque , neoclassicist , modernist and Art Nouveau styles present, for which, combined with extensive green spaces, it has earned the nickname Little Berlin . The notable granaries on Mill Island and along the riverside belong to one of the most recognized timber-framed landmarks in Poland. In 2023,

949-565: Is the largest church in Bydgoszcz and one of the biggest in Poland. It can accommodate around 12,000 people. This monumental church, modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, was designed by the Polish architect Adam Ballenstaedt. The most characteristic element of the neo-classical temple is the reinforced concrete dome 40 metres in diameter. The three granaries in Grodzka Street , picturesquely located on

1022-780: The Battle of Nations in 1813, the town was re-annexed by Prussia as part of the Grand Duchy of Posen (Poznań), becoming the capital of the Bromberg Region . During the November Uprising , a Polish insurgent organization was active in the city and local Poles helped smuggle volunteers, weapons and ammunition to the Russian Partition of Poland. After the fall of the uprising, one of the main escape routes for surviving insurgents and civilian insurgent authorities from partitioned Poland to

1095-615: The Brda and Vistula and the right to mint coins, and ordered the construction of the castle, which became the seat of the castellan. Bydgoszcz was an important royal city of Poland located in the Inowrocław Voivodeship . The city increasingly saw an influx of Jews after that date. In 1555, however, due to pressure from the clergy, the Jews were expelled and returned only with their annexation to Prussia in 1772. After 1370, Bydgoszcz castle

1168-553: The German invasion of Poland and the Holocaust . The city's Jewish citizens, who constituted a small community in the city (about two percent of the prewar population) and many of whom spoke German, were sent to extermination camps or murdered in the town itself. The city renamed Bromberg was the site of Bromberg-Ost , a women's subcamp of the Stutthof concentration camp . A deportation camp

1241-690: The Great Emigration led through the city. In 1871 the Province of Posen, along with the rest of the Kingdom of Prussia, became part of the newly formed German Empire . During German rule, the oldest church of the city (church of Saint Giles), the remains of the castle, and the Carmelite church and monastery were demolished. In the mid-19th century, the city saw the arrival of the Prussian Eastern Railway . The first stretch, from Schneidemühl ( Piła ),

1314-593: The Jesuits came to the city, and subsequently established a Jesuit college. During the year of 1629, shortly before the end of the Polish-Swedish War of 1626–29 , the town was conquered by Swedish troops led by king Gustav II Adolph of Sweden personally. During this war, the town suffered destruction. The town was conquered a second and third time by Sweden in 1656 and 1657 during the Second Northern War . On

1387-578: The Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , with an area of 3,336 km . Its population totals 603,777 people. Defined as an area economically and geographically linked to Bydgoszcz, the agglomeration includes the city of Bydgoszcz and satellite towns of Nakło nad Notecią , Solec Kujawski , Żnin , Koronowo , Szubin , Barcin , Kcynia , Łabiszyn , Mrocza and Pruszcz . Treaty of Kalisz (1343) The Treaty of Kalisz ( Polish : Pokój kaliski , German : Vertrag von Kalisch )

1460-606: The Pomeranian Military Museum specializes in documenting 19th- and 20th-century Polish military history, particularly the history of the Pomeranian Military District and several other units present in the area. Bydgoszcz metropolitan area The Bydgoszcz metropolitan area (known in Polish as Metropolia Bydgoszcz ) is the metropolitan area of Bydgoszcz . The metropolitan area covers counties in

1533-623: The Teutonic Order between 1329 and 1332. The peace agreement also confirmed seven cities: Poznań and Kalisz in Greater Poland , Włocławek and Brześć Kujawski in Kuyavia , as well as Kraków , Sandomierz and Nowy Sącz in Lesser Poland . This peace treaty meant territorial concessions from Poland, but from the point of view of the Polish " raison d'état " it had to be concluded. Despite

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1606-519: The Thirteen Years' War , King Casimir IV of Poland often stayed in Bydgoszcz. At that time, the defensive walls were built and the Gothic parish church (the present-day Bydgoszcz Cathedral ). The city was developing dynamically thanks to river trade. Bydgoszcz pottery and beer were popular throughout Poland. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Bydgoszcz was a significant location for wheat trading, one of

1679-888: The Brandenburg Ascanians in December 1231, in Ravenna , were enfeoffed with the Duchy of Pomerania by the Roman-German Emperor Frederick II . This enfeoffment of the Ascanians with Pomerania, that had already taken place under the Roman-German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa , was renewed on 8 January 1295, in Mühlhausen. The successor to Benedict XII, Pope Clement VI turned out to be an ally of

1752-525: The Brda River near the old Market Square, are the official symbol of the city. Built at the turn of the 19th century, they were originally used to store grain and similar products, but now house exhibitions of the city's Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum. The building of the former Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters erected between 1886 and 1889 in Dutch Mannierist style is another notable structure in

1825-845: The German explosives factory built in World War II occupy an area which has its own rail lines, internal communication and housing, plus a large forested area. An open-air museum , the Exploseum , is located here as well. Since 2001, Bydgoszcz has been annually subjected to international 'verification' ratings. In February 2008 the ' Fitch Ratings ' Agency recategorised the city, increasing its rating from BBB-(stable forecast) to BBB (stable estimate). In 2004, Bydgoszcz launched an Industrial and Technology Park of 283 hectares, an attractive place for doing business as companies that relocate there receive tax breaks, 24-hour security, access to large plots of land and to

1898-534: The Germans at the local train station. The Polish resistance was active in Bydgoszcz. Activities included distribution of underground Polish press, sabotage actions, stealing German ammunition to aid Polish partisans, espionage of German activity and providing shelter for British POWs who escaped from the Stalag XX-A POW camp. The Gestapo cracked down on the Polish resistance several times. In spring 1945, Bydgoszcz

1971-646: The Germans carried out further mass arrests of over 7,200 people. Many of those people were then murdered. Poles from Bydgoszcz were massacred at various locations in the city, at the Valley of Death and in the nearby village of Tryszczyn . The victims were both men and women, including activists, school principals, teachers, priests, local officials, merchants, lawyers, and also boy and girl scouts, gymnasium students and children as young as 12. The executions were presented as punishment for supposedly "murdering Germans" and "destroying peace", and were used by Nazi propaganda to show

2044-470: The Teutonic Order. When the Papal Curia sided with the Teutonic Order, under these conditions, King Casimir III could either fight with them or make peace. Realising, however, that such a recuperation might prove impossible in his lifetime, whilst pursuing territorial recuperation and expansion south-eastward (in the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia ) with even larger territories. The king chose what he considered

2117-646: The War, an area that the Teutonic Order had in its possession since 1308, and which it viewed as its legal property since the conclusion of the Treaty of Soldin (1309) with the Margraves of Brandenburg . In the Treaty of Kalisz, King Casimir III, undertook in the future to raise no claims on Pomerelia as well as Chełmno Land and Michałów Land . In exchange, King Casimir III regained Kuyavia and Dobrzyń Land , which had been conquered by

2190-528: The amount of 194,500 Grzywna ), commissioning a re-examination of the legitimacy of Poland's claims to the disputed lands. In 1339, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Dietrich von Altenburg had submitted to the papal commission of inquiry (Papal Curia) a document that the Teutonic Order had acquired in 1309—in the Treaty of Soldin from the Margraves of Brandenburg . From which it emerged that

2263-653: The church in the Old Market Square and the Municipal Theatre . Additionally, the Old Town lost a few characteristic tenement houses, including the western frontage of the Market Square. The city also lost its Gothic castle and defensive walls. In Bydgoszcz, there are a great number of villas in the style of typical garden suburbs . In the city, there are 38 banks represented through a network of 116 branches (including

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2336-553: The city entered the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and was named UNESCO City of Music . The name Bydgoszcz , originally Bydgoszcza , derives from Bydgost , a personal name, and the suffix - ja , denoting ownership. The German name Bromberg is an alteration of Braheberg , meaning "hill on the Brahe River" (Polish: Brda ). The Latin names for the city is Bidgostia and Civitas Bidgostiensis . In Polish ,

2409-504: The city limits and became the easternmost district of Bydgoszcz. In March 1981, Solidarity 's activists were violently suppressed in Bydgoszcz . With the Polish local government reforms of 1999, Bydgoszcz became the seat of the governor of a province entitled Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship . In 2005, Casimir the Great University was opened in Bydgoszcz. Currently, Bydgoszcz is the biggest center of NATO headquarters in Poland,

2482-488: The city to commit atrocities against the Polish population , and afterwards some of its members co-formed the local German police. Many of the murders were carried out as part of the Intelligenzaktion , aimed at exterminating the Polish elites and preventing the establishment of a Polish resistance movement , which emerged regardless. On September 24, the local German Kreisleiter called local Polish city officials to

2555-470: The city was briefly recaptured by Poles, commanded by General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski , and the local Polish administration was co-organized by Józef Wybicki . In 1807, after the defeat of Prussia by Napoleon and the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit , Bydgoszcz became part of the short-lived Polish Duchy of Warsaw , within which it was the seat of the Bydgoszcz Department . With Napoleon's defeat at

2628-633: The city's historic buildings to erect new structures in the Nazi style . The Germans built a huge secret dynamite factory ( DAG Fabrik Bromberg ) hidden in a forest in which they used the slave labor of several hundred forced laborers, including Allied prisoners of war from the Stalag XX-A POW camp in Toruń. In 1943, local Poles managed to save some kidnapped Polish children from the Zamość region, by buying them from

2701-626: The city's name has feminine grammatical gender. In ancient times, there was a development of settlements related to lively trade contacts with the Roman Empire , as a convenient location of today's Bydgoszcz laid on the Amber Road heading northwest to the Baltic coastline avoiding crossing the Vistula river. During the early Slavic period a fishing settlement called Bydgoszcza ("Bydgostia" in Latin) became

2774-576: The city. Initially it served as a headquarters of the Prussian Eastern Railway and later it belonged to the Polish State Railways. Since 2022 it is privately owned. The city is mostly associated with water, sports, Art Nouveau buildings, waterfront, music, and urban greenery. Bydgoszcz boasts the largest city park in Poland (830 ha). The city was also once famous for its industry. Some great monuments have been destroyed, for example,

2847-439: The construction of the Bydgoszcz Canal in the late 18th century. Its academic and cultural landscape is shaped by Casimir the Great University , Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology , the Medical College of Nicolaus Copernicus University , Feliks Nowowiejski Music Academy , the Pomeranian Philharmonic , and the Opera Nova . Bydgoszcz also plays a role of the biggest centre of NATO headquarters in Poland . The city

2920-485: The country. This led to a drastic decline in ethnically German residents , whose number within the town decreased from over 40.000 in 1910 to 11,016 in 1926. A Nazi German youth organization was subsequently founded, which distributed Nazi propaganda books from Germany among the German minority. The city's boundaries were greatly expanded in 1920 to include the surrounding suburbs of Okole, Szwederowo, Bartodzieje, Kapuściska, Wilczak, Jachcice and more, which made Bydgoszcz

2993-415: The end of the German Empire, a large majority of the city's inhabitants spoke German as their main language, and the city woud later acquire the nickname "little Berlin" from its similar architectural appearance to the prewar image of the German capital and the work of shared architects such as Friedrich Adler , Ferdinand Lepcke , Heinrich Seeling , or Henry Gross . During the Kościuszko Uprising , in 1794

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3066-409: The headquarters of the Bank Pocztowy SA ), whilst 37 insurance companies also have offices in the city. JP Morgan Chase , one of the largest financial institutions in the world, has established a branch in Bydgoszcz. Most industrial complexes are scattered throughout the city. Of note are the 'Zachem' chemical works , covering dozens of square kilometers in the south-east of the city. These remnants of

3139-417: The island date from the 19th century, but the so-called Biały Spichlerz (the White Granary) recalls the end of the 18th century. However, it is the water, footbridges, historic red-brick tenement houses reflected in the rivers, and the greenery, including old chestnut trees, that create the unique atmosphere of the island. "Hotel pod Orłem" (The Eagle Hotel), an icon of the city's 19th-century architecture,

3212-453: The lands that really belonged to Poland (both historically and ethnographically from time immemorial), and were illegally taken over by the Teutonic Order in 1308. At the same time, the king of Poland would also become a benefactor and patron of the Teutonic Order, who was obliged to provide military assistance and honorary tributes in money and in kind. In the event of the Teutonic Order taking up war against Poland, it would theoretically lose

3285-412: The largest in Poland. The first mention of a school in Bydgoszcz is from 1466. In 1480, a Bernardine monastery was established in Bydgoszcz. The Bernardines erected a new Gothic church and founded a library, part of which has survived to this day. A Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland was held in Bydgoszcz in 1520. In 1522, after a decision taken by the Polish king, a salt depot was established in Bydgoszcz,

3358-417: The late 19th century. The first bridge was constructed at the reign of Casimir I of Kuyavia . In the early 14th century, the Duchy of Bydgoszcz and Wyszogród was created, with Bydgoszcz serving as its capital with Wyszogród, a settlement today within its borders. During the Polish–Teutonic War (1326–1332) , the city was captured and destroyed by the Teutonic Knights in 1330. Briefly regained by Poland, it

3431-436: The latter occasion, the castle was destroyed completely and has since remained a ruin. After the war only 94 houses were inhabited, 103 stood empty and 35 had burned down. The suburbs had also been considerably damaged. The Treaty of Bromberg , agreed in 1657 by King John II Casimir Vasa of Poland and Elector Frederick William II of Brandenburg-Prussia , created a military alliance between Poland and Prussia while marking

3504-398: The media, the railway line Chorzów Batory – Tczew (passenger, coal), the DK5 and DK10 national roads, and future freeways S10 and S5 . Bydgoszcz Airport is also close by. Bydgoszcz is a major cultural centre in the country, especially for music. Traditions of the municipal theatre date back to the 17th century, when the Jesuit college built a theatre. In 1824, a permanent theatre building

3577-411: The most known being the Joint Force Training Centre . In May 2023, debris of a Russian Kh-55 air-sol missile was found in the forest of the near village Zamość . The oldest building in the city is the Cathedral of St Martin and St Nicolas , commonly known as Fara Church. It is a three-aisle late Gothic church, erected between 1466 and 1502, which boasts a late-Gothic painting entitled Madonna with

3650-399: The newly established province of West Prussia . At the time, the town was seriously depressed and semi-derelict. Under Frederick the Great the town revived, notably with the construction of a canal from Bromberg to Nakel (Nakło) which connected the north-flowing Vistula River via the Brda to the west-flowing Noteć , which in turn flowed to the Oder via the Warta . From this period until

3723-597: The newly formed province of Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia as the seat of the district or county ( kreis ) of Bromberg. However, the annexation was not recognised in international law. Extermination of the inhabitants continued throughout the war, and in total, around 10,000 inhabitants, mostly Poles , but also Polish Jews , were killed. Some Polish inhabitants were also murdered in the village of Jastrzębie in January 1940, and local teachers were also among Polish teachers murdered in both Mauthausen and Dachau concentration camps. The history of Jews in Bydgoszcz ended with

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3796-405: The northern part of which was soon separated to form Gdańsk Voivodship . The remaining part of the Pomeranian Voivodship was renamed Bydgoszcz Voivodeship in 1950. In 1951 and 1969, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology and Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz were founded respectively. In 1973, the former town of Fordon , located on the left bank of the Vistula, was included in

3869-401: The right to receive those donations. The Kalisz terms of peace, despite the possibility of a delay in the recovery of the lands of Pomerelia, were extremely important in solidifying the idea of the unification of the Polish Kingdom. Ratification of the drafted peace treaty written in Kalisz on 8 July 1343 and the formal oath-taking took place on 23 July 1343, in a ceremony on a meadow near

3942-420: The same time could be theoretically the basis for reclamation claims, for example if the Teutonic Order were ingratitude. Already in the very demand of the Teutonic Order, that the king would renounce his rights to Pomerelia, was however, to recognize him (especially after the resignation of the claim to the Polish crown of John of Bohemia ) as the rightful heir of these lands. A great success of Polish diplomacy

4015-424: The second in the region after Toruń . In 1594, Stanisław Cikowski founded a private mint , which in the early 17th century was transformed into a royal mint, one of the leading mints in Poland . In 1621, on the occasion of the Polish victory over the Ottoman Empire at Chocim , one of the most valuable and largest coins in the history of Europe was minted in Bydgoszcz – 100 ducats of Sigismund III Vasa . In 1617

4088-409: The third largest city in the Second Polish Republic in terms of area. In 1938, the city was made part of the Polish Greater Pomerania . During the invasion of Poland , at the beginning of World War II , on September 1, 1939, Germany carried out air raids on the city. The Polish 15th Infantry Division , which was stationed in Bydgoszcz, fought off German attacks on September 2, but on September 3

4161-413: The treaty did not have Poland recognise the right of the Teutonic Order to the lands, leaving their status in a legal limbo. Poland had relinquished its claims but without recognising those of the Teutonic Order. As a result, while Pomerelia remained a subject of contention, the treaty was followed by 66 years of peace between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order, until the conflict erupted again in

4234-427: The verdict of the Papal Curia in Avignon in the Warsaw Process of 1339  [ pl ] , stating that not only Kuyavia and Dobrzyń Land , but also Pomerelia including Gdańsk , Chełmno Land and Michałów Land belonged to Poland, the State of the Teutonic Order did not give them away voluntarily. The conclusion of the Treaty of Kalisz in 1343, was preceded by lengthy diplomatic and legal wrangling with

4307-410: The village Wierzbiczany (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship)  [ pl ] between King Casimir III and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Ludolf König von Wattzau. However, King Casimir III (and subsequently his successors) did not stop using the title of Duke of Pomerania . This was based on a clause of the treaty that recognised he had been the suzerain of the concerned lands. Additionally,

4380-409: The withdrawal of Prussia from its alliance with Sweden. After the Convocation Sejm of 1764 , Bydgoszcz became one of three seats of the Crown Tribunal for the Greater Poland Province of the Polish Crown alongside Poznań and Piotrków Trybunalski . In 1766 royal cartographer Franciszek Florian Czaki , during a meeting of the Committee of the Crown Treasury in Warsaw , proposed a plan of building

4453-408: The world that it was alleged "Polish terror" that forced Hitler to start the war. On the Polish National Independence Day , November 11, 1939, the Germans symbolically publicly executed Leon Barciszewski, the mayor of Bydgoszcz. On November 17, 1939, the commander of the local SD - EK unit declared there was no more Polish intelligentsia capable of resistance in the city. The city was annexed to

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4526-421: Was a peace treaty signed on 8 July 1343 in Kalisz , concluded by the Kingdom of Poland under King Casimir III the Great and the State of the Teutonic Order under Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Ludolf König von Wattzau . The Treaty formally concluded the Polish-Teutonic War which began in 1326/1327. It put an end to the long-running diplomatic clashes over Pomerelia including Gdańsk that ensued

4599-421: Was designed by the distinguished Bydgoszcz architect Józef Święcicki, the author of around sixty buildings in the city. Completed in 1896, it served as a hotel from the very beginning and was originally owned by Emil Bernhardt, a hotel manager educated in Switzerland. Its façade displays forms characteristic of the Neo-baroque style in architecture. Saint Vincent de Paul's Basilica , erected between 1925 and 1939,

4672-442: Was erected, and this was rebuilt in 1895 in a monumental form by the Berlin architect Heinrich Seeling. The first music school was established in Bydgoszcz in 1904; it had close links to the very well-known European piano factory of Bruno Sommerfeld. Numerous orchestras and choirs, both German (Gesangverein, Liedertafel) and Polish (St. Wojciech Halka, Moniuszko), have also made the city their home. Since 1974, Bydgoszcz has been home to

4745-441: Was forced to retreat. During the withdrawal of Poles, as part of the diversion planned by Germany, local Germans opened fire on Polish soldiers and civilians. Polish soldiers and civilians were forced into a defensive battle in which several hundred people were killed on both sides. The event, referred to as the Bloody Sunday by the propaganda of Nazi Germany , which exaggerated the number of victims to 5,000 "defenceless" Germans,

4818-441: Was occupied by the Teutonic Knights from 1331 to 1337 and annexed to their monastic state as Bromberg . In 1337, it was recaptured by Poland and was relinquished by the Knights in 1343 at their signing of the Treaty of Kalisz along with Dobrzyń and the remainder of Kuyavia . King Casimir III of Poland granted Bydgoszcz city rights (charter) on 19 April 1346. The king granted a number of privileges, regarding river trade on

4891-403: Was occupied by the advancing Red Army . Those German residents who had survived were expelled in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement and the city was returned to Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the 1980s. The Polish resistance remained active in Bydgoszcz. In the same year 1945, the city was made the seat of the Pomeranian Voivodship ,

4964-450: Was opened in July 1851. At the time of World War I , Poles in Bydgoszcz formed secret organizations, preparing to regain control of the city in the event of Poland regaining its independence. After the war, Bydgoszcz was assigned to the recreated Polish state by the 1919 Versailles Treaty . Now officially Bydgoszcz again, the city belonged to the Poznań Voivodeship . The local populace was required to acquire Polish citizenship or leave

5037-485: Was recognized, King Casimir III did not confirm the rights to Pomerelia to the Teutonic Order, nor did he give it to the Teutonic Order, he merely relinquished reluctantly all rights to these lands. The formula, previously developed in 1335 at the Congress of Visegrád , that it was a donation ( alms ) of the king of Poland to the Teutonic Order meant that on the one hand, the Teutonic Order recognized that these lands were previously Polish (which they previously denied), and at

5110-419: Was situated in Smukała village, now part of Bydgoszcz. On February 4, 1941, the first mass transport of 524 Poles came to the Potulice concentration camp from Bydgoszcz. The local train station was one of the locations, where Polish children aged 12 and over were sent from the Potulice concentration camp to slave labor. The children reloaded freight trains. During the occupation , the Germans destroyed some of

5183-411: Was the favourite residence of the grandson of the king and his would-be successor Duke Casimir IV , who died there in 1377. In 1397 thanks to Queen Jadwiga of Poland , a Carmelite convent was established in the city, the third in Poland after Gdańsk and Kraków . During the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War in 1409 the city was briefly captured by the Teutonic Knights. In the mid-15th century, during

5256-467: Was the resignation of the formula of "Pomerelia as perpetual alms" for the Teutonic Order, developed in 1335 at the Congress of Visegrád , where King Casimir III was obliged to accept this earlier and much less favourable decision. Thus, in the Kalisz treaty, the Polish king made it clear that he was forced to renounce his rights to Pomerelia, and the formula: perpetual alms - would be a gross expropriation for

5329-643: Was used as an excuse to carry out dozens of mass executions of Polish residents in the Old Market Square and in the Valley of Death . Between September 3–10, 1939, the Germans executed 192 Poles in the city. On September 5, while the Wehrmacht entered the city, German-Polish skirmishes still took place in the Szwederowo district, and the German occupation of the city began. The German Einsatzgruppe IV , Einsatzkommando 16 and SS -Totenkopf-Standarte "Brandenburg" entered

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