Poznań Halfmarathon

Next weekend there will be a great running celebration in Poznań. Poznan Halfmarathon will begin at 10 am next Sunday. In this run 5300 competitors is taking part (5000 runners and 300 rollerbladers). The starting list was closed last Saturday (17th March), two weeks before the start! It will be one of the biggest runs in Central Europe!

Running is getting more and more popular in Poznań. In my opinion, it is caused by two things - first, we have quite a few nice runs in Poznań and every month you can test yourself. Second, there are plenty of well-prepared places to participate in sport activities in Poznań. When you were in Poznań, you probably saw for example Malta Lake. We have also Rusałka Lake, Strzeszyńskie Lake, University Campus, Cytadela Park or John Paul II Park. Each of these places is popular among runners.

So, keep your fingers crossed and wish runners good results and weather!

Poznań Halfmarathon website

Important points in Poznań

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See you in Poznań!
Have a nice journey!

P.S. Long term forecast for Poznań

Poznań in the summer

The film was directed by www.facebook.com/poznaniloveyou

Did you know...?

- Poznań is a very green city. About 30% of the city area are forests, lakes and parks. Two most popular green areas are the Malta Lake with the regatta course and the Cytadela - a big park left after the destruction of a fortress, which was built before the I WW.

[Malta Lake. CC 3.0 Radomil]

- One of the most popular sports in Poznań is running. Every year in Poznań there is a marathon and a halfmarathon. Our marathon is the biggest in Poland and one of the biggest in Central Europe. Every time the marathon is held, the Mayor of Poznań takes part in it.

- In Poznań we have five universities. Each year about one hundred thousand students from all over the country study here, in Poznań. There is also a growing group of students from Asia and Europe.

"My Tiny Little Poznan"

The film was directed by http://www.facebook.com/poznaniloveyou

Poznań June

In 1956 in Poznań there was one of the biggest protest against communist government in Poland (which is also known as Poznań June or Poznań 1956 Uprising). It is said that one hundred thousand workers and inhabitants took part in demonstrations. About seventy people were killed during the protest.

After the II World War Poland was a country governed by a communist party. It was not elected in democratic vote. This government was imposed by the Soviet Union, which occupied Poland (as well as Czechoslovakia, East Germany or Hungary) after the II World War. Communist goverment nationalized factories and companies. They wanted to eliminate private property. People were not satisfied with this situation. They wanted to live in a normal, democratic country. In Poznań, they decided to show their displeasure.

There were a few causes of Poznań June. First, workers had to work very hard and it overstepped their possibilities. Second, they earned little money and they had problem with buying simple products eg. a bread or shoes. Third, workers remembered the situation before the II World War, when Poland had been a democratic country with capitalistic economy system and they knew, that people could live better.

In the morning of 28th June 1956 workers from the biggest factory in Poznań (Hipolit Cegielski Poznań) decided to begin demonstration. They organized a big march which finished on the main square in Poznan, near the Local Government Office and abode of communist party. There were about one hundred thousand people on this square! They wanted to change their bad life situation and talk with autohorities, but nobody wanted to answer.

[Workers during protest]

After a few hours, some participants resigned and went home, but some went to Jeżyce district, where was the local headquaters of the Ministry of Public Security (counterintelligence). This was the place where the riots began and authorities decided to fight back using an army. The protest was bloodily muted by ten thousand soldiers and four hundred tanks. Seventy people were killed.

The protest ended tragically, but the world got the information about the dramatic situation in Poland. It was caused by west journalists and guests, who took part in Poznań International Fair, which took place during these days in Poznań. After Poznań June, communists decided to liberalize internal politic. They announced the amnesty and a lot of politic prisoners were set free (eg. Primate – the head of Catholic Church in Poland - Stefan Wyszyński).

The situation in Poland turned out to be a sign for Hungarian people, who also wanted the liberalization of their political system. They started their uprising in Budapest, but it was muted by the Soviet Army. Today there is an important cooperation beetwen Poznań and Budapest – cities – symbols of 1956.

Poznań June was the begining of the communist collapse process in Poland. After just twelve years of communist governance in Poland, people decided to protest. The tradition of Poznań June is very important for Poznań's inhabitants. A lot of them know somebody who took part in this big demostration on 28th June 1956.

[Poznań June Monument. CC 3.0 Radomil]

There are a lot of monuments in Poznań, which commemorate Poznań June. The most important are Poznań's Crosses, which are located on the square, where people demonstrated in 1956. There is also the museum of Poznań June and probably we will visit it together on 11th March.

Imperial Castle

On the verge of the 20th century Poznań was getting a new lease of life. The German government decided to completly change the role of the city: from a stronghold to an administrative and economic center. The new approach was called „die Hebungspolitik” which roughly translates as „the policy of rise”; „rise” meaning of course elevation of the living standards and importance of the city. The ultimate goal was to create an incentive for Prussian officials as well as oridinary German citzens to settle in Poznań and to establish permanent cultural domination of Germans in the city. Perhaps the most important element of this plan was the foundation of a new, representational district west of the Old Town inspired by the Viennese Ringstrasse and compromising of such buldings as government offices, banks, The Royal Academy, a new theather and a brand new imperial residence: Königlisches Residenzschloss.

Wilhelm's II passion for the Middle Ages isn't as well known as that of Ludwig II of Bavaria but there are reasons to suspect that his obsession with this historical period rivaled that of the infamous „Fairytale King”. Bearing that in mind, his choice of the Neo-Romanesque style as the most appropriate for the residence of a German monarch comes as rather unsuprising. So does the choice of the architect: Franz Schwechten, known also for Anhalter Bahnhof and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in Berlin, was already renowned for his revivalistic works; moreover Neo-Romanesque was his style of choice. The construction works began in 1905 and were completed within just five years. The western wing was devoted to the apartaments of the emperor and his family, while the west wing conteined the throne rooms and various govermental offices. Since the castle was built in the spirit of 'architecture parlande' ('speaking architecture') many of the details were modeled after those of famous buildings associated with Germanic monarchies, most notably the Palatine Chapel of Aachen which inspired the design of the windows in the Throne Room. However, one of the most well recognised elements of the castle is a fountain based on one from Patio de los Leones in Alhambra.

After Poznań was reclaimed by Poland in 1919 the castle was used by insitituions of the Polish Government (Ministry of the Former Prussian Partition and some of the faculties of the newly founded Adam Mickiewicz Uniwersity) and served as one of the presidential residences The Castle's architectural decoration and furnishings were mostly left unchanged in this period. This fact might seem suprising as the iconography was designed to glorify the German nation and contained some anti-Polish elements. It is speculated that the reason why this decoration was left intact was the fact that overcomplexity of the original iconographic programme has made it hard to comprehend. Ironically, the castle's interior was almost completly redesigned after the Nazi Germany assumed control of Poznań. The two biggest changes made in that period were the relocation of the main entrance and replacing the chapel with Hitler's cabinet. The latter was complete with a small balcony for the Fuhrer' s apperances during parades and rallies. According to a widespread urban legend underfloor heating was installed on the balcony, however no proof of existance of such installation was found during any of the renovation works. Another major change that occured during the war was the partial destruction of the highest condignation of the tower. After the war a decision was made to demolish this condignation altogether, so that the castle wouldn't influence the city's panorama as strongly as before (demolishing the whole castle was also considered).

Novadays the castle houses various cultural institutions and is the venue of some of the most interesting cultural events in the city.

(Ksenia)

Wielkopolska Uprising

Poland has a complicated history. Poles had to fight for freedom many times in more than 1000 years of their state's history. Unfortunately, there were only a few situations, when they won. One of them is Wielkopolska Uprising, which happened in 1918-1919.

In the 18th century there was a huge political and economical crisis in Poland. This central-european country was subordinated to Russia, one of a country's neighbour. Also other neighbours - Austria and Prussia were very strong countries. This three states decided to eliminate Poland and divide its territory between themselves.

Poles didn't have a country from 1795 to 1918, but the nation stood the test of time and using the help of the president Wilson after the First World War announced the independence. Originally, in 1918 Poland received small territory, but in 1919-1921 it was extending. This broadening of the borders was mainly caused by people who lived in Wielkopolska Region, which capital is Poznań.

They wanted to annex Greatpoland to new Poland and they needed to fight with German Empire, because the first decision was, that this region had to be a part of Germany. They were preparing for the Uprising for many years. It began in the 19th century, when Poles from German Empire cared about polish culture, business and education. The most important thing in these times was to bring up children in polish tradition and using polish language at homes.

During the First World War a lot of Poles fought in the armies of the countries, who occupied Poland since the 18th century. They got a lot of experience and knowledge about war. This fact turned out to be very helpful during the preparation for Wielkopolska Uprising. Polish organizations in Greatpoland also worked with e.g. teenagers, especially scouts, who wanted to fight in Wielkopolska Uprising.

The situation in 1918 was comfortable. German Empire and Austria-Hungary lost the war and Russia had a domestic problem with Bolshevism. Poles decided to announce independence on the 11th of November 1918. However, Greatpoland was still a part of Germany. It was time to begin Wielkopolska Uprising. An inflammatory spark of this event was Ignacy Jan Paderewski's visit in Poznań. He was a Polish pianist and politician, one of first polish prime ministers after the First World War.

Wielkopolska Uprising began on the 27th of December 1918. Soldiers very quickly overcame Poznań and the closest towns. The German army however, after first shock, fought better and better and there were some problems, especially near the borderlines. But finally the Greatpoland army won and this region became the part of Poland.

There are some interesting facts about Wielkopolska Uprising. First, Poles very quickly created an army of about 100 thousands soldiers. On the 6th of January 1919 insurrectionists captured Airport Ławica (today Henryk Wieniawski Poznań-Ławica Airport). On this airport, Germans had planes, which cost about 200 million German marks. And all of it became this battle’s war loot. In the opinions of some historians it was the biggest war loot in the history of polish army.

Wielkopolska Uprising was one of the most important historical events in the history of Poznań and Wielkopolska. There are many monuments, which commemorate it. In the most glamorous place of Poznań, the Old Market Square there is an interesting museum of Wielkopolska Uprising. Today, local authorities plan to make a film and a board game about it.

Poznan - eastern energy, western style!

"Poland began here" John Paul II

The city of Poznań – or Civitas Posnaniensis – came to be in year 1253, during an age when Poland was divided into small states ruled by princes and dukes from the Piast dynasty. That year it was founded under Magdeburg law by one of the most powerful of those monarchs, Przemysł I the Duke of Greater Poland, as his new capital. The history of Poznań, however, starts several centuries earlier. 

The first center was located on Ostrów Tumski, an island in the Warta river. It was a small gord – a type of fortified settlement common in the Slavic countries – which preceeded the Polish state as it was founded in the 8^th or 9^th century. After the Piast dynasty had conquered the neighobouring tribes and introduced Christianity to Poland thanks to the baptism of Duke Mieszko I in 966 Poznań has become one of the most important settlements in the new Polish state, with a ducal palace and possibly the first cathedral in Poland. It is hard to call it the capital, as the early rulers of Poland – like the Carloingian Kings of France – spent most of their lives travelling for one royal residence to another. 

[Ostrów Tumski with cathedral Miron Frąszczak]

 

Przemysł I wasn't the first to attempt founding a city in the Poznań aglomeration. His father, Władysław Odonic saw the colonisation under the Magdeburg law as a key element in the economic development of his duchy and founded many towns. One of them was Śródka very near the gord on Ostrów Tumski, on the right bank of Warta. Środka, however, was surrounded by marshes which limited it's potential of development. The fact that Środka preceeded the Old Town isn't particularily well known in Poznań and when confronted with this information a typical denizen of the city is rather surprised: Środka is now a poor, relatively dangerous district, whose residents are often endangered with marginalisation. Despite that, the district inspires strong, positive sentiment in many citizens of Poznań. Those two factors combined result in many local NGO's choosing it as their field of operation. Consequently, some of the city's most interesting social and cultural initiatives take place there. 

Founding a town with better development prospects became possible after Przemysł I reclaimed the part of western part of Greater Poland from the Silesian branch of the Piast dynasty. This only became possible after the ruler of Silesia, Henryk II the Pious, was defeated (and killed) by the Mongols in the Battle of Legnica. Przemysł choosed a spatious, mostly unpopulated plain on the left bank of the Warta river. Of the small, preexisting settlements on the left bank the three most important have been centered around parish churches and took their names from their saint patrones: Saint Gotthard, Saint Wojciech (Saint Adalbert of Prague) and Saint Martin. Of the three only Saint Gotthard was incorporated into the new town – it was, in fact, where the preparations for the founding of the city started. In 1244 the local Dominican convent was relocated to form Śródka to Saint Gotthard – as Dominican Order was meant to cater for the religious need's of urban communities, it is clear that by that time the duke had an intention to establish a new town on the left bank. Regardless of that, nowadays Saint Martin is the most well known of the three aforementioned settlements. It's successor, Saint Martin Street is often considered the main street of Poznań, and has an annual festival dedicated to it. The event takes place on 11^th November – the day of Saint Martin's of Tours feast in the Catholic Church and, incidentally, the Polish Independence Day. The main part of the celebrations is always the parade in which Saint Martin enters the city along with his colorful entourage.

Unlike many cities and towns in Western Europe, which have developed continiuosly since early Middle Ages and whose plans were often irregular and accidental, the newly founded 13^th century towns in Central Europe were usually built according to a grid plan and oval or rectangular in shape. Poznań is probably one of the best examples of this tendency, as researchers often claim that it is the most regular medievial city in Poland. The medieval Poznań was of elyptic shape, centered around a large, market square, which took up 10 % of city's total area and was then the third largest market square in Poland. Most of the town's important institutions were located within the square: the town hall, which occupied the same place as the current, renaissance one, the pranger, the weigh house, as well as the market stalls. From the town square 12 streets ran towards city gates and defensive walls (it is worth noting, that Poznań's walls were the first such fortification in Poland, built circa 1280 by Duke Przemysł II). Each of those streets was crossed by two cross streets faciliating the communicaton within the city, except for the streets heading west which only had one intersection as the western part of the city was dedicated to the Duke's residence. The triangle shaped blocks in the farthest parts of the city were dedicated to three churches: two belonging to the Dominican convents and the collegate parish church. It is speculated that the churhes were located so close to the city walls so that the population of the villages and other settlements surrounding the city would be able to access them easily.

The general layout of the medievial city is still perserved and so are some of it's institutions such as the collegate parish. It's original church has deterred and was ultimately demolished in the late 18^th century – just in time for the parish to take over the temple originally built for the Jesuite convent after the order was dissoluted. Simlarily, the Dominican convent has survived the trail of time, despite relocation (the original Dominican church, ironically, now belongs to the Jesuites). Suprisingly enough, the town school, originally founded in 1302 so that the children of the burgeoise wouldn't miss classes when floodings prevented them form getting to the cathedral school on Ostrów Tumski, has also survived in a way. Having gone trough various incarnations, it is now a sencondary school known as Liceum św. Marii Magdaleny – that makes it the second oldest still existing educational institution in Poland.

(Ksenia)