Place:Schwersens, Posen, Preußen, Germany

Watchers
NameSchwersens
Alt namesSwarzędz, Poznań, Greater Poland, Polandsource: Wikipedia
TypeTown
Coordinates52.25°N 17.05°E
Located inPosen, Preußen, Germany     (1815 - 1918)
See alsoSwarzędz, Poznań, Greater Poland, PolandBefore and after German occupation

Schwersenz, was a town in German-occupied central Poland from 1815-1918 and again from 1939-1945. Now named Swarzędz, the current population of the town is 29,766 inhabitants and a mixed urban-rural commune (gmina miejsko-wiejska) of 40,166 inhabitants (2006 estimates). It is situated in the Poznań metropolitan area, in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been in Poznań Voivodeship (1975-1998).

History

The documentary evidence for a settlement on the site of modern day Swarzędz comes from 1366. In 1377 there is mention of a rectory in the settlement.

Due to its advantageous location on the route from Poznań to Masovia the town developed well. The settlement was formerly in private ownership. Originally the property of the Łodziów family, from the 15th century it passed to the Górków family. In 1638 the town was granted town rights. In the 17th century, guilds for tradesmen and craftsmen were formed. In 1793 during the 2nd Division of Poland the town of some 2.508 inhabitants came under Prussian rule. In 1798 448 craftsmen lived in the town. Of these, 70 were cloth makers and 36 weavers. In 1807 Swarzędz became part of the Duchy of Warsaw, though when the Duchy collapsed in 1815, the town again fell under Prussian rule.

At the end of the 19th century carpentry flourished. In 1887 the town was connected to the railroad from Poznań to Września and thus received another important means of transport to other parts of the country, together with the road from Warsaw to Poznań. In 1919, after the First World War, Swarzędz was again returned to Poland, but was occupied by the Third Reich at the beginning of the Second World War. From 1941 to 1943 a labour camp for Jews was located here.

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Swarzędz.