Skwierzyna

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Skwierzyna (German name: Schwerin an der Warthe) a small town (population 10,000) between Miedzyrzecz and Gorzow Wlkp., is located at the confluence of the river Obra and the River Warta in Lubuskie, in the west of Poland.

Skwierzyna has always been of some importance due to its geographic location. The town lies at the crossroads of two roads, from Jakuszyce to Swinoujscie through Gorzów and the road from Poznań. And until recently the town was also an important railway junction, linking Gorzow with Zbaszynek and Poznan. Unfortunately as with other parts of Poland the service is now much reduced due to Polish rail cutbacks.

Skwierzyna is typical of towns in Lubuskie, in that historically it was strongly influenced by German culture and economy. Real settlement in the town was established by the Cistercian Order from Paradyz and Bledzew, and given town rights, based on German laws, by the Polish king Przemyslaw II at the end of the 13th century. In 1406 King Jagiello brought it under Magdenburg law. The same Polish king ordered that a trade route be created from Krakow to Szczecin in 1390-92 and Skwierzyna benefited from this because a customs house was created there. However, for much of Skwierzyna's history, Germans were the largest group within the population of the town and held most of the power within the city council. Other groups included the Jews, a large number of people of Dutch descent, and a small number of Poles. According to the 1925 census records only 0.4% of Skwierzyna's inhabitants were Polish. The town, like most of the Lubuskie region, only really became truely Polish when the war ended in 1945 and the German population either fled from advancing Soviet troops or was removed. The town and area was then resettled by Poles from all over Poland and what had become Lithuania and Ukraine.

In the past the important crafts in Skwierzyna were: timber, cloth making, brewing and cider production, glove and shoemaking. The only large businesses in the town being: a furniture production centre; a company producing meat paste; a small plant processing wild meat such as boar and venison; and a factory producing cables for Volkswagen cars. One interesting shop worthy of a visit is the large sports and boat sales centre.

Visitors to Skwierzyna shouldn't leave without paying a visit to the area to the north of the town, which is covered with the Notecka forest and to the west with the Sulęcin - Skwierzyna woods.

Every year Skwierzyna holds a week long cultural festival during June. Skwierzyna is also home to one of only two cricket clubs in the whole of Poland, and has thriving hunting and archery groups.

Places and things of interest to visitors in Skwierzyna (Schwerin) :

- beavers' habitats on the River Obra and the River Warta's old bed.

- St. Nickolas Church from the 15th century, rebuilt in the 16th c. 

- St. Saviours Church from the 19th c.

- Houses from the 19th c.

- Granary from the beginning of the 19th c.

- Eclectic townhall from 1841, featuring elements of neo-Gothic and post-Classicist design.

- Statue of Wladyslaw Jagiello.

- War cemetery with graves of Soviet soldiers

- large Jewish cemetery on a hill overlooking the town

- interesting brick-built water tower

Skwierzyna

Links: Skwierzyna Links, Skwierzyna, Skwierzyna

German Name: Schwerin an der Warthe

Province : Lubuskie 

Nearest City: Gorzów Wlkp

Nearby Villages and Towns: Bledzew; Dobrojewo; Chelmsko; Glebokie; Goraj; Goscinowo; Kalsko; Krobielewko; Lagow; Lipki; Lubikowo; Lubniewice; Miedzyrzecz; Murzynowo; Nowe Gorzycko; Nowy Dwor; Paradyz; Popowo; Przytoczna; Rokitno; Rudnica, Sokola Dabrowa; Stare Polichno; Swierkocin; Swiniary; Stary Dworek; Trzebiszewo; Wiejce; Wierzbno; Wojciechowo; Zemsko

Local Attractions: castle, museum, historic buildings, Notecka forest, Jewish cemetery, Miedzyrzecz fortifications and Nietoperek bat reserve, Roadside Shrines, safari zoo, Slonsk Bird Reserve, River Obra

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