Kolobrzeg
Kołobrzeg (German Kolberg) is a city in Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland with some 50,000 inhabitants (2000). Kolobrzeg is located on Parseta river at the south coast of the Baltic Sea (in the middle of the section divided by the Oder and Vistula rivers). Capital of Kolobrzeg County in West Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, previously in Koszalin Voivodship (1950-1998).
The name probably comes from its geographical location and means "near coast" in Pomeranian and Polish. The Polish and German names probably come from the original Pomeranian or Kashubian name.
1900 years ago this region was noted as part of Magna Germania. Settlements were found in the 9th century, but earlier traces of settlement in city territory are from 6th century.
In early history, Kołobrzeg was major port on Baltic Sea and produced a lot of salt.
Kołobrzeg, with the rest of Pomerania was included (or reincluded, as the new archeological finds seem to indicate) into the Polish realm by Mieszko I of Poland in 972. After the Meeting in Gniezno 1000 the emperor Otto III allowed Poland to have separated church hierarchy. One of the newly founded dioceses was one in Kolobrzeg, which were under the archdiocese Gniezno. The first bishop of Kołobrzeg was Reinbern from Hochseegau. The Diocese and direct link with the Polish kingdom ended when Boleslaw I Chrobry withdrew his troops around 1013, chased out by pagan Pomeranians, not willing to convert to Christianity.
A century later, Kołobrzeg was again taken over by Boleslaw Krzywousty. A diocese was in existence in 1124 under Prince-Bishop Otto of Bamberg.
On May 23, 1255 the city was chartered with Luebeck laws by duke Warcisław III, and settlers from other parts of the empire started to come.
From 1637 till 1721 Pomerania and Kolberg were part of the Swedish Kingdom (the king of Sweden being also duke of the empire) and after the Great Northern War included into the Kingdom of Prussia. Other parts of Pomerania had continuously been a part of Brandenburg, since the Ascanian rulers and of Brandenburg-Prussia. After the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, the city was conquered by Polish army together with other Napoleon troops.
In 1871 Kolberg was a part of the then created German Empire.
Shortly before the end of war, Kolobrzeg was chosen by Goebbels for the site of the last propaganda film. Film was to remind the Prussian heroic defense of the city against Russians during 7-years war, with the happy-end: Tsaritza Elisabeth died and Prussia restored with its borders untouched.
Nevertheless, this time history went otherwise:
In 1944 the city became a stronghold Festung Kolberg, most of civilians were expelled from the city, and between March 4 and March 18, 1945 there were major battles between the Soviet, Polish armies (controlled by Soviets) and the German army.
Just after the capture th city, Polish army repeated the symbolic engagement of Poland with the sea, that were the first time celebrated in 1920 by general Haller.
The devastated city was eventually returned to Poland by Potsdam Conference.
City name
History
Population
1940: 36,800 inhabitants (mostly Germans)
1945: 3,000 inhabitants (mostly Poles)
1950: 6,800 inhabitants
1960: 16,700 inbabitants
1970: 26,000 inbabitants
1975: 31,800 inbabitants
1980: 38,200 inbabitants
1990: 45,400 inbabitants
1995: 47,000 inbabitants
2000: 50,000 ? inbabitantsExternal link
Kolberg is also the title of a 1945 German propaganda film directed by Veit Harlan and Wolfgang Liebeneiner.