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35-599: Kościan was founded in the 12th or 13th century, when it was part of the Duchy of Greater Poland of the fragmented Polish realm . It was granted town rights in the second half of the 13th century, which were later confirmed by King Władysław Jagiełło in 1400. From 1332 Kościan was a royal town of Poland. It was a county ( powiat ) seat in the Poznań Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province . In

70-667: A German military warehouse and Kościan was liberated. During the German occupation of Poland ( World War II ), the Polish population was subject to mass arrests, executions, expulsions , deportations to Nazi concentration camps and confiscation of property. The Einsatzgruppe VI carried out public executions of Poles in the town on October 2 and October 23, 1939 as part of the Intelligenzaktion , killing 8 and 18 people respectively, including activists, merchants, landowners,

105-414: A national uprising at the moment of entry of regular Polish units was put forward by Sosnkowski and his staff. After the fall of France , on 18 June 1940, General Władysław Sikorski named Colonel Stefan Rowecki his deputy, with the right to take urgent decisions without consent of the Polish government-in-exile . Sikorski urged Rowecki to closely cooperate with leaders of political parties, gathered in

140-547: A partisan unit led by Krzysztof Żegocki . The town suffered from further Swedish and Russian invasions in the 18th century. The 2nd Polish National Cavalry Brigade was stationed in Kościan. Kościan was annexed by Prussia in the Second Partition of Poland in 1793. The Polish Greater Poland uprising of 1794 began in Kościan. After the successful Greater Poland uprising of 1806 , it was regained by Poles and included with

175-574: A rebellion at Kraków instigated by Lesser Polish magnates led by his younger brother Casimir II the Just with the support of Mieszko's own son Odon fearing for his heritage. Casimir assumed the high ducal title, while in 1179 Odon even expelled his father from the Greater Polish lands. Mieszko fled to the Duchy of Pomerania at the court of Duke Bogislaw I , husband of his daughter Anastasia . With support by Pomeranian forces, Mieszko in 1181

210-814: The Lebensraum policy. 534 patients of the local psychiatric hospital were gassed by the Germans in January 1940, and afterwards patients from psychiatric hospitals in Germany were transported to Kościan and also gassed. The Polish resistance movement was active, including local units of the Union of Armed Struggle / Home Army , Narodowa Organizacja Bojowa and the Pakt Czterech secret scouting organization. Two Polish underground newspapers were printed in

245-657: The Political Consultative Committee . The headquarters of the Union of Armed Struggle formally was under the authority of the Polish government in London , but in reality, military powers were in hands of officers who remained in the occupied country, and had good knowledge of the reality of Nazi- and Soviet-controlled Poland. After the arrest of General Michał Tokarzewski-Karaszewicz, who was captured by

280-808: The Pomeranian lands in the north. In the west the Greater Polish lands stretched up to Lubusz Land on the western Polish border, where in 1157 the Ascanian count Albert the Bear established the Imperial Margraviate of Brandenburg . After the death of his Mieszko's brother Bolesław IV the Curly in 1173, he also became High Duke of Poland according to the principle of agnatic seniority as laid down in Bolesław's testament. However, he soon had to face

315-733: The Poznań Voivodship and Kalisz Voivodship . Union of Armed Struggle The Union of Armed Struggle ( Polish : Związek Walki Zbrojnej ; ZWZ ), also translated as the Union for Armed Struggle , Association of Armed Struggle , and Association for Armed Struggle , was an underground army formed in Poland following its invasion in September 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union that opened World War II . It existed from 13 November 1939 until 14 February 1942, when it

350-578: The 15th century Kościan was famous for its cloth production. King Casimir IV Jagiellon granted Kościan cloths the first industrial trademark in the history of Poland. At the time Kościan was the second largest city within historic Greater Poland (behind Poznań ). Kościan was captured by the Swedes during the Swedish invasion of Poland (the Swedish Deluge ) in 1655, but was soon recaptured by

385-626: The Brandenburg margraves John I and Otto III , who had acquired Lubusz Land at the western border of his duchy from the Silesian duke Bolesław II Rogatka in 1248. When he died in 1257, his brother Bolesław became sole ruler over all Greater Poland. In 1264 Bolesław the Pious passed the Statute of Kalisz which extended Jewish rights in his duchy. Greater Poland was once again re-united under

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420-605: The Elbow-high , who had to deal with his rivaling Silesian relative Duke Henry III of Głogów due to the fact that Przemysl II made a succession agreement with both of them, while the Brandenburgers finally conquered the strategically important fortress of Santok on the Warta River. In 1300 both Piasts had to renounce in favour of mighty King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia . Upon the death of King Wenceslaus in 1305,

455-701: The Obra river to his only surviving son Władysław III Spindleshanks . By 1194 Mieszko the Old had outlived his brothers. However, Casimir's son Leszek I the White , like his father, would not acknowledge his rule at Kraków. Upon Mieszko's death in 1202, his son Władysław soon was confronted with the rivaling claims raised by his cousin. In 1206 Władysław Spindleshanks finally lost the high ducal title to Leszek and furthermore had to deal with his rebellious nephew Władysław Odonic , son of his late brother Odon. Władysław Odonic claimed

490-552: The Younger proved to be a failure: Casimir soon regained the Polish throne and Mieszko the Younger fled to his father, who installed him as a duke at Kalisz. When Mieszko the Younger died in 1193, his father reconciled with his eldest son Odon and gave the Duchy of Kalisz to him. Upon the death of Odon in the following year, all Greater Polish lands were re-united under the rule of Mieszko the Old; he ceded late Odon's territories south of

525-407: The assault, retired to the Duchy of Masovia , where he forged another alliance with Duke Konrad I. With both Pomerelian and Masovian support he was enabled to take the whole Duchy of Greater Poland from Władysław Spindleshanks in 1229. Władysław Spindleshanks fled to Silesia and died without issue two years later, whereafter his nephew became the sole heir of the Greater Polish line. Nevertheless, he

560-672: The court of Duke Swietopelk II of Pomerelia . However, even with the help of the Pomerelian duke, Władysław Odonic only was able to conquer the Greater Polish lands of Ujście in 1223. In 1227 Swietopelk raided a ducal assembly ( wiec ) at Gąsawa , whereby High Duke Leszek was killed and Duke Henry the Bearded seriously wounded. Władysław Spindleshanks did not attend the meeting, which probably saved his life. Furthermore, he got rid of his long-time rival Leszek, whom he now could succeed as high duke. Władysław Odonic, accused of involvement in

595-517: The death of Henry IV Probus but soon sold it to the king of Bohemia Wenceslaus II , he also inherited the Pomerelian lands due to a succession agreement with the previous duke Mestwin II and even was crowned King of whole Poland in 1295. However, the Greater Polish line finally became extinct when he was abducted and killed in the following year. His succession was claimed by his Kuyavian cousin Władysław I

630-540: The director of the local narrow gauge railway, the chairman of the local branch of the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society , principals of schools from Kościan and the nearby village of Borowo and one student. In Kościan, the Germans operated a prison for Poles from both the town and the region, many of whom were later transported to the infamous Fort VII in Poznań . On November 7 and 9, 1939, 66 Polish craftsmen, merchants, farmers, local officials and workers, previously held in

665-557: The duchies of Poznań , Gniezno and Kalisz , and united again in 1279, lasting in that form until 1320, when it was incorporated back into the Kingdom of Poland. Its capital was Poznań . Upon the death of Polish Piast duke Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138, his country was divided by his will into 4-5 hereditary provinces distributed among his sons. The late duke had also established the Seniorate Province of Kraków for

700-434: The east, which had been ruled by his deceased nephew Duke Leszek of Masovia . He gave Kuyavia to his son Bolesław , nevertheless after Bolesław's death in 1195, the lands were again separated from Greater Poland, when Mieszko had to cede Kuyavia to Casimir's son Duke Konrad of Masovia in 1199. In 1191 Mieszko had finally reconquered Kraków, nevertheless his decision to entrust the rule over Lesser Poland to his son Mieszko

735-529: The eldest Władysław II , designated high duke of whole Poland. As one of these provinces, Greater Poland was given to Mieszko III the Old , the third son of late Duke Bolesław. Duke Mieszko III the Old at first ruled over the western part of the Greater Polish lands at Poznań. His dominion bordered on the Polish Duchy of Silesia in the south, on the Seniorate Province in the east and on

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770-600: The lands of Kalisz, which his father had held in 1193/94 and was able to gain the support by the Archbishop of Gniezno , nevertheless his attempts to depose his uncle failed. At least he received Kalisz, backed by the Silesian duke Henry I the Bearded and from 1216 also ruled over the Greater Polish lands south of the Obra, which his father had held until his death in 1994. In 1217 the conflict again erupted, when Władysław Spindleshanks reconciled with Leszek and Henry and received free rein to expel Władysław Odonic, who fled to

805-404: The lands were formally divided, whereby the younger received the smaller district of Kalisz. The quarrels continued, as dissatisfied Bolesław also claimed the lands of Gniezno. Przemysł had him deposed and arrested in 1250, and not until 1253, by the agency of the Archbishop of Gniezno , was Bolesław re-installed as Duke of Kalisz and Gniezno. Przemysł had to deal with the expansionist policies of

840-621: The local prison were massacred in the nearby forest. Further such massacres were carried out by the Germans in December 1939 and in January and February 1940. The local high school principal was among Polish teachers and principals murdered in the Dachau concentration camp . Over 50 Poles, including local activists, intelligentsia and the families of victims of executions, were expelled in 1939, while 2,139 Poles were expelled in 1940, and their houses were then handed over to German colonists as part of

875-540: The local units of the Union of Armed Struggle and Home Army, who were then imprisoned in the notorious camp in Żabikowo and soon sent to concentration camps. Bawor died in the Mauthausen concentration camp , whereas Ciszak survived and returned to Kościan after the war. The pre-way Polish mayor of the town joined the resistance in Warsaw . The local football club is Obra Kościan  [ pl ] . It competes in

910-526: The lower leagues. Kościan is twinned with: Duchy of Greater Poland The Duchy of Greater Poland was a district principality in Greater Poland that was a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Poland . It was formed in 1138 from the territories of the Kingdom of Poland, following its fragmentation started by the testament of Bolesław III Wrymouth . In 1177, the state broke had separated into

945-401: The organization was very limited. The instruction of General Sosnkowski, in which he ordered his subordinates to create regional branches of the Union of Armed Struggle, was brought to Warsaw on 4 December 1939. According to Sosnkowski, the Union of Armed Struggle was supposed to be a national military organization, without regard to political differences and social ranks. Furthermore, the idea of

980-478: The rivalry continued and after a short period of rule by dukes from various branches of the Piast dynasty, the province finally fell to Władysław, who was crowned King of re-united Poland 1320. The duchy was turned into the Poznań Voivodship and Kalisz Voivodship under the united Polish Crown . Rulers of all Greater Poland Turned into the Greater Poland province of the united Kingdom of Poland , divided into

1015-458: The rule of Przemysł's son Przemysł II at Poznań in 1279. In the west, the Brandenburg margraves had made Lubusz Land the nucleus of the New March , where they established the town of Landsberg (present-day Gorzów Wielkopolski ) in 1257. Przemysł II was able to encounter the Brandenburg expansion by allying with their opponent Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania . He briefly controlled Cracov after

1050-417: The short-lived Duchy of Warsaw . The 12th Polish Infantry Regiment was formed in Kościan in 1806. In 1815 it was reannexed by Prussia. In 1918, Poland regained independence, and shortly afterwards the Greater Poland uprising broke out, which goal was to reunite the town and region with the reborn Polish state. On 29–30 December 1918, local Polish scouts stole more than 900 machine guns, rifles and pistols from

1085-614: The town. In mid-1941, the Gestapo crushed the Pakt Czterech organization and arrested its members, who were then sent to Nazi concentration camps , however, they survived. In October 1941, the Gestapo arrested the founders of the local unit of the Narodowa Organizacja Bojowa , who were then sentenced to death and executed the following year. In 1944, the Germans arrested Leon Ciszak and Franciszek Bawor, leaders of

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1120-518: Was able to return to his duchy and also to conquer the adjacent lands of Gniezno and Kalisz, formerly part of the Seniorate Province. Odon was forced to leave Poznań and only retained a small strip of land south of the Obra river. While Mieszko's subsequent attempts to regain the high ducal title failed, in 1186 he was able to further expand his duchy by the adjacent lands of Kuyavia up to the Vistula in

1155-400: Was confronted by claims raised by the Silesian duke Henry I the Bearded, also Polish high duke from 1232, who from 1234 onwards conquered most of his territories. When Henry I was succeeded by his son Henry II the Pious in 1238, Władysław Odonic was confined to the lands around Ujście. He died in the following year, whereafter High Duke Henry II ruled over all of Greater Poland until he himself

1190-474: Was killed at the 1241 Battle of Legnica . The Greater Polish line of the Piasts was continued by the sons of Władysław Odonic, Przemysł I and his minor brother Bolesław the Pious , who first had to reconquer their heritage from the Silesian successors of Henry the Pious. Soon after a conflict arose between the brothers: in 1247 Bolesław openly rebelled against his elder brother with the help of local nobles and

1225-460: Was renamed into Home Army ( Armia Krajowa, AK ). Union of Armed Struggle was created from an earlier organization, Service for Poland's Victory ( SZP ). In January 1940, it was divided into two parts: Formally, the Union of Armed Struggle was directed from Paris , by General Kazimierz Sosnkowski (nom de guerre Józef Godziemba), who after Poland's defeat escaped to France via Hungary . Due to practical problems, however, Sosnkowski's control of

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