Nowogard
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Nowogard (Template:IPAc-pl) (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is a town in northwestern Poland, in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.Template:TERYT Template:As of it had a population of 16,733.
Name
Nowogard is a combination of two Slavic terms: novi (new) and gard, which is Pomeranian for town, city, or fortified settlement. In this capacity, the term gard (or gôrd) is still being used in the only surviving variation of the Pomeranian language, Kashubian.
Location
Nowogard has been situated in Goleniow County of West Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, but formerly in Szczecin Voivodship from 1975 to 1998. It is located Template:Convert northeast of Szczecin and Template:Convert south of the Baltic coast
History
In the 10th century the area became part of Poland.<ref name=KAL>Template:Cite web</ref> Probably then the first Catholic chapel was established in present-day Nowogard.<ref name=KAL/> The town's origins go back to a fortified Slavic settlement which was the seat of the local castellan.<ref name=nowograd/> The settlement was first mentioned in 1268 as "Nogart" when Barnim I, the Duke of Pomerania granted it as a fief to the Bishopric of Cammin (Kamień Pomorski). The bishops erected a castle in the city.<ref name=nowograd>nowogard.pl Template:In lang</ref> In 1274, the town and its surrounding area was administered by Otto von Eberstein, it remained in the possession of the von Eberstein family until 1663. They were a collateral branch of the Counts of Everstein (sometimes also called Eberstein) from Lower Saxony with their ancestral home Everstein Castle on the Burgberg (ridge).<ref>See German article Eberstein-Naugard.</ref>
In 1309 the town adopted German municipal law. In the first half of the 14th century, new fortifications were erected with an oblong market square in the center of the town. This is where the town hall and St. Mary's Church were erected.
In 1663, after the death of the last Eberstein, Naugard became property of Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ and in 1684, property of the electors of Brandenburg.<ref name=nowograd/> During the Napoleonic Wars, in 1807, the town was captured by allied Polish-French-Italian forces.<ref name=KAL/> In the 18th century, the town became part of Prussia, and from 1871 it was also part of Germany.
During World War II many forced labourers of different nationalities were brought to the town by the Germans,<ref name=KAL/> there were at least seven forced labour camps for Allied POWs, mostly French and Africans,<ref name=ww2>Template:Cite web</ref> and there was a Nazi German prison for youth in the town.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 1 March 1945, the Germans committed a massacre of 40 POWs.<ref name=ww2/> Throughout the Soviet East Pomeranian Offensive operation of World War II up to 60 percent of the town was destroyed.<ref name=nowograd/> On 5 March 1945, the town was taken by Polish and Soviet troops.<ref name=ww2/> The population fled or was expelled in accordance to the Potsdam Agreement. Following the war, Nowogard became again part of Poland, although with a Soviet-installed communist regime, which stayed in power until the Fall of Communism in the 1980s. It was resettled with Poles. The first new Polish settlers were the freed forced labourers.<ref name=KAL/>
In 2016, town limits were slightly expanded by including a part of the village of Miętno.<ref>Template:Cite Polish law</ref> Template:Clear
Sights
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The city's main tourist attraction is a large lake which extends to the center of Nowogard. Its surface covers Template:Convert with a length of Template:Convert and a width of Template:Convert. Surrounding forests have mushrooms, berries and game. Historic heritage sights include the Gothic Church of the Assumption and medieval town walls.
Population
Template:Historical populations
Transport
The Polish S6 highway acts as a bypass of the town, and the Voivodeship roads (roads of regional importance) 106 and 144 pass through the town. There is also a train station in Nowogard.
Notable residents
- Friedrich Michael Ziegenhagen (1694–1776), German clergyman, court preacher of George I of Great Britain
- Paul Manasse (1866 in Naugard – 1927) a German physician, who specialized in the field of otology
- Zbigniew Szczepkowski (born 1952) a Polish former cyclist, competed in the team pursuit at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Ewa Durska (born 1977) a two time Paralympic gold medalist, competing mainly in category T20 shot put
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
Nowogard is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Gützkow, Germany
- Template:Flagicon Heide, Germany
- Template:Flagicon Kävlinge, Sweden
- Template:Flagicon Veles, North Macedonia
In 1963 West Germany (FRG) town of Heide took over a partnership for the expelled populace of Naugard. In 1996 this led to the signing of a contract of partnership between Heide and Nowogard in which the former populace is regarded "constitutive partners".<ref>heide.de Template:In lang</ref>
References
External links
Template:Gmina Nowogard Template:Pomerania Template:Authority control