View source for Olecko

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Olecko
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| color = #ffffff
| photo1a = W Olecku - panoramio.jpg{{!}}''Plac Wolności'' (Freedom Square)
| photo1b = Place of Olecko castle - panoramio.jpg{{!}}Technical school
| photo2a = Olecko - rynek.jpg{{!}}Bird's eye view of Olecko
| photo3a = Drewniana skocznia w Olecku.jpg{{!}}Pier and the Great Olecko Lake
| photo3b = Olecko Kościół Świętego Krzyża 005.jpg{{!}}Exaltation of the Holy Cross church
| spacing = 2
| border = 0
| size = 266
}}
| image_caption = {{hlist|From top, left to right: Freedom Square|Technical school|Bird's eye view of Olecko|Pier and the Great Olecko Lake|Exaltation of the Holy Cross church}}
| image_flag = POL Olecko flag.svg
| image_shield = POL Olecko COA.svg
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship|name=Warmian-Masurian}}
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Olecko County|Olecko]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Olecko|Olecko]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Karol Sobczak]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date = 16th century
| established_title3 = Town rights
| established_date3 = 1560
| area_total_km2 = 11.6
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_total = 22384
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|54|2|N|22|30|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 19-400 to 19-402
| area_code = +48 87
| blank_name = [[Polish car number plates|Car plates]]
| blank_info = NOE, NOG
| blank_name_sec2 = [[National roads in Poland|National roads]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[File:DK65-PL.svg|32px]]
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Voivodeship road]]s
| blank1_info_sec2 = [[File:DW653-PL.svg|32px]] [[File:DW655-PL.svg|32px]]
| website = http://www.olecko.pl
}}
'''Olecko''' {{IPAc-pl|o|'|l|e|c|k|o}} (former {{langx|de|{{audio|Marggrabowa.ogg|Marggrabowa}}}} since 1560, colloquially also {{Audio|De-Oletzko.oga|''Oletzko''}}, {{Audio|De-Treuburg.oga|''Treuburg''}} since 1928) is a [[town]] in northeastern [[Poland]].{{TERYT}} It is in [[Masuria]], near [[Ełk]] and [[Suwałki]], in the [[Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship]]. It is at the mouth of the [[Lega (river)|Lega]] river which flows into the [[Great Olecko Lake]] (''Jezioro Oleckie Wielkie'') on its southwestern shore. Olecko is the seat of [[Olecko County]].

==History==
[[File:Olecko kamienica 005.jpg|thumb|left|Historic houses in the town centre]]
Since the 1540s, there was a hunting lodge on the Lega River, soon expanded into a castle, and a settlement, both called ''Olecko''.<ref name=aw74>{{cite book|last=Wakar|first=Andrzej|editor-last=Wakar|editor-first=Andrzej|year=1974|title=Olecko. Z dziejów miasta i powiatu|language=pl|location=[[Olsztyn]]|publisher=Pojezierze|page=74|chapter=Zarys historyczny}}</ref> ''Margrabowa'' was founded as a town by [[Albert, Duke of Prussia]], a vassal of [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Poland]], on January 1, 1560.<ref name=aw75>Wakar, p. 75</ref> The name was derived from the word ''Margrabia'' (Polish for [[Margrave]]), the duke's title as the margraviate of [[Principality of Ansbach|Brandenburg-Ansbach]]'s prince, by adding the [[suffix]] "-owa", which is typical in Poland for place names derived from personal names and titles.<ref name=aw75/> The town's coat of arms still reflects the Brandenburg red eagle and the [[Hohenzollern]] black and white which go back to Duke [[Albert, Duke of Prussia|Albert]]. The town's first [[wójt]] was Adam Wojdowski.<ref>''Prace Białostockiego Towarzystwa Naukowego'', Issue 21, Białostockie Towarzystwo Naukowe/Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, p. 227, 1975</ref> Wojdowski brought [[Polish people|Poles]] from [[Mazovia]] and Masuria to settle the town.<ref name=aw75/> Already in 1560, the new residents appointed a town council and municipal court and selected fellow Pole Stanisław Milewski as the first mayor.<ref>Wakar, p. 76</ref> As of 1600, the population was exclusively Polish.<ref name=aw75/> The Poles referred to the town by its older Polish name ''Olecko''.<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VI|year=1885|language=pl|location=Warszawa|pages=114, 116}}</ref> In 1616, the seat of the local [[starost]]s was definitively moved from [[Straduny]] to Olecko.<ref name=aw74/>

The town remained under Polish suzerainty until 1657 when the [[Duchy of Prussia]] became independent. In 1701 it became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], and in 1871 part of [[German Empire]]. 922 people died during the [[Great Northern War plague outbreak]] in 1710.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Flis|first=Stanisław|year=1960|title=Dżuma na Mazurach i Warmii w latach 1708–1711|journal=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie|issue=4|language=pl|page=491}}</ref> In June 1807, Polish soldiers of General [[Józef Zajączek]] took Olecko, then left the town to be replaced by the 2nd Infantry Regiment of [[Jan Henryk Dąbrowski]].<ref name=aw114>Wakar, p. 114</ref> Dąbrowski himself visited the town several times.<ref name=aw114/> It was believed that both the town and the Masuria region would eventually be part of the restored Polish state after the defeat of Prussia.<ref name=aw114/> In June 1812, the [[IV Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée)|IV Cavalry Corps]] of the French Army with the Polish 4th Light Cavalry Division marched through the town towards [[Moscow]].<ref>Wakar, p. 115</ref> Between 1818 and 1945, Marggrabowa became the seat of ''Oletzko County'' (German: ''Kreis Oletzko'') in the province of [[East Prussia]].

[[File:Olecko Wieża Ciśnień 001.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Water tower, built in 1907]]
From the beginning of the 19th century, the Prussian authorities launched attempts to [[Germanisation of Poles during the Partitions|Germanize]] the population, as Poles made up 90% of the county's population as of 1818.<ref>Wakar, p. 122</ref> Germanization at first was pursued because of a fear of Polonization in Masuria since the German languages' status was fragile in the region, but in the aftermath of [[November Uprising]] the Prussian government took a more hardline approach, proclaiming that all pupils must learn German in school. In 1836, the local priesthood organized a [[synod]] in the town which protested against Germanization policies.<ref>Wakar, pp. 122–127</ref> The synod's protest was signed by all the pastors in the county, and its arguments were later used by the well-known defenders of the Polish language in Masuria, [[Gustaw Gizewiusz]] and [[Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongovius]].<ref name=aw127>Wakar, p. 127</ref> The protests were successful, however, the campaign of Germanization was resumed in 1865 and later intensified.<ref name=aw127/> As a result, during the second half of the 19th century the proportion of German speakers increased.<ref>''Zabytkowe ośrodki miejskie Warmii i Mazur'' Lucjan Czubiel, Tadeusz Domagała Pojezierze, p. 229, 1969</ref>

During [[World War I]], the city was occupied by the Russian army during the [[Russian invasion of East Prussia (1914)|Russian invasion of East Prussia]], and then again from 6 November 1914 to 12 February 1915.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://egoturystyka.pl/aktualnosc-319-mija_110_lat_od_walk_o_olecko_w.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250513190356/https://egoturystyka.pl/aktualnosc-319-mija_110_lat_od_walk_o_olecko_w.html|archive-date=13 May 2025|title=Mija 110 lat od walk o Olecko w sierpniu 1914 r.|access-date=13 May 2025|language=pl}}</ref>

In 1920, after Poland regained independent existence following [[World War I]], a [[East Prussian plebiscite|plebiscite]] was to be held in the area by the League of Nations, according to the [[Treaty of Versailles]], to determine the future of the region and the town. In Oletzko, a German mob dispersed a Polish public meeting at the market square and beat up gathered Polish activists.<ref name=aw151>Wakar, p. 151</ref> On the day of the plebiscite, July 11, 1920, a crowd of Germans chanting [[Anti-Polish sentiment|anti-Polish]] slogans marched to cast their votes.<ref name=aw151/> In turn, many Polish supporters boycotted the plebiscite, considering it a farce, and also because they feared German threats of revenge.<ref name=aw151/> The plebiscite in the town resulted in 3,903 votes for Germany and none for Poland.<ref>{{cite book |title=Selbstbestimmung für Ostdeutschland – Eine Dokumentation zum 50 Jahrestag der ost- und westpreussischen Volksabstimmung am 11. Juli 1920|first1=Herbert| last1=Marzian|first2=Csaba|last2=Kenez|year=1970|page=65 |language=de}}</ref> As a result, the town was renamed Treuburg (lit.: ''loyal castle'') in 1928.

During [[World War II]], many Poles, but also some Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians, were enslaved by the Germans as [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] in the town's vicinity.<ref>Wakar, p. 159</ref> In the final stages of the war, the Germans forcibly evacuated the town's residents. The abandoned town was captured by the Red Army on January 23, 1945, and afterwards it became again part of Poland under territorial changes promulgated at the [[Potsdam Conference]] in July–August 1945. The town was repopulated by Polish settlers, both from nearby Suwałki and [[Podlachia]] regions, and from [[Territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union|former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union]].

In 1949, a dairy and egg cooperative was launched in Olecko, and in 1950, it also began producing cheese.

==Sights==
[[File:Olecko Jezioro Oleckie Wielkie.jpg|thumb|Great Olecko Lake]]
''Plac Wolności'' (Freedom Square) is one of the largest market squares in Poland. The Our Lady Queen of Poland church is situated on a tree-covered hill in its northern part. Another notable sight is the Oleckie Wielkie Lake with a promenade, a municipal beach and preserved historic pier.

==Transport==
The Olecko train station in the western part of town is a regional railway junction: there were main lines to [[Gołdap]], [[Ełk]] and [[Suwałki]]. The local railway connections to [[Mieruniszki]], [[Kruklanki]] and [[Sulejki]] are out of service or dismantled. Currently, only bus service runs from the train station.

==Culture==
The main cultural institution of Olecko is the "Mazury Garbate" Regional Cultural Center with its cinema, theater, etc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rokmg.pl|title=Regionalny Ośrodek Kultury w Olecku "Mazury Garbate"|access-date=28 December 2022|language=pl}}</ref> ''Miejsko-Powiatowa Biblioteka Publiczna'' is the main public library of the town.

Olecko hosts the annual festivals Przystanek Olecko, which includes mostly rock acts, and Mazurskie Spotkania z Folklorem ("Masurian Meetings with Folklore"), dedicated to folk music with performers from Poland and various other countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rokmg.pl/strona-3451-mazurskie_spotkania_z_folklorem.html|title=Mazurskie Spotkania z Folklorem|access-date=28 December 2022|language=pl}}</ref>

The Olecko Milk and Honey Festival, an annual fair dedicated to milk and honey products, is held in August, in reference to local traditions of milk, dairy and honey production. The honey of Olecko land, which comes in several varieties, i.e. multi-flower honey, linden honey, [[rapeseed]] honey, forest honey, buckwheat honey, and [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew]] honey, is an officially protected [[traditional food]] of the Olecko County, as designated by the [[Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Poland)|Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/miody-ziemi-oleckiej|title=Miody Ziemi Oleckiej|website=Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi - Portal Gov.pl|access-date=24 May 2024|language=pl}}</ref>

==Sports==
The town's leading sport club is {{ill|Czarni Olecko|pl}} with [[Association football|football]], [[Handball in Poland|handball]], [[table tennis]] and [[chess]] sections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.czarniolecko.pl/viewpage.php?page_id=3|title=Sekcje|website=MLKS Czarni Olecko|access-date=28 December 2022|language=pl}}</ref> Other clubs include [[Sport of athletics|athletics]] club Korab Olecko,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lkskorabolecko.klubowo24.pl|title=Lekkoatletyczny Klub Sportowy Korab Olecko - oficjalna strona klubu|access-date=28 December 2022|language=pl}}</ref> shooting club Wilk Olecko and women's [[Volleyball in Poland|volleyball]] club Perła Olecka.

==Education==
{{multiple image
| align = right
| perrow = 2
| total_width = 370
| image1 = OLECKO. AB-013.JPG
| image2 = Olecko, ul. Kolejowa 33 - Szkoła Podstawowa Nr 3.jpg
| footer = Elementary schools No. 2 and 3
}}
* [[General education liceum|Liceum Ogólnokształące]] im. Jana Kochanowskiego (high school)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lo.olecko.pl|title=Liceum Ogólnokształące im. Jana Kochanowskiego|language=pl}}</ref>
* Technical Schools Complex (high school)
* Liceum and Vocational School Complex (high school)
* St. Filippo Smaldone School and Educational Center for Deaf Children (high school and elementary school)
* [[Henryk Sienkiewicz]] Elementary School No. 1
* [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] Elementary School No. 2
* [[John Paul II]] Elementary School No. 3
* [[Jan Twardowski]] Elementary School No. 4
* Social Elementary School of the Social Educational Society (private)

==Notable residents==
*[[Gustav Bergenroth]] (1813–1869), German historian
*[[Kurt Blumenfeld]] (1884–1963), Zionist
*[[Arthur Zimmermann]] (1864–1940), diplomat, author of the [[Zimmermann Telegram]]
*[[Filip Jan Rymsza]] (born 1977), Polish-American filmmaker and writer
*[[Bartosz Romańczuk]] (born 1983), Polish footballer

==International relations==
Olecko is a member of [[Cittaslow]].
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}

===Twin towns — sister cities===
Olecko is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
* {{flagicon|EST}} [[Jõhvi]], Estonia

==See also==
*[[Możanka]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.um.olecko.pl/ Municipal website of Olecko (en)(pl)]
* [http://www.olecko.info/ Website of Olecko (pl)]
* [http://www.iolecko.com/ iOlecko - news, events, history, photos from Olecko (pl)]

{{Commons category|Olecko}}

{{Olecko County}}
{{Gmina Olecko}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Olecko County]]
[[Category:Populated lakeshore places in Poland]]
[[Category:Masuria (region)]]
[[Category:Cittaslow]]

[[it:Olecko]]