Coat of Arms of Kwidzyn

Kwidzyn (German Marienwerder) is a town in northern Poland on the Liwa River, with 39,300 inhabitants (1995). It has been a part of the Pomeranian Voivodship since 1999, and was previously in the Elblag Voivodship (1975-1998).

Education

• Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania (http://www.wsz.kwidzyn.edu.pl/)

Major corporations

• International Paper Kwidzyn SA (http://www.ipaper.com.pl/)

Sightseeing

Among its important monuments is the Gothic castle of Pomesanian bishops from 14th c., modelled on Teutonic Knights' castles, partly pulled down in 1789. From east a cathedral church is connected with castle.

History

Castle of Marienwerder

Kwidzyn was built in the historical Prussian province of Pomesania after the conquest by Teutonic Knights. Populated by Polish settlers from Masovia, it soon became part of Masuria. After 1525 it was was assigned to the Lutheran Duchy of Prussia, a Polish fief. Between 1772 and 1818 it passed from East Prussia to the newly created province of West Prussia. According to statistics, in 1818 it was still populated by the Polish speaking, Masur majority. The policy of forceful Germanization, however, gradually decreased the share of Polish speaking inhabitants who participated in the social life of the province and forced them to speak German. Germanisation markedly increased after 1871, when Kwidzyn was included in Imperial Germany, thus making Poles the minority. According to official statistics, in 1910? 35.7% of population of the county was still Polish. After World War I, the Versailles Treaty returned most of West Prussia to Poland. The plebiscite was held in atmosphere of Polish-Soviet war, however, so a second plebiscite was held on 11 July 1920 in Warmia i Mazury. In this plebiscite 92% of the inhabitants chose the province of East Prussia, and the district was placed under German control 16 August.

After Potsdam Conference in 1945, Kwidzyn was assigned to Poland.