Brodnica

Brodnica is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Remarkable for its architecture and mysterious atmosphere, ruins of the 14th century Teutonic Castle constitutes a major draw for visitors for the town of Brodnica. Besides the castle, also of interest are the remains of mediaeval walls and baroque granaries from the 17th century. The region around the town is rich in lakes and forests, which allows for various recreational activities.

Brodnica TOURISM

Brodnica is an interesting little town. While in here you ought to visit a gothic church of St. Catherine from the end of the 13th century, ruins of the 14th century Teutonic Castle, a fragment of the town hall from the late 14th century, the remains of mediaeval walls from the 14th and 15th centuries as well as baroque granaries from the 17th century.

An interesting place is also the town’s museum with the exhibition of the region’s keepsakes.

GEOGRAPHY

Brodnica is a town and seat of the county in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, by the Drweca river. It has the population of 27,731. There is a country road no. 15 running through Brodnica (Olsztyn–Ostroda-Brodnica-Torun–Gniezno-Krotoszyn-Trzebnica-Wroclaw). The town has also a good road connection with Sierpc (voivodeship road no. 560), Jablonowo Pomorskie (voivodeship road no. 543) and Dzialdowo (voivodeship road no. 544). Moreover, there are trains going from Brodnica to Grudziadz, Jablonowo Pomorskie, Bydgoszcz, Laskowice Pomorskie, Warsaw and Krakow.

HISTORY

The first records about Brodnica are from the second half of the 13th century. In 1303 this region became a property of the Teutonic Order and two years later a building of the castle began.

The first records about Brodnica as a town with German law are from 1317. In 1320 a building of town walls started. At first, Brodnica was ruled by a mayor, but soon the authority became the town council. Brodnica was growing very fast. In 1380 a hospital and a church of Holy Spirit were erected here.

In 1466 Brodnica was joined to Poland. The town was twice on fire (1553 and 1661), which led to its complete destruction. Brodnica often changed country boarders: from 1772 it belonged to Prussia, in between 1806 and 1815 to the Duchy of Warsaw, later on again to Prussia and from 1817 to West Prussia. It was re-joined to Poland in 1920, as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.

In September 1939 Brodnica was under German occupation and a month later the town together with the whole county was incorporated to the Third Reich. It is estimated that during World War II approximately 1,000 Polish inhabitants were murdered by the SS and the Selbstschutz. Most people died because of the political execution in the fall of 1939. Germans arrested then approximately 500 Brodnica inhabitants, the majority of whom were shot in the forest near Birkenek (Polish: Brzezinki).
On 23 January 1945 the Red Army came to Brodnica. Soviets robbed and destroyed the town. In the spring of 1945 almost 700 people were deported to gulags.