Wielkopolskie

Wielkopolskie, województwo (province), west-central Poland. One of 16 provinces created in 1999 when Poland underwent administrative reorganization, it is bordered by the provinces of Zachodniopomorskie to the northwest, Pomorskie and Kujawsko-Pomorskie to the northeast, Łódzkie to the east, Opolskie and Dolnośląskie to the south, and Lubuskie to the west. It comprises the former (1975–98) provinces of Poznań, Piła, Leszno, Konin, and Kalisz, as well as portions of the former provinces of Gorzów, Zielona Góra, and Bydgoszcz. It is Poland’s second largest province in area, after Mazowieckie. The provincial capital is Poznań. Area 11,516 square miles (29,826 square km). Pop. (2011) 3,447,441.

Geography

Wielkopolskie is fairly flat. Lying within a portion of the Great Poland Lakeland, it is dissected with river valleys and dotted with lakes. The main rivers are the Warta, Noteć, Obra, Prosna, and Wda. Forests, predominantly of pine, cover one-fourth of the province. The climate is relatively mild, and it is one of the driest areas in Poland, with an average annual precipitation ranging from 18 inches (450 mm) in the east to 22 inches (550 mm) in the west.

About six-tenths of the population in Wielkopolskie lives in urban areas; the largest municipality is Poznań, followed by Kalisz, Konin, Piła, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno, and Leszno. The northern part of the province is the least urbanized, while the central and southern portions of Wielkopolskie are some of the most economically developed areas of Poland. Despite mediocre soil quality and low rainfall, Wielkopolskie is among the leading provinces in terms of milk, cereal, and sugar beet production as well as pig raising. Poznań is the province’s industrial centre, with machine building, tobacco processing, pharmaceutical production, chemical processing, food processing, and auto manufacturing being key industries. Poznań is also the site of important trade shows, such as the annual International Trade Fair. Brown coal (lignite) is extracted near Konin, where power stations and an aluminum smelter operate as well. Other important industrial centres include Kalisz, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno, Września, Piła, and Leszno.

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Road and rail networks are well developed, linking Poznań with other major Polish cities and with Berlin. The Warta and Noteć rivers are used for inland shipping, and air travel is concentrated on the Poznań-Ławica international airport, located on the western outskirts of Poznań. Tourist and recreational traffic centres on the province’s lakes. The most popular holiday resorts include Sieraków, Boszkowo, and Skorzęcin. The Piast Route, a tourist track associated with the beginnings of Polish history, runs through Lednica, Gniezno, and Trzemeszno, which is one of the earliest settlements in the region and the site of Poland’s first monastery.

Wielkopolskie contains numerous historic buildings, most notably the cathedral of Poznań, Poland’s first cathedral, erected in 968. Gniezno’s magnificent cathedral was the coronation site of the first Polish kings and houses relics of the martyred St. Adalbert. Its bronze doors are considered to be prime examples of Romanesque art in Europe.

The main cultural centre of Wielkopolskie is Poznań, which has an opera house and several theatre and dance troupes. Festivals held in the region include the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, held every five years; the Poznań Jazz Fair; and the International “Malta” Theatre Festival. The most popular museums include the National Museum, the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Musical Instruments, all in Poznań; the Museum of the Origins of the Polish State in Gniezno; and the Museum of the First Piasts on Ostrów Lednicki Islet.

History

Historically known as Great Poland (Wielkopolska), the region is one of the oldest in Poland. Starting in the 9th century, the area was inhabited by the tribe of Polanie, which gradually extended control over other Slavic tribes living in the Oder and Vistula river valleys. Under the rule of the Piast dynasty, the region emerged as the cradle of the Polish state in the late 10th century, and in 966 the Piast prince Mieszko I introduced Christianity. In the year 1000 Gniezno became the seat of the first archbishopric. The first Polish king, Bolesław I, was crowned in the cathedral at Gniezno in 1024. In 1038 Great Poland was invaded by the Bohemian prince Bretislav I. In the 12th century it was divided into two duchies: Poznań and Kalisz-Gniezno.

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The 16th and 17th centuries saw a period of rapid economic development, marked by the flourishing of agriculture and trade. Poznań established its reputation as one of the largest Polish trading centres, and Gniezno and Kalisz rose to prominence as well. Wars with Sweden, however, brought economic development to a halt. Following the First and Second Partitions of Poland (1772 and 1793), the area was annexed to Prussia. At the Congress of Vienna (1814–15) the Grand Duchy of Poznań was created, remaining under Prussian control, but the southeastern portion (including Kalisz and Konin) was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland.

During the 18th and 19th centuries industry and agriculture thrived. Many Germans migrated to the area, attempting to remake it along Prussian lines. This effort was countered by the Wielkopolskie Uprising (1918–19), when Polish insurgents triumphed over the Germans, and under the Treaty of Versailles almost the whole area of the province was reannexed to Poland, forcing hundreds of thousands of Germans to leave. In 1939, when the Nazi and Soviet armies invaded, Wielkopolskie was incorporated into the German Reich. Following World War II, it, along with the rest of Poland, became a Soviet satellite. In 1956 one of the largest workers’ strikes against communist rule was staged in Poznań. Riots broke out that left dozens dead by the time the military suppressed the uprising.