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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement {{Infobox settlement
| name = Bytów | name = Bytów
| native_name = {{native name|csb|Bëtowò}}
| image_skyline = Poland Bytow - castle.jpg
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| imagesize = 250px
| color = #ffffff
| image_caption = Teutonic castle in Bytów
| photo1a = Bytów (Bëtowò) - fotopolska.eu (194730).jpg
| photo2a = Zamek w Bytowie (2018).jpg{{!}}Bytów Castle
| spacing = 2
| border = 0
| size = 260
}}
| image_caption = Old Town (top) and ] (bottom)
| image_flag = POL Bytów flag.svg | image_flag = POL Bytów flag.svg
| image_shield = POL Bytów COA.svg | image_shield = POL Bytów COA.svg
| pushpin_map = Poland | pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_label_position = bottom
| subdivision_type = ]
| coordinates_region = PL
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{POL}} | subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_type1 = ] | subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 = ] | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Pomeranian Voivodeship|name=Pomeranian}}
| subdivision_type2 = ] | subdivision_type2 = ]
| subdivision_name2 = ] | subdivision_name2 = ]
| subdivision_type3 = ] | subdivision_type3 = ]
| subdivision_name3 = ] | subdivision_name3 = ]
| leader_title = Mayor | leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Ryszard Sylka | leader_name = Ryszard Sylka
| established_title = Established | established_title = First mentioned
| established_date = 12th century | established_date = 12th century
| established_title3 = Town rights | established_title3 = Town rights
| established_date3 = 1346 | established_date3 = 1346
| area_total_km2 = 8.72 | area_total_km2 = 8.72
| population_as_of = 31 December 2021<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/BDL/dane/teryt/jednostka|title=Local Data Bank|access-date=2022-06-02|publisher=Statistics Poland}} Data for territorial unit 2201024.</ref>
| population_as_of = 2006
| population_total = 16715 | population_total = 16730
| population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone = ] | timezone = ]
Line 31: Line 38:
| timezone_DST = ] | timezone_DST = ]
| utc_offset_DST = +2 | utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|54|8|N|17|30|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| latd = 54 | latm = 8 | lats = | latNS = N | longd = 17 | longm = 30 | longs = | longEW = E
| postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 77-100 | postal_code = 77-100
Line 37: Line 44:
| blank_name = ] | blank_name = ]
| blank_info = GBY | blank_info = GBY
| blank_name_sec2 = ]
| website = http://www.bytow.com.pl }}
| blank_info_sec2 = ]
| blank1_name_sec2 = ]s
| blank1_info_sec2 = ] ] ]
| website = {{URL|www.bytow.com.pl}}
}}
'''Bytów''' ({{IPA|pl|ˈbɨtuf|lang|Pl-Bytów.ogg}}; {{langx|csb|Bëtowò}}; {{langx|de|Bütow}} {{IPA|de|ˈbyːtoː|}}) is a town in the ] region of northern Poland with 16,730 inhabitants as of December 2021.<ref name = population /> It is the capital of ] in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.


In the early ] a fortified stronghold stood near the town. In 1346 as ''Bütow'' it obtained ] rights from the ], which controlled it since 1329. During the ] (1454–1466), the town was the site of heavy fighting and changed hands over time. Eventually, King ] granted the town to ], as a perpetual ].<ref name="sztetl.org.pl">{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/bytow/3,local-history/|title=Local history - Information about the town - Bytów - Virtual Shtetl|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227150205/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/bytow/3,local-history/|archive-date=27 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the ], Bytów became part of the ] and later also Germany, within which it remained until the end of ]. In the final stages of the war Bytów heavily shelled by the ], and more than 55% of the buildings were destroyed.<ref name="sztetl.org.pl"/>
'''Bytów''' {{IPAc-pl|AUD|Pl-Bytów.ogg|'|b|y|t|u|f}} ({{lang-csb|Bëtowò}}; {{lang-de|Bütow}}{{Audlisten|De-Bütow.ogg}} is a ] in the ] region of northern ] in the ] with 16,888 inhabitants (2004). Previously in ] (1975–1998), it is the capital of ] in ] (since 1999).
], built 1399–1405.]]
]
]


==History== ==History==
], built in 1399–1405]]
According to the city's official webpage the name Bytów comes from the founder of the settlement named "Byt".<ref name="bytow.com.pl"> Bytów Official Site</ref> An old Pomeranian settlement was first mentioned by Latin name ''castrum nomine Bitom'' in 1113 in ]' Chronicle, as conquered by Polish king ].
According to the city's official webpage the name Bytów comes from the founder of the settlement named "Byt".<ref name="bytow.com.pl"> Bytów Official Site</ref> A settlement was first mentioned by the name of ''Butow'' in 1321.


The Teutonic Knights had started in 1335 with the construction of a ]. The castle seen today was built by the Knights between 1399 and 1405.<ref>Werner Buchholz: ''Deutsche Geschichte im Osten Europas – Pommern''. Siedler, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-88680-780-0, p, 187.</ref> It has been the site of an administrator of the ]. The territory became part of the emerging Polish state under its first historic ruler ] in the 10th century. Bytów passed to the ] in 1329.<ref name=his>{{cite web|url=https://www.bytow.com.pl/Historia,29|title=Historia|website=Urząd Miejski w Bytowie|access-date=11 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> From 1335 comes the oldest mention of a Catholic parish, which, however, could have existed since the 12th or 13th century.<ref name=his/> In 1346 it was granted ]. The castle seen today was built by the Knights between 1399 and 1405 at the site of the older castle, to protect their western border.<ref>Werner Buchholz: ''Deutsche Geschichte im Osten Europas – Pommern''. Siedler, Berlin 1999, {{ISBN|3-88680-780-0}}, p, 187.</ref> It has been the seat of an administrator of the ].


This castle was captured by Poland after the ] (1410), and king ] of Poland gave it to ], for all of his lifetime as payment for support obtained from him against the Teutonic Knights. In the ] Bogislaw had to return the castle to the Knights. The town did not join the ]'s revolt against the Teutonic Knights.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} This castle was captured by Poland after the ] (1410), and king ] of Poland gave it to ], for all of his lifetime as payment for support obtained from him against the Teutonic Knights. In the ] Bogislaw had to return the castle to the Knights. The town did not join the ]'s revolt against the Teutonic Knights.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}}


The town alternated between Poland and the monastic state during the ]s, and returned to Polish control after the ]. Poland gave Bytów as lien to the ]. Since 1526 the Pomerania dukes held it as an inheritable lien. The town alternated between Poland and the monastic state during the ]s, and returned to Polish control after the ]. Poland gave Bytów as lien to the ]. Since 1526 the Pomerania dukes held it as an inheritable lien.


]
In 1627 during the ], the town was rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire. When the Pomeranian dukes died out in 1637 the town ceased to be a Polish fief and became directly ruled by Poland. To gain an ally against ] during ], in 1657 King ] gave the ] to ] ] of ] as a hereditary ] in the ].{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Although Poland still retained sovereignty, the town was administered by Brandenburg and, after 1701, by the ]. During the 18th century, the town suffered from fires and plague.
In 1627 during the ], the town was rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire. When the Pomeranian dukes died out in 1637 Bytów ceased to be a Polish fief and became directly ruled by Poland,<ref name=his/> administratively part of the ].<ref name=sgk>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I|year=1880|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=520}}</ref> Then the local nobility obtained equal rights with the ] of the entire ].<ref name=his/> Bytów was overshadowed by ], which developed faster and became the seat of local ]s.<ref name=sp1637>{{cite web|url=http://www.sp2bytow.home.pl/bytow/1637-1658.html|title=1637-1658|website=Historia Bytowa w pigułce|access-date=11 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> In 1651 there was a dispute between the city authorities and the starost ], regarding overdue taxes.<ref name=sp1637/> To gain an ally against ] during ], in 1657 King ] gave the ] to ] ] of ] as a hereditary ] in the ].<ref name=sgk/> Although Poland still retained sovereignty, the town was administered by Brandenburg and, after 1701, by the ]. Brandenburg imposed higher taxes to pay off its debts after the ].<ref name=sp1658>{{cite web|url=http://www.sp2bytow.home.pl/bytow/1658-1918.html|title=1658-1918|website=Historia Bytowa w pigułce|access-date=11 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> During the 18th century, the town suffered from fires and plague.


In 1773 in the ] the town was wholly incorporated in the Prussian ]. From 1846-1945, Bütow was the seat of the ] district in Prussia. The town became part of the ] in 1871 during the Prussian-led ]. Polish minority remained active in the city, and in 1910 a Polish Bank Ludowy was founded here.<ref>Historia Polski, Volume 3, Part 2 Instytut Historii (Polska Akademia Nauk), page 143 Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1984</ref> In 1773 in the ] the town was wholly incorporated in the Prussian ]. In the 18th century attempts began at ] of the indigenous Polish-Kashubian population by introducing ] into schools.<ref name=sp1658/> It remained a center of Polish resistance against Germanisation and was a Polish-Kashubian printing center.<ref name=pwn>{{cite web|url=https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Bytow;3882538.html|title=Bytów|website=Encyklopedia PWN|access-date=11 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> From 1846 to 1945, Bütow was the seat of the ] district in Prussia. The town became part of the ] in 1871 during the Prussian-led ]. Polish minority remained active in the city, and in 1910 a Polish Bank Ludowy was founded here.<ref>Historia Polski, Volume 3, Part 2 Instytut Historii (Polska Akademia Nauk), page 143 Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1984</ref>


After the end of ] and the re-establishment of independent Poland, the ] kept the town in the ] in 1919.<ref>Helena Lehr, Edmund Jan Osmańczyk, ''Polacy spod znaku Rodła'', Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1972, p. 230 (in Polish)</ref><ref>Stanisław Gierszewski, ''Słownik biograficzny Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego'', Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, 1997, p. 291 (in Polish)</ref> There was an economic decline, many Germans emigrated to western Germany, and the population was slowly decreasing. In the ] numerous Polish organizations, including the ], operated in the town.<ref name=pwn/> Poles were subjected to repressions. The hero of the local Polish population was a local Polish teacher, Jan Bauer, who was arrested by the Germans in 1929.<ref name=ph>{{cite web|url=https://www.bytow.com.pl/_Postaci_historyczne,60|title=Postaci historyczne|website=Urząd Miejski w Bytowie|access-date=11 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> Months before ], in 1939, the Germans carried out arrests of notable local Poles, incl. activists and the head of the local Polish bank.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cygański|first=Mirosław|year=1984|title=Hitlerowskie prześladowania przywódców i aktywu Związków Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1939-1945|journal=Przegląd Zachodni|language=pl|issue=4|page=46}}</ref>
Although ] desired Bütow at the end of ], the ] kept the town in the ] in 1919. The decision led the local Kashubians to protests and hundreds of them took part in march known as "marsz na Bytów".<ref>Polacy spod znaku Rodła Helena Lehr, Edmund Jan Osmańczyk Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej,page 230, 1972</ref><ref>Słownik biograficzny Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego Stanisław Gierszewski,page 291 Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, 1997</ref>


During ] the Polish population was subject to deportations and executions, two of its leaders, {{interlanguage link|Jan Rekowski-Styp|pl}} and {{interlanguage link|Józef Rekowski|pl}} were imprisoned in ] and ]s,<ref name=ph/> however, the town remained a local center of the ] (]).<ref name=pwn/> In January 1945, a German-perpetrated ] of ] prisoners-of-war from the ] ] passed through the town.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaszuba|first=Sylwia|editor-last=Grudziecka|editor-first=Beata|title=Stalag XX B: historia nieopowiedziana|language=pl|location=Malbork|publisher=Muzeum Miasta Malborka|pages=102, 109|chapter=Marsz 1945|isbn=978-83-950992-2-9}}</ref> It was captured by the ] ] on 8 March 1945. Some inhabitants had fled before the Soviet advance. In April 1945, it was put under Polish administration, confirmed after the end of the war by the ] and the Polish name ''Bytów'' was restored. Those German inhabitants, which had remained in the town or had returned to it short after the war, were later on ] and their property seized in accordance with the ].<ref>Sokollek (1997), pp. 286 ff.</ref> The indigenous Polish-Kashubian population was joined by Poles displaced from ] and from the rest of ].
According to Polish sources the Bytów area remained the main centre of activity by Polish minority in the region and in 1923 ''Związek Polaków na obszar Kaszubski'' (Organization of Poles in the Kashubian Region) was founded in the city.<ref>Kwartalnik Opolski, Volumes 15-16, page 104 Opolskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, Instytut Śląski w Opolu 1969</ref> In 1928 Jan Bauer, a Polish teacher organised Polish language lessons, and reinvigorated the Polish movement in the city, which resulted in repressions by German state, and his eventual conviction and exile from Germany in 1932. Finding himself at the outbreak of ] in Berlin he was arrested and murdered by the Nazis in 1940.<ref> Official website of Bytów</ref>


Bytów became the seat of a ] (1946–1975, 1999-) within Poland. From 1975 to 1998 it was administratively part of the ].
Bütow was captured by the ] ] on 8 March 1945. Some inhabitants had fled before the Soviet advance. In 1945, after the end of the war, the town was put under Polish administration according to the ] and renamed to the Polish ''Bytów''. Those German inhabitants, which had remained in the town or had returned to it short after the war, were later on ]<ref>Sokollek (1997), pp. 286 ff.</ref> and replaced with ], who first came mainly from regions east of the ], which had been ].

Bytów became the seat of a ] (1946–1975, 1999-) within Poland.


===Kashubian Emigration to America=== ===Kashubian Emigration to America===
{{main|Kashubian diaspora}}
During the ], many families from Bytów such as the Brezas and the Pehlers emigrated to the area of ] in the ], beginning in the late 1850s. The Prussian policy was to force the Kashubians out to make room for German settlers. Life was grim for the Kashubians and many migrated to the U.S. settling in ] and many from the Bytów area began settling in a growing Kashubian community in Winona, Minnesota beginning in the 1860s. Many found jobs in the lumber mills during the lumber boom of the late 1800s occurring in the region.<ref>http://polishmuseumwinona.org/visiting-poland/about-bytow/</ref><ref>http://polishmuseumwinona.org/history/emigration/</ref>
Many families from Bytów such as the Brezas and the Pehlers emigrated to the area of ] in the ], beginning in 1859.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bambenek.org/winona-2/first-settlement-in-winona-1859/|title=First Settlement in Winona: 1859 – Bambenek.org|website=bambenek.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> The Prussian policy was to force the Kashubians out to make room for German settlers. Some Kashubians moved across the Mississippi River to ] in the early 1860s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bambenek.org/winona-2/foundation-of-pine-creek/|title=Foundation of Pine Creek – Bambenek.org|website=bambenek.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> Many found jobs in the lumber mills during the lumber boom of the late 1800s occurring in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://polishmuseumwinona.org/visiting-poland/about-bytow/|title=About Bytów -|access-date=27 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209193324/http://polishmuseumwinona.org/visiting-poland/about-bytow/|archive-date=9 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Demographics== ==Demographics==
Line 81: Line 92:
| 1794 || 1,085 | 1794 || 1,085
|- |-
| 1812 || 1,217 | 1812 || 1,217
|- |-
| 1816 || 1,395 | 1816 || 1,395
|- |-
| 1831 || 2,062 | 1831 || 2,062
|- |-
| 1852 || 3,509 | 1852 || 3,509
Line 95: Line 106:
| 1900 || 6,487 | 1900 || 6,487
|- |-
| 1925 || 8,890 | 1925 || 8,890
|- |-
| 1960 || 8,600 | 1960 || 8,600
Line 106: Line 117:
|- |-
| 2011 || 20,943 | 2011 || 20,943
|-
| 2021<ref name = population /> || 16,730
|} |}


The above table is based on primary, possibly biased, sources.<ref name="Kratz52">Kratz (1865), </ref><ref>''Meyers Konversations-Lexikon''. 6th edition, vol. 3, Leipzig and Vienna 1906, p. 661 (in German).</ref> The above table is based on primary, possibly biased, sources.<ref name="Kratz52">Kratz (1865), </ref><ref>''Meyers Konversations-Lexikon''. 6th edition, vol. 3, Leipzig and Vienna 1906, p. 661 (in German).</ref>

== Notable residents ==
* ] (1904–1985), German economist
* ] (1775–1815), chemist
* ] (1545-1590), pastor and publisher of Kashubian-language Lutheran texts
* ] (1939–2005), politician
* ] (1877-?), athlete


==Sights== ==Sights==
* ] of the ], built 1399-1405 * ], housing the West Kashubian Museum (''Muzeum Zachodniokaszubskie'')
]]]
* Church of ] from the 14th century
* Church of ] from the 16th century


==Sports==
==International relations==
Polish football club ] is based in Bytów.
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}


== Notable residents ==
===Twin towns — Sister cities===
]
Bytów is ] with:<ref name="Bytow Twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.bytow.com.pl/articles/90|title= Miasta Partnerskie|accessdate=2013-06-22|work=Bytów City Council Official Site|language=Polish}}</ref>
* ] (1545–1589), Polish-Kashubian pastor, teacher and publisher<ref name=ph/>
* ] (1775–1815) German chemist, died from arsenic poisoning in Munich age 39
* ] (1877-??) a German road racing cyclist who competed in the ]
* ] (1904–1985), German economist, particularly agricultural economics and economic history.
* ] (1939–2005), politician, became member of the ]
* ] (born 1995) a Polish singer, songwriter and TV presenter
* ] (born 1996) a Polish professional racing cyclist

==Twin cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}
Bytów is ] with:<ref name="Bytow Twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.bytow.com.pl/articles/90|title=Miasta Partnerskie|access-date=2013-06-22|work=Bytów City Council Official Site|language=pl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130503184838/http://www.bytow.com.pl/articles/90|archive-date=3 May 2013}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable" {|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top" |- valign="top"
| |
*{{flagicon|GER}} ], Germany<ref name="Bytow Twinning"/><ref></ref> *{{flagicon|GER}} ], Germany <ref name="Bytow Twinning"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bytow.com.pl/articles/112 |title=Bytów Official Site |access-date=11 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001024658/http://www.bytow.com.pl/articles/112 |archive-date=1 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland<ref name="Bytow Twinning"/> *{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland <ref name="Bytow Twinning"/>
*{{flagicon|USA}} ], USA<ref name="Bytow Twinning"/> *{{flagicon|SWE}} ], Sweden <ref name="Bytow Twinning"/>
||
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine<ref name="Bytow Twinning"/>
*{{flagicon|SWE}} ], Sweden<ref name="Bytow Twinning"/> *{{flagicon|USA}} ], USA <ref name="Bytow Twinning"/>
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine <ref name="Bytow Twinning"/>
|} |}
One regular activity is the exchange of high school students between Bytow and Winona, .<ref></ref> One regular activity is the exchange of high school students between Bytów and Winona.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hansen |first=Nathan |title=Students from Polish sister city getting taste of America |url=http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_7feadce0-dc59-11e1-afdd-001a4bcf887a.html |access-date=27 February 2017}}</ref>


==Municipality of Bytów== ==Municipality of Bytów==
]s in the urban-rural commune (]) of Bytów include: Dąbie, Gostkowo, Grzmiąca, Mądrzechowo, Mokrzyn, Niezabyszewo, Płotowo, Pomysk Mały ]s in the urban-rural commune (]) of Bytów include: Dąbie, Gostkowo, Grzmiąca, Mądrzechowo, Mokrzyn, Niezabyszewo, Płotowo, Pomysk Mały
Pomysk Wielki, Rekowo, Rzepnica, Sierżno, Świątkowo, Udorpie, Ząbinowice. Pomysk Wielki, Rekowo, Rzepnica, Sierżno, Świątkowo, Udorpie, Ząbinowice.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="170" heights="140">
File:Saints Catherine and John the Baptist church in Bytów.jpg|Saints Catherine and John the Baptist Church
File:Bytow(pischmak).JPG|Tower of St. Catherine Church
File:Bytów (Bëtowò) - fotopolska.eu (123370).jpg|Town centre
File:Old bridge in Bytów.JPG|Railway bridge in Bytów
File:Bytów (Bëtowò), Sąd Rejonowy - fotopolska.eu (123050).jpg|District court
</gallery>


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * ]
* ], a river


==References== ==References==
Line 150: Line 177:


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons|Bytów}} {{commons}}
* *
* {{fr icon}} * {{in lang|fr}}


{{coord|54|8|N|17|30|E|region:PL_type:city|display=title}}

<br>
{{Bytów County}} {{Bytów County}}
{{Gmina Bytów}} {{Gmina Bytów}}
{{Pomerania}} {{Pomerania}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}


{{Authority control}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bytow}}
] ]
]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 03:02, 16 December 2024

Place in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
Bytów Bëtowò (Kashubian)
Bytów CastleOld Town (top) and Bytów Castle (bottom)
Flag of BytówFlagCoat of arms of BytówCoat of arms
Bytów is located in PolandBytówBytów
Coordinates: 54°8′N 17°30′E / 54.133°N 17.500°E / 54.133; 17.500
Country Poland
Voivodeship Pomeranian
CountyBytów
GminaBytów
First mentioned12th century
Town rights1346
Government
 • MayorRyszard Sylka
Area
 • Total8.72 km (3.37 sq mi)
Population
 • Total16,730
 • Density1,900/km (5,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code77-100
Area code+48 59
Car platesGBY
National roads
Voivodeship roads
Websitewww.bytow.com.pl

Bytów (Polish: [ˈbɨtuf] ; Kashubian: Bëtowò; German: Bütow [ˈbyːtoː]) is a town in the Gdańsk Pomerania region of northern Poland with 16,730 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the capital of Bytów County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

In the early Middle Ages a fortified stronghold stood near the town. In 1346 as Bütow it obtained Kulm law rights from the Teutonic Order, which controlled it since 1329. During the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the town was the site of heavy fighting and changed hands over time. Eventually, King Casimir IV Jagiellon granted the town to Eric II, Duke of Pomerania, as a perpetual fiefdom. After the Partitions of Poland, Bytów became part of the Kingdom of Prussia and later also Germany, within which it remained until the end of World War II. In the final stages of the war Bytów heavily shelled by the Red Army, and more than 55% of the buildings were destroyed.

History

Bytów Castle, built in 1399–1405

According to the city's official webpage the name Bytów comes from the founder of the settlement named "Byt". A settlement was first mentioned by the name of Butow in 1321.

The territory became part of the emerging Polish state under its first historic ruler Mieszko I in the 10th century. Bytów passed to the Teutonic Knights in 1329. From 1335 comes the oldest mention of a Catholic parish, which, however, could have existed since the 12th or 13th century. In 1346 it was granted town rights. The castle seen today was built by the Knights between 1399 and 1405 at the site of the older castle, to protect their western border. It has been the seat of an administrator of the State of the Teutonic Knights.

This castle was captured by Poland after the Battle of Grunwald (1410), and king Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland gave it to Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania, for all of his lifetime as payment for support obtained from him against the Teutonic Knights. In the Peace of Thorn (1411) Bogislaw had to return the castle to the Knights. The town did not join the Prussian Confederation's revolt against the Teutonic Knights.

The town alternated between Poland and the monastic state during the Polish-Teutonic Wars, and returned to Polish control after the Second Peace of Thorn (1466). Poland gave Bytów as lien to the Dukes of Pomerania. Since 1526 the Pomerania dukes held it as an inheritable lien.

Saint George church, built in the 17th century

In 1627 during the Thirty Years' War, the town was rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire. When the Pomeranian dukes died out in 1637 Bytów ceased to be a Polish fief and became directly ruled by Poland, administratively part of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Then the local nobility obtained equal rights with the nobility of the entire Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Bytów was overshadowed by Lębork, which developed faster and became the seat of local starosts. In 1651 there was a dispute between the city authorities and the starost Jakub Wejher, regarding overdue taxes. To gain an ally against Sweden during the Deluge, in 1657 King John II Casimir of Poland gave the Lauenburg and Bütow Land to Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia as a hereditary fief in the Treaty of Bydgoszcz. Although Poland still retained sovereignty, the town was administered by Brandenburg and, after 1701, by the Kingdom of Prussia. Brandenburg imposed higher taxes to pay off its debts after the Thirty Years' War. During the 18th century, the town suffered from fires and plague.

In 1773 in the First Partition of Poland the town was wholly incorporated in the Prussian Province of Pomerania. In the 18th century attempts began at Germanisation of the indigenous Polish-Kashubian population by introducing German into schools. It remained a center of Polish resistance against Germanisation and was a Polish-Kashubian printing center. From 1846 to 1945, Bütow was the seat of the Landkreis Bütow district in Prussia. The town became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany. Polish minority remained active in the city, and in 1910 a Polish Bank Ludowy was founded here.

After the end of World War I and the re-establishment of independent Poland, the Treaty of Versailles kept the town in the Weimar Republic in 1919. There was an economic decline, many Germans emigrated to western Germany, and the population was slowly decreasing. In the interbellum numerous Polish organizations, including the Union of Poles in Germany, operated in the town. Poles were subjected to repressions. The hero of the local Polish population was a local Polish teacher, Jan Bauer, who was arrested by the Germans in 1929. Months before World War II, in 1939, the Germans carried out arrests of notable local Poles, incl. activists and the head of the local Polish bank.

During World War II the Polish population was subject to deportations and executions, two of its leaders, Jan Rekowski-Styp [pl] and Józef Rekowski [pl] were imprisoned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps, however, the town remained a local center of the Polish resistance movement (Kashubian Griffin). In January 1945, a German-perpetrated death march of Allied prisoners-of-war from the Stalag XX-B POW camp passed through the town. It was captured by the Soviet Red Army on 8 March 1945. Some inhabitants had fled before the Soviet advance. In April 1945, it was put under Polish administration, confirmed after the end of the war by the Potsdam Conference and the Polish name Bytów was restored. Those German inhabitants, which had remained in the town or had returned to it short after the war, were later on forcibly expelled and their property seized in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement. The indigenous Polish-Kashubian population was joined by Poles displaced from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union and from the rest of Kashubia.

Bytów became the seat of a powiat (1946–1975, 1999-) within Poland. From 1975 to 1998 it was administratively part of the Słupsk Voivodeship.

Kashubian Emigration to America

Main article: Kashubian diaspora

Many families from Bytów such as the Brezas and the Pehlers emigrated to the area of Winona, Minnesota in the United States, beginning in 1859. The Prussian policy was to force the Kashubians out to make room for German settlers. Some Kashubians moved across the Mississippi River to Pine Creek, Wisconsin in the early 1860s. Many found jobs in the lumber mills during the lumber boom of the late 1800s occurring in the region.

Demographics

Up to the end of World War II most inhabitants of the town were Protestants.

Number of inhabitants by year
Year Number
1782 990
1794 1,085
1812 1,217
1816 1,395
1831 2,062
1852 3,509
1861 4,247
1875 5,820
1900 6,487
1925 8,890
1960 8,600
1970 10,700
1975 12,500
1980 13,300
2011 20,943
2021 16,730

The above table is based on primary, possibly biased, sources.

Sights

  • Bytów Castle, housing the West Kashubian Museum (Muzeum Zachodniokaszubskie)
Courtyard of the Bytów Castle

Sports

Polish football club Bytovia Bytów is based in Bytów.

Notable residents

Natalia Szroeder, 2016

Twin cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Bytów is twinned with:

One regular activity is the exchange of high school students between Bytów and Winona.

Municipality of Bytów

Sołectwos in the urban-rural commune (gmina) of Bytów include: Dąbie, Gostkowo, Grzmiąca, Mądrzechowo, Mokrzyn, Niezabyszewo, Płotowo, Pomysk Mały Pomysk Wielki, Rekowo, Rzepnica, Sierżno, Świątkowo, Udorpie, Ząbinowice.

Gallery

  • Saints Catherine and John the Baptist Church Saints Catherine and John the Baptist Church
  • Tower of St. Catherine Church Tower of St. Catherine Church
  • Town centre Town centre
  • Railway bridge in Bytów Railway bridge in Bytów
  • District court District court

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ "Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved 2 June 2022. Data for territorial unit 2201024.
  2. ^ "Local history - Information about the town - Bytów - Virtual Shtetl". Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  3. Bytów Official Site
  4. ^ "Historia". Urząd Miejski w Bytowie (in Polish). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  5. Werner Buchholz: Deutsche Geschichte im Osten Europas – Pommern. Siedler, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-88680-780-0, p, 187.
  6. ^ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I (in Polish). Warszawa. 1880. p. 520.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ "1637-1658". Historia Bytowa w pigułce (in Polish). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  8. ^ "1658-1918". Historia Bytowa w pigułce (in Polish). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Bytów". Encyklopedia PWN (in Polish). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  10. Historia Polski, Volume 3, Part 2 Instytut Historii (Polska Akademia Nauk), page 143 Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1984
  11. Helena Lehr, Edmund Jan Osmańczyk, Polacy spod znaku Rodła, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1972, p. 230 (in Polish)
  12. Stanisław Gierszewski, Słownik biograficzny Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego, Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, 1997, p. 291 (in Polish)
  13. ^ "Postaci historyczne". Urząd Miejski w Bytowie (in Polish). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  14. Cygański, Mirosław (1984). "Hitlerowskie prześladowania przywódców i aktywu Związków Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1939-1945". Przegląd Zachodni (in Polish) (4): 46.
  15. Kaszuba, Sylwia. "Marsz 1945". In Grudziecka, Beata (ed.). Stalag XX B: historia nieopowiedziana (in Polish). Malbork: Muzeum Miasta Malborka. pp. 102, 109. ISBN 978-83-950992-2-9.
  16. Sokollek (1997), pp. 286 ff.
  17. "First Settlement in Winona: 1859 – Bambenek.org". bambenek.org. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  18. "Foundation of Pine Creek – Bambenek.org". bambenek.org. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  19. "About Bytów -". Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  20. Kratz (1865), p. 52
  21. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 6th edition, vol. 3, Leipzig and Vienna 1906, p. 661 (in German).
  22. ^ "Miasta Partnerskie". Bytów City Council Official Site (in Polish). Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  23. "Bytów Official Site". Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  24. Hansen, Nathan. "Students from Polish sister city getting taste of America". Retrieved 27 February 2017.

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