Starogard Gdański

Infobox Settlement
name = Starogard Gdański


imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Town Hall

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image_shield = POL Starogard Gdański COA.svg
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = bottom
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = POL
subdivision_type1 = Voivodeship
subdivision_name1 = Pomeranian
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Starogard
subdivision_type3 = Gmina
subdivision_name3 = Starogard Gdański (urban gmina)
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Edmund Stachowicz
established_title = Established
established_date = 1198
established_title3 = Town rights
established_date3 = 1348
area_total_km2 = 25.27
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 48136
population_density_km2 = auto
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd = 53 | latm = 58 | lats = | latNS = N | longd = 18 | longm = 32 | longs = | longEW = E
postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code = 83-200
area_code = +48 58
blank_name = Car plates
blank_info = GST
website = http://www.starogard.pl

Starogard Gdański Audio-IPA-pl|PL Starogard Gdański.ogg|s|t|a|'|r|o|g|a|r|d|-|'|g|d|a|ń|s|k|i (meaning approximately "Old Town of Gdańsk"; Kashubian/Pomeranian: "Starogarda"; _de. Preußisch Stargard) is a town in Eastern Pomerania in northwestern Poland with 48,328 inhabitants (2004). It is 50 km from the Tricity ( _pl. Trójmiasto) agglomeration on the coast of Gdańsk Bay.

Starogard has been the capital of Starogard County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, but was previously a town in Gdańsk Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998. Car registration numbers start with GST.

Starogard is the biggest city of the region called Kociewie and is populated by Kocievians.

Etymology

The name "Starogard" means "old city" in the Pomeranian language. "Gdański" is appended in the 20th century to the name to differentiate it from other places named Starogard. The German name "Preußisch Stargard" (Prussian Stargard) is similarly used to disambiguate from other places named Stargard. (See also Stargard).

History

Starigrod was first mentioned in 1198 when Duke Grzymisław II of Pomerania granted the settlement to the Knights Hospitaller and Stargarde can be traced back to 1269. In 1348 the town received city rights under Kulm Law by Grandmaster Heinrich Dusemer.

Archeological evidence indicates remnants of a neolithic settlement from four to five thousand years ago.

In 1920 with the Treaty of Versailles Stargard came to Poland.

Since September of 1939 in nearby forest called Szpęgawski Forest (north-east of the town) Germans had killed in mass executions about 7 000 Poles, among them 1680 Kocborowo (Konradstein) and Świecie psychiatric hospitals patients. About 500 handicapped children were killed in the hospital, see Action T4. 2842 patients died 1940-1944.

Major corporations

* Polpharma SA
* Destylarnia Sobieski SA

Education

* Pomorska Wyższa Szkoła Polityki Społecznej i Gospodarczej

Sports

* SKS Starogard Gdański, men's basketball team promoted to play in Era Basket Liga in the 2004/2005 season.

Population

Famous residents

*Bernhard Stadié (1833-1895), pastor, Pr. Stargard historian
*Albert Matthai (1853–1924), author
*Johann Eduard Jacobsthal (1839–1902), architect and educator
*Adolf Wallenberg (1862–1949), internist and neurologist
*Theo Mackeben (1897–1953), film music componist
*Henryk Jankowski (*1936), priest
*Edward Pałłasz (*1936), composer
*Kazimierz Deyna (1947–1989), soccer player
*Andrzej Grubba (1958–2005), tabletennis player
*Paweł Papke (*1977), volleyball player

Partnership towns

* Oschatz
* Limerick