Działdowo

Działdowo (pronounced [ʥawˈdɔvɔ]; German: Soldau) is a town in north-central Poland with 24,830 inhabitants (2006), the capital of Działdowo County. Situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (since 1999), Działdowo previously belonged to Ciechanów Voivodeship (1975-1998).

1 History
2 Notable residents
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The first settlement in the vicinity was by a tribe of Old Prussians known as Sassen in German and Sasinowie in Polish. The Teutonic Knights conquered the region and built a castle named Soldau, a wing of which still remains. Grand Master Ludolf König granted the settlement near the castle town privileges in 1344. It was then also known in Polish as Soldov. The keep was stipped of all interior finishing, flooring, and stone carvings to the state of an empty shell by 1920; a major reconstruction of the remaining shell is underway.

Soldau converted to Lutheranism during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, according to the choice of its Prince. The following communes belonged to the Evangelical parish of Soldau: Amalienhof, Borowo, Bursch, Cämmersdorf, Gajowken, Hohendorf, Kyschienen, Königshagen, Kurkau, Niederhof, Pierlawken, Pruschinowo, and Rudolfsfelde.

Within the Kingdom of Prussia and later German Empire, Soldau developed into an important railway junction in the second half of the 19th century. It was part of Neidenburg District in East Prussia; Soldau was the southernmost town in the province.

Resulting from the Treaty of Versailles following World War I,recognizing the majority Polish population of the area, Soldau together with a few neighboring villages were transferred from Weimar Germany to the Second Polish Republic on January 17 1920 without plebiscite. The town was officially renamed from Soldau to Działdowo. Działdowo's rail connections to the nearby German towns Deutsch Eylau, Osterode, and Neidenburg in East Prussia were broken by the border changes.

During the Polish-Soviet War, Działdowo was briefly occupied by the Red Army before being recovered by the Polish Army. After the invasion of Poland beginning World War II in 1939, the town was annexed by Nazi Germany back into Neidenburg District. The Soldau concentration camp was built nearby, at which 13,000 out of 30,000 prisoners were murdered. Działdowo was heavily damaged during fighting on the Eastern Front. The destroyed town was restored to Poland after the war. German-speakers remaining in the town were subsequently expelled westward after the war ended.