Police, Poland

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Police (pron. "poh-LEE-tze"; German: Pölitz; Kashubian/Pomeranian: Pòlice) is a town in Pomerania, northwestern Poland, situated on the Oder River and an estuary of the Oder River - Roztoka Odrzańska, south of the Lagoon of Szczecin and the Bay of Pomerania. The centre of Police Town is situated about 15 km north of the centre of Szczecin. There are 34.319 inhabitants (2005) in Police (34,456 inhabitants in the year 2004).

Police is the capital of Police County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship (since 1999), previously it was in Szczecin Voivodeship (1975-1998).

The name comes from Polish pole, which means "field".

[edit] Districts

• Old Town
• Police-Mścięcino
• Police-Jasienica
• New Town (Nowe Miasto: Osiedle Dąbrówka, Osiedle Gryfitów, Osiedle Księcia Bogusława X, Osiedle Anny Jagiellonki)

[edit] History

The settlement was first time mentioned in years 1243-1259. Duke Barnim of Pomerania granted a local government charter to this community in 1260. Soon in 1321 the town became a dependency of Szczecin (read an article: List of historical cities of Poland), a decision that made Police a small city. The development of the town restarted in the mid 18th century. In German it was called Pölitz.

In 1937 the decision to build a huge complex of the synthetic petrol plant (Hydrierwerke AG) was made by the main investor, I.G. Farbenindustrie concern. During World War II the Germans operated a huge synthetic fuel plant near Pölitz. The workforce for the plant came from the system of camps (Pommernlager, Nordlager, Tobruklager, Wullenwever-Lager, Arbeitserziehungslager Hägerwelle, Dürrfeld Lager). A trade ship moored on the Oder River also served as a camp (Umschulungslager Bremerhaven). Police in Nazi times was a location for the German concentration camp Pölitz that was a subcamp of the Stutthof concentration camp. The inmates of the camp worked at the synthetic oil plant. Due to its key role in producing fuel for the German armed forces, the plant was bombed many times by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces.

The city and the plant was captured on 26 April 1945 and soon became a Russian-administered exclave within the territory of Poland. German slave workers worked on disassembling the plant before it was sent to the USSR. The town without its main plant machines were given to Poland gradually (on 7 September 1946 Mścięcino, followed by Police and Jasienica on 19 September. On 25 February 1947 the plant also passed into Polish control). Since that moment the first Polish settlers arrived in the region, joined by refugees from Greece and Macedonia in 1953.

The ruins of the plant still remain standing, though they are not secured and are dangerous to visit.

A large modern chemical plant (Zakłady Chemiczne "Police") was built in the town in 1969 and has grown since to become one of the largest in Poland.

[edit] Nature, sights and tourist attractions

• The Wkrzanska Forest (Wkrzanska Wilderness, Polish: Puszcza Wkrzańska, German: Ueckermünder Heide), in the area Świdwie Nature Reserve ("Swidwie" Sanctuary) (The Świdwie Lake (Polish: Jezioro Świdwie) near Tanowo and Dobra)
• Kayak-way on Gunica River from Węgornik through Tanowo, Tatynia and Wieńkowo to Police (Jasienica)
• The Szczecin Lagoon (Polish: Zalew Szczeciński, German: Stettiner Haff) in the area of Police (Trzebież, Nowe Warpno)

Natura 2000 areas in Police and the area of the town

• 1) Police - Canals - Ruins of the synthetic petrol plant (Hydrierwerke Pölitz – Aktiengeselschaft) in Police are a habitat of bats (Barbastelle, Greater mouse-eared bat, Daubenton's Bat, Natterer's bat, Brown long-eared bat).
• 2) The Wkrzanska Forest (Wkrzanska Wilderness, Polish: Puszcza Wkrzańska, German: Ueckermünder Heide) with the Świdwie Nature Reserve ("Swidwie" Sanctuary) (The Świdwie Lake (Polish: Jezioro Świdwie) near Tanowo and Dobra)
• 3) The Szczecin Lagoon (Polish: Zalew Szczeciński, German: Stettiner Haff) in the area of Police (Trzebież, Nowe Warpno)

[edit] Monuments in Police

• Gothic Chapel (15th century) in The Chrobry Square in The Old Town
• Neo-Gothic Church (19th century) in The Old Town
• The Police Lapidary in The Staromiejski Park in The Old Town
• Tenement houses (19th century)

and in Jasienica District:

• Gothic Church in Police-Jasienica (14th/18th century)
• Ruin of Augustinians' cloister in Police-Jasienica (14th century)

Town hall (1906) was not rebuilt after the second world war

[edit] Hospital

A clinic hospital in Police (Siedlecka Street, The New Town, Osiedle Gryfitów) is a part of The Pomeranian Medical University.

[edit] Population^{[citation needed]}

• 1960: 8,900
• 1970: 12,800
• 1975: 17,600
• 1980: 24,800
• 1990: 34,400
• 1995: 34,500
• 2000: 35,000
• 2004: 41,400

[edit] Famous residents

• Hans Modrow (1928), a German politician, premier of East Germany. Modrow was born in Jasenitz (Polish: Jasienica) - present a district of Police

[edit] Major corporations

• Zakłady Chemiczne Police SA
• Police Harbour (The Seaport, The Barge Port, The 'Mijanka' cargo berth)

[edit] Twinning cities

The sister cities of Police are:

• Pasewalk, Germany
• Korsør, Denmark
• Novyi Rozdil, Ukraine

[edit] Towns near Police

• Szczecin City (Poland)
• Nowe Warpno (Poland)
• Goleniów (Poland)
• Eggesin (Germany)
• Ueckermünde (Germany)
• Pasewalk (Germany)

[edit] See also

• villages in Police County: Przęsocin, Kołbaskowo
• Szczecin Lagoon
• Wkrzanska Forest

[edit] External links

• Official town webpage
• History of Police
• The Factory: Zakłady Chemiczne "Police"
• Police Harbour

Coordinates: 53°32′N, 14°34′Eda:Police (Polen) de:Police (Oder) eo:Police (Pollando) fr:Police (Pologne) id:Police it:Police (Polonia) jv:Police nl:Police pl:Police ro:Police ru:Полице simple:Police, Poland zh:波利采