Konin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Konin
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Market Square
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County | city county | |
Town rights | 1284 | |
Area | ||
• Total | 82 km2 (32 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 88 m (289 ft) | |
Population
(2017)
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• Total | 74,151 (48th) | |
• Density | 904/km2 (2,340/sq mi) | |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Website | http://www.konin.pl |
Konin is a city in central Poland, on the Warta River. It is the capital of Konin County and is located within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Prior to 1999, it was the capital of the Konin Voivodeship (1975–1998). In 2018, the population of the city was 74,151 making it the third-largest city in Greater Poland after Poznań and Kalisz
The earliest evidence of human habitation in Konin has been dated to the Paleolithic Era. On the dunes near the Warta, various ancient flint tools and implements have been found, among them being knives, burins, and tanged points (projectile points). These earliest artifacts are of the Swiderian culture (Kultura Świderska) of 9000–8000 BC.
Contents
Architectural landmarks
Konin County contains examples of the following architectural forms: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, Baroque, and Rococo; 18th century Classicism; 19th century Neo-Gothic, Neoromanesque, Neoclassicism, and Eclecticism; and 20th century Modernism, Nazi architecture, Socialist Realism, and Postmodernism. Also near Konin are the remains of the reinforced concrete bunkers employed by Poland's Armia Poznań during World War II.
Architecturally, the city of Konin is divided into two historical parts - Old Town (Stary Konin) and New Konin (Nowy Konin), spreading northward from the river and developed primarily after 1945.
Romanesque
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- The Stone Signpost of Konin is the oldest European signpost beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire. Made of local sandstone from the quarry near Brzeźno, it was commissioned in 1151 AD. Containing Romanesque inscriptions, some scholars say that the stone itself was originally a Celtic sculpture
- St Bartholomew's parish church was rebuilt in the second half of the 14th century, but its Romanesque features are still visible in the external walls. The features include dressed stones made of sandstone and a massive stone cross built into the wall
- Gothic
- St Bartholomew's Parish Church is Konin's most notable example of Gothic architecture and art
- St Andrew's Church, in Konin's Gosławice district, is a rural Gothic church with an unusual Greek cross, the building also contains a rare fan vault
- The 15th century medieval castle in Gosławice, currently a regional museum, was built in 1418-1426. It was designed to be defended with firearms. Gosławice contains a rare collection of historical buildings, with its ancient village, Gothic church, medieval castle, and old Polish manor
Renaissance
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- On the grounds of St. Bartholomew's Church is the Late Renaissance chapel of Jan Zemełko (Zemelius), a local physician, renaissance man, and well known member of the middle class in Konin and Kalisz
- The former home of Jan Zemełko has been renovated many times since Zemełko's era, but the main hall still contains the original barrel vault. At the ground floor level, the walls are exceedingly thick (1 to 2 m)
Mannerism
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- The Manneristic tombstone of Stanisław Przyjemski is located at the north wall of the main nave of St. Bartholomew's Parish Church
- Mannerstic wooden stalls, with inlaid work, are located in the Chapel of Jan Zemełko (Zemelius)
Baroque
Classicism
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- The Town Hall, built at the beginning of the 19th century, has a front with four, tall Toscany Columns. There is a small tower with a clock and a tall flagstaff from which the official flag of Konin is hung on local and state holidays
- Old Town contains many Classicist tenement houses as well as a former butcher's shop in the same style, near the Town Hall
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- The Municipal Council Building, near the Plac Wolności, is of the Classicist style
- The Presbytery of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Ghost is a Classicist manor house, situated in the small garden at the center of the Old Town
Neo-Gothic 19th and 20th Centuries
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- St Bartholomew's Parish Church has a Neo-Gothic main altar made of wood, with many Neo-Gothic statues decorating it
- St Andrew's Church, in the Gosławice District, originally was built in the Gothic style. It was redecorated in the Neo-Gothic manner. Its central turret and the fronts of its chapels were built in the 19th century
Eclecticism 19th and 20th Centuries
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- The Lutheran Church of the Holy Ghost, constructed in 1856 and rebuilt in 1901-1915 and 1981–1985, is a representation of Eclecticism. Built when Konin was under the control of the Russian Empire, it is somewhat reminiscent of the style of Russian Orthodox churches. Constructed of dark brick, its massive main tower is covered with spires and many decorative details
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- St. Adalbert's Church, in the Morzysław District, was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier wooden church and its churchyard. It was completely redecorated, enlarged, and altered at the beginning of the 20th century, resulting in an impressive large temple, with a tall main tower topped by a high spire. This church, also, shows the slight influence of Russian Orthodox architecture
- Other examples of Eclecticism in Konin are found in the Jewish buildings, including the Konin Synagogue, the ritual baths, and the Talmudic school house. These buildings were constructed in the 19th century, and the synagogue is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind in Greater Poland. Erected in 1832, it was enlarged and renenovated in 1883
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- The Romani Gypsy palaces in the Old Town, exhibit impressive onion domes and sculptures shaped like miniature, richly embellished medieval castles. Built mainly in the 1980s and 1990s, they represent a unique element within the city's residential districts
Modernism
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- Ulica Szarych Szeregów 1 is an impressive renovated tenement house with a distinguished façade and an infamous history. Built in the 1930s by a local MP, it housed the World War II offices of the Nazi Gestapo. After 1945, the building was occupied by the Communist secret state police, the Urząd Bezpieczeństwa. The building now houses private apartments
- The town's library is a bulky, cube shaped Modernistic structure. Before becoming a library, it served as a branch of the National Bank of Poland
Nazi Architecture
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- Several examples of Nazi architecture exist in Konin, including a row of buildings in New Konin, that were built as lodgings for railwaymen. Just across the street is a monument, commemorating a 1943 Jewish uprising
Postmodernism
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- Representing Catholic ecclesiastical Postmodernism, ten kilometres (6.2 miles) from Konin stands the monumental Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, the world's sixth largest Christian church
- The PKO BP S.A. bank and office building was one of the first large buildings erected in Konin after the 1989 fall of Communism in Poland. While having many features rooted in Socialist Realism, it incorporates Postmodernist elements not previously seen in Konin
PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society)
Perhaps owing to Konin being located at the junction of some of Poland's most historic lands - Greater Poland, Cuiavia, Mazovia, and Łódzkie - the local branch of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society is very active. Moreover, the interest of non-Poles is aroused by the traces of, and monuments to, the many national minorities who have lived over the centuries in Konin and Konin County: Jews, Scots, Germans, Frenchmen, Russians, Romanis, Czechs, Swiss, Dutch Olędrzy, Vietnamese, Chinese, Romanians, and Africans.
Notably, Konin was one of towns along the Scottish Trail - the route through urban areas of Greater Poland and Lower Silesia that connected the various Scottish trading communities that settled in Poland from the 15th century onward.
Images for kids
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Romanesque-Gothic St Bartholomew's Church
See also
In Spanish: Konin para niños