Kozienice facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kozienice
Palace in Kozienice
Flag Coat of arms
Kozienice Location in Poland
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	Kozienice
Gmina	Kozienice
First mentioned	1206
Town rights	1549
Area
• City	10.45 km2 (4.03 sq mi)
Population  (2019)
• City	17,075
• Density	1,634.0/km2 (4,232.0/sq mi)
• Metro	30,000
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	26-900
Area code(s)	+48 48
Car plates	WKZ
Website	http://www.kozienice.pl/

Kozienice is a town in eastern Poland. About 17,000 people live there today. It is located near the Vistula River and is the main town of Kozienice County.

Even though Kozienice is part of Lesser Poland, it is now in the Masovian Voivodeship. This region has changed its name over the years. North-west of Kozienice, you can find Poland's second largest coal-fired power plant. The town also gives its name to a special protected area called Kozienice Landscape Park.

What's in a Name? The Etymology of Kozienice

The name of the town has been around for a long time. In old records from 1429, it was written as Coszinicze in Latin. Later, in 1569, it was called Kozienycze. The name likely comes from an old Polish given name, Kozina.

A Journey Through Time: The History of Kozienice

Monument celebrating the birth of Polish King Sigismund I the Old in Kozienice

Monument of a deer, a symbol of the town, found on its coat of arms

The history of Kozienice began in 1206. At that time, it was owned by a group of nuns. Later, it became part of the Polish kingdom. In 1326, King Władysław I the Elbow-high officially made Kozienice a town.

Kozienice was on an important road from Kraków to Vilnius. It was also next to the large Kozienice Forest. This made it a favorite place for King Władysław II Jagiełło. He even built a church there in 1394. Because there was plenty of wood from the forest, a special floating bridge was built over the Vistula River. This bridge was later moved and used by Polish troops in 1410. This helped them cross the river during a big war.

In 1467, a future king, Sigismund I the Old, was born in Kozienice. A monument was put up in 1518 to mark this important event. It is one of the oldest non-religious monuments in Poland. Kozienice officially became a city in 1549, thanks to King Sigismund II Augustus. In 1559, the king allowed three yearly fairs to be held in the town. Kozienice was a royal town, meaning it belonged directly to the king.

In 1652, many people in Kozienice died from a serious illness. Four years later, a battle between Poles and Swedes took place there. In 1782, a fire destroyed much of the town. But King Stanisław August Poniatowski helped rebuild it. Wooden buildings were replaced with stronger stone houses. From 1784 to 1788, a factory that made rifles was started in Kozienice.

Kozienice in Changing Times

In 1795, Kozienice became part of Austria. But in 1809, Polish soldiers led by General Józef Zajączek defeated the Austrians in a battle. Kozienice then became part of a short-lived Polish state called the Duchy of Warsaw. After that, in 1815, it fell under Russian rule.

In 1867, Kozienice became the main town of a county for the first time. A road to the city of Radom was built, along with army barracks. By 1897, about 6,391 people lived in Kozienice. In 1918, Poland became an independent country again, and Kozienice was part of it.

Kozienice During World War II

After Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in 1939, Germany occupied Kozienice. From 1939 to 1945, the town was under German control. During this time, the Germans arrested many Poles. They were often tortured and killed in nearby forests. The Polish resistance movement, a group fighting against the occupation, was active in Kozienice.

The Jewish Community of Kozienice

Kozienice had a Jewish community for a very long time, since 1596. In the early 1800s, a famous Jewish leader named Yisroel Hopsztajn helped start a new religious movement in Poland. Before World War II, about 5,000 Jewish people lived in Kozienice. They were involved in tourism, as many Jewish pilgrims visited the tomb of their leader, and in making shoes.

Life During the Holocaust

During the German invasion in September 1939, German soldiers forced 2,000 Jewish people into a small church. Many of them died there. In late 1940, the Germans created a special area called a ghetto in Kozienice. About 8,000 Jewish people from Kozienice and nearby towns were sent to the Treblinka extermination camp in September 1942. They were killed there.

Only a small number of Jewish people were left in the Kozienice ghetto. They were later sent to forced labor camps. However, some Jewish people survived by hiding with Polish families. Several Poles from Kozienice were punished or sent to concentration camps for helping Jewish people. After the war, many survivors left Kozienice. They later created a "Memorial Book" to remember those who were killed.

Notable People from Kozienice

Kozienice is the birthplace of several important people:

• Frans Krajcberg (1921–2017) – A Polish-Brazilian artist who painted, sculpted, and took photos.
• Julia Michalska (born 1985) – A Polish rower who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
• Irene Gut Opdyke (1922–2003) – A Polish nurse who helped Jewish people during World War II.
• Sigismund I the Old (1467–1548) – He was the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania for many years.

Climate and Weather in Kozienice

Kozienice has a climate that is usually mild, with warm summers and cold winters. It gets a good amount of rain throughout the year. The warmest month is July, and the coldest is January. The town also gets a fair amount of sunshine, especially in the summer months.

Sports in Kozienice

The local football team in Kozienice is called MG MZKS Kozienice [pl]. They play in the lower football leagues.

Kozienice's Sister Cities Around the World

Kozienice has special partnerships with other cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." They work together to share culture and ideas.

• Roswell, United States (since 2023)
• Göllheim, Germany (since 1996)
• Chuhuiv, Ukraine (since 2001)
• Medzilaborce, Slovakia (since 2005)

Images for kids

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  Sigismund I the Old