Stargard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stargard
From top, clockwise: City Hall, Pyrzyce Gate, St. Mary's Church
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Motto(s):  Stargard - Klejnot Pomorza Stargard - Jewel of Pomerania
Stargard Location in Poland
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	West Pomeranian Voivodeship
County	Stargard
Gmina	Stargard (urban gmina)
Established	8th century
First mentioned	1124
City rights	1243
Area
• Total	48.1 km2 (18.6 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Population  (31 December 2021)
• Total	67,293
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	73-100 to 73-110
Area code(s)	+48 91
Car plates	ZST
Website	http://www.stargard.pl

Stargard is a city in northwestern Poland. It is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2021, about 67,293 people lived there. The city is built on the Ina River. Stargard is an important place for trains. It is the second biggest city in the area around Szczecin.

What's in a Name?

The name of the city, Stargard, comes from the Pomeranian language. This language is still spoken by the Kashubs. In their language, stari means old and gard or gôrd means town or city. So, Stargard means "old town."

Some experts think the name might come from an older language called Proto-Norse. In that language, starn means star and gate means gate.

A Look at Stargard's Past

Early Beginnings

St. Mary's Church, a beautiful old church and a Historic Monument in Poland.

Stargard started as a small settlement around the 8th century. In 967, it became part of the new country of Poland. This was under the first Polish rulers, the Piast dynasty.

The city was first written about in 1124. A church was built in 1140. Stargard officially became a city in 1243. It received special "city rights" from Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania.

Stargard grew to be a very important trading city in the Duchy of Pomerania. This was a region that had separated from Poland. By 1283, the city even had its own port on the Ina River. Strong city walls were built in the 13th century and made even bigger later on. In 1363, Stargard joined the Hanseatic League, which was a powerful group of trading cities.

Sometimes, cities competed with each other. Stargard had a trade rivalry with the nearby city of Szczecin. This led to a short war between them from 1454 to 1464.

Later History

Stargard in the 17th century.

Stargard was part of the Duchy of Pomerania until 1637. During the Thirty Years' War, a big war in Europe, the city was captured many times. It was taken by Sweden in 1630. Then, soldiers from the Holy Roman Empire tried to take it. The Swedish commander even set fire to parts of the city to stop them.

The city was captured and recaptured many times by different armies. Because of the war, about 75% of the people living in Stargard died or moved away.

After the war, in 1653, Stargard became part of Brandenburg-Prussia. In 1701, it became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Later, in 1871, it joined the German Empire.

During World War I, from 1914 to 1918, a prisoner-of-war camp was set up in Stargard. About 50,000 prisoners were held there. These prisoners came from many countries, including Russia, France, Belgium, America, and England.

Stargard During World War II

A photo of Stalag II-D, a prisoner-of-war camp, from 1939–1945.

In 1939, when World War II began, a large prisoner-of-war camp called Stalag II-D was created near Stargard. At first, Polish soldiers and civilians were held there. Later, soldiers from France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union were also imprisoned. Thousands of Canadians captured in 1942 were also held here.

Prisoners were treated differently based on where they came from. For example, Polish, African, Arab, Jewish, and Soviet prisoners were treated much worse. There were also places where people were forced to work. The Polish resistance movement, called the Home Army, was active in Stargard.

In February 1945, near the end of the war, the people of Stargard were told to leave by the Germans. This was because the Soviet army was getting close.

After World War II, Stargard became part of Poland again. This was decided at the Potsdam Conference. Polish officials took over the city on March 23, 1945. Many new Polish residents moved to Stargard. Some of them had to leave their homes in eastern Poland, which was taken by the Soviet Union.

Stargard After the War

In 1950, the city's name was changed to Stargard Szczeciński. This was to help people tell it apart from another city called Starogard Gdański. The name was changed back to just Stargard on January 1, 2016.

In 1961, the nearby area of Kluczewo became part of Stargard. In 1979, the city experienced a flood. In 1993, Stargard celebrated its 750th birthday as a city.

Today, Stargard has industrial parks. These are special areas where many factories and businesses are located.

Famous Places and Buildings

Sights of Stargard

Brama Młyńska

Renaissance Town Hall

A Gothic townhouse, today a music school

Arsenal

Medieval town walls with the Pyrzycka Gate

St. John's Church

Wałowa Gate

War cemetery

During World War II, much of Stargard was destroyed by bombs. Over 75% of the city was ruined. But some important historical buildings have been rebuilt. These include St. Mary's Church and the old town hall. These new buildings are part of the European Route of Brick Gothic.

Here are some of the notable places you can see in Stargard:

• St. Mary's Church: This is a very old and famous church built in the 15th century. It is one of the largest brick churches in Europe. It is also a Historic Monument of Poland.
• St. John's Church: Another old church from the 15th century.
• Medieval walls and gates: Stargard still has parts of its old city walls, gates, and towers. These are also a Historic Monument of Poland.
  • Brama Młyńska (The Mill Gate): Built in the 15th century, this is the only water gate in Poland that is still standing.
  • Wałowa Gate: From the 15th century.
  • Pyrzycka Gate: From the 13th century.
  • Red Sea Tower (Baszta Morze Czerwone): Built in 1513.
  • Weavers' Tower (Baszta Tkaczy): From the 15th century.
  • White Head Tower (Baszta Białogłówka): From the 15th century.
• Old Gothic houses.
• Gothic Arsenal (Arsenał): An old building where weapons were stored.

Other interesting places include:

• Renaissance town hall: This building is known for its beautiful 16th-century design.
• Granary: A 16th-century building used for storing grain.
• The largest conciliation cross in Europe: This cross was built in 1542.
• Parks:
  • Bolesław I the Brave Park (Park im. Bolesława Chrobrego): The oldest and biggest park in Stargard.
  • Jagiellonian Park (Park Jagielloński).
• Old guardhouse: This building is now a museum.
• Holy Spirit church and Church of the Transfiguration.
• War cemetery: About 5,000 soldiers from many countries are buried here. They died during World War I and World War II.
• The 15th Meridian Monument (Pomnik 15. Południk): A monument marking a special line of longitude.
• Monuments to important Polish figures like Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki.

Sports in Stargard

A Polish Basketball League game between Spójnia Stargard and Anwil Włocławek in 2019.

Stargard is home to two main sports teams:

• Spójnia Stargard: This is a men's basketball team. They play in Poland's top basketball league. In 1997, they were the second-best team in the league.
• Błękitni Stargard: This is a men's association football (soccer) team. They are famous for reaching the semi-final of the Polish Cup in 2015.

People and Numbers

Youth Culture Centre.

District court.

Sugar refinery in the Kluczewo district.

Famous People from Stargard

Margaret, a singer-songwriter from Stargard.

Many interesting people have come from Stargard, including:

• Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke (1776–1830), a Prussian general.
• Oscar Levy (1867–1946), a writer.
• Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946), a general.
• Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (1905–1982), a German government minister.
• Claus Biederstaedt (1928-2020), an actor.
• Peter Karow (born 1940), an entrepreneur.
• Carlo von Tiedemann (born 1943), a television presenter.
• Ewa Kasprzyk (born 1957), an actress.
• Margaret (born 1991), a singer-songwriter.

Stargard Around the World

Stargard has "twin towns" or "sister cities" in other countries. This means they have special friendly relationships.

Stargard in Stories

In a science fiction book series called The Cross Time Engineer, the main character pretends to be from Stargard. He does this to hide that he can travel through time!

See also

In Spanish: Stargard para niños