A panorama of today's Włocławek, taken from Saint Gotthard Hill

Włocławek
Cathedral in Włocławek
Flag Coat of arms
Włocławek
Coordinates: 52°39′N 19°3′E / 52.65°N 19.05°E / 52.65; 19.05
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Kuyavian-Pomeranian
Powiat	city county
Established	tenth century
Town rights	1255
Government
- Mayor	Andrzej Pałucki
Area
- City	84.32 km2 (32.6 sq mi)
Population (2009)
- City	117,785
- Density	1,396.9/km2 (3,617.9/sq mi)
- Metro	243 000
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	87-800 to 87-810, 87-812, 87-814, 87-816 to 87-818, 87-822
Area code(s)	+48 54
Car plates	CW
Website	http://www.wloclawek.pl

Włocławek districts

Włocławek [vwɔt​͡sˈwavɛk] ( listen) (German: Leslau from 1939–45) is a town in northern Poland on the Vistula (Wisła) and Zgłowiączka rivers, with a population of 117,785 (June 2009). It is situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and until 1999 was the capital of Włocławek Voivodeship.

History

Historians have given a number of years for the establishment of the town since the 16th century. Part of the confusion is the various attribution of the city's namesake as Władysław II the Exile, his grandfather Władysław I Herman, or Vladislav II of Bohemia.

An assistant to the Archbishop of Gniezno is mentioned residing in the town in 1123 and the Diocese of Włocławek (Latin: Vladislaviensis) in Kuyavia was first mentioned in a bull issued by Pope Eugene III in 1148. The first bishop of Włocławek, whose name appears in the bull, was Warner, and he was followed by an Italian named Onoldius. The diocese was also recorded as "Włocławek and Pomerania" (Vladislaviensis et Pomeraniae).

Włocławek received its town rights in 1255. In the 14th and 15th century, the city was destroyed or captured several times by German knights, who called it Leslau. Peace arrived with the Treaty of Thorn in 1466 and the city prospered from its involvement in the Polish grain trade. In 1657, a Swedish invasion during the Second Northern War partially destroyed the city. After the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, Włocławek fell to Prussia. The Congress of Vienna restored it to Congress Poland, but it was occupied by Russia in 1831. The city was again destroyed during the German offensive during the First World War.

Under the Nazi occupation during World War II, Włocławek was renamed Leslau and administered as part of Reichsgau Wartheland. The war saw a third of the city destroyed, but factories and workshops were rebuilt by the Polish government in the subsequent decades. The most important industries in Włocławek today are chemicals, chemical products, furniture, and food processing. A lock system constructed in 1969 regulates the water level of the Vistula.

Jewish community

Since the beginning of the 19th century, Włocławek had a flourishing, sizable Jewish population. After the Nazi occupation in 1939, it became the first town in Europe in which Jews were required to wear yellow Stars of David. Soon the Star became required for all Jews in German-occupied Europe. Many Włocławek Jews died from Nazi fists or guns, starvation or illness after being confined in the Łódź Ghetto. Others were gassed upon arrival at the Chelmno death camp.There is little, if any trace of their once rich and lively community today.

Włocławek districts

• Michelin
• Południe (South)
• Rybnica
• Śródmieście (City Centre)
• Wschód Leśny (East Forest area)
• Wschód Mieszkaniowy (East Residential area), a.k.a. Dzielnica Wschód (Eeast District)
• Wschód Przemysłowy (East Industrial area), a.k.a. Dzielnica Wschód (Eeast District)
• Zachód Przemysłowy (West Industrial area)
• Zawiśle
• Zazamcze

Historical monuments

Interior of Cathedral

Tomb effigy of Bishop Piotr z Bnina by Veit Stoss, located in Cathedral

St. Witalis Church

Church of John the Baptist

Plac Wolności (Liberty Square)

PWSZ we Włocławku (Higher Vocational State School in Włocławek)

Południe (South) district

Młyn Hotel (former salt mill)

• Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary - Begun in 1340.
• St. Witalis Church - from 1330
• Church of John the Baptist - from 1538. Built on the site of an earlier temple first mentioned in 1065.

Sports

• Anwil Włocławek - men's basketball team, former Polish Champion, 4th in Era Basket Liga in 2003/2004 season.
• Kujawiak Hydrobudowa Włocławek - men's football team, winner of regional 3rd league group 2004, promoted to play in 2nd league in season 2004/2005, now Zawisza Bydgoszcz, club bought by Bydgoszcz.
• Wloclawskie Towarzystwo Wioslarskie / Włocławek Rowing Association - rowing team, former Polish and world Champions; created in 1886

Major corporations

• Zakłady Azotowe Anwil
• Kujawska Fabryka Farb i Lakierów Nobiles
• Fabryka Lin i Drutu Drumet
• Kujawianka
• KeSeM
• Fabryka Urządzeń Technicznych Wisła-Bryka
• Kujawska Wytwórnia Termometrów
• Kujawska Fabryka Manometrów
• Włocławska Fabryka Porcelany
• Rieber Foods Polska S.A. Delecta
• Włocławskie Fabryki Mebli Paged-Wefem
• Kujawskie Zakłady Przemysłu Owocowo-Warzywnego Włocławek Sp. z o.o.
• Instal Projekt
• TOP 2000
• Hydrobudowa Włocławek
• RUN Chłodnia
• Elektrownia Wodna we Włocławku
• DGS
• Bomilla
• Stalprodukt
• Remwil
• Sanitec Koło Sp. z o.o.
• ABfilter

Grodzki Square (Plac Grodzki) in downtown (Śródmieście)

Włocławek Dam – Hydroelectric Power Station in Włocławek (Elektrownia Wodna we Włocławku)

Education

• Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna
• Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki in Łódź, branch in Włocławek
• Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa in Włocławek
• Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne in Włocławek
• Wyższa Szkoła Techniki i Przedsiębiorczości in Włocławek

High schools

• I LO im. Ziemi Kujawskiej, ul. Mickiewicza 6 in Włocławek is one of the best high school in the city and in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

History of the school

In early 1900 the Committee of Civic, which was chaired by Louis Bauer requested the Ministry of Finance to set up a trade school. 27 April 1900, the Ministry of Finance agreed to the creation of Włocławskie Siedmioklasowej School of Economics. The founders of the school was 104 inhabitants. The school admitted students were between the ages of 8 to 11 years who, after the annual rate became the first class of students. Powers available to the school received a state school,

• II LO im. Mikołaja Kopernika, ul. Urocza 3
• III LO im. Marii Konopnickiej, ul. Bechiego 1
• IV LO im. Kamila Krzysztofa Baczyńskiego, ul. Kaliska 108
• V LO im. Unii Europejskiej, ul. Toruńska 77/83

Twin Areas

This area has twinning with the following:

Mogilev, Belarus;

Bedford, United Kingdom;

Izmail, Ukraine;

Saint-Avold, France

People

• Sholem Asch
• Bronisław Dembowski (b. 1927), bishop of Włocławek (1992–2003)
• Anton Denikin
• Roman Kozłowski, paleontologist
• Leon Marchlewski
• Aharon Megged
• Henryk Muszyński, bishop
• Jan Nagórski, the first man to fly over the North Pole
• Marcel Reich-Ranicki
• Tadeus Reichstein
• Chaim F. Shatan, physician who defined Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Włodzimierz Stanny
• Józef Stolorz, renowned fine-art painter
• Jakub Świnka
• Stefan Wyszyński, enrolled in the Roman Catholic seminary in Włocławek
• Stanisław Zagajewski fine-art sculptor

Counties of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship City counties Bydgoszcz (governor's seat) • Toruń (assembly seat) • Grudziądz • Włocławek Land counties Aleksandrów • Brodnica • Bydgoszcz • Chełmno • Golub-Dobrzyń • Grudziądz • Inowrocław • Lipno • Mogilno • Nakło • Radziejów • Rypin • Sępólno • Świecie • Toruń • Tuchola • Wąbrzeźno • Włocławek • Żnin

Włocławek County Urban gmina Kowal Urban-rural gminas Gmina Brześć Kujawski • Gmina Chodecz • Gmina Izbica Kujawska • Gmina Lubień Kujawski • Gmina Lubraniec Rural gminas Gmina Baruchowo • Gmina Boniewo • Gmina Choceń • Gmina Fabianki • Gmina Kowal • Gmina Lubanie • Gmina Włocławek Seat (not part of the county) Włocławek

Coordinates: 52°39′N 19°02′E / 52.65°N 19.033°E / 52.65; 19.033