Poniec
Poniec [ˈpɔɲet͡s] (German: Punitz) is a town situated in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), formerly in Leszno Voivodeship (1975-1998), in Poland. The town has about 3,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of a commune in Gostyń County.
Poniec | |
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![]() Town Hall (Ratusz) at the Market Square (Rynek) | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
![]() ![]() Poniec ![]() ![]() Poniec | |
Coordinates: 51°45′30″N 16°49′0″E | |
Country | ![]() |
Voivodeship | ![]() |
County | Gostyń |
Gmina | Poniec |
First mentioned | 1108 |
Town rights | before 1309 |
Area | |
• Total | 3.54 km2 (1.37 sq mi) |
Population (2006) | |
• Total | 2,875 |
• Density | 810/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 64-125 |
Website | http://www.poniec.pl/ |
History
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Poniec dates back to the 10th century, when it was part of the emerging Polish state. The oldest known mention comes from 1108.[1] It was granted town rights before 1309. Crafts, especially clothmaking, developed and the town prospered until the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655–1660.[1] The Battle of Poniec occurred nearby on 28 October 1704 during the Great Northern War.
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After the Second Partition of Poland, in 1793 it was annexed by Prussia. Regained by Poles in 1807, it was included in the short-lived Polish Duchy of Warsaw, in 1815 it was re-annexed by Prussia. The local population was subjected to harsh Germanisation policies, however local Poles established various organizations, including a local branch of the "Sokół" Polish Gymnastic Society.[1] Many inhabitants took part in the Greater Poland uprising (1918–19), after which Poniec was reintegrated with Poland in 1919, shortly after it regained independence.[1]
During the invasion of Poland, which started World War II, German troops entered the town on 6 September 1939.[1] The Polish population was subjected to arrests, executions and expulsions. In the following months, many residents were imprisoned in the town hall.[1] On 21 October 1939 the Germans carried out a public execution of local Poles.[2] Over 300 Poles were expelled to the General Government, mostly to Tarnów.[1] First Polish families were expelled in December 1939.[1] Many inhabitants were taken to forced labour or murdered in Nazi concentration camps.[1] The town was captured by the Soviets in January 1945 and afterwards restored to Poland.
People
- Edmund Charaszkiewicz (1895-1975), intelligence officer
References
- "Historia Ponieca". Poniec.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- Maria Wardzyńska, Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion, IPN, Warszawa, 2009, p. 198 (in Polish)