Pila
Piła (
German Schneidemühl) is a town in northwestern
Poland with 77,000 inhabitants (2001).
Situated in the
Greater Poland Voivodship (since 1999), previously capital of
Piła Voivodship (1975-1998). Piła is the largest town in the northern part of Greater Poland, at now is headtown of a county. The town is beautifully located on the Gwda (Kuddow) river. It is a very important point of roads and railroads. First mentions about the town come from the
15th century.
History
Founded 1380 or 1513.\nPiła was part of Greater Poland. In 1772 it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. 1806-1815 in the Duchy of Warsaw. Later in the Grand Duchy of Posen. Since 1871 in the Imperial Germany, Province of Posen. In 1918, unlike the rest of the province, it stayed in Germany, becoming the capital of Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen. In 1938 included in Pommern. After 1945 annexed by Poland. The town was almost completely ruined during World War II .
Famous people: Stanislaw Staszic (1755-1826), a priest and the activist of the Polish Enlightenment. Very active also as economist in the times of Congress Kingdom.
Interesting objects include: a 19th century building of former arsenal, St Stanislaus Kostka's church - built in Neo-Gothic style, Holy Family's church - built in Neo-Baroque style, St Anthony's church with the biggest in Europe seven metre tall wooden figure of Jesus Christ (church built in 1930), museum in house of Stanislaw Staszic, two war cemeteries (prisoners from the World War I and Polish and Soviet soldiers killed during the battle of Wał Pomorski (Pommerstellung) during World War II). Cemeteries are in uptown part of Piła, in Leszków.
Piła cooperates with some twin towns in Europe: Chatellerault (France), Kronsztadt (Russia), Schwerin and Cuxhaven (Germany). The town has a very good speedway club Polonia, four times Polish champion women volleyball team "Nafta-Gaz", and fourth division soccer club MKP 1999.
City name
Piła is a Polish word which means "a saw". The old German name of the town, Schneidemühl, literally means "sawmill" in English.
Historical population
\n{| border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0\n|-\n| 1774 || 1,322\n|-\n| 1816 || 1,992\n|-\n| 1843 || 4,111\n|-\n| 1856 || 6,060\n|-\n| 1867 || 7,516\n|-\n| 1875 || 9,724\n|-\n| 1905 || 21,600\n|-\n| 1910 || 26,100\n|-\n| 1919 || 32,600\n|-\n| 1925 || 37,518\n|-\n| 1933 || 43,180\n|-\n| 1938 || 45,600\n|-\n| 1939 || 45,791\n|-\n| 1948 || 10,700\n|-\n| 1960 || 33,800\n|-\n| 1970 || 43,700\n|-\n| 1980 || 58,900\n|-\n| 1990 || 71,100\n|-\n| 1995 || 75,700\n|}
\nEconomy
Major corporations
- Philips Lighning Poland SA, Pila\n*Winkowski sp. z o.o, Pila
Education
Sports
Famous people
Politics
Pila constituency
Members of Parliament (Sejm) elected from Pila constituency\n* Ajchler Romuald, SLD-UP \n* Beger Renata, Samoobrona \n* Gawłowski Andrzej, SLD-UP \n* Kalemba Stanisław, PSL \n* Pijanowska Grażyna, SLD-UP \n* Piosik Stanisław, SLD-UP \n* Skowyra Józef, LPR \n* Stec Stanisław, SLD-UP \n* Szejnfeld Adam, PO
Municipal politics
to be written yet
\n
\nPila is also the plural form of the Roman weapon, the pilum.
Category:Towns in Poland
