Orzysz

Orzysz (English pronunciation Ozis [ˈɔʐɨʂ], German: Arys)[1] is a town in northeastern Poland, in the Pisz County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with 7,512 inhabitants (2007). It is located on Orzysz Lake in the region of Masuria.

For the lake, see Orzysz (lake).
Orzysz
Health clinic in Orzysz
Flag
Coat of arms
Orzysz
Orzysz
Coordinates: 53°48′20″N 21°56′45″E
Country Poland
VoivodeshipWarmian-Masurian
CountyPisz
GminaOrzysz
Established1443
Town rights1725
Area
 • Total8.16 km2 (3.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total5,615
 • Density690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
12-250
Vehicle registrationNPI
Websitehttp://www.orzysz.pl

History
Sacred Heart Church

The location of the town has been inhabited for a long time. In 1895 remains of a settlement dated to c. 300-1000 AD were discovered near the town on the shores of Lake Orzysz. The present settlement was founded by Wawrzyniec Polak, who in 1443 was allowed to establish the settlement by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Konrad von Erlichshausen.[2] In 1454, Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated the region to the Kingdom of Poland upon the request of the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation,[3] and the Thirteen Years' War broke out. After the Peace of Toruń in 1466 it became part of Poland, as a fief held by the Teutonic Knights[4] A local parish was established in 1544, and its first preacher was named Maciej.[2][5]

After Reformation until 1702 church services in the only church were conducted in the Masurian dialect of Polish, spoken by the ethnically Polish majority of the town's population. A year earlier, in 1701, the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The town was subjected to Germanisation policies, and in 1796 a local Prussian official filed a complaint against the local parish pastor for not complying with these policies and continuing schooling in Polish.[5]

The population of Arys in 1740 was 640, and in 1782 about 900. The population of Arys slowly increased. There were 85 craftsmen recorded in 1775, a majority of them shoemakers. The town, located on a trading route, was granted city rights in 1725 by Frederick William I of Prussia. The town has been militarily occupied frequently. During the Seven Years' War it was held by Russian troops for four years. During Napoleonic Wars, French and Russian troops were quartered in the town in 1806-1807.[5][6] A fire destroyed almost the entire town in 1826.[6] The town became impoverished as a result of the fire and the collapse of the local economy.[6] According to Prussians, in 1834 Poles constituted a slight majority of residents – 600 compared to 502 Germans, however anyone who knew German was counted as German by the Prussians.[5][7] On the other hand, only around 100 inhabitants did not speak Polish, according to other sources.[5] In the second half of the 19th century, the town slowly developed again and its population grew.[6] The populace remained predominantly Polish[6] and Protestant, and in the late 19th century the local parish was composed of 4,450 Poles and 1,000 Germans.[2][5]

20th century

During World War I, several battles were fought between the German and Russian armies in 1914 and 1915 in the area of Arys. The town was held by Russian troops for 20 days and heavily damaged.[6][8]

On July 11, 1920, the East Prussian plebiscite, mandated by the Versailles Treaty, was held in the District of Allenstein (now Olsztyn), which included Arys. District-wide results were 1,480 votes for Germany and only 1 (one) vote for Poland.[6][8]

In July 1920, a German internment camp for Polish troops was established in the town during the Polish–Soviet War.[9] Some Poles tried to escape and during such attempts three were killed by the Germans, plus three more died in the camp due to epidemics.[9] In August 1920, Poles were deported to Königsberg and then Minden, for Russians to take their place in the camp.[10]

Notable Polish folk poet and activist in Masuria, Michał Kajka, died in the town in 1940.[11]

Towards the end of World War II Arys was nearly destroyed in the Soviet January offensive. After the flight of the majority of the population, there were only 300 people remaining in the town in January 1945, mostly Masurians (Poles).[6] Orzysz became again part of Poland under the border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945, and the remaining Polish inhabitants were joined by Poles displaced from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union and from other places.[6]

Sports

The local football team is Śniardwy Orzysz. It competes in the lower leagues.

Notable residents

References
  1. "Former Territory of Germany" (in German). 2017-11-13.
  2. Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VII, Warszawa, 1886, p. 615 (in Polish)
  3. Górski, Karol (1949). Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych (in Polish). Poznań: Instytut Zachodni. p. 54.
  4. Górski, p. 96-97, 214-215
  5. "Płyniemy środkiem jeziora, a brzegiem biegnie historia". Orzysz.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  6. J. Foszczyński, "History of Orzysz", Orzysz naturalnie (in Polish), Urząd Miejski w Orzyszu (Orzysz City Council)
  7. Jan Bałdowski, Warmia i Mazury, mały przewodnik, Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka, Warsaw, 1977, p. 164-165
  8. Weise, Erich, ed. (1981) [1966]. Handbuch der historischen Stätten. Ost- und Westpreussen (in German). Stuttgart: Kröner. pp. 6–7. ISBN 3-520-31701-X. [Source from the Cold War period] 
  9. Jacek Foszczyński, Zwycięzcy za drutami, "Wieści Orzyskie" nr 34, 2012, p. 3, 7 (in Polish)
  10. Jacek Foszczyński, Zwycięzcy za drutami, p. 7
  11. "75. rocznica śmierci mazurskiego poety Michała Kajki". dzieje.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 24 October 2020.


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