Send Gift Baskets to Ostrow Wielkopolski, Poland

A small fortified dwelling from the 10th century was recently discovered on the northeast side of the town’s limits. The excavation of an archeological site is currently underway. Since the establishment of the Polish state in the 10th century, it has been part of Poland.

In 1293, a document mentioned Ostrów for the first time. In 1711, Ostrów’s officials dropped its town status due to the economic stagnation caused by fires, wars, and a weak 16th-century nobility. It was located in the Greater Poland Province of the Polish Crown and was administratively part of the Kalisz Voivodeship. The royal court reinstated the status in 1714 after Jan Jerzy Przebendowski, one of the nobles of Ostrów, intervened. Six years of tax exemption were granted to new settlers to help the city grow. Grand Crown Marshal Franciszek Bieliski restored the town’s status and granted it greater privileges. Another noble family, the Radziwiłł family, regulated the town’s affairs. In addition to its location, the town’s owners, people, and officials cared for it and worked hard to make it grow continuously.

After the war, Ostrów Wielkopolski was part of the Pozna Voivodeship, and between 1975 and 1998, it was the second most populous city in Kalisz Voivodeship (after Kalisz).

In September 1945, the Polish resistance movement attempted to capture the local communist jail and liberate the prisoners but was unsuccessful. The “Solidarity” organization was founded when local factory workers joined the nationwide anti-communist strikes in July–August 1980.

For the second time, Ostrów’s city limits were considerably expanded in 1979, including Pruślin, Szczygliczka, Zacharzew, Piaski, Stary Staw, and Nowy Staw as new districts.