Gizycko Poland description, location, history. Poland map.

Gizycko Poland description, location, history. Poland map.

Giżycko is a land county located in the Mazury Region, bewtween two lakes: Mamry and Niegocin (eastern part of Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship). The town is one of the main ports in the Great Lakes Land and an important tourist and holiday centres in Poland.

The history of Giżycko begins in the 14th century as it was in 1340 that the Teutonic Knights founded a castle on a narrow pass between the lakes Niegocin and Kisajno. The castle was named Lötzen.

During the rebellion against the Teutonic Knights the peasant guerilla warfare was active. The castle was taken over and destroyed by the Poles in 1455.

After the Thirteen Years War (1454-1466) the territory was given to Poland as a fief and the castle was rebuilt.

In the half of the 15th century a new village was being established along the castle; Nowa Wieś (New Village) was granted town rights in 1612. The town received its name from the castle Lötzen (Lec) and bore it for centuries.

The name became inappropriate as Nowa Wieś was no longer a village; the town received the name which so far was assigned to the castle only - Lötzen.

The dynamic development of the town took place in the second half of the 19th century. In the years 1843-51, the great public works begun and the fortress was built. The building took the name of the Prussian General and the Minister of the War - von Boyen.

After World War II, the town was known as Lec; it soon came to be named Łoczany and later its name was changed into Łuczany. In 1945, a special administrative organ was established to change the names of the towns and cities from German into Polish. To commemorate Gustaw Giezuwiusz (Giżycki), on March 4, 1946 the Commision changed Łuczany into Giżycko.

At the end of the 19th century, people started to appreciate the natural conditions of Giżycko. The town was especially popular and became a fashionable lake resort in the inter-war period.

Numerous hotels, guest houses, restaurants and coffe houses appeared in the town as well as a nice yacht harbour and swimming pool at Niegocin Lake were built.