Medieval Town of Torun

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Medieval Town of Torun
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History of Torun

• The first settlement in the vicinity is dated by
  archeologists to 1100 BC. During medieval times
  there was a small settlement here guarding the
  crossing of the river (7th-13th centuries), but
  it was probably already abandoned by 1230.
• When the Teutonic Knights arrived in Kulmer
  Land/Chelmno Land, they built a castle (1230-31)
  here. The settlement, named Thorn (after a castle
  owned earlier by the order in the Holy Land),
  acquired city rights in 1233.
• During the 14th century, at the ending the
  Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War, Torun accepted
  the sovereignty of the Polish crown.
• In 1793 the city was annexed by the Kingdom of
  Prussia following the Second Partition of Poland.
• In the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 after World
  War I, Torun became part of the Poland.
• Torun was annexed by Nazi Germany after the
  Invasion of Poland in 1939.
• Torun was liberated from the Nazis in 1945 by the
  Soviet Red Army and returned to Polish
  administration.

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Map of Torun from XV century
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Famous view from the Vistula River
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Etymology

• Early documents record the city name as Thorun
  (1226, 1466), Turon, Turun, Toron, Thoron and
  Thorn.
• German
• It may come from the German word Tor (former
  spelling Thor), which means "gate" - as featured
  on the coat of arms
• It may be derived from the castle of Toron in the
  Kingdom of Jerusalem in which the Teutonic
  Knights served during the Crusades
• Polish
• It may come from the Polish word tor, which means
  "track (of the Vistula river)". Torun would
  therefore mean "town on the track"
• It may have come from the Polish word "Run", to
  lean, named because of the leaning tower along
  the wall surrounding the old city
• Other
• Some people, such as Jan Miodek, claim that
  "Torun" does not have any etymological meaning
• It may come from the personal name Toron and mean
  "Toron's town"

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Famous toruns nightlife
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Monuments etc

• Torun has been listed on the UNESCO list of World
  Heritage Sites since 1997. The town contains many
  monuments from the Middle Ages, and also from the
  20th century (200 military objects)
• Gothic churches,
• Old Town Hall, building begun in 1274, extended
  and rebuilt between 1391 - 1399, and extended in
  the end of 16th century one of the most
  monumental Town Halls in Central Europe,
• City fortifications, begun in the 13th century,
  extended between the 14th and 15th centuries,
  mostly demolished in 19th century, but partially
  preserved with a few city gates and watch towers
  (among them the so-called Leaning Tower) from the
  Vistula side,
• Gothic house from 15th century, where Copernicus
  was allegedly born (now a museum),
• Ruins of the Teutonic Knights' castle from the
  13th century
• House Under the Star (Polish Dom Pod Gwiazda),
  previously Gothic, shortly owned by Filip
  Callimachus, then rebuild in 16th and in 1697,
  with richly decorated stucco facade and wooden
  spiral stairs,
• Torun has the largest number of preserved Gothic
  houses in Poland, many with Gothic wall paintings
  or wooden beam ceilings from 16th-18th century,

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Panorama
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Culture and science

• Torun has two drama theatres (Teatr im. Wilama
  Horzycy with three stages and Teatr Wiczy), two
  music theatres (Mala Rewia, Studencki Teatr
  Tanca), and numurous other theatre groups. The
  city hosts, among others, the international
  theatre festival, "Kontakt", annually in May.
• Over ten major museums document the history of
  Torun and the region. Among others, the "House of
  Kopernik" and the accompanying museum commerorate
  Nicolaus Copernicus and his revolutionary work,
  the university museum reveals the history of the
  city's academic past.
• A construction of Center of Contemporary Art
  (Centrum Sztuki Wspólczesnej - CSW) is to be
  started in summer of 2006. It will probably be
  opened in 2007 and will be one of the most
  significant cultural facilities of this kind in
  Poland.
• The Torun Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Torun
  Chamber Orchestra) deserves mention, as it is
  well-rooted in the Torun cultural landscape.
• Torun is equipped with a planetarium (located
  downtown) and astronomical observatory (located
  in nearby community of Piwnice). The latter
  boasts the largest radiotelescope in the Eastern
  part of Central Europe with 32 m in diameter,
  second only to the Effelsberg 100 m radio
  telescope.

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House of Kopernik
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Famous people from Torun

• Nicolaus Copernicus, famous astronomer
• Leszek Balcerowicz, politician, economist,
  chairman of the National Bank of Poland
• Wladyslaw Dziewulski, astronomer and
  mathematician
• Tony Halik, traveller and explorer
• Christoph Hartknoch, historian and educator
• Aleksander Jablonski, physicist

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City Hall
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Authors ? (at last)

• Maciej Wieczorkowski
• Marcin Prus