Wałcz
| Wałcz | |||
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City center
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 Wałcz
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| Coordinates: 53°16′N 16°28′E / 53.267°N 16.467°E | |||
| Country |
 Poland
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| Voivodeship | West Pomeranian | ||
| County | Wałcz County | ||
| Gmina | Wałcz (urban gmina) | ||
| Town rights | 1303 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Bogusława Towalewska | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.16 km2 (14.73 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 109 m (358 ft) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 26,140 | ||
| • Density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 78-600 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 67 | ||
| Car plates | ZWA | ||
| Climate | Dfb | ||
| Website | http://www.walcz.um.pl | ||
Wałcz ([vau̯t͡ʂ]; German: Deutsch Krone) is a county town in Wałcz County of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. During the years 1975 to 1998, the city was administratively part of the Piła Voivodeship. From 1772 to 1945 it was part of Prussia and, from 1871 to 1945, it was also part of Germany.
Granted city rights in 1303, Wałcz has become the administrative, industrial and cultural center of the Wałcz Lake District with the city itself situated on the banks of the Raduń and Zamkowe lakes. Wałcz is located in the southwestern portion of West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The closest cities are Szczecin 130 km (81 mi), Bydgoszcz 115 km (71 mi), Piła 26 km (16 mi), Poznań 120 km (75 mi), Gorzów Wielkopolski 107 km (66 mi) and Koszalin 120 km (75 mi).
Historically, the town belonged to the province of Greater Poland.
According to a report from 2002, Wałcz has an area of 38.16 square kilometres (14.73 square miles) of which 41% is used for agriculture and 17% is forest.
The city occupies 2.17% of the total area of Wałcz county.
In the High Middle Ages the region of modern Wałcz lied in a boundary territory of Pomerania and Greater Poland. It was eventually annexed by Poland in the early 12th century and except a brief Brandenburg rule, it remained as part of Poland until the first partition in 1772. During Prussian and German rule, it was part of Westprussen as Deutsch Krone. After First World War Deutsch Krone remained part of Weimar Germany and for the most part of the interbellum it was part of the Grenzmark Posen–Westpreussen till 1938 and then Pommern, and in 1919-39 was just inside the German border with Poland. It was occupied by Red Army on 12 February 1945. After the end of World War II, the town was put under Polish administration according to the Potsdam Conference and renamed Wałcz. Its German inhabitants were expelled.
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Wikipedia