Raciąż, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Explained

Raciąż
Settlement Type:Village
Total Type: 
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Voivodeship
Subdivision Name1:Kuyavian-Pomeranian
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Tuchola
Subdivision Type3:Gmina
Subdivision Name3:Tuchola
Coordinates:53.6633°N 17.785°W
Pushpin Map:Poland
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Registration Plate:CTU
Population Total:756

Raciąż is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Tuchola, within Tuchola County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland.[1] It lies approximately 9km (06miles) north-west of Tuchola and 630NaN0 north of Bydgoszcz. It is located in the Tuchola Forest in the historic region of Pomerania.

History

The village was mentioned in medieval documents in 1198, when it was part of the fragmented Kingdom of Poland. A medieval stronghold was located at the site, and it is today an archaeological site.[2] Raciąż was a royal village of the Polish Crown, administratively located in the Tuchola County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.[3]

During the German occupation of Poland (World War II), several Polish inhabitants of Raciąż, including two Catholic priests were among over 50 Poles murdered by the Germans in Rudzki Most on October 24, 1939 (see also Nazi crimes against the Polish nation).[4] Many Polish farmers from Raciąż were murdered in further massacres in Rudzki Most.[5] In 1940, 1942 and 1943, the occupiers carried out expulsions of Poles, whose houses were then handed over to German colonists as part of the Lebensraum policy.[6] Expelled Poles were often either imprisoned in the Potulice concentration camp, deported to forced labour in Germany or enslaved as forced labour of new German colonists at the site.[6]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Central Statistical Office (GUS) – TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal). 2008-06-01. Polish.
  2. Web site: Grodzisko, Raciąż. Zabytek.pl. 24 April 2021. pl.
  3. Book: Biskup. Marian. Tomczak. Andrzej. 1955. Mapy województwa pomorskiego w drugiej połowie XVI w.. pl. Toruń. 124.
  4. Book: Wardzyńska, Maria. 2009. Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion. pl. Warsaw. IPN. 170.
  5. Wardzyńska (2009), p. 171
  6. Book: Wardzyńska, Maria. 2017. Wysiedlenia ludności polskiej z okupowanych ziem polskich włączonych do III Rzeszy w latach 1939–1945. pl. Warsaw. IPN. 78, 122, 135. 978-83-8098-174-4.