Torun

Torun (German Thorn, Latin Thorunensis),in Prussia is a city on the Vistula River. Thorn was the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473) and his uncle, bishop of Ermland Lucas Watzenrode?.

History

Thorn was an important medieval trade centre. The Teutonic Knights built a castle there (1230-31), and the settlement acquired city rights in 1233.

Thorn joined the Hanseatic League.

The Prussian Hanseatic league cities of Elbing , Danzig and Thorn formed the [[Prussian Confederation.

From 1454 til 1466 the cities of Prussia fought the "War of the cities" to get free of the Catholic Teutonic Knights.

1466 Thorn is declared a free city

External link:

• a 1570 map of Prussia: http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/desbillons/atlas/seite70.html

Thorn was taken over by Stalin and Poland in 1945 and named Torun. A university in Torun was founded in 1945.

Industry, important sights, etc ... to be written

Population

 (1990 est.): 200800.
 (1995 est.): 203800.

/Talk?