Torun

Torun (German Thorn, Latin Thorunensis), city and one of two capitals (with Bydgoszcz?) of Kujawsko-Pomorskie? region in north-central Poland, on the Vistula River. Torun is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473) and his uncle, bishop of Warmia Lucas Watzenrode?. A university in Torun was founded in 1945.

History

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

During the 14th century, Torun joined the Hanseatic League.

• 1454 the Teutonic rule is overthrown
• 1466? Torun is declared a free city under Polish administration
• 1793 seized by Prussia
• 1919 returned to Poland

Population

• 1990 est.: 200800.
• 1995 est.: 203800.

Name of city

Name comes from Polish Tarnów (there are many such cities in Poland, tarnina = kind of river plants), which was later Germanized into Thorn, and re-Polonized into Torun. Name Torun itself doesn't have any etymological meaning. (reference: Professor [Jan Miodek]? said so)

External link:

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

Someone should write a bit about Culmer Land