Książ Wielkopolski

This article is about the town. For the castle, see Książ.

Książ Wielkopolski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈkɕɔ̃ʐ vjɛlkɔˈpɔlskʲi]; German: Xions, 1940–43 Tiefenbach, 1943–45 Schonz) is a town in Śrem County, Poland,^[2] with 2,738 inhabitants (2010).

Książ Wielkopolski
Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Nicholas
Flag Coat of arms
Książ Wielkopolski
Coordinates: 52°4′N 17°14′E
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Greater Poland
County	Śrem
Gmina	Książ Wielkopolski
First mentioned	1193
Town rights	1407
Area
• Total	1.96 km2 (0.76 sq mi)
Population  (2010)[1]
• Total	2,738
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code	+48 061
Vehicle registration	PSE
Climate	Cfb
Website	http://www.ksiaz-wlkp.pl/

History

Memorial at the site of the German massacre of Poles committed on October 20, 1939

The town was first mentioned in a bull of Pope Celestine III in 1193, when it was part of Piast-ruled Poland. In 1273 it was mentioned as a seat of a castellany. It was granted town rights between 1398 and 1416. Książ was a private town of Polish nobility, administratively located in the Kościan County in the Poznań Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.^[3]

Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, the town was occupied by Germany until 1945 and local Poles were subjected to various crimes. On October 20, 1939, the German Einsatzgruppe VI carried out a public execution of 17 Poles at the main square as part of the Intelligenzaktion.^[4] Among the victims were a bank director, teacher, merchant, forester, military officer, landowners and mayor of the nearby town of Dolsk.^[4] It was one of many massacres of Poles committed by Germany on October 20–23 across the region in attempt to pacify and terrorize the Polish population.^[5] The first expulsions of Poles were carried out by Germany in winter of 1939–1940.^[6] Under German occupation the town's name was changed to Tiefenbach and then Schonz in attempt to erase traces of Polish origin.

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1843 1,087 —     1871 1,019 −6.3% 1880 998 −2.1% 1890 948 −5.0% 1900 918 −3.2% 1910 874 −4.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 913 +4.5% 1931 928 +1.6% 1939 1,800 +94.0% 1950 1,597 −11.3% 1960 1,744 +9.2% 2010 2,738 +57.0%
Source: [7][1]

Sports

The local football club is Pogoń Książ Wielkopolski.^[8] It competes in the lower leagues.

Notable people

• Heinrich Graetz (1817–1891), historian, wrote a history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective.^[9]