Poznań

Poznań (Posnania; Posen) is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, the region called Greater Poland. The population stood at 551,627 in 2010, while the continuous conurbation including Poznan County is inhabited by 1 million people. The city forms the largest metropolitan area in western Poland and fourth largest in Poland including towns such as Gniezno and Wrzesnia (approximately 1.35 million inhabitants).

Poznań is among the oldest cities in Poland and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state in the tenth and eleventh centuries. The Kingdom of Poland began in Poznan, namely on the natural island on the Warta river—very similar to the Île de la Cité in Paris. The first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral on the island. It was the first Capital City of the Kingdom of Poland and also served as the capital in the 13th century, hence the official name: The capital city of Poznan.

Poznań is now Poland's fifth largest city. It is the historical capital of the Wielkopolska ("Greater Poland") region and is currently the administrative capital of the province called Greater Poland Voivodeship. Poznań is today one of the largest Polish centers of trade, industry, sports, education, technology, tourism and culture.

The city hosts regular international trade fairs and was the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008, a key stage in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Poznań was one of the host cities for the association football tournament UEFA Euro 2012. The city also hosts a number of rowing world cup events by the Malta lake (for example "ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships" in 1990, 2001, and again in 2010). Also, a great number of various international festivals takes place in the city - Transatlantyk – Poznań International Film and Music Festival, "Malta International Theater Festival", "ANIMATOR (festival)" and Maski Festival to name just a few. What more the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, the oldest violin competition in the world, is held in Poznań every five years.

In 2012 the Poznań's Art and Business Center "Stary Browar" won a competition organized by National Geographic Traveller and was given the first prize as one of the seven "New Polish Wonders". Poznań has been rated highly, often coming first for Poland, as a city with a very high quality of life. The city has also won many times a prize awarded by "Superbrands" for a very high quality brand of city of Poznań. Poznań was classified in 2010 as high sufficiency city by Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

Names
The name Poznań probably comes from a personal name, Poznan, (from the Polish participle poznan(y) – "one who is known/recognized"), and would mean "Poznan's town". It is also possible that the name comes directly from the verb poznać, which means "to get to know" or "to recognize". It may simply mean "known town".

The earliest surviving references to the city are found in the chronicles of Thietmar of Merseburg, written between 1012 and 1018: episcopus Posnaniensis ("bishop of Poznań", in an entry for 970) and ab urbe Posnani ("from the city of Poznań", for 1005). The city's name appears in documents in the Latin nominative case as Posnania in 1236 and Poznania in 1247. The phrase in Poznan appears in 1146 and 1244.

The city's full official name is Stołeczne Miasto Poznań ("The Capital City of Poznań"), in reference to its role as a centre of political power in the early Polish state. Poznań is known as Posen in German, and was officially called Haupt- und Residenzstadt Posen ("Capital and Residence City of Poznań") between 20 August 1910 and 28 November 1918. The Latin names of the city are Posnania and Civitas Posnaniensis. Its Yiddish name is פּױזן, or Poyzn.

The Russian version of the name, Познань (Poznan'), is of feminine gender, in contrast to the Polish name, which is masculine.

History
For centuries before the Christianization of Poland, Poznań (consisting of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers, on what is now Ostrów Tumski) was an important cultural and political centre of the Polan tribe. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the Polans, and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main stable headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism of 966, seen as a defining moment in the establishment of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań.

Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. Poznań was probably the main seat of the first missionary bishop sent to Poland, Bishop Jordan. The Congress of Gniezno in 1000 led to the country's first permanent archbishopric being established in Gniezno (which is generally regarded as Poland's capital in that period), although Poznań continued to have independent bishops of its own. Poznań's cathedral was the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs (Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II, Casimir I), and later of Przemysł I and King Przemysł II. The pagan reaction that followed Mieszko II's death (probably in Poznań) in 1034 left the region weak, and in 1038 Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. Poland was reunited under Casimir I the Restorer in 1039, but the capital was moved to Kraków, which had been relatively unaffected by the troubles.

In 1138, by the testament of Bolesław III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old, the first of the Dukes of Greater Poland. This period of fragmentation lasted until 1320. Duchies frequently changed hands; control of Poznań, Gniezno and Kalisz sometimes lay with a single duke, but at other times these constituted separate duchies.

In about 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing what would become the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253 Przemysł issued a charter to Thomas of Guben (Gubin) for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. Thomas brought a large number of German settlers to aid in the building and settlement of the city – this is an example of the German eastern migration (Ostsiedlung) characteristic of that period. The city (covering the area of today's Old Town neighbourhood) was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle.

In reunited Poland, and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poznań was the seat of a voivodeship. The city's importance began to grow in the Jagiellonian period, due to its position on trading routes from Lithuania and Ruthenia to western Europe. It would become a major centre for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands and on the right bank, with some (Ostrów Tumski, Śródka, Chwaliszewo, Ostrówek) obtaining their own town charters. However the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. On 2 May 1536 a blaze destroyed 175 buildings, including the castle, the town hall, the monastery and the suburban settlement called St. Martin. In 1519 the Lubrański Academy had been established in Poznań as an institution of higher education (but without the right to award degrees, which was reserved to Kraków's Jagiellonian University). However a Jesuits' college, founded in the city in 1571 during the Counter-Reformation, had the right to award degrees from 1611 until 1773, when it was combined with the Academy.

In the second half of the 17th century and most of the 18th, Poznań was severely affected by a series of wars (and attendant military occupations, lootings and destruction) – the Second and Third Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, the Seven Years' War and the Bar Confederation rebellion. It was also hit by frequent outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population of the conurbation declined (from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730), and Bambergian and Dutch settlers (Bambrzy and Olędrzy) were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1778 a "Committee of Good Order" (Komisja Dobrego Porządku) was established in the city, which oversaw rebuilding efforts and reorganized the city's administration. However in 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań, came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia, becoming part of (and initially the seat of) the province of South Prussia. The Prussian authorities expanded the city boundaries, making the walled city and its closest suburbs into a single administrative unit. Left-bank suburbs were incorporated in 1797, and Ostrów Tumski, Chwaliszewo, Śródka, Ostrówek and Łacina (St. Roch) in 1800. The old city walls were taken down in the early 19th century, and major development took place to the west of the old city, with many of the main streets of today's city centre being laid out.

In the Greater Poland Uprising of 1806, Polish soldiers and civilian volunteers assisted the efforts of Napoleon by driving out Prussian forces from the region. The city became a part of the Duchy of Warsaw in 1807, and was the seat of Poznań Department - a unit of administrative division and local government. However in 1815, following the Congress of Vienna, the region was returned to Prussia, and Poznań became the capital of the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Posen.

The city continued to expand, and various projects were funded by Polish philanthropists, such as the Raczyński Library and the Bazar hotel. The city's first railway, running to Stargard in Pommern (now Stargard Szczeciński), opened in 1848. Due to its strategic location, the Prussian authorities intended to make Poznań into a fortress city, building a ring of defensive fortifications around it. Work began on the citadel (Fort Winiary) in 1828, and in subsequent years the entire set of defences (Festung Posen) was completed.

A Greater Poland Uprising during the Revolutions of 1848 was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Grand Duchy lost its remaining autonomy, Poznań becoming simply the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen. It would become part of the German Empire with the unification of German states in 1871. Polish patriots continued to form societies (such as the Central Economic Society for the Grand Duchy of Poznań), and a Polish theatre (Teatr Polski, still functioning) opened in 1875; however the authorities made efforts to Germanize the region, particularly through the Prussian Settlement Commission (founded 1886). Germans accounted for 38% of the city's population in 1867, though this percentage would later decline somewhat, particularly after the region returned to Poland.

Another expansion of Festung Posen was planned, with an outer ring of more widely spaced forts around the perimeter of the city. Building of the first nine forts began in 1876, and nine intermediate forts were built from 1887. The inner ring of fortifications was now considered obsolete and came to be mostly taken down by the early 20th century (although the citadel remained in use). This made space for further civilian construction, particularly the Imperial Palace ("Zamek"), completed 1910, and other grand buildings around it (including today's central university buildings and the opera house). The city's boundaries were also significantly extended to take in former suburban villages: Piotrowo and Berdychowo in 1896, Łazarz, Górczyn, Jeżyce and Wilda in 1900, and Sołacz in 1907.

After World War I the Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919) brought Poznań and most of the region under Polish control, confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles. The local populace had to acquire Polish citizenship or leave the country. This led to a significant decline of ethnic Germans, whose number decreased from 65,321 in 1910 to 5,980 in 1926 and further to 4,387 in 1934. In the interwar Second Polish Republic, the city again became the capital of Poznań Voivodeship. Poznań's university (today called Adam Mickiewicz University) was founded in 1919, and in 1925 the Poznań International Fairs began. In 1929 the fairs site was the venue for a major National Exhibition (Powszechna Wystawa Krajowa, popularly PeWuKa) marking the tenth anniversary of independence; it attracted around 4.5 million visitors. The city's boundaries were again expanded in 1925 (to include Główna, Komandoria, Rataje, Starołęka, Dębiec, Szeląg and Winogrady) and 1933 (Golęcin, Podolany).

During the German occupation of 1939–1945, Poznań was incorporated into the Third Reich as the capital of Reichsgau Wartheland. Many Polish inhabitants were executed, arrested, expelled to the General Government or used as forced labour; at the same time many Germans and Volksdeutsche were settled in the city. The pre-war Jewish population of about 2,000 were mostly murdered in the Holocaust. A concentration camp was set up in Fort VII, one of the 19th-century perimeter forts. The camp was later moved to Żabikowo south of Poznań. The Nazi authorities significantly expanded Poznań's boundaries to include most of the present-day area of the city; these boundaries were retained after the war. Poznań fell to the Red Army, assisted by Polish volunteers, on 23 February 1945 following the Battle of Poznań, in which the German army conducted a last-ditch defence in line with Hitler's designation of the city as a Festung. The Citadel was the last point to fall, and the fighting left much of the city, particularly the Old Town, in ruins.

Due to the expulsion and flight of German population Poznań's post-war population was almost uniformly Polish. The city again became a voivodeship capital; in 1950 the size of Poznań Voivodeship was reduced, and the city itself was given separate voivodeship status. This status was lost in the 1975 reforms, which also significantly reduced the size of Poznań Voivodeship.

The Poznań 1956 protests are seen as an early expression of resistance to communist rule. In June 1956, a protest by workers at the city's Cegielski locomotive factory developed into a series of strikes and popular protests against the policies of the government. After a protest march on June 28 was fired on, crowds attacked the communist party and secret police headquarters, where they were repulsed by gunfire. Riots continued for two days until being quelled by the army; 67 people were killed according to official figures.

The post-war years had seen much reconstruction work on buildings damaged in the fighting. From the 1960s onwards intensive housing development took place, consisting mainly of pre-fabricated concrete blocks of flats, especially in Rataje and Winogrady, and later (following its incorporation into the city in 1974) Piątkowo. Another infrastructural change (completed in 1968) was the rerouting of the river Warta to follow two straight branches either side of Ostrów Tumski.

The most recent expansion of the city's boundaries took place in 1987, with the addition of new areas mainly to the north, including Morasko, Radojewo and Kiekrz. The first free local elections following the fall of communism took place in 1990. With the Polish local government reforms of 1999, Poznań again became the capital of a larger province (Greater Poland Voivodeship). It also became the seat of a powiat ("Poznań County"), with the city itself gaining separate powiat status.

Recent infrastructural developments include the opening of the fast tram route (Poznański Szybki Tramwaj, popularly Pestka) in 1997, and Poznań's first motorway connection (part of the A2 autostrada) in 2003. In 2006 Poland's first F-16 Fighting Falcons came to be stationed at the 31st Air Base in Krzesiny in the south-east of the city.

Poznań continues to host regular trade fairs and international events, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference. It is one of the host cities for UEFA Euro 2012. Irish people have recently been flocking to the city as their football team plays there.

Geography
Poznań covers an area of 261.3 km2, and has coordinates in the range 52°17'34  –52°30'27  N, 16°44'08  –17°04'28  E. Its highest point, with an altitude of 157 m, is the summit of Góra Moraska (Morasko Hill) within the Morasko meteorite nature reserve in the north of the city. The lowest altitude is 60 m, in the Warta valley. Poznań's main river is the Warta, which flows through the city from south to north. As it approaches the city centre it divides into two branches, flowing west and east of Ostrów Tumski (the cathedral island) and meeting again further north. The smaller Cybina river flows through eastern Poznań to meet the east branch of the Warta (that branch is also called Cybina – its northern section was originally a continuation of that river, while its southern section has been artificially widened to form a main stream of the Warta). Other tributaries of the Warta within Poznań are the Junikowo Stream (Strumień Junikowski), which flows through southern Poznań from the west, meeting the Warta just outside the city boundary in Luboń; the Bogdanka and Wierzbak, formerly two separate tributaries flowing from the north-west and along the north side of the city centre, now with their lower sections diverted underground; the Główna, flowing through the neighbourhood of the same name in north-east Poznań; and the Rose Stream (Strumień Różany) flowing east from Morasko in the north of the city. The course of the Warta in central Poznań was formerly quite different than today: the main stream ran between Grobla and Chwaliszewo, which were originally both islands. The branch west of Grobla (the Zgniła Warta – "rotten Warta") was filled in late in the 19th century, and the former main stream west of Chwaliszewo was diverted and filled in during the 1960s. This was done partly to prevent floods, which did serious damage to Poznań frequently throughout history. Poznań's largest lake is Jezioro Kierskie (Kiekrz Lake) in the extreme north-west of the city (within the city boundaries since 1987). Other large lakes include Malta (an artificial lake on the lower Cybina, formed in 1952), Jezioro Strzeszyńskie (Strzeszyn Lake) on the Bogdanka, and Rusałka, an artificial lake further down the Bogdanka, formed in 1943. The latter two are popular bathing places. Kiekrz Lake is much used for sailing, while Malta is a competitive rowing and canoeing venue.

The city centre (including the Old Town, the former islands of Grobla and Chwaliszewo, the main street Święty Marcin and many other important buildings and districts) lies on the west side of the Warta. Opposite it between the two branches of the Warta is Ostrów Tumski, containing Poznań Cathedral and other ecclesiatical buildings, as well as housing and industrial facilities. Facing the cathedral on the east bank of the river is the historic district of Śródka. Large areas of apartment blocks, built from the 1960s onwards, include Rataje in the east, and Winogrady and Piątkowo north of the centre. Older residential and commercial districts include those of Wilda, Łazarz and Górczyn to the south, and Jeżyce to the west. There are also significant areas of forest within the city boundaries, particularly in the east adjoining Swarzędz, and around the lakes in the north-west.

For more details on Poznań's geography, see the articles on the five districts: Stare Miasto, Nowe Miasto, Jeżyce, Grunwald and Wilda.

Climate
The climate of Poznań is within the transition zone between a humid continental and oceanic climate and with relatively cold winters and warm summers. Snow is common in winter, when night-time temperatures are typically below zero. In summer temperatures may often reach 30 °C. Annual rainfall is less than 500 mm, among the lowest in Poland. The rainiest month is July, mainly due to short but intense cloudbursts and thunderstorms. The number of hours of sunshine is among the highest in the country. Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).

Administrative division


Poznań is divided into 42 neighbourhoods (osiedles), each of which has its own elected council with certain decision-making and spending powers. The first uniform elections for these councils covering the whole area of the city were held on 20 March 2011.

For certain administrative purposes, the old division into five districts (dzielnicas) is used - although these ceased to be governmental units in 1990. These were:
 * Stare Miasto ("Old Town"), population 161,200, area 47.1 km2, covering the central and northern parts of the city
 * Nowe Miasto ("New Town"), population 141,424, area 105.1 km2, including all parts of the city on the right (east) bank of the Warta
 * Grunwald, population 125,500, area 36.2 km2, covering the south-western parts of the city
 * Jeżyce, population 81,300, area 57.9 km2, covering the north-western parts of the city
 * Wilda, population 62,290, area 15.0 km2, in the southern part of the city

Citizens of Poznań thanks to the strong economy of the city and high salaries started moving to suburbs (Powiat Poznanski) in the 90's. Although the number of inhabitants in Poznań itself was decreasing for the past two decades, the suburbs gained almost twice as much inhabitants. Thus, Poznań urban area has been growing steadily over past years and has already reached 1.0 million inhabitants when student population is included, whereas the entire metropolitan zone may have reached 1.5-1.7 million inhabitants when satellite cities and towns (so-called second Poznań ring counties such as Wrzesnia, Gniezno and Koscian) are included. The complex infrastructure, population density, number of companies and gross product per capita of Poznań suburbs may be only compared to Warsaw suburbs. It is interesting to note that many parts of closer suburbs (for example Tarnowo Podgorne, Komorniki, Suchy Las, Dopiewo) produce more in terms of GDP per capita than the city itself.

Economy


Poznań has been an important trade centre since the Middle Ages. Starting in the 19th century, local heavy industry began to grow. Several major factories were built, including the Hipolit Cegielski steel mill and railway factory (see H. Cegielski - Poznań S.A.).

Nowadays Poznań is one of the major trade centers in Poland. Poznań is regarded as the second most prosperous city in Poland after Warsaw. The city of Poznań produced PLN 31.8 billion of Poland's gross domestic product in 2006. It boasts a GDP per capita of 200,4% (2008) of Poland's average. Furthermore, Poznań had very low unemployment rate of 2.3% as of May 2009. For comparison, Poland's national unemployment rate was over 10%. Many Western European companies have established their Polish headquarters in Poznań or in the nearby towns of Tarnowo Podgórne and Swarzędz. Most foreign investors are German and Dutch companies (see List of corporations in Poznań), with a few others. Investors are mostly from the food processing, furniture, automotive and transport and logistics industries. Foreign companies are primarily attracted by low labour costs and by the relatively good road and railway network, good vocational skills of workers and relatively liberal employment laws.

The recently built Stary Browar shopping center contains many high-end shops and is considered one of the best in Europe. It has won an award for the best shopping center in the world in the medium-sized commercial buildings category. Other notable shopping centers in the city include Galeria Malta, one of the largest in Central Europe, and the shops at the Hotel Bazar, a historical hotel and commercial center in the Old Town.

This is a list of major corporations based in Poznań and the city's vicinity.


 * QXL Poland Sp. z o.o. (Allegro), Poznań
 * Jeronimo Martins Dystrybucja sp. z o.o (Biedronka), Poznań
 * Grupa Energetyczna Enea SA, Poznań
 * Volkswagen Poznań sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Kompania Piwowarska SA, Poznań
 * Selgros Cash & Carry sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Skoda Auto Polska, Poznań
 * Eurocash sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals SA, Poznań
 * KDWT SA, Poznań
 * Żabka Polska SA, Poznań
 * Wrigley Poland sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * miniMal sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Man Star Trucks & Buses sp. z o.o, Tarnowo Podgórne, Poznań metro
 * Grupa Raben, near Kórnik, Poznań metro
 * Beiersdorf-Lechia SA, Poznań
 * Aluplast sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Lidl Polska sp. z o.o., Tarnowo Podgórne, Poznań metro
 * Kuehne & Nagel sp. z o.o., Gądki near Poznań
 * Apexim AB SA, Poznań
 * Arko PH s.j., Komorniki, Poznań metro
 * Zespół Elektrociepłowni Poznańskich SA, Poznań
 * Hydrobudowa 9 sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * H. Cegielski-Poznań SA, Poznań
 * Maxer SA, Poznań
 * Centra SA, Poznań
 * Bridgestone Poland sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Rehau sp. z o.o., near Tarnowo Podgórne, Poznań metro
 * Marol sp. z o.o., Poznań
 * Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z. o.o., Bolechowo, Poznań metro

Transport
Poznań has an extensive public transport system, consisting of trams (see Tramways in Poznań, especially Poznański Szybki Tramwaj) and urban and suburban buses. The main railway station is Poznań Central Station to the southwest of the city centre; there is also the smaller Poznań Wschód and Poznań Garbary station northeast of the centre and a number of other stations on the outskirts of the city. The main east-west A2 motorway runs south of the city connecting it with Berlin in the west and Łódż and Warsaw in the east; other main roads run in the direction of Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, Wągrowiec, Oborniki, Katowice, Wrocław, Buk and Berlin. An intensive programme of road building and improvement in and around the city is underway in preparation for the hosting of matches in the Euro 2012 football championships.

Poznań has one of the biggest airports in the west of Poland called Poznań-Ławica Airport. In 2010 it handled approximately 1.5 million passengers.

Culture and sights
Poznań has many historic buildings and sights, mostly concentrated around the Old Town and other parts of the city centre. Many of these lie on the Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań – a tourist walk leading through the most important parts of the city showing its history, culture and identity.

Results of new extensive archaeological research performed on Poznan's Ostrow Tumski by prof. zw dr hab. Hanna Kocka-Krec z Instytutu Prahistorii UAM indicate that Poznań indeed was a central site of the early Polish State (recent discovery of first Polish ruler, Mieszko I's Palatium). Thus, the Ostrow Tumski Island is more important that it was thought previously and may have been as important as "Gniezno" in the Poland of first "Piasts". In the near future "Ostrow Tumski of Poznan" is supposed to have a very rich historical exposition, which is being under construction these days and will be a very interesting place for visitors of Poznan. This will include all sorts of attractions: above mentioned Cathedral, Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Poznan, "Lubranski Academy" and newly opened in 2012 "Genius Loci Archeological Park" and Interactive Center of Ostrow Tumski History ("ICHOT") planned to be opened in 2013 presenting Polish State through many different periods in a form of multimedia museum. "Palatium in Poznan" will be also transformed into a museum, although more funds are needed. When all the expositions are ready in a couple of years Ostrow Tumski may be as worth visiting as "Wawel" in Cracow. There is a very famous sentence illustrating the importance of Ostrow Tumski in Poznań by the "Pope Jean Paul II": "Poland began here".

One of the most interesting places in Poznań is Malta with an artificial lake in its center. On one bank of the lake there are ski and sleigh slopes (Malta Ski), on the opposite bank a huge complex of swimming pools including an olympic-size one (Termy Maltanskie). This whole recreational city "district" is a unique attraction in a whole of Poland or even Europe.

Perhaps the most important cultural event in Poznań is the annual Malta theatre festival, which takes place at many city venues usually in late June and early July. It hosts mainly modern experimental off-theatre performances, often taking place on squares and other public spaces. It also includes cinema, visual, music and dancing events. Malta Theatre Festival gave birth to many off-theater groups, expressing new ideas in an already rich theatrical background of the city. Thus, Poznań with a great deal of off-theaters and their performances has recently become a new Polish off-theater performance center.

Classical music events include the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (held every 5 years), and classical music concerts by the city's Philharmonic Orchestra held each month in the University Aula. Especially popular are concerts by the Poznań Nightingales.

Poznan is also home to new forms of music such as rap and hip-hop made by a great deal of bands and performers ("Peja", "Mezo" and others). Poznań is also known for its rock music performers (Muchy, Malgorzata Ostrowska).

Poznan apart from many traditional theaters with a long history ("Teatr Nowy", "Teatr Wielki", "Teatr Polski", "Teatr Muzyczny" and several others) is also home to a growing number of alternative theater groups, some of them stemming from International Malta Festival: "Teatr Strefa Ciszy", "Teatr Porywcze Cial", "Teatr Usta Usta", "Teatr u Przyjaciol", "Teatr Biuro Podrozy", "Teatr Osmego Dnia" and many, many others - it is believed that even up to 30 more or less known groups may work in the city.

Every year on the 11th of November, Poznanians celebrate The Day of St. Marcin Street. A procession of horses, with St. Marcin at the head, parades along St Marcin Street, in front of The Imperial Castle. Everybody can eat delicious croissants, the regional product of Poznań.

Poznań hosted the 2009 European Young Adults Meeting of the ecumenical Christian Taizé Community.

Poznań also stages the "Ale Kino!" International Young Audience Film Festival in December and "Off Cinema" festival of independent films. Other festival: "Transatlantyk" (film music festival by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek started in 2011), Maski Theater Festival, Dance International Workshops by Polish Dance Theater, Made in Chicago (Jazz Festival), Ethno Port, Festival of Ice Sculpture, Animator, Science and Art Festival, Tzadik (Jewish music festival), Meditations Biennale (Modern Art). The full list of cultural annual events is even longer.

Poznań has several cinemas, including multiplexes and smaller cinemas, an opera house, several other theatres, and museums. The "Rozbrat" squat serves as a home for squatters and as a centre of independent and open-minded culture. It hosts frequent gigs, an anarchistic library, vernissages, exhibitions, annual birthday festival (each October), poetry evenings and graffiti festivals.

The city centre has many clubs, pubs and coffee houses, mainly in the area of the Old Town.

Education


Poznań is one of the four largest academic centers in Poland. The number of students in the city of Poznań is about 140 000 (fourth/third after Warsaw, Cracow and close to Wrocław student population). Every one of four inhabitants in Poznań is a student. Since Poznań is smaller than Warsaw or Cracow still having a very large number of students it makes the city even more vibrant and dense "academic hub" than both former and current capitals of Poland. The city has many state-owned universities. Adam Mickiewicz University (abbreviated UAM in Polish, AMU in English) is one of the most influential and biggest universities in Poland: "Adam Mickiewicz University" is one of the three best universities in Poland after University of Warsaw and Jagiellonian University of Cracow. They all have a very high number of international student and scientist exchange, research grants and top publications. In northern suburbs of Poznań a very large "Morasko Campus" has been built (Faculty of Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Political Sciences, Geography). The majority of faculties are already open, although a few more facilities will be constructed. The campus infrastructure belongs to the most impressive among Polish universities. Also, there are plans for "Uniwersytecki Park Historii Ziemii" (Earth History Park), one of the reason for the park construction is a "Morasko meteorite nature reserve" situated close by, it is one of the rare sites of Europe where a number of meteorites fell and some traces may be still seen.
 * Adam Mickiewicz University
 * University of Fine Arts in Poznań
 * Academy of Music in Poznań
 * Poznań University of Economics
 * Poznań University of Medical Sciences
 * Poznań University of Technology
 * Poznań University School of Physical Education
 * University of Life Sciences in Poznań

There is also a great number of smaller, mostly private-run colleges and institutions of higher education ("Uczelnie w Poznaniu"):
 * Arcybiskupie Seminarium Duchowne w Poznaniu
 * School of Form
 * Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities campus in Poznań
 * Wielkopolska Wyższa Szkoła Turystyki i Zarządzania w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Bezpieczeństwa w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Edukacji i Terapii w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Edukacji Integracyjnej i Interkulturowej w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Handlu i Rachunkowości
 * Wyższa Szkoła Handlu i Usług w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Hotelarstwa i Gastronomii
 * Wyższa Szkoła Języków Obcych im. Samuela Bogumiła Lindego
 * Wyższa Szkoła Komunikacji i Zarządzania w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Logistyki
 * Wyższa Szkoła Nauk Humanistycznych i Dziennikarstwa
 * Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiki i Administracji im. Mieszka I w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Umiejętności Społecznych w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania i Bankowości w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa "Kadry dla Europy" w Poznaniu
 * Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa Pielęgnacji Zdrowia i Urody
 * Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Towarzystwa Chrystusowego

Poznan with its almost 30 colleges and universities has a second richest educational offer in Poland after Warsaw.

Scientific and regional organizations

 * Poznań Society of Friends of Arts and Sciences
 * Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center
 * Western Institute

Sports

 * Tor Poznań – circuit in Poznań
 * AZS AWF Poznań – women's volleyball team playing in Polish Seria A Women's Volleyball League: 8th place in 2003/2004 season.
 * AZS Poznań – women's basketball team playing in Torell Basket Liga: 2nd place in 2003/2004 season (formerly also called Danter AZS Poznań and Stary Browar AZS Poznań)
 * KKS Lech Poznań – men's football team (Polish Champion: 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2010; Polish Cup winner 1982, 1984, 1988, 2004, 2009 ; Polish SuperCup winner 1990, 1992, 2004, 2009)
 * UKS Stoper Poznań – men's football team
 * KS AZS AWF Poznań – men's field hockey team
 * KS Energetyk – rhythmic gymnastics club
 * KS Pocztowiec Poznań – men's field hockey team
 * KTKFiT Błękitny Express Lech Poznań – men's field hockey team
 * Lake Malta in Poznań hosted the World Rowing Championships in 2009 and has previously hosted some regattas in the Rowing World Cup. It also hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships (sprint canoe) in 1990 and 2001, and will do so again in 2010.
 * Malta Ski – year-long skiing complex (hosting minor sport competitions), toboggan run, minigolf course
 * MKS Dąbrówka – rhythmic gymnastics club, synchronized swimming
 * Polonia Poznań – men's football team
 * PSŻ Poznań – motorcycle speedway team
 * SSW Malta Poznań – roller skating club
 * TPS Winogrady Poznań – men's football team
 * UKS Szóstka – synchronized swimming, football
 * UKS Wanda – synchronized swimming
 * U-19 Euro Championship in VI 2006 – Open and Final.
 * Warta Poznań – men's football team (Polish Champion: 1929, 1947), currently plays in the Polish First League.
 * WKS Grunwald Poznań – sports club with sections in field hockey, shooting, wrestling, handball and tennis.
 * KS Sobieski Poznań – wrestling.

Municipal politics
Since the end of the communist era in 1989, Poznań municipality and suburban area have invested heavily in infrastructure, especially public transport and administration. That results in a massive investment from foreign companies in Poznań as well as in communities west and south of Poznań (namely, Kórnik and Tarnowo Podgórne). One of the most important values of Poznań is the positive attitude of public administration towards investments, and less bureaucracy than elsewhere in Poland.

City investments into transportation were mostly into public transport. While the number of cars since 1989 has at least doubled, the policy of improving public transport gave good effects. Limiting car access to the city center, building new tram lines (including Poznański Szybki Tramwaj) and investing in new rolling stock (such as modern Combino trams by Siemens and Solaris low-floor buses) actually increased the level of ridership. This is a notable success, even considering the fact that Polish society only possesses about half of the "old EU"'s purchasing power, hence not everybody can afford to own a car.

Future investments into transportation include the construction of a third bypass of Poznań, and the completion of A2 (E30) motorway towards Berlin. New cycle lanes are being built, linking to existing ones, and an attempt is currently being made to develop a Karlsruhe-style light rail system for commuters. All this is made more complicated (and more expensive) by the heavy neglect of transport infrastructure throughout the Communist era.

Constituency
Members of Sejm elected in 2005 from Poznań constituency:
 * Arkady Radosław Fiedler, PO
 * Waldy Dzikowski, PO
 * Maria Pasło-Wiśniewska, PO
 * Dariusz Lipiński, PO
 * Michał Stuligrosz, PO
 * Tomasz Górski, PiS
 * Jan Filip Libicki, PiS
 * Małgorzata Stryjska, PiS
 * Jacek Tomczak, PiS
 * Krystyna Łybacka, SLD

Members of European Parliament elected from Poznań constituency:
 * Filip Kaczmarek, PO
 * Jan Kułakowski, UW
 * Marcin Libicki, PiS
 * Jan Masiel, Samoobrona
 * Marek Siwiec, SLD
 * Witold Tomczak, LPR

Twin towns
Poznań is twinned with:

Notable residents

 * Anna Anderson (c. 1900–1984), pretender of Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia
 * Ryszard "Peja" Andrzejewski (born 1976), rapper
 * Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière (1886–1941), German U-boat commander
 * Isidor Ascheim (1891–1968), painter and printmaker
 * Stanisław Barańczak (born 1946), poet
 * Herbert Baum (1912–1942) resistance fighter
 * Zygmunt Bauman (born 1925), sociologist
 * Bernhard Baumeister (1828–1917), actor
 * Józef Brzeziński, biologist
 * Brigitte Burmeister (died 1940), novelist
 * Heinrich Caro (1834–1910), chemist
 * Hipolit Cegielski (1815–1868), businessman
 * Dezydery Chłapowski (1788–1848), general
 * August Cieszkowski (1814–1894), philosopher
 * Antoni Czubiński (1928–2003), historian
 * Leopold Damrosch (1832–1885), conductor
 * Ludwig Dessoir, (1810–1874), actor
 * Franciszek Dobrowolski (1830–1896), theater director
 * Tytus Działyński (1796–1861), political activist
 * Małgorzata Dydek (1974–2011), basketball player
 * Akiva Eiger (1761–1837), Rabbi of Poznań (1815–1837)
 * Jean Paul Ertel (1865–1933), composer
 * Ewaryst Estkowski (1820–1856), teacher
 * Krystyna Feldman (1916-2007), actress
 * Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), the last surviving United States veteran of the Indian Wars
 * Johannes Gad (1842–1926), neurophysiologist
 * Jean Gebser (1905–1973), human consciousness scientist
 * Eduard Gerhard (1795–1867), archaeologist
 * Arkadiusz Głowacki (born 1979), footballer
 * Friedrich Goltz (1834–1902), physiologist
 * Konstanty Gorski (1859–1924), composer and violinist
 * Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934), Field Marshal and President of the Weimar Republic
 * Maksymilian Jackowski (1815–1905), activist
 * Alfred Jodl (1890-1946), German WW2 military commander
 * John Jonston (1603–1675), naturalist and physician
 * Stefan Jurga (born 1946), professor and rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (1996–2002)
 * Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (born 1954), composer
 * Richard Kandt (1867–1918), doctor and explorer
 * Ernst Hartwig Kantorowicz (1895–1963), historian
 * Marek Karpinski, computer scientist
 * Günther von Kluge (1882–1944), Field Marshal
 * Krzysztof Komeda (1931–1969), jazz musician
 * Leo Königsberger (1837–1921), mathematician
 * Antoni Kraszewski (1797–1870), politician
 * Germaine Krull (1897–1985), photographer
 * Max Kretzer (1854–1941), writer
 * Antoni Krzyżanowski (19th century), architect
 * Jerzy Kurczewski, (1924–1995), boys choral conductor
 * Gerard Labuda (born 1916), historian
 * Zenon Laskowik (born 1945), popular entertainer
 * Arthur Liebehenschel (1901–1948), commandant of Auschwitz and Majdanek
 * Paul Leonhardt (1877–1934), chess master
 * Karol Libelt (1807–1875), philosopher
 * Włodzimierz Łęcki (born 1937), politician and writer
 * Andrzej Maleszka (born 1955), theatre and movie director
 * Karol Marcinkowski (1800–1848), physician and social activist
 * Władysław Markiewicz (born 1920), sociologist
 * Teofil Matecki (1810–1886), philosopher
 * Heinrich Mendelssohn (1881–1959), building tycoon
 * Karl-Friedrich Merten (1905–1993), U-boat commander
 * Maciej Mielżyński (1799–1870), politician
 * Andrzej Mikosz (born 1965), ex-Minister of State Treasury in Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz's government; the shortest ministerial term in the Polish history since 1918
 * Julius Moses (1868–1942), politician
 * Małgorzata Musierowicz (born 1945), novelist
 * Andrzej Niegolewski (1787–1857), colonel
 * Władysław Niegolewski (1814–1880), politician
 * Gustav Oelsner (1879–1956), architect
 * Władysław Oleszczyński (1809–1866), sculptor
 * Malgorzata Ostrowska (singer) (born 1958), singer
 * Lilli Palmer (1914–1986), actress
 * Janusz Pałubicki (born 1948), politician
 * Kazimierz Piwarski, (1903–1968), historian
 * Gustaw Potworowski (1800–1860), activist
 * Tomasz Przybecki (born 1981), articled clerk
 * Edward Raczyński (1786–1845), politician
 * Cyryl Ratajski (1875–1942), mayor of Poznań
 * Antoni Radziwiłł (1775–1833), aristocrat
 * Marian Rejewski (1905–1980), cryptoanalist, Enigma codemachine codebreaker
 * Richard Rothe ( 1799–1867), Lutheran theologian.
 * Jerzy Różycki (1927–1932), cryptoanalist, Enigma codemachine codebreaker
 * Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915–2006), operatic coloratura-soprano, born in Jarocin
 * Michał Sczaniecki (1910–1977), historian
 * Urszula Sipinska (born 1947), singer-songwriter, pianist and architect
 * Józef Struś (1510–1568), scientist and mayor of Poznań
 * Sir Paweł Edmund Strzelecki (July 20, 1797 – October 6, 1873), Polish explorer and geologist
 * Stefan Stuligrosz (born 1920), choral conductor
 * Rafał Szukała (born 1971), butterfly swimmer
 * Roman Szymański (1840–1908), political activist
 * Mirosław Szymkowiak (born 1976) football player
 * Jerzy Topolski (1928–1998), historian
 * Lech Trzeciakowski (born 1931), historian
 * Jan Węglarz (born 1947), computer scientist
 * Zygmunt Wojciechowski, (1900–1955), historian and founder of the Western Institute
 * Leon Wegner (1824–1873), economist
 * Roman Wilhelmi, actor
 * Anna Wolff-Powęska, historian
 * Henryk Zygalski (1906–1978), cryptoanalist, Enigma codemachine codebreaker