Lubuskie

Lubuskie, województwo (province), west-central Poland. One of the smallest and least-populous Polish provinces, it is bordered by the provinces of Zachodniopomorskie to the north, Wielkopolskie to the east, and Dolnośląskie to the south and by Germany to the west. It was formed in 1999 when the 49 provinces established in 1975 were consolidated into 16 provinces. It is a combination of the former provinces of Gorzów and Zielona Góra, and the provincial capitals are the cities of Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra. Area 5,401 square miles (13,988 square km). Pop. (2011) 1,022,843.

Geography

Lubuskie province is a low-lying area, with morainal hills, marginal stream valleys, and lake basins. To the north lies the Gorzów Plain, and to the south are the Gubin Heights and the Zielona Góra Rampart; the Lubuskie Lakeland is in the central part of the province. The main rivers are the Oder (Odra), Neisse (Nysa Łużycka), Bóbr, Warta, Noteć, and Obra. Lubuskie is one of the most heavily wooded of all Polish provinces, with coniferous forests being the most prevalent. It has one of the mildest climates in Poland, with a mean annual temperature of 47.3 °F (8.5 °C). Spring comes early, summer is long and warm, and winter is mild. Average annual precipitation is 20–24 inches (500–600 mm).

Lubuskie is one of the most sparsely populated of all Polish provinces. Two-thirds of the population is urban, and the largest cities are the provincial capitals of Gorzów Wielkopolski and Zielona Góra. The older generation consists of an immigratory population: repatriates from the eastern part of pre-World War II Poland, military settlers, and newcomers from Great Poland (Wielkopolska).

Although Lubuskie’s climate is highly suitable for agricultural production, the soil is of poor quality. Only two-fifths of the land is arable. The chief crops are cereals, sugar beets, rapeseed, hops, and potatoes. Viticulture was at one time important in Zielona Góra, but production has declined significantly since the 19th century. One of the largest Polish distilleries, however, still operates in the city. Major industries include railway car and automotive parts manufacturing, chemical and textile production, and some petroleum and natural gas extraction. Local timber supports the pulp and paper industry in Kostrzyn and supplies furniture manufacturers in Świebodzin and Zielona Góra. The local transport network is rather poorly developed. The Berlin-Warsaw road and railway route, with the largest Polish border road checkpoint at Świecko, is of significance for international transit traffic. The Oder, Warta, and Noteć rivers are used for inland shipping.

The natural beauty of the province attracts hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and canoeists to Lubuskie; the area is particularly popular with hunters and mushroom pickers. Trade and services within the borderland zone are especially geared to satisfy the needs of German customers. Buildings of historical interest include the cathedral at Gorzów Wielkopolski, the huge 13th-century Church of the Assumption at Żagań, and the Gothic 14th-century Church of SS. Peter and Paul, also in Żagań. In Łagów there is a castle built by the Knights Hospitallers during the 14th century. To the south of Międzyrzecz stretches a 19-mile- (30-km-) long network of fortifications built by the Germans just prior to World War II. Part of the underground network is designated as the Nietoperek Bat Nature Reserve, central Europe’s most important bat hibernation site, which provides shelter to some 30,000 bats of 12 different species. Major festivals held in the region are the Summer Film Festival in Łagów, the International Folk Festival in Zielona Góra, and the International Festival of Gypsy Folk Ensembles in Gorzów Wielkopolski. The Feast of the Grape Harvest, held in Zielona Góra, celebrates the region’s history as one of Europe’s northernmost grape-growing areas.

History

The name of the province is derived from Lubuska Land (Ziemia Lubuska), a historic region situated astride the middle course of the Oder River. Its capital, Lubusz (now Lebus, Germany), was incorporated into the Polish state in the 10th century, under the Piast ruler Mieszko I. In the mid-1200s the Silesian princes sold the Lubuska Land to Brandenburg. Feudal lords, merchants, peasants, and clergy (e.g., Templars, Hospitallers, and Cistercians) from Germany flooded into the area, now renamed New Margraviate. The Lubuska Land was in the hands of the Habsburg and Luxembourg families until the mid-1700s, when it was incorporated into Prussia. In 1871 it fell to the German Second Reich. During World War II fierce fighting took place in 1945 along the line of German fortifications near Międzyrzecz and around the Kostrzyn fortress. Most of the towns and cities in the region were greatly damaged. In 1945 the Potsdam Conference established the Polish-German border along the Oder-Neisse Line. Between 1945 and 1947 the German population was forced to leave the area, which was resettled by Poles.