The Kalisz district

Polska-Kalisz.gif (2634 bytes) The Kalisz district, one of 49 in Poland, occupies an area of 6512 sq. km (2,1% of Polan's area) and belongs to the middle-size districts. It lies almost entirely in the south - eastern part of Greater Poland Lowland and only the south - western edges of it constitutes the part of Silesia Lowland. The Kalisz district frontier line, running for 520 km, borders on the following districts: Leszno and Wrocław on the West, Opole and Częstochowa on the south, Sieradz on the east and finally Konin and Poznań on the nort.The entire Kalisz district is located on the lowland area, which means that its heights do not exceed 300 meters. The highest hill of the region are Ostrzeszów Heights stretching for 40 km in lenght, Wysocki Heights near Ostrów Wielkopolski and Żerków Heights in the north. The district's main rivers are Prosna, Obra, Lutynia and Barycz. Prosna, Warta river left tributary, is 229 km long and flows across the district for 126 km starting at Dzietrzkowice village in the south and ending with its mouth in Warta river in the north. Widok Kalisza z lotu ptaka od strony zachodniej. (jpg 87426 bytes)
The Kalisz district is located in central Poland within an easy reach of Poznań, Łódź and Wrocław. There are two major railways of domestic importance. The most important junction is Ostrów Wielkopolski. The road network in the region is diversified in terms of its density. The most dense part covers the north and the centre of district and the only internationally important road running across the southern part is Warsaw- Prague Highway E-12. There is of course a well developed network of local roads.

     The whole area of the Kalisz district is inhabited by 720 thousand peple of whom 46,8% live in urban areas. Most of 20 towns date back to the 14th and the 16th centuries and the biggest of them are located along two major railways. All towns exceeding 10 000 inhabitants except Kępno were founded in the north of the region. These towns are: Kalisz, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Krotoszyn and Jarocin; but still dominant in terms of number are smaller, below 5,000 inhabitants which make 50% of whole quantity. Most of villages here date back to the Middle Ages. In the 15th and 16th cent. was the greatest rural development in the neighbourhood of Kalisz, Koźmin and Krotoszyn. Not until the 18th and the 19th centuries were the regions around Odolanów, Grabów, Pleszew and Kępno inhabited. The smallest villages bellow 350 inhabitants can be found in forest areas of the north-east.
ratusz.gif (42603 bytes)      The Kalisz district's main characteristic is its agricultural-industrial orientation. Agricultural areas make 68% of the whole district's territory. Farming here is highly productive, which places local results among the ones at the top in the country. Industry, the main source of income for the people in towns, is well developed and diversified. The most vital in the district's industrial profile are: food processing, textile, wood processing and electro-machinery. Among numerous factories the ones worth mentioning are: food processing factory WINIARY, confectionery factory KALISZANKA and textile factories HAFT, RUNOTEX, WISTIL and POLO, all placed in Kalisz. Other important factories are located in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Krotoszyn and Jarocin.
     The natural environment of Kalisz district depends largely on its forests that cover one fifth of the region.
The Kalisz district can offer a wide range of tourist attraction. Among others there are such resort as Szałe near Kalisz, and small towns as Antonin, Gołuchów and Kobyla Góra, surrounded by picturesque forests.

RATUSZ_OD_FRANCISZKANOW.jpg (47383 bytes) Kalisz district, established in 1975 possesses a secular tradition of separate administrative entity. In the 11th and the 12th centuries Kalisz was a stronghold town. In the 13th century Kalisz became the capital of the principality and from the 15th century of the province devided into six smaller administrative district. The province covered the area of 33,000 sq. km. In 1768 in connection with the establishment of Gniezno province, 3 administrative districts were excluded from Kalisz province and in 1793 the province was incorporated to Prussia due to the 1st partition of Poland. After that a new Kalisz department was created. It survived till the year 1815 when under the regulations of the Congress of Vienna it was divided (by the line of Prosna river) between Russia and Prussia. Ostrów, Ostrzeszów, Odolanów, Pleszew entered the Grand Duchy of Poznań (which belonged to Prussia) the rest of the territory was incorporated into the lands under the Russian rule. In 1873 new Kalisz district was established. After regaining the independence by Poland in 1918, Kalisz lost its status of local administrative center and became a part of Łódź district and from 1938, of Poznań district. During the World War II the Greater Poznań and Kalisz were incorporated into The Third Reich. In 1975 Kalisz became a capital of district again.