Legionowo

Legionowo
Main Square
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Masovian
County	Legionowo County
Gmina	Legionowo (urban gmina)
Established	1877
Town rights	1952
Government
• Mayor	Roman Smogorzewski
Area
• Total	13.60 km2 (5.25 sq mi)
Elevation	80 m (260 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	50,698
• Density	3,700/km2 (9,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	05-118 to 05-122
Area code	+48 022
Car plates	WL
Website	http://www.legionowo.pl

Legionowo [lɛɡʲɔˈnɔvɔ] is a town in Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze). According to the 2004 Census estimate the town has a total population of 50,759.

Legionowo is located ca. 23 km to the north-east of the center of Warsaw and only 7 km to the south of Zegrze Reservoir ([Jezioro Zegrzyńskie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [Zalew Zegrzyński] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), near the Warsaw-Gdańsk railroad and Warsaw-Suwałki road. City area is 1360ha (13.6 km²), which makes population density 3727.79 persons/km². Altitude: 75–85 m above sea level.

Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship ([województwo mazowieckie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), created in 1999 as a result of Local Government Reorganization Act), previously in Warszawa Voivodeship ([województwo warszawskie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [województwo stołeczne warszawskie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), 1975–1998) and old Masovian Voivodeship (before 1975). Currently this is the capital of Legionowo County ([powiat legionowski)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), which is one of 38 land counties ([powiat ziemski] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) in Masovian Voivodeship.

Adjoining counties (from north, clockwise): Pułtusk County, Wyszków County, Wołomin County, Warszawa County, Warszawa Zachód County, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County.

Education

• Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Techniczna

History

• Legionowo's history dates back to 1877, when Jabłonna Nowa (New Jabłonna) rail station was built. The name comes from Jabłonna, the nearby village, where in 1774-1779 Bishop Michał Poniatowski (brother of Poland's last king, Stanisław Poniatowski) built his palace (currently the House of Congresses and Conferences of the Polish Academy of Sciences).
• In 1892 the Russian army barracks (koszary carskie) were built near the railroad station ([Obóz Hurki] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and a local garrison of the Russian army had stationed there, as a part of Warsaw Stronghold Region ([Warszawski Rejon Umocniony] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), until the beginning of World War I, when this region was occupied by the German troops.
• In 1912, Legionowo is given a city rights ([prawa miejskie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)).
• In 1919, Jabłonna Nowa was renamed as Legionowo to honour Polish Legions (Legiony Polskie).
• Ca. 1920 Institute of Aerology (currently Aerology Centre within Institute of Meteorology and Water Administration, [Ośrodek Aerologii Instytutu Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) was opened.
• During the Battle for Warsaw ([Bitwa o Warszawę] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) in August 1920, from barracks in Legionowo, General Żeligowski led the 10th Infantry Division ([10. Dywizja Piechoty] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) to Radzymin, which helped to save Warsaw from the Red Army.
• In 1922 the Aviotex balloon and parachute factory, which also produced tents and other camping equipment (e.g. sleeping bags), opened in Legionowo
• After 1925, Legionowo became a summer resort for inhabitants of Warsaw, as by that time, it was a wooded and unpolluted area.
• Between World War I and World War II, narrow-gauge railroad line connected Legionowo with Warsaw, going through Jabłonna.
• In 1930 Legionowo became a commune ([gmina] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)).
• During World War II a ward of Stalag 368 (‹See Tfd›German: Stammlager, prison camp for lower officers and soldiers) in Beniaminowo and a ghetto were located in Legionowo.
• During World War II, in 1944, Legionowo took part in Warsaw uprising, as so called District 7: Collar ([Obwód 7: Obroża] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)). During the first week of August 1944, Legionowo was a place of regular fights between German troops and Polish rebels. After a week or so, Germans put down the uprising and several Poles where executed in one of the military shelters near the railroad line.
• After World War II there was a brick factory ([cegielnia] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), now nonexistent.
• In 1950s the standard-gauge railroad line was electrified.
• In late 1960s, narrow-gauge railroad line was closed and in early 1970s the tracks were removed. The terminus and depot buildings remain, currently in private use.
• In 1960s first 4-storeys blocks of flats were built. In 1970s and 1980s, three large groups of blocks of flats (4-storeys and 11-storeys) were built.
• In 1977 a tin ware factory "Bistyp" was opened.
• In early 1980s, house factory was built near Legionowo, which made prefabricated elements for blocks of flats built in the region. The factory is now closed.
• In August 1990 the Police Training Centre ([Centrum Szkolenia Policji] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), one of two such institutions in Poland, was opened.
• After the big flood in southern parts of Poland in 1997, the Aerology Institute was equipped with Doppler meteorological radar, able to scan about 1/5 of Poland's area for storm and rain clouds. Now in part of SMOK (The Hydrological and Meteorological Monitoring Forecasting and Protection System, Polish: System Monitoringu i Osłony Kraju).

Places worth seeing

• Russian army barracks, made of red Russian bricks (larger than standard Polish ones)
• Wooden summer resort houses, nowadays some of them located in the center of Legionowo
• St. Joseph's Church ([Kościół Św. Józefa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), [Kościół Garnizonowy] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) built in 1945
• Holy Spirit Church ([Kościół Św. Ducha] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) built in years 1979-1985 in place of an old wooden one.

External links

• Jewish Community in Legionowo on Virtual Shtetl