Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Frombork

Frombork in northern Poland, situated in the Warminsko-Mazurskie region on the Vistula Bay. Its population in the year 2000 was 2700. Frombork has been meticulously re-created after destruction in World War II and is now a well-known tourist attraction.

Until 1945 the city was a part of the German province East Prussia.

History

Frombork was founded in about 1278, it has been described in documents of bishop Gerko Fleming (or Henry Fleminga). He moved the capital of diocese to this city, called the City of Our Mistress (Castrum Domine Nostre), after the invasion and destruction of the cathedral in Braniewo. Soon after there was a cathedral of Wniebowziecia Matki Bozej (eng. taking of mother of God into heaven) built.

In 1310, the town was granted rights under Luebeck Law by the bishop Eberhard of Neisse. In the years 1329 - 1388 on the hill a magnificent cathedral was built. The cathedrali, a real masterpiece of Gothic architecture, was named "castrum Dominae nostrae" (Home of Our Lady) in German - Frauenburg. Through centuries the cathedral was expanded and rebuilt. On one of the columns of the central nave there is a memorial of Nicolaus Copernicus who was buried there in 1543. The late 13th century saw the construction of many other churches, including those dedicated to St. Nicolas, St George and St. Anna.

The occupations of the local inhabitants were mainly fishing and farming.

Perhaps the most famous resident of the town was Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived in Frombork 1512-1516 and 1522-1543, died there and was buried in the cathedral.

The Copernicus monument in Frombork, built by German Emperor Wilhelm II, was destroyed by Polish authorities in the mid-1950s, after the city became part of Polish territory in the aftermath of World War II. However, his astronomical observatory, work room, and equipment, as well as the burial site of the astronomer at the cathedral can still be visited there today (2002).