Chociwel


Chociwel is a town in northwestern Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Stargard County. It has 3,167 inhabitants.

History

In the Middle Ages it was a Slavic gród. In the 10th century it became part of Poland under first historic ruler Mieszko I of Poland. The first church was built around 1124. The settlement was mentioned in 1190 and 1321.
In 1338, the town Freienwalde was founded by German settlers and was granted Magdeburg rights. In the 15th century the town's main landmark was built – the Gothic Our Lady of Sorrows church.
It had a population of 3,406 in 1939. In 1945 it was awarded to Poland, along with most of Pomerania, at the insistence of Josef Stalin, and its entire population was expelled. Because of this, the population in 1946 was only 402, all of them Polish newcomers. The novel name Chociwel was determined by the Polish Communist regime to replace the original German.

Gallery

Notable residents