Mrągowo

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Mrągowo (until 1947 Polish: ; German: [] ([Media helphelp]·[info])) is a town in northeastern Poland and the seat of the municipal administration (powiat).

History

The Teutonic Order constructed a wooden fortress named Sensburg near present-day Mrągowo in 1348. The settlement that began to develop near the castle in 1397 probably received town rights between 1404 and 1407, although it is verified that Konrad von Jungingen affirmed city rights in 1444. Sensburg became part of Ducal Prussia in 1525. From the 15th-16th centuries, the town suffered through fires and plagues, and was heavily damaged during the Napoleonic Wars.

The town itself mostly remained a small hamlet in the mostly rural area around it. Agriculture, fishing and the richness of the surrounding forests provided the sources of income for the local population.

In 1897 Sensburg was connected to the railway system, which went from Biskupiec to Kętrzyn.

During World War II the town was heavily damaged and lost almost 20% of its buildings. The German population was largely expelled after the war. From 1945-1947 the city was known by the Polish name Żądzbork. The city's name was changed to the current Mrągowo in 1947, in honor of Pastor Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongowiusz (1764-1855).

After the war the town remained a rural town with approximately 10,000 inhabitants; this number stayed almost constant until the late 1980s. In the 1990s, mostly due to economic and political changes, the city gained some influence in the region and grew quickly into a regional center for economic business and tourism. These days the city has tried to regain some of its former beauty and tries therefore to represent the region.

The city lies in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodship (since 1999), previously in Olsztyn Voivodship (1975-1998).

Coat of arms

The city's coat of arms derives from a local story of the 15th century. It claims that when the herds of local farmers were being threatened by predators, the townspeople tracked down a fearsome bear. They were only able to shoot it in its paw, and it managed to flee to Rastenburg (Kętrzyn). Only upon its arrival there did the bear succumb to its injuries. The bear's paw was brought back to Sensburg and is honored in the coat of arms.

Mrągowo

History

Coat of arms

See also