HISTORIA
Nowe is a small town, which stands on a high bank of the river Vistula, midway between Bydgoszcz and Gdańsk. There, at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, a monumental fortress was raised, towering high on a river cliff, which along with castles in Starogard and ¦wiecie oversaw boats on the Vistula. The importance of the fort in Nowe was emphasised by the fact that is was a seat of duke ¦więtopełek II’s castle administrator. At the end of the 13th century, Aleksy of Lekinstein, an advisor to the Polish king Władysław Łokietek, became a new owner of Nowe castle. Soon, however, in 1310, the fort and the settlement were ceded to Piotr ¦więca.
Nowe was granted the first location privilege in 1302. The chronicles say that the towns of Gdańsk, Tczew and Nowe were destroyed by the Teutonic Knights during their conquest of Pomorze Zachodnie (West Pomerania). At the time Nowe Castle was ruled by a castle administrator appointed by the Duke of Pomerania while the town remained Piotr ¦więca’s private property. Thus, the Teutonic Knights immediately offered to buy the rights to the town and the whole administrative district. For a price of 1200 grzywna (medieval coins weighing less than 200 g of silver) Piotr ¦więca renounced his ownership of the town, which he had ruled for 12 years. Sadly, after the year 1308 the town was damaged and depopulated. It was not until 1350 that it received a new charter granted by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Heindrich Düssemer von Arffenberg.
The Teutonic Knights began to built a brick castle in Nowe most probably in the mid-14th century. It was one of the smallest Teutonic castles in Pomerania, as it consisted of a three-storey great hall and an encircling curtain wall connected to the town’s fortified walls. The castle was probably separated from the town by another wall, possibly with a moat in front. The ground storey contained service rooms. The first floor had quarters for the brother knight who supervised the castle. Next there was a refectory, a chapel and a room for guests. The highest storey was turned into storerooms and a granary.
Nowe returned to Poland in 1466. The 16th century was a time of prosperity for the town, which profited from its location on a commercial trail along the Vistula river. A group of Mennonites from Holland, who escaped from religious persecution in their motherland, settled in Nowe. During the Swedish wars in the 17th century the town was badly damaged and the population decimated. In 1760 a guild of carpenters was set up in Nowe, which helped to develop carpentry and later also production of furniture in the town. In 1772 Nowe was incorporated into the Prussian state and returned to Poland in 1920.
Nowe owes its development to wood and wicker industry. In the interwar period there were about 100 carpenter workshops in the town. Large volume of woodwork production was confirmed by the National Furniture Fairs which were held twice in Nowe, in 1938 and in 1939. In 1945 the Nowe Furniture Factory was opened, which gave rise to a large-scale industrial production of furniture. In 1992 the factory found a foreign business partner and began a new stage of development, under the name the Klose-Pomerania Furniture Factory.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

INFORMATION
The Town Community Centre "Zamek", 3 Zamkowy Ave. tel. /fax 052 333 72 40

CULTURE
Museum, 2 Zamkowa St. tel. 059 822 26 23

The Town Community Centre "Zamek", 3 Zamkowy Ave. tel./fax 052 333 72 40
The Club of Medieval Culture Fans, 3 Zamkowy Ave.
The "Rychławianki" Kociewie Folk Ensemble, Rychława, tel. 052 332 88 25

ACCOMODATION
"Dowhań", Hotel and Restaurant, 9 Tczewska St. tel. 052 332 72 73
"Bochlin", Hotel and Restaurant, 13 Bochlin, tel. 052 332 70 23
"Holland", Hotel and Restaurant, 20a Zdrojewo, tel. 052 332 80 67
The Saling Resort "Europark", Osiny, tel. 052 332 84 24

CATERING
Kawiarnia "Zamkowa", 3 Zamkowy Ave. tel. 052 332 72 01
Kawiarnia "Roma", 1 Wojska Polskiego St. tel. 052 332 75 72
Bistro "Avanti", 15 Bydgoska St. tel. 052 332 85 88
Bar "OLKOP", Gen. Komierowskiego St. tel. 052 332 72 68
Bar "BP", Morgi, tel. 052 332 84 65
Bar "Non Stop", Gen. Komierowskiego St.

The Commune Office
5 ¦więtego Rocha Ave., phone: 052 333 72 10
www.gminanowe.pl

 

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