Gorzów Wielkopolski, city in western Poland, capital of Gorzów Wielkopolski province. Gorzów Wielkopolski is located on the Warta River, a tributary of Poland's second longest river, the Odra. Industries here produce silk, construction equipment, plastics, and synthetics; additional industries are related to agriculture and forestry. Gorzów Wielkopolski is an important river port and road hub between northern and southern Poland and between Poland and Germany. The city's historical monuments include a medieval Gothic cathedral and fortifications built in the 16th century. Cultural institutions include a theater and a museum with regional history exhibits. Gorzów Wielkopolski is the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric.
Gorzów Wielkopolski was founded as a Slavic fortress in the 11th century. In 1257 it became a city under the control of the German margravate (county) of Brandenburg. Destroyed in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), the city was rebuilt and prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries. Known by the German name of Landsberg, the city remained under the control of Germany until the end of World War II in 1945, when postwar border agreements assigned the city to Poland. Population (1997 estimate) 125,300.
