Włocławek

Włocławek: Liberty Square

Włocławek, city, Kujawsko-Pomorskie województwo (province), north-central Poland, on the Vistula River.

Włocławek was the seat of the Kujavian bishops during the 11th century, becoming one of the earliest developed towns in Wielkopolska (Great Poland); it was incorporated in 1256. The astronomer Copernicus studied there between 1489 and 1491. The town became a major industrial centre during the 19th century after the establishment of Poland’s first paper mill and cellulose plant. The cellulose industry boomed in the decades following World War II but fell into decline by the end of the 20th century. Włocławek is also a centre of agriculture. In 1968 a spillway dam with a hydroelectric power station was constructed on the Vistula River. Pop. (2011) 116,783.