# Brdów

Brdów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Babiak, within Koło County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in central Poland. It lies approximately 18 km (11 mi) north of Koło, 123 km (76 mi) east of the regional capital Poznań, 76 km (48 mi) south of Toruń and 185 km (115 mi) west of the country capital Warsaw.

## History

* 3700 BC – The first traces of people in the present Brdów.
* 1136 – The first written mention about Brdów.
* 1325 – The first mention about Catholic parish in Brdów.
* 1399 – The first mention of a brick church.
* 1436:
** King of Poland Ladislaus of Varna brought to Brdów the Pauline Fathers Order from Jasna Gora and gave them into the care of church in Brdów.
** Brdów gained town privileges.
* 1450 – Built the first school in Brdów.
* 1476 – City of Brdów became a royal property.
* 1562 – The renewal of civic rights of Brdów by king of Poland Sigismund II Augustus.
* 1584 – Built a hospital in Brdów.
* 1655 – Destruction of the city by the Swedes.
* 1824 – Construction of the factory in Brdów.
* 1863 – Battle of Brdów in Nowiny Brdowskie.
* 1870 – Loss of civic rights.
* 1893 – In Brdów lived 1 894 people.
* 1909 – Built a new building of school (at Church Street).
* 1938 – Built a new building of school (at Adam Mickiewicz Street).
* 1939:
** Destruction of the town by the Germans.
** Opened the hospital in place of new school (at Adam Mickiewicz Street).
* 1983:
** Coronation of Image of Our Lady of Victories of Brdów by Pope John Paul II.
** Fire of church.
* 1999 – Start of international cooperation with Airėnai (in Lithuania)
* 2004 – The Society of Friends of the Earth of Brdów (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Ziemi Brdowskiej).
* 2007 – Expansion of the school building.
* 2009 – Construction of new building of kindergarten.
* 2010 – In Brdów was a car accident, which killed 5 people.
* 2011 – Wind farm built in Brdów.

## Famous people

Famous people associated with Brdów:
* Andrzej Kreutz-Majewski - stage designer
* Augustyn Kordecki - Pauline monk
* Bronisław Matyszczyk - Pauline monk
* Eleonora Kiełczewska - mother of Pola Negri
* Florian Piskorski - American Polonia activist
* Jakub Krzyżanowski - grandfather of Frédéric Chopin
* Jan Skarbek - nobleman
* Józef Markowski - poet and priest
* Karol Libelt, senior - philosopher
* Karol Libelt, junior - insurgent
* Korneliusz Jemioł - Pauline monk
* Léon Young de Blankenheim - commander of the insurgent troops
* Mieczysław Wejman - Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków
* Pola Negri - actress
* Ladislaus of Varna - king of Poland and Lithuanian Grand Duke
* Zachariasz Jabłoński - journalist, theologian and priest

## Church

Brdów is a local center of Catholic religion. Here is a St Adalbert's of Prague Church of a Pauline Fathers in Brdów. The church has existed since 1325.

## Population

* 1777: 331 people
* 1827: 794 people
* 1859: 863 people
* 1902: 1,894 people
* 1946: 700 people
* 1999: 818 people
* 2002: 850 people
* 2005: 900 people
* 2014: 950 people

## Gallery

* Center of Brdów in 1934
* The house where lived the famous actress – Pola Negri
* St Adalbert's of Prague church in Brdów, 14th century; 17th century
* Center of Brdów
* Restaurant "Pod Jesionem" (en:Under the Ash) in center of Brdów
* John Paul II monument
* Frédéric Chopin monument
* Fire Department in Brdów
* Church Street
* Shop "Groszek" (en:Pea)