page_title: Choszczno
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Choszczno / History / World War II
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Choszczno - pomnik Oflagu IIB Arnswalde
context_page_description: Choszczno is a town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The town is in a marshy district between the river Stobnica and Klukom lake, 32 kilometres southwest of Stargard and on the main railway line between Szczecin and Poznań. Besides the Gothic church, there are a number of historical buildings from the 19th century industrial period namely, a gasification plant and a water pressure tower which dominates the town's skyline.
  Choszczno is the administrative centre of Choszczno County.
  The town was badly affected by the Second World War: 80% of its buildings were damaged or destroyed. The town was rebuilt and is now a center for local government of the Choszczno commune. Due to its microclimate the town has become a rehabilitation center for convalescing patients. The close proximity of the lakes has made it a tourist destination for water sports. It has also become a popular destination for golf, as it is home to Modry Las, a top ranked European golf course. Other tourist attractions are 'Wodny Raj' aqua park and Drawieński National Park, located 20 km to the east near the town of Drawno.
context_section_description: In 1939, soon after the beginning of Second World War, the prisoner of war camp Oflag II B was established on the outskirts of the town. At the beginning, the majority of the prisoners were Polish and French. Among the prisoners were officer Henryk Sucharski, writer Leon Kruczkowski and Olympic athlete Zygmunt Weiss. The Poles were used in the town as slave labor by the Germans.
  With the collapse of the German eastern front throughout the Red Army Vistula-Oder Offensive of 1945, Arnswalde was on the front line. Because of the town's strategic position of protecting Stargard and Stettin seaport, a strong German garrison had been concentrated in the town to defend it. During the Russian offensive bitter fighting occurred, which resulted in almost 80% damage of the town's infrastructure. The town's population fled westwards before and during the battle. After the German resistance stopped on 23 February 1945, Arnswalde was handed over to the Poles for administration as a part of the so-called Recovered Territories.
  The town was mainly repopulated by Polish expellees from the Polish territories lost to the Soviet Union, now part of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine—the so-called Kresy, lands eastern to the Curzon Line. It was initially renamed as Choczno, later as Choczen in 1945. It was finally renamed to the historic Polish "Choszczno" on 7 May 1946.
caption: Monument commemorating the prisoners of the German POW camp Oflag II B
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