Ełk

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Ełk
	Image:Ełk.svg
	(Coat of arms)

Image:POL Ełk map.svg
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Warmian-Masurian
Mayor	Janusz Nowakowski
Area	21,07 km²
Population - city - urban - density	55 846 (2005) 2316,32/km²
City rights	1445
Latitude Longitude	53°49'N 22°21'E
Area code	+48 87
Car plates	NEL
Twin towns	Nettetal, Nemenčinė, Burlington
Municipal Website

Image:Poland Elk View.jpg

Ełk (before 1945 German: Lyck (pronunciation (help·info)); former Polish name: Łęg) is a town in northeastern Poland with 55,846 inhabitants (2004). It was assigned to Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in 1999 after previously belonging to Suwałki Voivodeship (1975-1998). Ełk is the capital of Ełk County.

The city lies on a shore of Ełckie Lake, which was formed by a glacier. Surrounded by forests, the area belongs to one of the regions of Poland. One of its principal attractions is hunting, which is carried out in extensive forests.

1 History
2 Famous People
3 Education
4 Spiritual
5 Coat of arms
6 External links

[edit] History

By 1283 the last Prussian Sudovian (Sudauerfürst) Skomand capitulated to the Teutonic Order in the Lyck area territory.

Lyk (1354), a former Prussian town (the word meant "white water lily"; first recorded in 1398 as Zur Lycke) developed in the late 14th century around a castle built by the Teutonic Knights. It received its town rights in 1445.

Before World War I, Lyck had 13,000 inhabitants. When Russian troops attacked, many fled and returned after the war. The town was occupied by English and Italian troops until the Treaty of Versailles^{[citation needed]}. A plebiscite in Lyck resulted in 8,339 votes for Germany and 8 for Poland.

Heavily destroyed in First World War during the Russian attack in 1914 and reconstructed, Lyck was again heavily destroyed by bombardments in World War II and was eventually conquered by the Soviet Union. Subsequently, a Communist Polish administration was installed in April 1945, and the town was rebuilt and renamed to Ełk (the former Polish name was Łęg). The county of Lyck had 53.000 inhabitants, when the Sowiet Army approached in January 1945. Twenty percent of the people did not survive. Only a few hundred Germans were able to return and to remain, when Communists took over and brought in Poles.

[edit] Famous People

Ludwig von Baczko, Historian, wrote Geschichte von Preussen, publ. 1792-80 Königsberg
Hugo Zwillenberg 1885 Lyck -1966 Bern
Siegfried Lenz, Author 1926 in Lyck.

[edit] Education

University of Warmia and Mazury
Private Economic Academy
Nursery School
Higher Catholic Seminary

[edit] Spiritual

The main religion is Roman Catholicism, although a number of Protestant churches are also represented and play an important role in the religious life of the population. These include the Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal (Assemblies of God - Kościół Zielonoświątkowy), Charismatic (Kościół Chrześcijański "Słowo Życia" or Word of Faith Christian Church, with its Ełk congregation being probably one of the few local churches in Poland pastored by a woman, Ms Teresa Odolecka) and other churches. Before World War II, the city and its surroundings were almost entirely (>95%) Protestant, as they were northern Germans. Today, Ełk is the center of the Catholic Diocese of Ełk with its bishop Jerzy Mazur.

[edit] Coat of arms

Image:POL Ełk old COA.svg

Image:Ełk.svg

The current coat of arms of Ełk were adopted in 1999, after the town was visited by the pope John Paul II. The colors have been changed (from green to yellow), the deer is different then in the former emblem. Lastly is the addition of the insignia of the Papacy.

Until 1967, a different emblem with the two-faced head of Janus (god) was used, but its origin is unknown.

Coat of arms with two-faced Janus, embossed on the stone