History

1516 - a first small group of the Czech Brothers arrived to Leszno.
1547 - the town was granted the foundation charter by the king - Zygmunt Stary.
1573 - the school for the Czech Brothers was opened.
1606 - the first Jews settled in the town.
1618 - until 1648, a big group of Lutheran craftsmen, refugees from Silesia emigrated to the town.
1628 - the town accepted more Chech Brothers led by J.A. Comenius, a distinguished theologian and educator.
1631 - rights granted by Zygmunt III Waza, putting Leszno in the same position as the biggest towns in Poland.
1656 - the town was burnt in revenge for accepting the Swedes during "potop"- a Polish-Swedish conflict.
1738 - Stanislaw Leszczynski sold Leszno to Aleksander Józef Sulkowski.
1790 - the great Leszno fire, the third in that century.
1793 - as a result of the second partition Leszno became part of Prussia and was degraded to a position of a provincial town.
1815 - the Vienna congress decided to include Leszno in the Great Duchy of Poznan.
1856 - the railway line joining Leszno with Poznan and Wroclaw was built.
1886 - the town became the administration centre of the Leszno district.
1920 - the town returned to Poland of the decision of the Versailles treaty.
1939 - World War II.
1945 - liberation from the Nazi occupation.
1975 - Leszno became a voivodeship town.
1990 - the first democratic elections to the Town Council of Leszno.
1999 - administrative reform - Leszno becomes a district town.

Famous Citizens of Leszno

Stanisław Leszczyński (1677 - 1766)
The king of Poland, elected twice in 1705 and 1733. He was the owner of Leszno being the last member of the Leszczyński family. When the throne was taken over by August III, he moved o France, where he became duke of Bar and Lorraine. He was known as patron art and science. The daughter of Stanisław - Maria Leszczyńska became the queen of France in 1725 as the wife of Louis XV.

August Sułkowski (1729 - 1786)
The owner of Leszno, a politician, patron of art, chamberlain of King August III, member of parliament. As the representative of the National Education Committee, he demanded education form womenand burghers' and peasants' children. Thanks to his foundation the widely known school in Rydzyna was established.

Jan Amos Komeński (COMENIUS) (1592 - 1670)
A Czech philosopher who was born in Moravia, a creator of modern pedagogy. He came to Leszno in 1628 as the leader of the Czech Brothers. He was a teacher and then the head of of the Leszno secondary school. As one of the pioneers in Europe, he prepared a project of standardized educational system. His innovative views were presented in "Great Didactics" published in 1657.

Jan Jonston (1603 - 1675)
A doctor, a naturalist and ancestor of a Scottish family, who had settled in Poland. He was the town doctor, the doctor of the Leszczyński family and the teacher of the secondary school. He lived in Leszno from 1625 to 1656. He could speak 12 languages and became known for his zoology book - "Historiae naturalis" and other works in the field of botany and medicine.

Stanisław Grochowiak (1934 - 1976)
One of the most eminent Polish poets and playwrights. His most well-known poetry collections include" Menuet z Pogrzebaczem", "Rozbieranie do snu", "Agresty" translated into languages such as English, French, German and Russian.

Alfred Smoczyk (1927 - 1950)
He was the first speedway champion in Poland (1949). He was very successful as a speedway rider in Poland and abroad. Thanks to his name Leszno became the centre of Polish speedway.