Prehistory The earliest evidence of human habitation in Konin has been dated to the
Paleolithic Era. On the dunes near the Warta, various ancient flint tools and implements have been found, among them being knives, burins, and tanged points. These earliest artifacts are of the
Swiderian culture (
Kultura Świderska) of 9000–8000 BC.
Ancient times A permanent settlement arose along the
Amber Road, which led from the
Roman Empire to the
Baltic Sea, traversing the area of present-day Konin. A map drawn by
Ptolemy identified the settlement as
Setidava (or
Getidava), a probable spot to wade across the Warta and containing an
emporium of some importance to merchants travelling along the route. The settlement's primary burial ground, situated on the dunes west of the centre of today's Konin, dates back to the
Przeworsk culture (
Kultura Przeworska) of the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
Middle Ages Toward the end of the
early Middle Ages, Gród Kaszuba was the most significant of the fortified settlements near present-day Konin. Inhabited from the 10th through 12th centuries, Gród Kaszuba was situated on the meadows near the Warta. Its abandonment was likely a consequence of floods which damaged its fortifications. The remains of Gród Kaszuba are visible on the south bank of the river. During the 12th and 13th centuries, in the
high to
late Middle Ages, a complex of settlements was centred on the location of today's
Stare Miasto, where there existed a large settlement named Konin and a market place and a church built of
sandstone. (The name
Stare Miasto first appeared in use later, after Konin had been reestablished elsewhere.) What remains from that time is SS Peter and Paul's Parish Church, with its magnificent carved portal and a solar clock on the south wall, perhaps the oldest solar clock in
Greater Poland. In 1331, the settlement was plundered and burnt by the
Teutonic Knights. What remained was soon abandoned and the town of Konin was reestablished, six kilometres () to the northeast, in the more defensible spot where the Old Town of Konin is situated today. Since the 13th century, Konin has been situated on the marshy grounds of an island within a ford of the Warta River. The oldest available written work confirming the location of the town is associated with Gosław, the chief officer of a group of settlers, and was recorded in 1293. The town may have been chartered by the Duke of
Greater Poland,
Przemysł II, who visited Konin in 1284 and 1292. At that time, the town's north–south axis equalled 430 meters, while its east–west axis equalled 210 meters. Also, the town's area was eight hectares, and its circumference was 1100 meters. By the standards of the time, Konin was a town of medium size. -
Gothic St Bartholomew's Church Konin's significance grew during the 14th century. Records from that era indicate that Konin possessed a
Castellan, an office of significance in feudal Poland, and one which only the oldest towns in the country were granted. At approximately the midpoint of the century, Konin became the judicial seat of the Kalisz Voivodeship and functioned under the authority of a
Starost. There may have also been a school in Konin at the time, as a student from Konin is listed in a 14th-century record of the
Charles University in Prague. The second half of the 14th century and the entire 15th are believed to have been a period of rapid development for Konin. During the reign of the Polish King
Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), a
king's castle was erected in Konin and the town was encircled with walls and a moat, marking the beginning of Konin as a king's town These quantities suggest that Konin was still a town of medium size. Notwithstanding, the town continued its development of handicraft trades and enlarged the area of its Starosty District. In 1425, Konin was granted a charter to conduct two fairs each year.
Renaissance tombstone of Grand Marshal of the Polish Crown Stanisław Przyjemski in the St. Bartholomew's Church The 16th century, the period of
Poland's golden age, was a time of significant economic, political, military, cultural, and territorial growth. In 1504, the village of Kurów, located on the river bank opposite the main body of Konin, was incorporated into the town. Furthermore, a description of the town, written in 1557, lists a brickyard and a mill as well as eight butchers, 14 bakers, 21 shoemakers, and four fishermen. However, Konin may have been one of the smaller towns of the time in eastern Greater Poland, based on its "Szos", the tax assessed on its earnings and the possessions of its townspeople. Konin was obliged to pay 32 zlotych, while Poznań (the capital of Greater Poland) was assessed 1400 zlotych; Kalisz, 230; nearby Słupca, 96; and both Koło and
Pyzdry, 64. Concerning religious matters and the
Reformation, the starost of Konin,
Jakub Ostroróg, was a notable supporter of the Protestants, In 1794, Konin joined the first Polish insurrection, the
Kościuszko Uprising; the act of joining is recorded in the town's books of that period. Polish insurgents also took control of the town multiple times - e.g., in September 1794, when the town was entered by the soldiers of the corps of
Jan Henryk Dąbrowski, the namesake of the
Polish national anthem - the so-called "Dąbrowski's Mazurka". In 1796, the town was damaged by fire.
19th century The 19th century began with the general, European disorder of the
Napoleonic Wars, which neither eastern Greater Poland nor Konin escaped. At the start of the century, the
Duchy of Warsaw was created as a Polish formally independent state,
de facto dependent upon
Napoleon I Bonaparte. The Napoleonic Wars gave Poles hope of regaining national independence, and they strongly supported Napoleon. On November 9, 1806, Poles took control of Konin and quickly organized a new, town government. The following year, the town was formally incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw.
20th century For Konin, the early 20th century was a period of rapid development in the fields of culture, education, and social life. The Musical Society of Kalisz (
Towarzystwo Muzyczne w Kaliszu) had as many as 72 members in Konin, A branch of the
Polish gymnastic society Sokół, was founded in Konin. A quasi-military association, its objective was to maintain the fitness of teenagers, to improve their health, and to provide for readily trainable military recruits in the event of a possible national uprising or a defence need. Similar Jewish and German associations also existed. After the outbreak of
World War I in 1914, battles between Russian and German troops occurred near Konin. Ultimately, the city came under German occupation and deteriorated. In November 1918, when Poland regained independence, the German
Landsturm opened fire on members of the
Polish Military Organisation and Polish scouts and students, who tried to liberate the city. The Germans also threw grenades at local inhabitants who gathered at the local Market Square, killing six people and wounding many. The Germans established and operated a Nazi prison in the city, and two
forced labour camps for Jews. Poles were also subjected to
expulsions to the so-called
General Government, carried out in late 1939 and in 1940, which especially pertained to owners of more well-kept houses, shops and workshops, which were then handed over to German colonists as part of the
Lebensraum policy. Three Polish men from Konin were also murdered by the Soviets in the large
Katyn massacre committed in April–May 1940. In the town's surrounding forests, the Nazis carried out mass executions of Jews, 95% of which were killed or sent to concentration camps. In August 1943, the Jews at the labour camp at Konin, led by Rabbi Joshua Moshe Aaronson, burned down the huts in the camp and tried to escape. Almost all of them were killed. ==Jewish community of Konin==