POLAND : Poznan

The city of Poznan is a port on the Warta River in west-central Poland. It is an important industrial and railway center and is the site of a major international trade fair. Manufactures include machinery, metals, and chemicals. The city has many old churches and museums with important art objects. Its most notable buildings are a Gothic cathedral (badly damaged in World War II) and a 16th-century city hall. A city-province, it is also the capital of Poznan provinc

Founded  as a small fortified village in the 10th century, Poznan quickly became the capital of Poland and the residence of the first two Polish kings. Poland's first cathedral was erected here in 968. The city was devastated in 1939 at the beginning of World War II. A 1945 siege left the city in ruins.Rebuilt after World War II it became an industrial and cultural center of Poland.

It is a major cultural and literary center, with several institutions of higher education, scientific organizations, opera and dance centers, and a number o f theaters. Points of interest include the Raczynski Library, Market Square, the Museum of Musical Instruments, the National Museum, and the oldest zoological garden in Poland.