View source for Olsztyn

{{Short description|Capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland}}
{{other uses|Olsztyn (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Olsztyn
| settlement_type = [[City with powiat rights|City county]]
| motto = {{force singular}} Olsztyn – Miasto Młode Duchem…<br />(Olsztyn – a city young in spirit…)
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 270
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow = 2/2/2
| image1 = 2024-07 Olsztyn (89).jpg{{!}}City Hall
| image2 = 2024-07 Olsztyn (72).jpg{{!}}Rynek (Market Square)
| image3 = Olsztyn 2023 039 Old Town Hall.jpg{{!}}Old Town Hall
| image4 = Kopernikus-Olsztyn.jpg{{!}}Nicolaus Copernicus monument
| image5 = Olsztyn 2023 005 Cathedral.jpg{{!}}St. James Co-Cathedral
| image6 = Zamek Olsztyn (2).jpg{{!}}Aerial view of the Old Town with the Olsztyn Castle
| caption1 = City Hall
| caption2 = Market Square
| caption3 = Old Town Hall
| caption4 = [[Copernicus]]
| caption5 = [[Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Olsztyn|Co-Cathedral]]
| caption6 = [[Olsztyn Castle]]
}}
| image_flag = POL Olsztyn flag.svg
| image_shield = File:POL Olsztyn COA.svg
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Olsztyn.jpg
| anthem = O Warmio moja miła
| blank_emblem_type = Brandmark
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{POL}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship|name=Warmian-Masurian}}
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = ''city county''
| leader_party = [[Civic Platform|PO]]
| leader_title = City mayor
| leader_name = [[Robert Szewczyk]]
| established_title = Established
| established_date = 14th century
| established_title3 = City rights
| established_date3 = 1353
| elevation_min_m = 88
| elevation_max_m = 154
| area_total_km2 = 88.328
| population_as_of = 31 December 2021
| population_total = 169,793 {{decrease}} ([[List of cities and towns in Poland|20th]])<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/bdl/dane/teryt/jednostka|title=Local Data Bank|access-date=24 July 2022|publisher=Statistics Poland}} Data for territorial unit 2862000.</ref>
| population_density_km2 = 1950
| population_demonym = olsztynianin (male) <br /> olsztynianka (female) ([[Polish language|pl]])
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coordinates = {{coord|53|46|40|N|20|28|45|E|region:PL|display=title,inline}}
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 10-001 to 11–041
| area_code = +48 89
| website = {{URL|www.olsztyn.eu}}
| blank_name = [[Polish car number plates|Car plates]]
| blank_info = NO
| blank1_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank1_info = [[Humid continental climate#Mild/cool summer subtype|Dfb]]
| blank_name_sec2 = Primary airport
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Olsztyn-Mazury Airport]]
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Highways in Poland|Highways]]
| blank1_info_sec2 = [[File:S16-PL.svg|32px|link=Expressway S16 (Poland)]] [[File:S51-PL.svg|32px|link=Expressway S51 (Poland)]]
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| mapframe-height = 300
| mapframe-stroke-width = 1
}}
'''Olsztyn''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|ɒ|l|ʃ|t|ɪ|n}} {{respell|OL|shtin}},<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Olsztyn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182120/https://www.lexico.com/definition/olsztyn |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=Olsztyn |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{IPA|pl|ˈɔlʂtɨn|lang|Pl-Olsztyn.ogg}}; {{langx|de|Allenstein}} {{IPA|de|ˈalənʃtaɪn||De-Allenstein2.ogg}}){{efn|{{langx|la|Allenstenium}} or {{lang|la|Holstin}}.<ref>[https://wpk.uksw.edu.pl/sites/default/files/PK53_3_4_2010.pdf Prawo Kanoniczne] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913182941/https://wpk.uksw.edu.pl/sites/default/files/PK53_3_4_2010.pdf |date=13 September 2021 }}, p. 9.</ref>}} is a city on the [[Łyna River]] in northern [[Poland]].{{TERYT}} It is the capital of the [[Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship]], and is a [[city with powiat rights|city with county rights]]. The population of the city was estimated at 169,793 residents {{as of|alt=in 2021|2021|post=.}}<ref name="population" />

Olsztyn is the largest city in [[Warmia]], and has been the capital of the voivodeship since 1999. In the same year, the [[University of Warmia and Masuria]] was founded from the fusion of three other local universities. The city is the seat of the Archbishop of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Warmia]].

The most important sights of the city include the Old Town with the medieval [[Olsztyn Castle|Castle of Warmian Cathedral Chapter]] and [[Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Olsztyn|St. James Co-cathedral]], which dates back more than 600 years. The market square is part of the [[European Route of Brick Gothic]] and the co-cathedral is regarded as one of the greatest monuments of [[Gothic architecture]] in Poland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.poland.travel/en-us/cities/olsztyn-copernicus-city-with-15-lakes|title=Olsztyn – Copernicus city with 15 lakes|first=Elzbieta|last=Budziłło|work=Poland Travel EN-US |access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> The city is also known for its association with [[Nicolaus Copernicus]], who lived there and commanded the successful Polish defense of the city during a 1521 Teutonic invasion, with the castle containing an astronomical table made by Copernicus. Today, the castle houses a museum and is a venue for [[concerts]], art exhibitions, film shows and other cultural events, which make Olsztyn a popular tourist destination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staypoland.com/about_olsztyn.htm|title=Olsztyn – Tourism – Tourist Information – Olsztyn, Poland -|first=StayPoland Sp. z|last=o.o.|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.szlak.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/olsztyn-ang.htm|title=Presentation of castle and museum trail, cultural – historical attractions of the Baltic Sea region|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref>

Olsztyn, for a number of years, has been ranked very highly in [[quality of life]], [[income]], employment and safety. It is one of the best places in Poland to live and work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://olsztyn.wm.pl/318349,W-Olsztynie-zyje-sie-prawie-najlepiej-W-rankingu-miast-awansowalismy-na-czwarte-miejsce.html#axzz4cjD0071k|title=W Olsztynie żyje się (prawie) najlepiej. W rankingu miast awansowaliśmy na czwarte miejsce|access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="wm.pl">{{cite web|url=http://olsztyn.wm.pl/230486,Ranking-jakosci-miejskiego-zycia-W-Olsztynie-zyje-sie-bardzo-dobrze.html#axzz4cjD0071k|title=Ranking jakości miejskiego życia. W Olsztynie żyje się bardzo dobrze|access-date=29 March 2017}}</ref> It is also one of the [[World Happiness Report|happiest cities]] in the country.<ref name="wm.pl" />

== History ==
===Middle Ages===
{{Quote box
| width = 25em
| align = left
| bgcolor = #B0C4DE
| title = Historical affiliations
| fontsize = 80%
| quote = {{flagicon image|Flag of the State of the Teutonic Order.svg}} [[State of the Teutonic Order|Teutonic Order]] 1353–1454<br />
{{flagicon image|Alex K Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] 1454–1455<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of the State of the Teutonic Order.svg}} [[State of the Teutonic Order|Teutonic Order]] 1455–1463<br />
{{flagicon image|Alex K Kingdom of Poland-flag.svg}} [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] 1463–1569<br />
{{flagicon image|Chorągiew królewska króla Zygmunta III Wazy.svg}} [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] 1569–1772<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia]] 1772–1918<br />
{{flag|German Empire}} 1871–1918<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of Germany.svg}} [[Weimar Germany]] 1918–1933<br />
{{flag|Nazi Germany}} 1933–1945<br />
{{flagicon image|Flag of Poland.svg}} [[People's Republic of Poland]] 1945–1989<br />
{{flag|Republic of Poland|1848}} 1990–present
}}

In 1334, a [[watchtower]] was established on the [[Łyna River]]. In 1346, the forest was cleared at the location for a new settlement, mentioned in a historical document from 1348.<ref name=pwn/> The following year, the [[Teutonic Knights]] began the construction of an ''[[Ordensburg]]'' (castle) as a stronghold against the [[Baltic Prussians]].<ref name=dm>{{cite web|url=http://dzialki-mazury.pl/olsztyn.html|title=Miasto Olsztyn – perła Warmii, największe miasto województwa warmińsko-mazurskiego|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> Allenstein was granted [[German town law|municipal rights]] by the [[cathedral chapter]] of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia|Bishopric of Warmia]] in October 1353.<ref name=dm/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hotelolsztyn.pl/zabytki-olsztyn-atrakcje-zwiedzanie/|title=Zabytki Olsztyn Atrakcje Historii Zwiedzanie Miasta w Centrum|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117145029/http://hotelolsztyn.pl/zabytki-olsztyn-atrakcje-zwiedzanie/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The German "Allenstein" referred to the river's [[Old Prussian language|Baltic Prussian]] name ''Alna'', which meant a [[deer|hind]].<ref name=olseu/> Local Poles, having arrived along with German settlers, called it ''Holstin'' and ''Olsztyn'',<ref name=dm/> which are [[Polonisation|Polonization]]s of the German name. The [[Olsztyn Castle|castle]] was completed in 1397.<ref name=olseu>{{cite web|url=https://www.olsztyn.eu/o-olsztynie/tozsamosc-miasta/historia.html|title=Historia|access-date=17 November 2016|language=pl}}</ref> The town was captured by the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] during the [[Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War|Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War]] in 1410, and again in 1414 during the [[Hunger War]], but it was returned to the [[monastic state of the Teutonic Knights]] after hostilities ended.

The city joined the [[Prussian Confederation]] in 1440,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=[[Poznań]]|language=pl|page=XXXVII}}</ref> and rebelled against the Teutonic Knights in 1454 upon the outbreak of the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]] to join the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]] under King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]]. In 1454, upon the request of the Confederation, King Casimir IV signed the act of incorporation of the region to Poland,<ref>Górski, p. 54</ref> and the townspeople took the castle and recognized the Polish king as the rightful ruler.<ref name=olseu/> Although the Teutonic Knights recaptured the city the following year, it was retaken by Polish troops in 1463.<ref name=ao>{{cite web|url=http://www.atrakcje.olsztyn.pl/Olsztyn/historia-olsztyna.html|title=Historia Olsztyna|website=atrakcje.Olsztyn.pl|access-date=10 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> The [[Second Peace of Thorn (1466)|Second Peace of Thorn]] in 1466 confirmed Allenstein as part of the Kingdom of Poland.<ref name=ho>{{cite web|url=http://www.historia.olsztyn.pl/|title=Historia Olsztyna|access-date=29 March 2017|language=pl}}{{Dead link|date=May 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Administratively it was located in the [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia]] within the provinces of [[Royal Prussia]] and [[Greater Poland Province, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Greater Poland]].

===Early modern era===
[[File:Bazylika konkatedralna św. Jakuba (Bazylika Mniejsza), XV-XIX w..jpg|thumb|left|[[James the Great|Saint James's]] [[Parish Church]] (now [[Pro-cathedral]]) in the Old Town, 2009]]
From 1516 to 1521, [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] lived in the town castle as an administrator and then in Mehlsack (Melzak, now [[Pieniężno]]). Copernicus was in charge of the Polish defences in the [[Siege of Allenstein]] during the [[Polish–Teutonic War (1519–1521)|Polish-Teutonic War of 1519–21]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ostpreussen.net/ostpreussen/orte.php?bericht=964&_l=2|title=Historia Olsztyna – Prusy Wschodnie|first=Manfred|last=Höhne|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> He also started and managed the repopulation of the region, inviting a new wave of Polish settlers from [[Mazovia]].<ref name=olseu/> The town along with Warmia then entered what is considered the region's golden age,<ref name=ao/> when crafts and trade developed, thanks also to the city's location on the Warsaw-[[Königsberg]] [[trade route]].<ref name=olseu/> During this period, the city was still visited several times by Copernicus, as well as leading figures of the [[Polish Renaissance]], writers, royal secretaries and diplomats: [[Johannes Dantiscus]], called the "father of Polish diplomacy", and [[Marcin Kromer]], who was also a historian and music theorist. St. James' Pro-Cathedral, one of the most distinctive landmarks of the cityscape, was completed at that time.<ref name=ho/>

Prosperity was halted in the 1620s, when the town suffered a fire<ref name=ho/> and an epidemic.<ref name=ao/> In 1626, during the [[Polish–Swedish War (1626–1629)|Swedish invasion]], clerics from [[Frombork|Frauenburg]] (Frombork) took refuge in the town, which the Swedes did not reach.<ref name=ao/> The city was sacked by [[Swedish Empire|Swedish]] troops later, in 1655 and 1708, during the next [[Polish–Swedish wars|Polish-Swedish wars]], and its population was nearly wiped out in 1710 by epidemics of the [[bubonic plague]] and [[cholera]].

The town became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1772 after the [[First Partition of Poland]] and its economy initially collapsed.<ref name=pwn/> Poles became subject to extensive [[Germanisation of Poles during the Partitions|Germanisation]] policies.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} A Prussian census recorded a population of 1,770 people, predominantly farmers,{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} and Allenstein was administered within the newly created [[Province of East Prussia]].

===Late modern era===
[[File:Battle of Allenstein (Jonkowo).png|thumb|left|[[Battle of Allenstein]] (Olsztyn), February 3, 1807]]
On February 3, 1807, the [[Battle of Allenstein]] took place. The [[Grande Armée|French Army]] clashed with the Imperial Russian army. On that day, Allenstein was visited by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]]. Napoleon gathered enormous forces in the city and planned to engage the Russians and Prussians in a decisive battle. The Russian army was stationed in [[Jonkowo]], but retreated after the French attack. Thanks to the victory at Allenstein, Napoleon's army was able to move north and a few days later the general [[Battle of Eylau]] took place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.castlesofpoland.com/prusy/olsz_hist.htm|title=Historia Olsztyna – Castles of Poland|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref>

The growth of the city started again after it became a [[Districts of Prussia|district]] seat in 1818,<ref name=ao/> a significant influx of German settlers began and by 1825, the town was inhabited by 1,341 Germans and 1,266 Poles.<ref>Historia Pomorza: (1815–1850), Gerard Labuda, Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, page 157, 1993</ref> In the early 1830s the city suffered from a cholera epidemic and a hunger crisis, however afterwards it flourished again, when despite Germanisation policies it was administered by Polish mayor Jakub Rarkowski from 1836 to 1865.<ref name=ao/><ref name=kwm>{{cite web|url=http://kultura.wm.pl/Rocznica-smierci-burmistrza-Olsztyna--Jakuba-Rarkowskiego,84756|title=Rocznica śmierci burmistrza Olsztyna, Jakuba Rarkowskiego|website=Kultura.wm.pl|access-date=26 March 2020|language=pl}}</ref> Under Rarkowski the city was expanded and modernized,<ref name=ao/> and the mayor also hid Polish insurgents in the city during the [[January Uprising]].<ref name=kwm/> The first German-language newspaper, the ''Allensteiner Zeitung'', began publishing in 1841. Polish historian [[Wojciech Kętrzyński]] was arrested in Jomendorf (the present-day district of Jaroty),<ref name=ao/> and imprisoned in the city's High Gate in 1863 for smuggling weapons for the Polish January Uprising in the [[Russian Partition]] of Poland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atrakcje.olsztyn.pl/Postacie/wojciech-ketrzynski.html|title=Wojciech Kętrzyński|website=Atrakcje turystyczne Olsztyna|access-date=26 March 2020|language=pl}}</ref> The town hospital was founded in 1867.
[[File:Gazeta Olsztyńska (1886-1939)-headlines 16 04 1886.png|thumb|Headline of the first issue of ''Gazeta Olsztyńska'' from 1886]]
In 1871, with the [[unification of Germany]], Allenstein became part of the [[German Empire]]. Two years later, the city was connected by railway to [[Toruń|Thorn]] (Toruń). Despite Germanisation attempts the city remained an important Polish centre.<ref name=pwn>{{cite web|url=https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Olsztyn;3950958.html|title=Olsztyn|website=Encyklopedia PWN|access-date=10 February 2020|language=pl}}</ref> Its first [[Polish language]] newspaper, the ''[[Gazeta Olsztyńska]]'', was founded in 1886.<ref name=ho/> Further Polish newspapers, ''Nowiny Warmińskie'' and ''Warmiak'', were founded in 1890 and 1893, respectively.<ref name=jo>{{cite magazine|last=Obłąk|first=Jan|year=1957|title=Wykaz polskich druków na Warmii za lata 1800–1939|magazine=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie|language=pl|issue=1|pages=53–54}}</ref> Allenstein's infrastructure developed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polskaniezwykla.pl/web/place/41801,olsztyn-golebnik-w-srodku-miasta.html|title=Olsztyn – Gołębnik w środku miasta. Atrakcje turystyczne Olsztyna. Ciekawe miejsca Olsztyna|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> rapidly: gas was installed in 1890, telephones in 1892, public water supply in 1898, and electricity in 1907. The [[Provincial Mental Sanatorium Kortau]] was established in 1886 just south of Allenstein (today part of Olsztyn-[[Kortowo]]). In 1905, the city became the capital of [[Allenstein (region)|Regierungsbezirk Allenstein]], a government administrative region in East Prussia. From 1818 to 1910, the city was administered within the East Prussian Allenstein District, after which it became an [[independent city]].

===World War I, interbellum and World War II===
[[File:Kopernikusplatz(plac Bema) - 16.04.1917.jpg|thumb|left|Kopernikusplatz (postcard, 1917)]]
Shortly after the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914, Russian troops captured Allenstein, but it was recovered by the [[German Army (German Empire)|Imperial German Army]] in the [[Battle of Tannenberg (1914)|Battle of Tannenberg]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=German soldiers guarding Russian prisoners at Allenstein, August 1914 |location=London |url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1997-07-67-64 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=National Army Museum }}</ref>

After the defeat of Germany in World War I, the [[East Prussian plebiscite]] was held in 1920 to determine whether the populace of the region, including Allenstein, wished to remain in German [[East Prussia]] or become part of [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]], which had just regained independence. In order to advertise the plebiscite, special postage stamps were produced by [[overprint]]ing German stamps and sold on 3 April of that year. One kind of overprint read <small>''PLÉBISCITE / OLSZTYN / ALLENSTEIN''</small>, while the other read <small>''TRAITÉ / DE / VERSAILLES / ART. 94 et 95''</small> inside an oval whose border gave the full name of the plebiscite commission. Each overprint was applied to 14 denominations ranging from 5 [[Pfennig]]s to 3 [[Mark (money)|Marks]]. The Polish community faced discrimination, Polish rallies were dispersed, the participants were threatened and beaten.<ref name=ao/> In March, Polish activist [[Bogumił Linka]] died in Allenstein, a few weeks after being attacked by the German militia in nearby [[Szczytno]] in [[Masuria]].<ref name=olsz>{{cite web|url=https://www.olsztyn24.com/news/9114-90lecie-smierci-bogumila-linki.html|title=90–lecie śmierci Bogumiła Linki|website=Olsztyn24|access-date=26 March 2020|language=pl}}</ref><ref name=gw>{{cite web|url=https://olsztyn.wyborcza.pl/olsztyn/1,48726,7702264,Pamieci_Bogumila_Linki_w_rocznice_smierci.html|title=Pamięci Bogumiła Linki w rocznicę śmierci|website=Gazeta Wyborcza|access-date=26 March 2020|language=pl|archive-date=26 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326081741/https://olsztyn.wyborcza.pl/olsztyn/1,48726,7702264,Pamieci_Bogumila_Linki_w_rocznice_smierci.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Piotr Stawecki
Warmiacy i Mazurzy - kawalerowie Krzyża i Medalu Niepodległosci Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie issue 2-3, page 309</ref> He was buried in Allenstein, however, his grave was soon devastated by local German nationalists.<ref name=olsz/><ref name=gw/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/Linka-Bogumil;3932839.html|title=Bogumil Linka|website=PWN Encyclopedia}}</ref> A monument to Linka was unveiled after Poland regained control of the city after World War II.<ref name=olsz/><ref name=gw/> The presence of a [[Royal Irish Regiment (1684–1922)|Royal Irish]] battalion ensured a relative peace in Allenstein.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bXUpDwAAQBAJ&q=Allenstein&pg=PA71|first1=David G. |last1=Williamson| author-link=David G. Williamson|title=The British in interwar Germany |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic| place=London, New York | year=2017 | page=78 |isbn= 978-1-4725-9582-9}}</ref> The plebiscite, held on 11 July, produced 16,742 votes for Germany and 342 votes for Poland.<ref name=ao/>

{{multiple image |align=right |perrow=3 |total_width=400 
|image1 = KP, dom Gazety Olsztyńskiej.JPG
|image2 = Olsztyn narożny Dom Polski Partyzantów 87 widok obu skrzydeł.jpg
|caption1 = Pre-war headquarters of ''[[Gazeta Olsztyńska]]'', now a museum
|caption2 = Headquarters of various Polish organizations in the interbellum, now a research institute
}}
In the [[interwar period]], numerous Polish organisations operated in the city, including the [[Polish Scouting and Guiding Association]], [[Union of Poles in Germany]], a People's Bank (''Bank Ludowy''),<ref name=pwn/> local Poles organised a school, library, puppet theatre.<ref name=ao/> The Polish Consulate also operated. Apart from ''Gazeta Olsztyńska'', new Polish newspapers were issued in the city, i.e. the youth magazine ''Życie Młodzieży. Dwutygodnik młodzieży polskiej w Niemczech'' from 1924, and the ''Mazurski Przyjaciel Ludu'' and ''Mazur'' newspapers dedicated to the nearby region of Masuria in 1923–1928 and 1928–1939, respectively.<ref name=jo/> As a result of pro-Polish publications, the ''Mazur'' newspaper was suspended twice in 1933, its editors were twice fined by German courts, and the German administration threatened to close it down on several occasions.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Chłosta|first=Jan|year=1976|title=Czasopismo "Mazur" z lat 1928–1939: podstawy finansowe, dodatki i prześladowania pisma|magazine=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie|language=pl|issue=4|pages=527–528}}</ref> After the January 1933 [[Nazi Party|Nazi]] [[Machtergreifung|seizure of power]] in Germany, Poles and [[Jews]] in Allenstein were increasingly persecuted.<ref name=ao/> In 1935, the German [[Wehrmacht]] made the city the seat of the Allenstein ''Militärischer Bereich''. It was then home of the 11th and 217th infantry divisions and 11th Artillery Regiment. At the same time, the football club [[SV Hindenburg Allenstein]] played in Allenstein from 1921 to 1945.

Beginning in 1936, members of the Polish minority were increasingly persecuted, especially members of the [[Union of Poles in Germany]].<ref name=ao/> In early 1939, many local Polish activists were expelled.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cygański|first=Mirosław|year=1984|title=Hitlerowskie prześladowania przywódców i aktywu Związków Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1939-1945|journal=Przegląd Zachodni|language=pl|issue=4|page=38}}</ref> In an attempt to rig the results of an upcoming census and understate the number of Poles in the city and region, the Germans terrorized the Polish population and, in May 1939, the [[Gestapo]] confiscated 10,000 Polish information leaflets in the headquarters of the ''Gazeta Olsztyńska''.<ref>Cygański, p. 39</ref> In August 1939, Germany introduced [[martial law]] in the region, which allowed for even more blatant persecution of Poles.<ref>Cygański, p. 40</ref> In August and September 1939, the authorities carried out mass arrests of local Poles, including the chairman of the local Polish bank and his assistant, the chief of the "Rolnik" Cooperative,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2003|title="Intelligenzaktion" na Warmii, Mazurach i północnym Mazowszu|magazine=Biuletyn Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej|language=pl|publisher=[[Institute of National Remembrance|IPN]]|issue=12-1 (35-36)|page=39|issn=1641-9561}}</ref> and the principal of the local Polish school.<ref>Cygański, p. 42</ref>

Nazi Germany co-formed the ''[[Einsatzgruppen|Einsatzgruppe V]]'' in the city, which then entered several Polish cities and towns, including [[Grudziądz]], [[Mława]], [[Ciechanów]], [[Łomża]] and [[Siedlce]], to commit various [[Nazi crimes against the Polish nation|atrocities against Poles]] during the German [[invasion of Poland]] that began [[World War II]] in 1939.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wardzyńska|first=Maria|year=2009|title=Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=IPN|page=54}}</ref> German troops invaded Poland also from Olsztyn (then called Allenstein).<ref name=vo>{{cite web |title=The history of Olsztyn |url=https://visit.olsztyn.eu/en/category/2/the-history-of-olsztyn |website=Visit Olsztyn |access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref> After the German invasion of Poland, local Poles were also subjected to mass executions<ref name=pwn/> and deportations to [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|occupied Poland]]. Arrested Poles were held in a local prison and then forced to remove Polish signs and inscriptions in the city, while the German population gathered and insulted them.<ref>Wardzyńska (2009), p. 77</ref> The ''Gazeta Olsztyńska'' and ''Mazur'' were abolished by the German authorities, the newspaper's headquarters was demolished and the [[editor-in-chief]] Seweryn Pieniężny was arrested and executed in the {{Interlanguage link|Hohenbruch concentration camp|de|KZ Hohenbruch}}<ref name=ao/><ref name=vo/> along with co-publisher Wojciech Gałęziewski and the "Rolnik" Cooperative chief Leon Włodarczyk, while Pieniężny's wife was deported to the [[Ravensbrück concentration camp]].<ref name=mw>Wardzyńska (2003), p. 41</ref> The last pre-war Polish [[Consul (representative)|consul]] in Allenstein, Bohdan Jałowiecki, along with the consulate staff, was imprisoned in the Hohenbruch and [[Soldau concentration camp|Soldau]] concentration camps,<ref>Wardzyńska (2009), p. 228</ref> and then murdered.<ref>Cygański, p. 60</ref> Polish teachers were deported to the [[Dachau concentration camp]].<ref name=mw/>

[[File:Home Army-Armia Krajowa Monument Olsztyn Poland.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Home Army]] monument]]
During the war five [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camps were established in the city.<ref name=pwn/> On 12 October 1939, the Wehrmacht established an area headquarters for one of its military districts, [[Wehrkreis I]] (headquartered at Königsberg), that controlled the environs of Allenstein, including [[Lötzen]] (now Giżycko), and [[Ciechanów]] in occupied Poland. As part of the ''[[Aktion T4]]'', [[Nazi Germany]] conducted [[Nazi human experimentation|medical experiments]] on the patients of the psychiatric hospital in the present-day district of [[Kortowo]], in which at least 5,000 people were killed.<ref name=rol>{{cite web|url=https://radioolsztyn.pl/dzisiaj-mija-74-rocznica-rzezi-w-kortowie-sowieckie-oddzialy-zamordowaly-okolo-600-osob/01432105|title=Dzisiaj mija 74. rocznica rzezi w Kortowie. Sowieckie oddziały zamordowały około 600 osób|website=Radio Olsztyn|access-date=29 December 2020|language=pl}}</ref>

On 22 January 1945, near the end of the war, the city was plundered and burned by the conquering [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]], and much of its German population [[Evacuation of East Prussia|fled]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zabawa.mazury.pl/olsztyn-barwna-historia-miasta|title=Olsztyn – Barwna historia miasta – Zabawa.Mazury.pl|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> The remaining, mostly Polish population, was subjected to various crimes, including murder, rape and looting.<ref name=vo/><ref name=ao/> The Soviets also murdered the remaining patients and staff of the psychiatric hospital, who were either burned alive or shot.<ref name=rol/> Remains of three [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] nuns who served as nurses at Olsztyn's St. Mary's Hospital and were killed by Soviet soldiers in 1945 were excavated in October 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://poszukiwania.ipn.gov.pl/bbp/aktualnosci/15631,Olsztyn-Poszukiwania-szczatkow-siostr-zakonnych-ofiar-sowieckich-zolnierzy.html?search=80150832605 |title=Olsztyn: Poszukiwania szczątków sióstr zakonnych – ofiar sowieckich żołnierzy |website=Poszukiwania |language=Polish |date=12 November 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.livescience.com/wwii-nuns-murdered-by-russian-army.html |title=Skeletons of WWII-era nuns murdered by Soviets unearthed in Poland |website=Live Science |date=March 2021 }}</ref>

On 23 May 1945, the Soviets established a Polish administration in the region which aroused British and American protest.<ref>{{cite book|title=Polen und die Deutschland-Frage 1939-1949| volume=23|author=Viktoria Vierheller|publisher=Verlag Wissenschaft und Politik|year= 1970|language=de|pages=105}}{{cite book|title=Niederschlesien 1942 bis 1949: alliierte Diplomatie und Nachkriegswirklichheit|author=Sebastian Siebel-Achenbach|publisher=Bergstadtverlag Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn|language=de|pages=96–97}}</ref> The Polish rule was accepted under the preliminary provisions of the [[Potsdam Conference]]. In October 1945, the [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II|remaining German population was expelled]]. The remaining Poles were joined by new Polish settlers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agdm.pl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90:historia-lokalna&catid=1:archiwum&Itemid=17&lang=pl|title=Historia lokalna – Olsztyn rok 1945 i pierwsze lata powojenne|last=joanna|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> mostly those expelled from pre-war Polish regions of [[Vilnius Region|Vilnius]], [[Grodno]] and [[Volhynia]], annexed by the Soviet Union, as well as settlers from [[Warsaw]], which had been [[Destruction of Warsaw|destroyed]] by German forces during World War II.<ref name=ao/> Reconstruction and removal of damage lasted until the 1950s.

===Contemporary history===
[[File:Staszica Street Olsztyn 1986.jpg|thumb|Olsztyn in 1986]]
In December 1945, a [[match]] factory was launched in Olsztyn, as the city's first post-war industrial plant of national importance.<ref>''Wiadomości Mazurskie'', 4 (40), 1945, p. 3 (in Polish)</ref> A tyre factory was founded in Olsztyn in 1967. Its subsequent names included OZOS, Stomil and [[Michelin Polska|Michelin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurob.org/index.php/49/5|title=EuRoB – Europäische Route der Backsteingotik – Strona internetowa – Miasta nad Szlaku – Polska – Olsztyn – Historia miasta|first=Christoph Pienkoss, DV – Deutscher Verband für Städtebau und Wohnungswesen|last=e.V.|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117211427/http://www.eurob.org/index.php/49/5|url-status=dead}}</ref> City limits were greatly expanded in 1966 and 1987.<ref name=vo/>

In 1956, Olsztyn was the site of the largest Polish demonstration of support for the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dzieje.pl/aktualnosci/w-62-rocznice-powstania-wegierskiego-odslonieto-pamiatkowa-tablice-w-olsztynie|title=W 62. rocznicę Powstania Węgierskiego odsłonięto pamiątkową tablicę w Olsztynie|website=Dzieje.pl|author=Agnieszka Libudzka|date=30 October 2018|access-date=4 September 2022|language=pl}}</ref> On the 500th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus, in 1973, a [[planetarium]] was opened in Olsztyn.<ref name=ho/> In 1989 the former ''Gazeta Olsztyńska'' headquarters was rebuilt and re-opened as a museum. In 1991 [[Pope John Paul II]] visited the city.<ref name=ho/> In 1999 the [[University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn]] was established, which is now one of the largest universities in northeastern Poland.

Olsztyn became the capital of the [[Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship]] in 1999. It was previously in the [[Olsztyn Voivodeship]].

===Olsztyn Castle===
[[File:Zamek Olsztyn (1).jpg|thumb|left|[[Olsztyn Castle]]]]
The [[Olsztyn Castle]] was built between 1346–1353 and by then it had one wing on the north-east side of the rectangular courtyard. Access to the castle leads from the drawbridge over the river Łyna, surrounded by a belt of defensive walls and a moat. The south-west wing of the castle was built in the 15th century, the tower situated in the west corner of the courtyard, from the middle of the 14th century, was rebuilt in the early 16th century and had a round shape on a square base and was 40 meters high. At the same time, the castle walls were raised to a height of 12 meters and a second belt of the lower walls was built. The castle walls were partly combined with city walls, which made the castle look as if it had been a powerful bastion defending access to the city.
The castle was owned by Warmia Chapter, which until 1454, together with the [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia]], was under the military protection of the [[Teutonic Knights]] and their [[State of the Teutonic Order|Monastic State in Prussia]].<ref name="Zamek w Olsztynie">{{Cite web |url=https://www.olsztyndzisiaj.pl/zamek-w-olsztynie/#:~:text=Zamek%20w%20Olsztynienale%C5%BCa%C5%82%20do%20kapitu%C5%82y%20warmi%C5%84skiej.%20Podlega%C5%82a%20ona,polskim%20i%20przej%C4%85%C5%82%20go%20zarz%C4%85d%20Janusza%20I%20Mazowieckiego. |language=pl |title=Zamek w Olsztynie |website=olsztyndzisiaj.pl |date=1 June 2011 |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref>

The castle had played a huge role in the Polish-Teutonic wars by then. After the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410, the Poles took it after a few days siege. In the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)]] it was jumping from rule to rule. The Knights threatened the castle and the town in 1521, but the defense was very effective. They contained one failed assault. There is a connection between the history of the castle, the city of Olsztyn, and [[Nicolaus Copernicus]]. He prepared the defense of Olsztyn against the invasion of the Teutonic Knights in 1520.<ref name="Zamek w Olsztynie" />

[[File:647373 Olsztyn Zamek.. 04.JPG|thumb|Interior of the Olsztyn Castle]]

In the sixteenth century, there were two prince-bishops of Warmia that stayed there: [[Johannes Dantiscus]] – the first [[Sarmatism|Sarmatian]] poet, endowed with the imperial laurel wreath for "Latin Songs" (1538, 1541) and [[Marcin Kromer]], who wrote with equal ease in Latin and Polish scientific and literary works (1580). Kromer consecrated the chapel of St. Anna, which was built in the south-west wing of the castle. In the course of time, both wings of the castle lost military importance, which for residential purposes has become very convenient. In 1779, Prince-Bishop [[Ignacy Krasicki]] stopped here as well.

After the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] annexation of Warmia during the [[First Partition of Poland]] in 1772, the castle became the property of the state board of estates (''Kriegs- und Domänenkammer''&nbsp;– War and Domain Chamber). In 1845, the bridge over the moat was replaced by a causeway better connecting the castle with the city. In 1901–1911 a general renovation of the castle was performed, however, several sections of the building were violated at the same time where they changed the original look of the castle e.g. putting on window frames in a cloister. The tower was topped off in 1921 and again in 1926.<!--What does this mean? -- in the halls of the castle, became a museum.-->

In 1945, the whole castle became home to the Masurian Museum, which today is called the Museum of [[Warmia]] and [[Masuria]]. In addition, there are also popular events held within the frameworks of the Olsztyn Artistic Summer and so-called "evenings of the castle" and "Sundays in the Museum".

===Jewish community===
Although [[Jews]] were permitted to trade in the city itself and its fairs during the [[medieval]] times, they were restricted from trading freely in the villages surrounding the town.<ref>W. Knercer, Cmentarze i zabytki kultury żydowskiej w województwie olsztyńskim, "Borussia", no. 6, 1993, p. 53; vide K. Forstreuter, Die ersten Juden in Ostpreussen, "Altpreussische Forschungen", ch. 14, 1937, pp. 42–48.</ref> In 1718, Bishop [[Teodor Andrzej Potocki]] imposed a ban on Jewish trade in the city as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/5,history/#footnote_0|title=History – Jewish community before 1989 – Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101153323/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/5,history/#footnote_0|archive-date=1 January 2014}}</ref> The ban, even if continued by successive bishops, proved not to be particularly successful in the light of repeated complains by the local merchants about Jewish dealing in animal leather and similar products as the one recorded in 1742. Permanent Jewish settlement can be dated to 1780 when the Jews were finally permitted to settle in the city albeit outside the immediate city walls.<ref>J. Jasiński, Olsztyn w latach 1772 – 1918, in: Olsztyn "1353 – 2003, ed. S. Achremczyk, W. Ogrodziński, Olsztyn 2003, p. 228.</ref> In 1814, the Simonson brothers opened the first Jewish store. Yet the growth of the Jewish community worried city authorities, who tried to curb it with restrictions and punitive measures. In 1850, a new law imposed fines and imprisonment on anyone who harboured a "wandering" Jew in their home.<ref>J. Jasiński, Olsztyn w latach 1772 – 1918, in: Olsztyn 1353 – 2003, ed. S. Achremczyk, W. Ogrodziński, Olsztyn 2003, p. 229.</ref>
[[File:Bet Tahara in Olsztyn Außenansicht 2012.jpg|thumb|Former [[Mendelsohn House|Jewish Tahara house]]]]
The roots of the Jewish congregation in the town can be traced to 1820. Shortly after that date, an official prayer room was established on Richterstraße. In 1877, the congregation bought a plot of land on Liebstädterstraße and built a synagogue there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/11,synagogues-prayer-houses-and-others/322,old-synagogue/|title=Old synagogue – Synagogues, prayer houses and others – Heritage Sites – Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> A Jewish cemetery was built on Seestraße (present-day Grunwaldzka). At its peak, the town's Jewish population reached 448 people (1933).

During the ''[[Kristallnacht]]'', the town synagogue was destroyed by Nazi Germans, only to be later used as a bomb shelter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://germansynagogues.com/index.php/synagogues-and-communities?pid=71&sid=92:allenstein|title=Archive – east-prussia – Allenstein|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071919/http://germansynagogues.com/index.php/synagogues-and-communities?pid=71&sid=92:allenstein|url-status=dead}}</ref> Today, the site of the former synagogue is occupied by a local sports club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/cms/activity/863,jewish-culture-in-olsztyn/|title=Jewish culture in Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref>

By 1939, only 135 Jews were left in the city. The remainder fled the country. Those who still lived in the town by 1940 were deported to [[Nazi concentration camps]].<ref>https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/directory.html#frmResults (matches for "Allenstein", with marked: "Wohnort" and "Geburtsort"; (as of 25 March 2009); http://www.yadvashem.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_2KE?next_form=advanced_search (people living in Olsztyn before the war – matches for "Allenstein", with marked: "Before the War", (as of 25 March 2009); http://www.yadvashem.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_2KE?next_form=advanced_search (people born in Olsztyn – matches for "Allenstein", with marked: "Birth"; (as of 25 March 2009).</ref> In June 1946, 16 [[Holocaust]] survivors settled in the city and in 1948, the congregation had 190 worshipers. Most of them emigrated to [[Israel]] throughout the next few decades. There is no trace of the Jewish cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/12,cemeteries/1944,cemetery/|title=Jewish Cemetery (Zyndrama z Maszkowic Street) – Cemeteries – Heritage Sites – Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref>

The city was the birthplace of world-famous Jewish architect [[Erich Mendelsohn]]. In town, Mendelsohn planned the mourners' chapel (called the [[Mendelsohn house]]) next to the cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/39,heritage-sites/26740,dom-rodzinny-ericha-mendelsohna/|title=Family House of Erich Mendelsohn – 21 Podgórna Street (Oberstrasse, today's 10 Staromiejska) – Heritage sites – Heritage Sites – Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101164720/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/39,heritage-sites/26740,dom-rodzinny-ericha-mendelsohna/|archive-date=1 January 2014}}</ref> The building is restored.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/cms/news/850,mendelsohn-s-house-will-be-renovated/|title=Mendelsohn's house will be renovated – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016}}</ref> In addition, it was the birthplace of German [[Socialist]] and [[SPD]] leader [[Hugo Haase]]. {{ill|Frieda Strohmberg|pl}}, an [[Impressionist]], lived and worked in the city from 1910 to 1927. Documentation of the Jewish owned shops in town exists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/5,history/#footnote_17|title=History – Jewish community before 1989 – Olsztyn – Virtual Shtetl|access-date=17 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101153323/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/5,history/#footnote_17|archive-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:LOT (4).jpg|thumb|[[Lake Ukiel]] (Krzywe)]]
[[File:Kortowskie 001.jpg|thumb|Lake Kortowskie]]
[[File:Jezioro Zbik Kos.jpg|thumb|Lake Tyrsko (Żbik)]]
Olsztyn is located in the north-east part of Poland in the region known as the "Thousand Lakes".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=UK|title=13 cities you can't pronounce (but should definitely visit)|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/the-best-places-to-visit-that-you-cannot-pronounce/|first=Adrian|last=Bridge|date=17 June 2016}}</ref>

=== Greenbelt ===
More than half of the forests occupying 21.2% of the city area form a single complex of the Municipal Forest (1050 ha) used mainly for recreation and tourism purposes. Within the Municipal Forest area are situated two peat-land flora sanctuaries, [[:pl:Mszar|Mszar]] and [[Redykajny]]. Municipal greenery (560 ha, 6.5% of the town area) developed in the form of numerous parks, green spots and three cemeteries over a century old. The greenery includes 910 monuments of nature and groups of protected trees in the form of [[beech]], [[oak]], [[maple]] and [[Tilia|lime]]-lined avenues.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

=== Lakes ===
The city is situated in a lake region of forests and plains. There are 15 lakes inside the administrative bounds of the city (13 with areas greater than 1 [[hectare|ha]]). The overall area of lakes in Olsztyn is about 725 ha, which constitutes 8.25% of the total city area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olsztyn – the city of lakes and forests |url=https://visit.olsztyn.eu/en/article/371/olsztyn-the-city-of-lakes-and-forests |website=Visit Olsztyn}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="border:1px solid #f2f2f2; margin:1px 0; font-size:84%;"
|-
!| Lake
!| Area ([[hectare|ha]])
!| Maximum depth (m)
|-
| [[Lake Ukiel|Lake Ukiel (a.k.a. Jezioro Krzywe)]] || 412 || 43
|-
| Lake Kortowskie || 89.7 || 17.2
|-
| Lake Track (a.k.a. Trackie) || 52.8 || 4.6
|-
| Lake Skanda || 51.5 || 12
|-
| Lake Redykajny || 29.9 || 20.6
|-
| Lake Długie || 26.8 || 17.2
|-
| Lake Sukiel || 20.8 || 25
|-
| Lake Tyrsko (a.k.a. Żbik or Duży Żbik) || 18.6 || 30.6
|-
| Lake Stary Dwór || 6.0 || 23.3
|-
| Lake Siginek || 6.0 || insufficient data
|-
| Lake Czarne || {{Hs|1.3}} approximately 1.3 || insufficient data
|-
| Lake Żbik (a.k.a. Mały Żbik) || {{Hs|1.2}} approximately 1.2 || insufficient data
|-
| Lake Pereszkowo || {{Hs|1.2}} approximately 1.2 || insufficient data
|-
| Lake Mummel || {{Hs|0.3}} approximately 0.3 || insufficient data
|-
| Lake Modrzewiowe || 0.25 || insufficient data
|}

===Climate===
Olsztyn has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfb'') using the {{convert|-3|C|F|0}} isotherm or a [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen climate classification: ''Dfb'') using the {{convert|0|C|F|0}} isotherm.<ref name="kottek2006">{{cite journal|last1=Kottek|first1=Markus|last2=Grieser|first2=Jürgen|last3=Beck|first3=Christoph|last4=Rudolf|first4=Bruno |last5=Rubel|first5=Franz|title=World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated|journal=Meteorologische Zeitschrift|date=2006|volume=15|issue=3|pages=259–263|doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130|bibcode=2006MetZe..15..259K|url=https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/files/40083/metz_Vol_15_No_3_p259-263_World_Map_of_the_Koppen_Geiger_climate_classification_updated_55034.pdf}}</ref><ref name=Peel>{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification |journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |issn=1027-5606|url=https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = Olsztyn (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 12.2
| Feb record high C = 16.7
| Mar record high C = 23.9
| Apr record high C = 30.2
| May record high C = 31.5
| Jun record high C = 33.7
| Jul record high C = 36.1
| Aug record high C = 36.2
| Sep record high C = 34.6
| Oct record high C = 25.9
| Nov record high C = 17.8
| Dec record high C = 13.2
| year record high C = 36.2
| Jan high C = 0.4
| Feb high C = 1.8
| Mar high C = 6.2
| Apr high C = 13.3
| May high C = 18.6
| Jun high C = 21.7
| Jul high C = 23.8
| Aug high C = 23.4
| Sep high C = 18.1
| Oct high C = 11.8
| Nov high C = 5.5
| Dec high C = 1.7
| year high C = 12.2
| Jan mean C = -2.0
| Feb mean C = -1.1
| Mar mean C = 2.2
| Apr mean C = 7.9
| May mean C = 12.9
| Jun mean C = 16.1
| Jul mean C = 18.3
| Aug mean C = 17.8
| Sep mean C = 13.2
| Oct mean C = 8.0
| Nov mean C = 3.3
| Dec mean C = -0.4
| year mean C = 8.0
| Jan low C = -4.4
| Feb low C = -3.8
| Mar low C = -1.5
| Apr low C = 2.6
| May low C = 7.1
| Jun low C = 10.7
| Jul low C = 13.2
| Aug low C = 12.7
| Sep low C = 8.9
| Oct low C = 4.8
| Nov low C = 1.2
| Dec low C = -2.6
| year low C = 4.1
| Jan record low C = -30.6
| Feb record low C = -30.6
| Mar record low C = -23.5
| Apr record low C = -9.7
| May record low C = -4.8
| Jun record low C = -0.5
| Jul record low C = 4.0
| Aug record low C = 1.9
| Sep record low C = -4.2
| Oct record low C = -11.0
| Nov record low C = -20.2
| Dec record low C = -26.0
| year record low C = -30.6
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 42.1
| Feb precipitation mm = 33.1
| Mar precipitation mm = 39.4
| Apr precipitation mm = 37.5
| May precipitation mm = 59.8
| Jun precipitation mm = 70.1
| Jul precipitation mm = 88.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 63.8
| Sep precipitation mm = 58.5
| Oct precipitation mm = 57.7
| Nov precipitation mm = 47.0
| Dec precipitation mm = 45.4
| year precipitation mm = 642.4
| Jan snow depth cm = 9.5
| Feb snow depth cm = 9.7
| Mar snow depth cm = 6.5
| Apr snow depth cm = 1.7
| May snow depth cm = 0.0
| Jun snow depth cm = 0.0
| Jul snow depth cm = 0.0
| Aug snow depth cm = 0.0
| Sep snow depth cm = 0.0
| Oct snow depth cm = 0.8
| Nov snow depth cm = 3.2
| Dec snow depth cm = 6.2
| year snow depth cm = 
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 17.37
| Feb precipitation days = 15.00
| Mar precipitation days = 14.13
| Apr precipitation days = 12.40
| May precipitation days = 13.50
| Jun precipitation days = 14.30
| Jul precipitation days = 14.43
| Aug precipitation days = 13.33
| Sep precipitation days = 13.03
| Oct precipitation days = 14.13
| Nov precipitation days = 15.57
| Dec precipitation days = 17.63
| year precipitation days = 174.84
| unit snow days = 0 cm
| Jan snow days = 18.4
| Feb snow days = 17.6
| Mar snow days = 9.6
| Apr snow days = 1.3
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.5
| Nov snow days = 4.1
| Dec snow days = 12.5
| year snow days = 64.0
| Jan humidity = 88.2
| Feb humidity = 85.0
| Mar humidity = 77.6
| Apr humidity = 69.9
| May humidity = 70.4
| Jun humidity = 72.6
| Jul humidity = 74.7
| Aug humidity = 75.3
| Sep humidity = 80.7
| Oct humidity = 84.7
| Nov humidity = 89.7
| Dec humidity = 89.8
| year humidity = 79.9
|source 1 = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management<ref name=IMGWtavg>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211203115527/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TSR_AVE
| archive-date = 3 December 2021
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TSR_AVE
| title = Średnia dobowa temperatura powietrza
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWtmin>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220115043924/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TMIN_AVE
| archive-date = 15 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TMIN_AVE
| title = Średnia minimalna temperatura powietrza
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWtmax>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220115044916/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TMAX_AVE
| archive-date = 15 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/TMAX_AVE
| title = Średnia maksymalna temperatura powietrza
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWprecip>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220109045820/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/OPAD_SUMA
| archive-date = 9 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/OPAD_SUMA
| title = Miesięczna suma opadu
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWprecipdays>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220115051112/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/OPAD_01
| archive-date = 15 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/OPAD_01
| title = Liczba dni z opadem >= 0,1 mm
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWsnowdepth>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220115054936/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/SNIEG_SR_GRUB
| archive-date = 15 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/SNIEG_SR_GRUB
| title = Średnia grubość pokrywy śnieżnej
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWsnowdays>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220121044246/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/SNIEG_0
| archive-date = 21 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/SNIEG_0
| title = Liczba dni z pokrywą śnieżna > 0 cm
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=IMGWsun>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220115055331/https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/USL
| archive-date = 15 January 2022
| url = https://klimat.imgw.pl/pl/climate-normals/USL
| title = Średnia suma usłonecznienia (h)
| work = Normy klimatyczne 1991-2020
| publisher = Institute of Meteorology and Water Management 
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteomodel.pl (records, relative humidity 1991–2020)<ref name=recordhigh>
{{cite web
| url = https://meteomodel.pl/dane/srednie-miesieczne/?imgwid=353200272&par=tmax&max_empty=3
| title = Olsztyn Absolutna temperatura maksymalna
| publisher = Meteomodel.pl
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=recordlow>
{{cite web
| url = https://meteomodel.pl/dane/srednie-miesieczne/?imgwid=353200272&par=tmin&max_empty=3
| title = Olsztyn Absolutna temperatura minimalna
| publisher = Meteomodel.pl
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=relativehumidity>
{{cite web
| url = https://meteomodel.pl/dane/srednie-miesieczne/?imgwid=353200272&par=rh&max_empty=3
| title = Olsztyn Średnia wilgotność
| publisher = Meteomodel.pl
| language = pl
| access-date = 31 January 2022}}</ref>
}}

== Administrative division ==
[[File:Olsztyn-dzelnice.svg|thumb|Districts of Olsztyn]]
{{multiple image
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| perrow = 2
| total_width = 350
| header = Aerial views of various districts of Olsztyn
| image1 = Olsztyn 2023 015.jpg
| image2 = Brzeziny 1.jpg
| image3 = Dajtki.jpg
| image4 = Kortowo.jpg
| caption1 = Śródmieście
| caption2 = Brzeziny
| caption3 = Dajtki
| caption4 = [[Kortowo]]
}}

Olsztyn is divided into 23 districts:

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:84%"
|-
!District
!Population
!Area
!data-sort-type="number"|[[Population density|Density]]
|-
|[[Brzeziny, Olsztyn|Brzeziny]]|| align="right" | 1,456 || {{convert|2.25|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 647.1/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Dajtki]]|| align="right" | 5,863 || {{convert|7.5|km²|1|abbr=on}} || 781.7/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Generałów|Generałów]]|| align="right" | 6,500 || no data || no data
|-
|[[Osiedle Grunwaldzkie, Olsztyn|Grunwaldzkie]]|| align="right" | 6,027 || {{convert|1.46|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 4,128.1/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Gutkowo, Olsztyn|Gutkowo]]|| align="right" | 2,256 || {{convert|7.2|km²|1|abbr=on}} || 313.3/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Jaroty, Olsztyn|Jaroty]]|| align="right" | 29,046 || {{convert|4.82|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 6,026.1/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Kętrzyńskiego|Kętrzyńskiego]]|| align="right" | 7,621 || {{convert|4.83|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 1,577.8/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Kormoran, Olsztyn|Kormoran]]|| align="right" | 16,166 || {{convert|1.1|km²|1|abbr=on}} || 14,696.4/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Kortowo]]|| align="right" | 1,131 || {{convert|4.22|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 268/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Kościuszki|Kościuszki]]|| align="right" | 6,704 || {{convert|1.18|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 5,681.4/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Likusy, Olsztyn|Likusy]]|| align="right" | 2,286 || {{convert|2.1|km²|1|abbr=on}} || 1,088.6/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Mazurskie|Mazurskie]]|| align="right" | 4,615 || {{convert|5.98|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 771.7/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Nad Jeziorem Długim|Nad Jeziorem Długim]]|| align="right" | 2,408 || {{convert|4.23|km²|0|abbr=on}} || 569.3/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Nagórki, Olsztyn|Nagórki]]|| align="right" | 12,538 || {{convert|1.69|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 7,418.9/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Pieczewo, Olsztyn|Pieczewo]]|| align="right" | 10,918 || {{convert|2.24|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 4,874.1/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Podgrodzie, Olsztyn|Podgrodzie]]|| align="right" | 11,080 || {{convert|1.35|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 8,207.4/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Podleśna, Olsztyn|Podleśna]]|| align="right" | 10,414 || {{convert|9.93|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 1,048.7/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Pojezierze, Olsztyn|Pojezierze]]|| align="right" | 13,001 || {{convert|2.39|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 5,439.7/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Redykajny, Olsztyn|Redykajny]]|| align="right" | 1,555 || {{convert|6.1|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 254.9/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Śródmieście, Olsztyn|Śródmieście]]|| align="right" | 3,448 || {{convert|0.58|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 5,944.8/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Osiedle Wojska Polskiego, Olsztyn|Wojska Polskiego]]|| align="right" | 6,759 || {{convert|5.03|km²|0|abbr=on}} || 1,343.7/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Zatorze, Olsztyn|Zatorze]]|| align="right" | 6,988 || {{convert|0.45|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 15,528.9/km<sup>2</sup>
|-
|[[Zielona Górka]]|| align="right" | 1,015 || {{convert|6.44|km²|2|abbr=on}} || 157.6/km<sup>2</sup>
|}

There are many smaller districts: [[Jakubowo, Olsztyn|Jakubowo]], [[Karolin, Olsztyn|Karolin]], [[Kolonia Jaroty]], [[Kortowo II]], [[Łupstych, Olsztyn|Łupstych]], [[Niedźwiedź, Olsztyn|Niedźwiedź]], [[Piękna Góra, Olsztyn|Piękna Góra]], [[Podlesie, Olsztyn|Podlesie]], [[Pozorty, Olsztyn|Pozorty]], [[Skarbówka Poszmanówka]], [[Słoneczny Stok, Olsztyn|Słoneczny Stok]], [[Stare Kieźliny]], [[Stare Miasto, Olsztyn|Stare Miasto]], [[Stare Zalbki]], [[Stary Dwór, Olsztyn|Stary Dwór]], [[Track, Olsztyn|Track]]. These do not have council representative assemblies.

== Culture ==
[[File:OLSZTYN, AB. 138.JPG|thumb|Stefan Jaracz Theatre (built 1925)]]
[[File:Olsztyn Nature Museum.jpg|thumb|Museum of Nature]]

=== Theatres ===
* [[Stefan Jaracz Theatre, Olsztyn|Stefan Jaracz Theatre]] (est. 1925) the host of [[International Theatre Festival DEMOLUDY]]
* [[Puppet Theatre, Olsztyn|Puppet Theatre]]

=== Cinemas ===
* [[Helios (cinemas)|Helios]]
* [[Multikino (cinemas)|Multikino]]

=== Museums ===
* [[Museum of Warmia and Mazury]] (''Muzeum Warmii i Mazur'') – Olsztyn's largest museum.
** [[Gazeta Olsztyńska House]] (''Dom "Gazety Olsztyńskiej"'')
** [[Museum of Nature in Olsztyn|Museum of Nature]] (''Muzeum Przyrody'')
* [[Museum of Sports in Olsztyn|Museum of Sports]] (''Muzeum Sportu'')
* ''Muzeum Nowoczesności''

=== Architecture ===
[[File:Śródmieście, Olsztyn, Poland - panoramio (5).jpg|thumb|Old townhouses at the ''Rynek'' (Market Square) in the Old Town]]
The historic central district of Olsztyn is the Old Town (''Stare Miasto''), which contains various historic buildings and structures, including:
* the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Olsztyn Castle|castle of Warmian Chapter]], built during the 14th century, former home of [[Nicolaus Copernicus]], now a museum
* Gothic St. James' Pro-cathedral with Gothic-Renaissance-Baroque interior
* Old Town Hall on the Market Square – built in the mid-14th century.
* [[Gazeta Olsztyńska House]] at the ''Targ Rybny'' ("Fish Market"), now a museum.
* the town walls and the High Gate (until the mid-19th century known as the Upper Gate).
* Our Lady Queen of Poland church
* Monument to [[Nicolaus Copernicus]]
* Park Zamkowy (''Castle Park'')
* [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] Archpresbyter's Palace (''Pałac Archiprezbitera'')
* [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] Church of the Salvator

Notable structures outside of the Old Town include:
* the [[New City Hall (Olsztyn)|New City Hall]]
* Jewish [[Mendelsohn House|Tahara house in Olsztyn]] built in 1911–1912 by Erich Mendelsohn
* Modernist planetarium with mosaics by [[Stefan Knapp]]
* the {{Interlanguage link|Jerusalem Chapel in Olsztyn|pl|3=Kaplica Jerozolimska w Olsztynie|lt=Jerusalem Chapel}}, built in 1565
* [[Gothic Revival architecture|Neogothic]] Sacred Heart church, built during the years 1901–1902
* Church of St. Lawrence in the Gutkowo district, built in the late 14th century
* [[Home Army]] and [[Stefan Jaracz]] monuments and the [[Coat of arms of Poland|White Eagle]] Column
* the Railway Bridge over the [[Łyna River|River Łyna]] gorge near Artyleryjska and Wyzwolenia streets, built during the years 1872–1873
* Main Post Office
* Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship office
* ''Instytut Północny im. Wojciecha Kętrzyńskiego'' ("Wojciech Kętrzyński Northern Institute")
* Park Centralny (''Central Park'')
* the Książnica Polska building with one of the oldest active passenger [[elevator]]s in Poland and Europe
* [[FM- and TV-mast Olsztyn-Pieczewo]] – 360 metres high, since the collapse of the [[Warsaw radio mast]] the tallest structure in [[Poland]]
<gallery>
Olsztyn, Wysoka Brama..jpg|High Gate
Olsztyn-kościół garnizonowy.jpg|Our Lady Queen of Poland Church
Wikiekspedycja 2012, Yarl, Olsztyn, ratusz.jpg|New City Hall
OLSZTYN, AB. 067.JPG|Astronomical observatory
Kaplica Jerozolimska w Olsztynie.jpg|Jerusalem Chapel
KP, Olsztyn, kościół Najświętszego Serca PJ.JPG|Sacred Heart church
Olsztyn, ul. Emilii Plater 1.jpg|Voivodeship office
</gallery>

=== Music ===
<!-- [[Death metal]] act [[Vader (band)|Vader]], regarded as one of the first and most successful death metal bands from Poland....does what, exactly? Lives here? Has its fanclub here? Runs a death metal camp for youngsters here? Full sentences, please. -->
The city is home to the National Symphony Orchestra.

== Economy ==
[[File:Olsztyn-Michelin.jpg|thumb|[[Michelin Polska]] tyre company]]
The [[Michelin Polska]] [[tire|tyre]] company (former Stomil Olsztyn) is the largest employer in the region of Warmia and Masuria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoflesz.pl/artykuly/4718,100milionowa_opona_w_olsztynskiej_fabryce_Michelin.html |title=100-milionowa opona w olsztyńskiej fabryce Michelin – Autoflesz.pl – Niezależny Portal Motoryzacyjny |publisher=Autoflesz.pl |access-date=16 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521200658/http://www.autoflesz.pl/artykuly/4718,100milionowa_opona_w_olsztynskiej_fabryce_Michelin.html |archive-date=21 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other important [[Industry (economics)|industries]] are [[food processing]] and furniture manufacturing.

==Transportation==
===Road===
====Bus====
A bus network with 36 bus lines exists, including 6 suburban lines and 2 night-time lines.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Schematy Komunikacyjne |url=https://www.zdzit.olsztyn.eu/pl/transport-publiczny/schematy-komunikacyjne |website=ZDZiT - Zarząd Dróg Zieleni i Transportu w Olsztynie |access-date=3 February 2019 |language=pl}}</ref>

====Trolleybus====
In 1939, due to poor economic situation throughout the [[interwar period]] and the city's growing population, a [[trolleybus]] line began operation, partially replacing the original tram network. During the [[World War II|Second World War]] the cars were mainly driven by women.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

The trolleybus network consisting of 4 lines was decommissioned on 31 July 1971.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janduła |first1=Martyn |title=Trolejbusowe szaleństwo Olsztyna |url=https://www.transport-publiczny.pl/wiadomosci/trolejbusowe-szalenstwo-olsztyna-51495.html |website=Transport-Publiczny.pl |access-date=3 February 2019 |language=pl |date=2016-03-06}}</ref>

===Rail===
[[File:Dworzec kolejowy w Olsztynie (grudzień 2024) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Olsztyn Główny railway station|Olsztyn main station]]]]
Olsztyn has train connections to various major cities in Poland, including [[Warsaw]], [[Kraków]], [[Gdańsk]], [[Szczecin]], [[Poznań]], [[Bydgoszcz]], [[Białystok]], [[Wrocław]], [[Łódź]], [[Toruń]], and various towns in the region, including [[Elbląg]], [[Iława]], [[Działdowo]] and [[Ełk]]. [[Olsztyn Główny railway station|Olsztyn Główny]] is the main railway station in the city. Plans exist to demolish the building and replace it with new infrastructure,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kurs |first1=Tomasz |title=Tajemnicza układanka, czyli jak będzie wyglądał Olsztyn Główny |url=http://olsztyn.wyborcza.pl/olsztyn/56,48726,24420167,tajemnicza-ukladanka-czyli-jak-bedzie-wygladal-dworzec-glowny.html |website=olsztyn.wyborcza.pl |access-date=3 February 2019 |language=pl |date=2019-02-02}}</ref> contrary to previous information about the current building being renovated.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Urbanowicz |first1=Witold |title=Rusza przetarg na projekt budowy nowego Olsztyna Głównego |url=https://www.transport-publiczny.pl/wiadomosci/rusza-przetarg-na-projekt-przebudowy-olsztyna-glownego-56771.html |website=Transport-Publiczny.pl |language=pl |date=2017-11-06}}</ref>

====Tram====
[[File:Olsztyn-3005.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tram]] network in Olsztyn re-opened in December 2015]]
{{Main|Trams in Olsztyn}}

Historically, the city's first tram line was built in 1907 and gradually expanded over the years. It ceased operation in 1965.<ref name=":1" />

In 2006, authorities considered the reintroduction of trams in the city to address transport problems and subsequently concluded feasibility studies on the matter in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/olsztyn-city-reintroduces-trams/|title=Olsztyn city reintroduces trams|date=2016-01-13|website=Railway PRO Communication Platform|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-03}}</ref> An {{convert|11|km|0|abbr=off|adj=on}} long [[tram]] network was built between 2011 and 2015. The contract was signed in 2011 and construction commenced in 2012.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Trams return to Olsztyn after 50 years |url=http://www.tautonline.com/trams-return-to-olsztyn-after-50-years/ |website=www.tautonline.com |access-date=3 February 2019 |language=en |date=2016-04-27 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> It was a first new tram system built in [[Poland]] in 55 years; 15 low-floor [[Solaris Tramino|Tramino]] trams were ordered from [[Solaris Bus & Coach|Solaris]] in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Solaris to deliver 15 Tramino low-floor trams to Olsztyn |url=http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/solaris-to-deliver-15-tramino-low-floor-trams-to-olsztyn/ |website=www.breakingtravelnews.com |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=2012-10-01}}</ref>
There are five tram lines in operation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rozkład jazdy |date=2024-05-16 |url=https://rozklad.zdzit.olsztyn.eu |publisher=ZDZiT Olsztyn }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

In 2024, a {{convert|6|km|0|abbr=off}} long extension was completed the Turkish manufacturer [[Durmazlar Holding|Durmazlar]] had been selected to supply 24 trams for the network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zmiany w komunikacji miejskiej od stycznia 2024 |date=2023-12-06 |url=https://zdzit.olsztyn.eu/zmiany-w-komunikacji-miejskiej-od-stycznia-2024/ |publisher=ZDZiT Olsztyn}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Durmazlar to supply trams to Olsztyn |url=https://www.metro-report.com/news/single-view/view/durmazlar-to-supply-trams-to-olsztyn.html |website=Metro Report International |access-date=3 February 2019 |date=2018-05-17}}</ref>

===Air===
[[File:POL Olsztyn Mazury Airport 09.JPG|thumb|[[Olsztyn-Mazury Airport]]]]
The region and city is served by [[Olsztyn-Mazury Airport]] with scheduled international passenger flights. It is located in [[Szymany, Szczytno County|Szymany]], {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} off [[Szczytno]] and {{convert|58|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} south of the city of Olsztyn. The airport operates flights to [[London]], [[Dortmund]], [[Kraków]] and seasonal flights to [[Rzeszów]] and [[Wrocław]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Transportation |url=http://mazuryairport.pl/en/transportation_81.html |website=Olsztyn-Mazury Airport |access-date=3 February 2019}}</ref>

== Education ==
[[File:UWM-bibgl.jpg|thumb|Main library building of the Olsztyn University]]
* [[University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn]]<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.uwm.edu.pl/| title = Universitx website}}</ref>
* [[Masurian Institute]] (est. 1943)

== Sports ==
[[File:KOS Orlik na Dajtkach Olsztyn.jpg|thumb|''KOS Orlik'' - A public football field near the 18th Primary School]]
* [[AZS UWM Olsztyn|Indykpol AZS Olsztyn]] – [[Volleyball in Poland|men's volleyball]] team playing in the [[Polish Volleyball League|Polish Volleyball League (PLS, Polska Liga Siatkówki)]], five time Polish champions
* [[Stomil Olsztyn (football)|Stomil Olsztyn]] – men's [[Football in Poland|football]] team, playing in the lower divisions. It played in the [[Ekstraklasa]], the country's top flight, from 1994 to 2002.
* {{Interlanguage link|Warmia Olsztyn (handball)|pl|3=Warmia Olsztyn (piłka ręczna)|lt=Warmia Olsztyn}} – men's [[Handball in Poland|handball]] team playing in the I liga (second tier). It played in the [[Polish Superliga (men's handball)|Superliga]], the country's top flight, most recently from 2005 to 2012.
* {{Interlanguage link|Warmia Olsztyn (football)|pl|3=KKS Warmia Olsztyn|lt=Warmia Olsztyn}} – one of the oldest football clubs in the city, playing in the lower leagues. It played on the second tier, most recently in the 1990s
* [[AZS UWM Trójeczka Olsztyn]] – men's [[Basketball in Poland|basketball]] team playing in the Polish Second League
* [[WMPD Olsztyn]] – men's rugby team, playing in the First Polish League
* [[Budowlani Olsztyn]] – a wrestling team
* [[Joanna Jędrzejczyk]] (born 1987), Polish Muay-Thai and MMA fighter, former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion
* [[Łukasz Gikiewicz]] (born 1987), Polish footballer
* [[Rafał Gikiewicz]] (born 1987), Polish footballer
* [[Filip Kurto]] (born 1991), Polish footballer
*Olsztyn Lakers – American football team

The [[Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner]], an international volleyball friendly tournament, was organized in Olsztyn from 2003 to [[2008 Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner|2008]]. The [[Tour de Pologne]], one of [[UCI World Tour]] races, was organized in Olsztyn numerous times, most recently in [[2008 Tour de Pologne|2008]] (as of 2019).

== Politics ==
{{Historical populations|1910|33077|1925|38105|1939|50396|1950|43831|1960|67887|1970|94753|1980|133314|1990|162935|2000|172843|2010|175420|2020|171249|source=<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Dokumentacja Geograficzna|volume=3/4|year=1967|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Geografii [[Polish Academy of Sciences|Polskiej Akademii Nauk]]|page=35}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Olsztyn | title=Olsztyn (Warmińsko-mazurskie) » mapy, nieruchomości, GUS, noclegi, szkoły, regon, atrakcje, kody pocztowe, wypadki drogowe, bezrobocie, wynagrodzenie, zarobki, tabele, edukacja, demografia }}</ref>}}
Members of the [[Sejm of the Republic of Poland|Sejm]] elected from Olsztyn constituency in 2005:

* [[Mieczysław Aszkiełowicz]], [[Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland|Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (Samoobrona Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej)]]
* [[Beata Bublewicz]], [[Civic Platform|Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)]]
* [[Jerzy Gosiewski]], [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)]]
* [[Tadeusz Iwiński]], [[Democratic Left Alliance (Poland)|Democratic Left Alliance (SLD, Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej)]]
* [[Edward Ośko]], [[League of Polish Families|League of Polish Families (LPR, Liga Polskich Rodzin)]]
* [[Adam Puza]], [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)]]
* [[Sławomir Rybicki]], [[Civic Platform|Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)]]
* [[Lidia Staroń]], [[Civic Platform|Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)]]
* [[Aleksander Szczygło|Aleksander Marek Szczygło]], [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)]]
* [[Zbigniew Włodkowski]], [[Polish People's Party|Polish Peasant Party (PSL, Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe)]]

Members of [[Senate of the Republic of Poland|Senate]] elected from Olsztyn constituency in 2005:

* [[Ryszard Józef Górecki]], [[Civic Platform|Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska)]]
* [[Jerzy Szmit]], [[Law and Justice (Poland)|Law and Justice (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość)]]

== Notable people ==
[[File:Olsztyn 2023 086.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Bust of [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] near the castle]]
[[File:Nowowiejskiemu Olsztyn.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Plaque commemorating [[Feliks Nowowiejski]] on his former home]]
* [[Johannes von Leysen]] (1310–1388), town founder and mayor
* [[Nicolaus Copernicus]] (1473–1543), astronomer, administrator, and town commander
* [[Johannes Knolleisen]] (+1511), German academic and provider of academic stipends
* [[Lucas David]] (1503–1583), German historian of Prussia
* [[Marcin Kromer]] (1512–1589), Polish cartographer, diplomat and historian, personal secretary of Kings of Poland, Bishop of Warmia
* [[Antoni Blank]] (1785–1844), Polish painter
* [[Hugo Haase]] (1863–1919), Jewish-German politician, jurist and pacifist
* [[Franz Justus Rarkowski]] (1873–1950), military bishop (1938–1945)
* [[Prussica-Sammlung Trunz|August Trunz]] (1875–1963), founder of the [[Prussica-Sammlung Trunz]]
* [[Feliks Nowowiejski]] (1877–1946), Polish composer, conductor, concert organist
* [[Maximilian Kaller]] (1880–1947) German prelate, bishop of [[Bishopric of Ermland|Ermland]] in 1930–1945
* [[Erich Mendelsohn]] (1887–1953), German-Jewish architect who fled the Nazis
* [[Olga Desmond]] (1891–1964), German dancer and actress
* [[Hermann Dohna-Finckenstein]] (1894–1942), German estate owner and politician
* [[Günter Wand]] (1912–2002), German conductor
* [[Kurt Baluses]] (1914–72) German football (soccer) player and manager
* [[Herbert Schachtschneider]] (1919–2008), German operatic tenor
* [[Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski]] (1922–2005), German politician
* [[Curt Lowens]] (1925–2017), German actor
* [[Leonhard Pohl]] (1929–2014), German gymnast
* [[Józef Glemp]] (1929–2013), Polish prelate, bishop of Warmia 1979–1981
* [[Jörg Kuebart]] (1934–2018) German general of the German Air Force
* [[Karl-Heinz Hopp]] (1936–2007) German rower who competed in the [[1960 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Wolf Lepenies]] (born 1941), German sociologist, political scientist and author
* [[Eugeniusz Geno Malkowski]] (1942–2016), Polish artist, painter and academic
* [[Ulrich Schrade]] (1943–2009), German-Polish philosopher and pedagogue
* [[Marian Bublewicz]] (1950–1993), Polish rally and race driver of the 1980s and 1990s
* [[Juliusz Machulski]] (born 1955), Polish film director
* [[Izabela Trojanowska]] (born 1955), Polish actress and singer
* [[Andrzej Friszke]] (born 1956), Polish historian
* [[Krzysztof Hołowczyc]] (born 1962), Polish rally driver
* [[Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek]] (born 1965), Polish musician, vocalist and lead guitarist of the [[death metal]] band [[Vader (band)|Vader]]
* [[Artur Wojdat]] (born 1968), swimmer
* [[Elżbieta Jabłońska]] (born 1970), Polish multidisciplinary artist, born in Olsztyn<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Jabłońska, Elżbieta |url=https://www.kunstforum.de/person/jablonska-elzbieta/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Kunstforum.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>
* [[Mamed Khalidov]] (born 1980), Russian-Polish mixed martial artist
* [[Wojciech Grzyb]] (born 1981), Polish volleyball player
* [[Julia Marcell]] (born 1982), Polish singer/songwriter and pianist
* [[Małgorzata Jasińska]] (born 1984), Polish professional cyclist (retd.)
* [[Michał Trzeciakiewicz]] (born 1984), retired Polish footballer
* [[Marcin Możdżonek]] (born 1985), volleyball player
* [[Adrian Mierzejewski]] (born 1986), Polish footballer
* [[Łukasz Gikiewicz]] (born 1987), Polish footballer
* [[Rafał Gikiewicz]] (born 1987), Polish footballer
* [[Joanna Jędrzejczyk]] (born 1987), Muay-Thai and MMA fighter, former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion
* [[Paweł Dawidowicz]] (born 1995), Polish footballer
* [[Artur Szalpuk]] (born 1995), Polish volleyball player, [[2018 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|2018 World Champion]]

== International relations ==
===Consulates===
There are honorary consulates of [[Belarus]], [[Germany]] and [[Lithuania]] in Olsztyn.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/misje-dyplomatyczne-urzedy-konsularne-i-organizacje-miedzynarodowe-w-polsce|title=Misje dyplomatyczne, urzędy konsularne i organizacje międzynarodowe w Polsce|website=Portal Gov.pl|language=pl|access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref>

=== Twin towns – Sister cities ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland}}
Olsztyn is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Calpe]], [[Province of Alicante|Alicante]], [[Valencian Community]], Spain
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Châteauroux]], [[Indre]], [[Centre-Val de Loire]], France<ref name="Châteauroux twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.ville-chateauroux.fr/fr/mieux-connaitre-chateauroux/relations-internationales/index.html|title=Le service municipal des jumelages|access-date=2013-08-04|work = Ville de Châteauroux|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120920033215/http://www.ville-chateauroux.fr/fr/mieux-connaitre-chateauroux/relations-internationales/index.html|archive-date=2012-09-20|language=fr|trans-title=Châteauroux municipal twinning service}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Gelsenkirchen]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], Germany<ref name="RuhrTwins2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |title=List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr District |work=Twins2010.com|access-date=28 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225064042/http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |archive-date=25 February 2021}}</ref>
||
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Halmstad Municipality|Halmstad]], [[Halland County]], Sweden
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Lutsk]], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Offenburg]], [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[Virginia|VA]], United States
||
*{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Rovaniemi]], Finland
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Bielsko-Biała]], [[Silesian Voivodeship]], Poland<ref name="Bielsko">{{cite web|url=http://www.um.bielsko.pl/|title=''Bielsko-Biała – Partner Cities''|publisher=2008 Urzędu Miejskiego w Bielsku-Białej.|access-date=10 December 2008}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Weifang]], China<ref name="Weifang">{{cite web|url=http://visit.olsztyn.eu/article/790/weifang|title=''Weifang''|publisher=Urząd Miasta Olsztyna|access-date=2020-03-26}}</ref>
|}
Olsztyn belongs to the Federation of Copernicus Cities, an association of cities where [[Nicolaus Copernicus|Copernicus]] lived and worked, such as [[Bologna]], [[Frombork]], [[Kraków]], and [[Toruń]]. The main office of the federation is situated at Olsztyn Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory, located on St. Andrew's Hill (143 m) in a former [[water tower]] erected in 1897.

== Citations ==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===References===
{{reflist|33em}}

=== Further reading ===
{{refbegin}}
* http://www.olsztyn.eu/ {{in lang|pl}}
* https://web.archive.org/web/20100220023326/http://zamkigotyckie.org.pl/olsztyn.htm {{in lang|pl}}
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120308112401/http://www.pascal.pl/atrakcja.php?id=25797 {{in lang|pl}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*{{Official website|http://www.olsztyn.eu/en.html}}
*[http://wiadomosci.olsztyn.pl/ News Olsztyn] {{in lang|pl}}
*
*[https://olsztynnews.com.pl/ Local news] {{in lang|pl}}

[https://web.archive.org/web/20140101153323/http://www.sztetl.org.pl/en/article/olsztyn-607/5,history/ Jewish history of Olsztyn]
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