Stargard

Founded in the 8th century, Stargard is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It owed its centuries-long prosperity to trade and crafts, and from 1377 to 1478 it was the capital of a small eponymous principality ruled by the House of Griffin. It became more internationally known only in the 20th century, for being the location of large German-operated prisoner-of-war camps for tens of thousands of Allied soldiers of various nationalities during each of the world wars. The city contains several notable medieval Gothic landmarks, chiefly the St. Mary's Church and defensive walls with several gates and towers, listed as Historic Monuments of Poland, and an international military cemetery from both world wars. Stargard is the location of a Polish Army garrison and a major railroad junction, where the southwards connection from Szczecin splits into two directions: towards Poznań and Gdańsk.