Rakowiec is a village located in Kwidzyn County, Kwidzyn Commune, on the route connecting the cities of Kwidzyn and Prabuty. The first traces of settlement in this area come from Roman times and the early Middle Ages. In 1293, the village was founded under Chelmno law by Bishop Henryk. It was the second peasant village in this area, after Gorki. The name of the village comes from a large lake located between the village and Rakowice (separated from it in 1293).
Gothic Church
In the years 1330-1340, a Gothic church was built, which is today one of the tourist attractions in Rakowiec. During the Reformation, the church passed into the hands of the Evangelical Church. In 1711, there was a fire in the rectory, which caused the church to collapse.
King Frederick William I and the Duke of Nassau, who visited Rakowiec in 1736, provided financial assistance for the reconstruction of the rectory and renovation of the church. In the years 1722-1725 the interior was rebuilt, new pews, an altar and an organ were added. Behind the main altar there are three stone tombstones from the XVIIth century.
Lake in Rakowiec, photo: Pomorskie.Travel
The wars fought in the XVth century and the following centuries did not spare the area of today’s village of Rakowiec, they caused not only material destruction, but also depopulation of the area. The economic situation improved with the introduction of enfranchisement reforms in the second decade of the XIXth century. Soon, encouraged by the enfranchisement reforms, colonists from Germany began to arrive here.
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Rakowiec lies on the route of Napoleon’s travels. In 1807, Emperor Napoleon resided in Kamieniec, from where his messenger went through Rakowiec every day.
The emperor himself passed through Rakowiec on his way to Kwidzyn. At the turn of the XIXth and XXth centuries, Rakowiec was the richest and largest village in the district. At that time, a dozen or so craftsmen lived and worked in the village, there were three inns, an old people’s home, a midwife, a large dairy and three windmills. Farmers were engaged not only in cultivation and breeding, but also in peat extraction.
Church in Rakowiec, photo: pomorskie.travel
In 1909, a railway station was built on the Kwidzyn-Prabuty line. The first school in the village was established in the XVIIIth century, before 1945 it was a 3-grade school. In the early 1920s, the village was electrified. On September 1, 1945, Maria Zarembianka opened a Polish primary school. In 1945, a post office, a health center, a pharmacy and shops were also opened.
Bicycle routes in Powisle
After World War II, a commune operated in the area of Rakowiec, then in the years 1954-1972 the village of Rakowiec was a community.
In the village there is a manor house built by Prussian Junkers in the XVIIIth century. It is a hunting manor where a noble family lived. There are farm buildings next to the manor house, including two stables from the XVIIIth century and from 1935. Currently, the stables are renovated and modernly equipped, they are located on the premises of the stud farm in Rakowiec.
Powiślańska Plum in vinegar, photo: Pomorskie.Travel
Near Rakowiec there is a green walking Napoleon Trail (the Liwa River trail). The trailhead is in Kwidzyn. The regional products Powisle Plum in Vinegar and Vinegar from Powisle Plumps are produced in Rakowiec. These products have been prepared for many years by the housewives of Powisle, according to Magdalena Lasiak’s recipe. Today, Magdalena Lasiak’s daughter, Elzbieta Szczukowska, continues the tradition of preparing regional plum preserves. The products are promoted by the Rakowiec Village Residents and Supporters Association.
There is a Sculpture Studio in Rakowiec, where regular classes are held, during which various technical and artistic methods of making sculptures are presented.
One of the Rakowiec sculptures, photo: Pomorskie.travel
