Kościerzyna County

Kościerzyna County, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, was established in 1999. Its seat is the town of Kościerzyna, which is the most populous area in the county with approximately 22,700 inhabitants. Besides Kościerzyna, the county includes rural municipalities such as Dziemiany, Karsin, Lipusz, Nowa Karczma, and Stara Kiszewa, as well as the urban municipality of Kościerzyna. The county has a rich history, with origins dating back to the non-estate starosty of Kościerzyna before the First Partition of Poland. During the partitions, it functioned as the Prussian "Landkreis Berent." In the interwar period and during the Polish People's Republic, the Kościerzyna territorial county existed, and from September 1939 to February/March 1945, the area was occupied by Nazi Germany. In 1920, its area was 117,698 hectares, which was smaller than during the Prussian era. The county is also known for its abundance of forests, with forest cover reaching 76% in the Lipusz municipality, while in Kościerzyna it is only 0.4%. In terms of transportation, several national and regional roads run through the county, facilitating connections with neighboring counties such as Bytów, Chojnice, Gdańsk, Kartuzy, and Starogard. Interestingly, since 2009, Kościerzyna County has had its own mascot named "Pokoś," created by Natalia Żywicka, which serves as a symbol of local identity and culture.