Kórnik

Gmina Kórnik (Kórnik Commune) is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Kórnik, which lies approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań. The gmina covers an area of 186.58 square kilometres (72.0 sq mi), and as of 2006 its total population is 17,585 (out of which the population of Kórnik amounts to 6,981, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 10,604).

Bnin [bnin] (German: Seebrück) is part of the town of Kórnik, south-east of the city of Poznań, in Greater Poland Voivodeship in western Poland, between Lake Kórnickie and Lake Bnińskie. From 1395 to 1934, Bnin was a town in its own right. It became part of Kórnik in 1961. Near Lake Bnińskie, there are remnants of an ancient fortified settlement. Probably princes of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) owned it. Later on, the town was the ancestral home of the Bninski family (coat of arms: Łodzia). In the 15th century, Andrzej Bniński, Bishop of Poznan in 1438–1479, was the heir of the town. He erected there a stone church. In 1775, Lady Teofila Potulicka from the Dzialynski family (the heiress at that time) completely rebuilt the church. In the late 19th century, the town was composed of 126 homes, with about 1300 inhabitants: 263 Evangelicals and 1040 Catholics. It was the only town in the Grand Duchy of Poznań without a Jewish population. Most of the inhabitants were occupied with agriculture. There was an elementary school, a post office, and four market places. Bnin belonged then to the Działyński family then.

The Kórnik Arboretum in Kórnik, in western Poland, is the largest and oldest arboretum in Poland and fourth-largest arboretum in Europe, with over 3300 taxa of trees and shrubs. It was established in the early 19th century around the historical Kórnik Castle by its owner, Count Tytus Działyński, later enriched with new species and varieties by his heirs, his son Jan Kanty Działyński and grandson Władysław Zamoyski.The arboretum covers over 40 hectares (99 acres) and is famous for rich collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, conifers, lilacs, apple trees, cherries, meadowsweets, honeysuckles, poplars, birches, and other woody species from all over the world. Old specimens of native and alien trees and shrubs can be seen there, such as lindens, beeches, oaks, maidenhair trees, arborvitaes, spruces, and firs. The Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences is located within the arboretum. In 2010, a 3.5-kilometre long educational trail called Trees of the World was opened in the arboretum. It enables visitors to see and obtain botanical information on 25 major species of trees found in North America, Asia and Europe.

Kórnik Castle (Polish: Zamek w Kórniku or Zamek Kórnicki) is a castle in the Polish town of Kórnik, which was constructed in the 14th century. The current neogothic design and remodeling was done in 1855 partly on the basis of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel's plans for Tytus Działyński and the son Jan Kanty Działyński. After last member of Działyński family Jan Kanty Działyński's death, his brother-in-law Count Władysław Zamoyski received the castle in Jan's will. Shortly before his death in 1924, the childless count willed the castle, along with an extensive art collection and the Kórnik Arboretum to the Polish state.The castle currently houses a museum and the Kórnik Library. It's one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated July 11, 2011 and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

Kórnik Library (Polish: Biblioteka Kórnicka) is one of the most famous Polish libraries, founded by Tytus Działyński in 1828 in the town of Kórnik. Currently the library, despite being robbed by the Germans during World War II, is one of the five largest libraries in Poland and contains roughly 400,000 volumes, including 30,000 books older than 150 years, Baron von der Lasa's 2,000-volume collection on chess history, and 14,000 manuscripts (including Napoleon's romantic novella Clisson et Eugénie, Adam Mickiewicz's Dziady (Part III) and a number of works by Juliusz Słowacki).Since 1953, it is a part of the National Library of Poland.

Biernatki [bjɛrˈnatki] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kórnik, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 2 kilometres (1 mi) east of Kórnik and 23 km (14 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

Błażejewo [bwaʐɛˈjɛvɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kórnik, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Kórnik and 24 km (15 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

Dziećmierowo [d͡ʑɛt͡ɕmjɛˈrɔvɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kórnik, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) north of Kórnik and 20 km (12 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

Mościenica [mɔɕt͡ɕɛˈnit͡sa] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kórnik, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 miles) north-west of Kórnik and 20 kilometres (12 miles) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

Trzebisławki [tʂɛbiˈswafki] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Środa Wielkopolska, within Środa Wielkopolska County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) west of Środa Wielkopolska and 23 km (14 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

Skrzynki [ˈskʂɨnki] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kórnik, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) north-west of Kórnik and 18 km (11 mi) south-east of the regional capital Poznań.

The Borowiec Astrogeodynamic Observatory is an observatory that forms part of Space Research Centre located in Borówiec, Poland.