We gladly introduce you the presentation of the Subkowy Commune. Hopefully, both the residents and the guests visiting our “small homeland” will find it enjoyable and useful.

The Geographic Location of the Subkowy Commune 

The Subkowy Commune is situated in the southern part of the Pomorskie voivodship. It belongs to the Tczew District and the region that is called Kociewie Wschodnie. It is also the neighbour to Żuławy Wiślane. Thanks to its specific location the Subkowy Commune attracts new investors not only in food processing industry but also in agriculture, services and heavy industry. It is situated at the crossing of major communication tracks: the route 1 from Czech Republic to Sweden, Berlin-Królewiec track and railway Śląsk-Porty. Moreover, in the near future the highway junction is to be built in Swarożyn, in the neighbouring commune.

From the Subkowy Commune it is close everywhere: 40 km to Trójmiasto (Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia), 10 km to Tczew and Pelplin, 20 km to Malbork and Gniew and 25 km to Starogard Gdański.

The area of the community amounts to 78 km2. There are 11 village groups with 5300 inhabitants.

The community is located around three mesoregions: Starogard Lakeland, Kwidzyn Valley (a part of the Low Vistula Valley) and Żuławy Wiślane. The characteristic of the commune landscape is that it is relatively diverse: hilly, flat at the Vistula Valley or morainic plateau. In this region there is the lowest precipitation in Poland, which influences positively the dryness of the climat.

The archaeological research findings, tangible and written resources, numerous legends prove of rich and ancient history outline of this region.

The Subkowy Commune acknowledged its name from its establisher Pomeranian Prince Sobek, that is Sobiesław or Subiesław. The first reference about the hamlet comes from 1282 when it belonged to the knight Michał. After he had betrayed his Prince Mszczuj II, the land of Subkowy was donated to the episcopal town in Włocławek where it was ruled by the Kujawy bishops till 1772, that is till the takeover of the ecclesiastical goods. The history of this land was very rich. It remembers hard working people, German occupation, wars and the beginnings of the Polish state system. 

Worth seeing

The church in Subkowy was funded by the Kujawy bishops in the 13th century and serves the residents up till now. The baroque furnishings originate from the first half of the 18th century. Sightworthy are also beautiful altars. By the rainbow arc one can admire two storey altars with the goatskin bas-relieves of St. Michael Achangel and St. Roch from 1728. The central altar funded by bishop Szembek derives from 1700. On the south outer wall there is the sundial dating 1675.

The most attractive landscape of the community is the edge of the Vistula Valley. On the hillocks of the left bank surrounded with the gorgeous gullies the village Gorzędziej (one of the oldest settlements in Pomerania) is situated. From this place one can admire the beauty of the late gothic church built at the beginning of the 14th century. Inside worth seeing are also baroque firnishings and characteristic hanging crucifix with two sculptures of the Virgin Mary and St. John set on the pillars. The sculpters were made by the carver Paul in 1510. Such valuable works of art can be found only in two churches in whole Pomerania, namely in Gdańsk. The side altar with the painting of St. Barbara from the 17th century and the central baroque altar with the painting of St. Wojciech may as well be included to the historical monuments of a similar value. The sanctuary of St. Wojciech was established here in 1995 to commemorate his visit on this land in 997 during his mission to Prusy (according to the legends). His relics are kept in the shrine shaped into a boat with St. Wojciech's figure. The shrine is placed on the left side of the altar.

Plenty of beautiful chapels and crucifixes may be found by the community roads.

On this land there used to be the number of large manors. Well-maintained manor-park complexes and manors in Rybaki, Mały Garc, Mały Gorzedziej, Radostowo i Subkowy are the prove of that.

In Rybaki there is a unique hydrotechnical node of a monumental character. It consists of a sluice and a pump station draining the whole region from the Walichnowy Lowland to the Vistula river. The sluice built between 1888 and 1896 is made of brickwork. Its lock-gate from 1896 has a wooden inlet and a steel outlet. The outlet lock-gate closes automatically while water pressures from the Vistua river. In front of the sluice there are the pump stations called Hope and Peace. They are located between the dikes of the Vistula river and the Pelplin Lake. Both pumps represent the second degree of water pumping in relation to the pump called Agreement which drains the Lowland and pumps water to the Pelplin Lake. Between the dike there is the visible outline of the former canal leeding directly to the Vistula river. Years ago the number of cargo boats with coal sailed there.

The location of the commune and differential landscape inspires to foot trips or cycling. There are plenty of natural monuments. Some of them are to be admired while walking along the didactic path called “Nad Drybokiem” in Subkowy. It offers the natural and ecological value as well as the architectural monuments of the village.

The recreational area with the hunting campsite by the forester’s lodge in Bukowiec and the ranch called “Uroczysko” in Wielgłowy are the perfect places for rest, feast or horse riding. The Subkowy commune bordes from the east with the “Queen of Polish rivers” – the Vistula river along which the bike route called Lower Vistula Valley Route runs. 

The location of the Subkowy Commune in the area of the intensive agriculture development, the favourable natural conditions and heretofore traditions cause that the main function of the community is agriculture. The arable lands of the community cover 78 % of the whole area and they are of a I-III class. The farmers use highly technical equipment for plant and livestock production depending on the activity they choose. Our farmers specialise mainly in growing wheat, rape and sugar beet as well as swine and milk cattle breeding. The locals being economically active provide different types of services or go into the small-scale production. The major comapnies are: “Fregata” S.A. in Waćmierz, “Maremix” in Narkowy, Brand Assesment Experimental Station in Radostowo, “Agros”, “Litawa”, “Stairs Center”, Co-operative Society of Farmers and Confectioner’s company “Solecki” in Subkowy. 

The commune has elaborated the local site planning projects for the villages of Subkowy and Gorzędziej. Over 60 hectares of the grounds owned by the individuals and corporations located mainly by the domestic road 1 (Gdańsk-Cieszyn) have been intended for housing, services, production and warehouses. All the villages are provided with a water supply system and telephone network. Three hydrophore stations provide the community farms with water. The sewage treatment plants in Gorzędziej and Subkowy enable the refuse collection from those places.

Bearing in mind the improvement of the attractiveness of the commune for the future investors and the creation of better living conditions for the inhabitants the local government invests in the improvement of natural environment condition including wastewater economy, redevelopment of road paving and in the close future gasification.

Unemployment in the Subkowy Commune amounts to 28 % and at the same time there is the potential of the workforce.

In Subkowy there is also the subsidiary of the Cooperative Bank.

The number of the residents of our commune constantly increases as there are more and more housing settlements in Gorzędziej, Subkowy, Brzuśce, Radostowo for people who are searching for quiet and peace.

We constantly improve the didactic basis and create better conditions for children’s and youth’s development. One of the most modern school buildings in Poland was opened in Subkowy in 2002 as a high school.

Our students attain good grades in sports and subject contests. Every year the international student exchange is orgnized by the School Complex in Subkowy. The high school students also participate and obtain good results in the International Youth Fire Teams Meetings in Germany. Famous are also every year concerts of music stars arranged by the “Children’s smile” Foundation. The Foundation assigns its income for the student scholarships. 

The Commune Culture, Sports, and Recreation Centre and The Commune Public Library in Subkowy are the cultural and sports activities organizers. There are also two football teams and a ping-pong team.

Every year the Competition of the Communities: Morzeszczyn-Subkowy-Tczew is held.

The Subkowy Commune has reached the agreement with the German Communities: Heemsen and Steimbke and with the Deula Centre in order to stricktly cooperate in all planes of the neighbour relationship and mutual help. The main idea of this undertaking is the information exchange concerning the cooperation of the non-governmental organizations and the commune units especially in the plane of the education and the fire protection.

The NZOZ “Hipokrates” in Subkowy deals with the basic health care and health promotion. The service of the Local Self-help Home in Narkowy meets the needs of the disabled and the elderly may enjoy their spare time among the members of the Senior's Club called “Joy”.

The village groups list: (as on July, 1st 2005):