Biedrusko

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Biedrusko is a village in western-central Poland, in the district of Gmina Suchy Las, Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship. It has about 2,200 residents (as of 2006). The village sits at the center of a large Polish Army training area and includes an army barracks, a palace that is being restored, and a big block of new apartment buildings.

Biedrusko was first mentioned in the 13th century. It was owned by the Cistercian order (sources vary: 1242, 1491 or 1518). For a long time it belonged to the Poznań Voivodeship, Greater Poland Province. After the Partitions of Poland in 1793, it was annexed by Prussia. Under German rule, church goods were taken by German landowners in 1797. In 1807 it became part of the Duchy of Warsaw, then in 1815 it was re-annexed by Prussia and from 1871 it was part of Germany.

In 1904 the German Army bought the area and set up a large military training area. After Poland regained independence in 1918, Polish insurgents captured Biedrusko on December 28, 1918, to reintegrate Greater Poland with Poland. The village then came under the Polish Army and has been used by the Polish military since, except during World War II when the German Army used it as the Warthelager training camp.

The training area includes land that used to be several villages, now uninhabited: Chojnica, Glinienko, Glinno, Knyszyna, Łagiewniki, Okalewo, Trzuskotowo and Tworkowo.

In the interwar period, Polish crafts, services and agriculture developed, and the garrison expanded in 1937.