Opatówek is a town of 3,800 inhabitants in central Poland, situated southeast from Kalisz, in the Kalisz County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The commune (Gmina) of Opatówek, including the town of Opatówek and 26 other villages, has about 10,000 inhabitants and is an agricultural and industrial region. (See also Commune Opatówek.) Region The commune is situated in a picturesque landscape of the Opatówek-Malanów Hills. The hills of Chełmce (187 m), Rajsko (177.2 m) and Tłokinia Kościelna (164.7 m) dominate the valleys of rivers Pokrzywnica, Cienia and Swędrnia. The neighbour comunes of the commune Opatówek are: Żelazków, Ceków-Kolonia and Koźminek in the north, Szczytniki in the east, Godziesze Wielkie in the south and the city of Kalisz in the west. The architecture of Opatówek is dominated by the Neo-Gothic and classicistic style of the 19th century the most successful time of the town during the booming years of the Industrial Revolution. History Early settlements After early Celtic settlements the region was settled between 400 BC and 300 AD by Lugii. Kalisz was an important station of the Amber Road called Calisia. Medieval and modern times Opatówek belonged to archbishops of Gniezno since the 13th century, who probably helped it to obtain municipal rights. The archbishop Jarosław of Bogoria and Skotnik built a brick church and a castle here in about 1360, which were visited by outstanding clergymen and civil dignitaries. Both buildings stood until the beginning of the 19th century. It was a private church town, administratively located in the Kalisz County in the Kalisz Voivodeship in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland. From 1655 until 1660 the area was occupied by Sweden during the Deluge. In 1706 was the great battle close to Kalisz between Saxon and Swedish armies that involved 50,000 soldiers all together. The Saxon army helped by the Russian army defeated Swedish army and Polish soldiers led by Stanisław Leszczyński. In 1793, following the Second Partition of Poland, the town was annexed by Prussia, and the archbishops' property was confiscated by the Prussian authorities. In 1807, the town was regained by Poles and included within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw. Since 1807 it belonged to general Józef Zajączek, the future governor of the Congress Poland. In that time many buildings designed by the most outstanding architects were constructed; moreover, the governor carried out reforms in his property which enabled the economical development in