During World War I, the town was occupied by Germany from 1914 to 1918. After a skirmish between the occupying Germans and local Poles, the town was liberated in November 1918 and restored to reborn Poland, within which in 1925 it regained its town charter. Following the German invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, the SS-Totenkopf-Standarte Brandenburg entered the town to commit various crimes against the population. Already in late September 1939, the Germans murdered Polish hostages from Kłodawa in the nearby Rzuchów forest, and one of the pre-war mayors, Władysław Zalewski, was murdered in November 1939 in Środa Wielkopolska. During the occupation by Nazi Germany, the town was renamed Tonningen (1940–1945). Already in 1940, the Polish underground resistance movement was formed in the town, and also secret Polish schooling was organized. In 1941, more than 1,500 Kłodawan Jews were killed by the Nazi Germans in the Chełmno extermination camp. In 1943, the Germans arrested some of the local Polish resistance members, who were then either sentenced to death or prison. The Kłodawa parish priest, Father Teofil Choynowski, was killed in the Dachau concentration camp in 1943. Kłodawa was eventually liberated on January 19, 1945 by the Red Army, and restored to Poland. Sport The local football club is . It competes in the lower leagues. Notable residents Paweł Włodkowic of Brudzeń (c. 1370–1435)—medieval scholar and diplomat. Parish priest of the Church of St. Giles in Kłodawa, Retired here in 1424. Michał Rawita-Witanowski (1858–1943)—pharmacist, historian and ethnographer. Owned a pharmacy in Kłodawa. Wrote about the history of the region in several publications. Aaron Kosminski (1865–1919)—Jack the Ripper suspect Andrzej Ruciński (born 1958)—member of Sejm Distance and driving time to regional cities Koło—20 km (10 mi)—about 20 minutes Konin—50 km (30 mi)—about 45 minutes Włocławek—50 km (30 mi)—about 45 minutes Łódź—65 km (40 mi)— about 1 hours Toruń—110 km (70 mi)—about 1.5 hours Bydgoszcz—150 km (95 mi)—about 2 hours Poznań—150 km (95 mi)—about 2 hours Warsaw—150 km (95 mi)—about 2 hours References External links Official website Jewish Community of Klodawa memorial website Cities and towns in Greater Poland Voivodeship Koło County Kalisz Governorate Poznań Voivodeship (1921–1939) Holocaust locations in Poland