Trzemeszno is a small town of 7,500 residents situated at the eastern outskirts of Wielkopolska province, and is one of the oldest towns located on the Piast Trail, a popular tourist and recreation route, that runs through two lake districts in the historic area. According to legends, St. Adalbert (Wojciech) founded the first monastery in Poland here, and then it was his first grave. In the beginning of the 12^th century Prince Boleslaw Krzywousty (Polish spelling) founded a monastery of canons regular of St. Augustine. Since Then until the end of the 18^th century it had been one of the largest and most important monasteries in Poland.

 In the second half of the 18^th century the town started to flourish owning to the wise policies of Michal Kosciesza Kosmowski, and abbot of the monastery and also the Gniezno bishop. He founded the so called ‘new town,’ St Michael’s suburb with the hospital of St. Lazar, a secondary school, Collegium Tremesnese, renovated the other town’s suburb, Skwarzymowo, and rebuilt the gothic church into a monumental late baroque shrine.

 The most famous resident is Jan Kilinski, Polish 18^th century national hero who was born here. Trzemeszno is also the birthplace of Jedrzej Moraczewski, the first Polish Prime Minister.

 In the 19^th century Trzemeszno was an important center of Polish culture and education in the province of Wielkopolska. Today the town is a local center of education and industry. Young people can attend seven schools starting from kindergarten to secondary school. There are some large factories such as Paroc, Izopol, and PPZ, as well as some smaller firms. Agriculture also plays an important part in the town’s life as half of the population of the administrative unit of Trzemeszno lives in the neighboring villages.

 Excerpted from the Comemius Project handbook and Trzemeszno by the Office of Trzemeszno Commune ( Urząd Miasta i Gminy Trzemeszno)