What is "szczypiorno"

Szczypiorno is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Kalisz, Poland. Formerly until 1976 a separate village at the outskirts of the city, it is best known as a seat of a World War I and Polish-Bolshevist War prisoner of war camp and the name-sake for szczypiorniak, the Polish language name for the game of handball.

The borough is located along the National Road 25 linking Kalisz with Ostrów Wielkopolski. There is a Kalisz Szczypiorno railway station located in the neighbourhood. During World War I the village housed a German-built prisoner of war camp for soldiers of the Polish Legions following their internment in the aftermath of the so-called Oath crisis. It was there that the internees first started playing a game of handball, that later became popular with the reborn Polish Army and general population. Because of that the game is still commonly referred to as szczypiorniak in Polish.

After World War I the camp remained operational for internees from Germany and Bolshevik Russia. Disbanded some time in the early 1920s, it was turned into a Central School of Prison Service, still operational. During World War II the village was occupied by Nazi Germany and renamed, first to Friedersbrunn and then to Deutschehren.

In 1976 the village was incorporated into the city of Kalisz.