Pu?tusk : Poland
Pu?tusk is a town in Poland by the river Narew, 70 km north of Warsaw. Pu?tusk has about 19.000 inhabitants. It was founded already in the 10th century and was almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1875. The old market square is reputedly the longest in Europe.
The town existed since at least 10th century. In the Middle Ages it was one of the most important castles defending Masovia against the attacks of Prussians and Lithuanians. According to a legend, the town initially was known as Tusk. After an earthquake destroyed half of the city it was renamed to Pu?tusk (P?- or pu?- being a Polish prefix for a half). However, scientists assume that the town got its name after a small river named Pe?ta.
Since the early Middle Ages (11th century) the town belonged to bishops of P?ock. Thanks to a ford on the river located nearby, Pu?tusk became an important centre of trade and commerce. In 1440 an Academy was founded in the town, one of the most influential schools of higher education in Poland. Among its professors were Jakub Wujek, Richard Singleton, Marcin ?aszcz and Piotr Skarga. By 1595 there were more than 600 students, and their number reached 900 by 1696.
