GRUDZIADZ

German Graudenz, city, Torun wojewdztwo (province), north-central Poland, on the lower Vistula River. Founded in the 10th century as a Polish stronghold against Prussian attack, Grudziadz in the 1230s came under the rule of the Teutonic Knights, who fortified the town and granted it municipal rights (1291). It was acquired by Poland in the mid-15th century, but after the First Partition of 1772 the town became a powerful fortress under Prussia. It was returned to Poland after World War I. The city developed economically when a rail line crossed the Vistula in 1879. It has an industrial economy based on foundries, lumber mills, breweries, and the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, rubber, and food products. Pop. (1993 est.) 103,400.