In 2012, the Poznań's Art and Business Centre "Stary Browar" won a competition organised by National Geographic Traveler and was given the first prize as one of the seven "New Polish Wonders".

Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main stable headquarters in Poznań.

Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, with some (Ostrów Tumski, Śródka, Chwaliszewo, Ostrówek) obtaining their own town charters.

During the Deluge, Poznań's Jewish community was accused of collaborating with the invading Swedish enemy, and as a result suffered pogroms carried out by both the city's non-Jewish residents and units of the Polish Crown Army.

A Greater Poland Uprising during the Revolutions of 1848 was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Grand Duchy lost its remaining autonomy, Poznań becoming simply the capital of the Prussian Province of Posen.

It became a national stage for the inhabitants of the province of Posen, and even in whole Greater Poland region, acting as a mainstay of polish tradition and culture, and as a sign of resistance against the restrictive policies of the Prussian partition authorities.

In 1929, the fair site was the venue for a major National Exhibition (Powszechna Wystawa Krajowa, popularly PeWuKa) marking the tenth anniversary of independence; organized on a space of 650,000 square metres it attracted around 4.5 million visitors.

From the 1960s onwards intensive housing development took place, consisting mainly of pre-fabricated concrete blocks of flats, especially in Rataje and Winogrady, and later Piątkowo, following its incorporation into the city in 1974.

Post-communism infrastructural developments include the opening of the Pestka Fast Tram route in 1997, and Poznań's first motorway connections in 2003 as Poland's east–west A2 highway runs south of the city centre, serving also as a bypass.

The city centre – including the Old Town, the former islands of Grobla and Chwaliszewo, the main street Święty Marcin and many other important buildings and districts – lies on the west side of the Warta.

[citation needed] Many parts of closer suburbs such as Tarnowo Podgorne, Komorniki, Suchy Las, and Dopiewo produce more in terms of GDP per capita than the city itself.

This significant urban shift led to the preservation of numerous Gothic structures, both religious and secular, on both sides of the Warta River, within the area of the former chartered town.

The tenement houses, built in a dense layout without backyards, were preceded by front gardens and, in addition to the high standard of the apartments, also impressed with richly decorated entrance halls and varied building facades.

[46] In the early 20th century, many residential developments also emerged in the Jeżyce district, including a complex of villa-style tenements on Roosevelta Street, designed by the architectural firm of Herman Böhmer and Paul Preul for the German Civil Servants' Housing Cooperative.

In 1903, architect Josef Stübben presented a plan for the construction of a new district in the area of the demolished Berlin Gate (located at the intersection of today's Święty Marcin and Kościuszki streets), which was realized between 1904 and 1910.

During the interwar period, university lectures were held in its halls, during World War II, the building was adapted to serve as Hitler's headquarters, and since the 1960s, it has functioned as a cultural center.

[49] Other examples of modernist architecture in Poznań include the Alfa Towers on Święty Marcin and the Poznan University of Physical Education building on Królowej Jadwigi Street.

The central attraction is a live nativity scene featuring real animals, accompanied by a large stage where musical concerts, competitions, and various artistic and entertainment activities take place.

Surrounding the nativity scene are numerous stalls offering handcrafted goods, regional products, traditional foods, mulled wine, and hot meals.

In addition to the permanent attractions, Betlejem Poznańskie includes recurring events such as carol singing reviews, the election of the Poznań Gwiazdor (a fictional character who distributes gifts on Christmas Eve, appearing in Greater Poland's tradition), art workshops, city games, and more.

An important cultural event in Poznań is the annual Malta Festival, which takes place at many city venues, usually in late June and early July.

[2] The best known examples of corporation who have their headquarters in Poznań and the surrounding areas are that of Volkswagen, GlaxoSmithKline, Amazon, Bridgestone, Beiersdorf, Raben Group (near Kórnik) and Kuehne + Nagel (near Gądki).

[citation needed] Some of the best-known major corporations founded and still based in Poznań and the city's metropolitan area include Allegro – owner of the Poland's biggest e-commerce site, H. Cegielski-Poznań SA – a historic manufacturer, Solaris Bus & Coach – a modern bus and coach maker based in Bolechowo, and Enea S.A. – one of the country's biggest energy firms.

Contemporary Poznań has one of the highest concentration of foreigners in Poland alongside Warsaw and Wrocław; a significant majority are migrant workers from Ukraine; others came from Italy, Spain, Belarus, Russia and Serbia.

Termy Maltańskie consists of as many as 18 sports and recreational swimming pools with a total water surface area of 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) as well as many other attractions such as different kind of saunas and spa, among others.

At the south bank of the lake, Malta-Ski year-round skiing complex is situated, and is hosting minor sport competitions, equipped with a toboggan run and a minigolf course.

Within the city, the key role is played by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Poznań (Komenda Miejska Policji w Poznaniu, KMP), responsible for maintaining order and safety.

KMP supervises several police stations located in different districts:[79] Additionally, the Municipal Police Headquarters oversees stations in the Poznań County, including locations in Murowana Goślina, Suchy Las, Swarzędz, Kostrzyn, Pobiedziska, Tarnowo Podgórne, Buk, Stęszew, Komorniki, Luboń, Puszczykowo, Mosina, Kórnik, Dopiewo, Kleszczewo, Rokietnica, and Przeźmierowo.

In some areas of the city, smaller police posts provide additional law enforcement presence, supporting the main stations and serving local communities.

Since September 2016, the National Safety Threat Map (Krajowa Mapa Zagrożeń Bezpieczeństwa) has been active in the area covered by the Poznań Municipal Police Headquarters.