From the mid-12th century it was a seat of a castellan and in 1280 it was granted town rights by Przemysł II.

According to one tradition he was kidnapped while staying at the town, but was so badly wounded in the process that he was unable to continue the journey, and was killed by his captors at Sierniki a few miles to the east.

After the successful Greater Poland uprising of 1806, it was regained by Poles and included within the short-lived Duchy of Warsaw.

[6] During the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, which started World War II, the town was invaded by Germany and occupied until 1945.

Some inhabitants of Rogoźno were among Poles massacred by the Germans in nearby villages of Podlesie Kościelne and Międzylesie.