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The article is devoted to the reconstruction of the Rogoźno urban area during the period of around 500 years. That span began when the tribal fortified centre had been established on the right bank of the Wełna river and lasted until the medieval town was located on the left bank of that river in the 13th century. During that interval five development stages of the settlement which preceded the foundation of Rogoźno were singled out. The tribal hillfort had collapsed and was abandoned after the early Piast’s state had come into existence. The population of the defensive centre and that of the settlement outside its rampart moved more towards the east, towards the important transport and trade route, leading from Poznań, via the stronghold in Radzim on the Warta river, Rogoźno, Ujście and farther to Kołobrzeg. Part of the population occupied empty areas to the south of the Wełna river where the later town and suburbium were located. After about 200 years the new stronghold was located where the Mała Wełna river flows out of Lake Rogozińskie. The territorial castellany had been established there. At the same time, that is in the second half of the 12th century, the suburbium evolved next to the stronghold. The parish church dedicated to Saint Vitus was founded there, whereas on the right bank of the Wełna river, near the site 4, the ducal week’s market together with the market square were organized. In order to use the rich bog iron ore occurring in the area of Rogoźno Przemysł I of Greater Poland brought circa 1240 foreign craftspeople (hospites). They were settled on the right bank of the Wełna river, on so called Wójtostwo (Ealdormanship), and were granted the German city rights. The town community of those guests (hospites) survived till about 1260 what later caused the economic and demographical decline, clear to be noticed in the historical and archaeological sources. Not until 1280 did Przemysł II of Poland issued the foundation charter for building a new town in Rogoźno on the left bank of the Wełna river and on the western shore of Lake Rogoźno. The location was entirely successful. Many elements of the location city – like for example part of town layout, size and shape of the market, main roads – maintained their original framework till the present day.