Editing Piła (section)

===In the Kingdom of Prussia and the Duchy of Warsaw===
With the signing of the definitive treaty to divide Poland between [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Habsburg monarchy|Austria]] and [[Russian Empire|Russia]] in 1772, the [[Partitions of Poland|First Partition of Poland]] was accomplished. Piła became part of the Kingdom of Prussia and was officially renamed ''Schneidemühl''. After [[Frederick II of Prussia]] signed the Ownership Protocol of his Polish lands on 13 September 1772, he created out of the northern parts of Greater Poland and [[Kuyavia]] the ''Département Westpreussen''. Part of that area was later also known as the ''[[Netzedistrikt]]'', a governmental administrative district consisting of a wide strip of land both sides of the river Noteć (Netze), stretching from it source north of [[Września]] (Wreschen) to the border of the Neumark. Frederick II initiated new German Protestant colonization in opposition to Polish Catholics.<ref>''Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VIII'', p. 153</ref>

In the year 1781, another huge fire occurred, which devastated half the town. Although Prussian authorities had brought in [[chimney sweep]]s and regulations that spelled out fire emergency tasks, hardly anyone in the town was prepared for a major conflagration. 44 houses, 37 stables and 17 barns burned down.

In 1793 Piła was recaptured for a short period by a Polish army led by Colonel Wyganowski. Following Prussia's defeat in the [[Battle of Jena-Auerstedt|battle of Jena]] and [[Greater Poland uprising (1806)]], and after signing the [[Peace of Tilsit]] of 7 July 1807, Piła became part of the semi-independent Polish [[Duchy of Warsaw]].