In 1941 the Germans renamed the town Schwertburg to erase traces of Polish origin. Gołańcz was restored to Polish rule in 1945, albeit under Soviet occupation during the existence of the Polish People's Republic.
Schwertburg underwent a name change in 1941, with the intention of erasing its Polish roots. However, by 1945, Gołańcz had been reasserted as a Polish entity, albeit under Soviet administration as part of the Polish People's Republic.