The oldest record confirming the existence of the settlement of Lubień dates back to 1399. At first, the village was a property of the Doliwa family; later on, it was owned by the Lubieniecki family (until 1618) and their subsequent heirs. Lubień was granted city rights before 1489, although according to some sources, it happened in 1566. At the time, 13 craftsmen used to work in Lubień; the town owned 12,5 łans of land.

The town could develop thanks to its location on the trade route leading from Gdańsk to Lviv. In 1539, thanks to a privilege granted to Lubień by King Zygmunt II August, Lubień was allowed to hold two fairs per year and weekly markets. Another privilege, issued in 1788, expanded the number of fairs to 12. In the 17^th century, however, the town rights of Lubień were gradually limited, which worsened the living conditions of its inhabitants. The 1655–1660 Swedish War caused heavy damages to the town. Since then, the town experienced a period of stagnation. Until the 18^th century, Lubień was a part of the Kingdom of Poland (Brzesko-Kujawskie Province, Kowalski County). The subsequent owners of the town (starting from 1789) were: Norbert and Tomasz Brzeski, Maria Dobkowa, Walenty Waliszewski, Seweryn Jung, Zofia Kalinowska, and Edward Werner.

In 1793, Lubień was incorporated into Prussia. At first, it was a part of the province of South Prussia (1793–1795) and later – of New East Prussia (1795–1807); the name of the county did not change, but it was located in the Poznań Department. In the years 1807–1815, the town belonged to the Duchy of Warsaw (Bydgoszcz Department, Kowalski County). In 1809, most of Lubień's buildings were destroyed in a fire. In 1810, there were only 53 houses in the town.

In the years 1815–1918, Lubień was a part of the Russian Partition and was located first in the Kowalski County and then in the Włocławski County in the Mazowieckie Province (later on: the Warsaw Governorate). In 1820, the largest public building in the town was a wooden parish church. The number of houses fell to 51 (all of them were wooden).

In 1867, Lubień lost its municipal rights and became a municipal settlement. Over the 19^th century, several small industrial plants were opened there: a brewery, an oil mill, and a number of mills. In 1862, a rail route connecting Kutno and Toruń was built 3km from Lubień; the name of the station located closest to the settlement was Kaliska Kujawskie.

Lubień was once again granted town rights in 1919. The town is not an important economic significance, but functions mainly as a trade and small crafts centre (it used to be known for pottery, embroidery, and lacemaking). There are abundant salt deposits in the region, but they remain unexploited. Since Lubień became a point on the route of National road 1 (connecting Gdańsk with Cieszyn), the town's significance has increased. Since 1999, Lubień has been a part of the Włocławski County in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province.

Bibliography

• M. Kallas, Opis Lubienia z 1820 roku, „Zapiski Kujawsko-Dobrzyńskie”, vol. 6, 1988, pp. 333–342.

• Miasta polskie w tysiącleciu, vol. 1, Wrocław – Warszawa – Kraków 1965, p. 332.

• Monografia powiatu włocławskiego, ed. S. Laguna, Włocławek 1968.