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| Motto: Nec temere, nec timide (Neither rashness nor timidity) |
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  Gdańsk
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Poland |
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| Voivodeship | Pomeranian | ||
| County | city county | ||
| Established | 10th century | ||
| City rights | 1263 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Paweł Adamowicz | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 262 km² (101. Gdańsk is a city in Poland also known by its German and Latin names Danzig and Gedania. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Voivodeship The voivodeship or province (województwo has been a high-level Administrative subdivision of Poland since the 14th century Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie A powiat (pronounced; Polish plural powiaty) is the second-level unit of Local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a County Paweł Adamowicz (born on 2 November 1965 in Gdańsk) is the mayor of the city of Gdańsk and a Platforma Obywatelska party politician Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 457,630 | ||
| - Density | 1,746. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/km² (4,523. 9/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 1,080,700 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 80-008 to 80-958 | ||
| Area code(s) | +48 58 | ||
| Car plates | GD | ||
| Website: http://www.gdansk.pl | |||
Gdańsk (Polish pronunciation [gdaɲsk] (
listen); German: Danzig [dantsiç] ( listen), Kashubian: Gduńsk, Latin: Gedania, Dantiscum) is the city at the center of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Poland. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks In common with many Countries, Polish car number plates indicate the Region of Registration of the Vehicle encoded in the number plate Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Franz Ignaz Danzi ( June 15, 1763 - April 13, 1826) was a German Cellist, Composer and conductor, Kashubian or Cassubian (Kashubian kaszëbsczi jãzëk, pòmòrsczi jãzëk, kaszëbskò-słowińskô mòwa; język kaszubski is one of Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland [1] It is Poland's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie It is also historically the largest city of the Kashubian region. Kashubians/Kashubs/Kaszubians (Kaszëbi Kaszubi also called Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic Ethnic group of north-central
The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay (of the Baltic Sea), in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto), with a population of over 800,000. Gdańsk Bay or the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska Gduńskô Hôwinga Гданьская бухта also known as Danzig Bay (Danziger Bucht is a southeastern The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population Sopot (Zoppot Kashubian: Sopòt) is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland Gdynia (Gdingen (until 1939 Gotenhafen (1939-1945 Gdiniô is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important Seaport Tricity (or Tri-City, also called Treble City, in Polish Trójmiasto) is an Urban area [1] Gdańsk itself has a population of 458,053 (2006), making it the largest city in the Pomerania region of Northern Poland.
Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the Motława River, connected to the Leniwka, a branch in the delta of the nearby Vistula River, whose waterway system waters 60% of the area of Poland and connects Gdańsk to the national capital in Warsaw. The Leniwka is a River, one of the branches of the Vistula. It flows in Poland to Gdańsk Bay, forming the southern border of Ostrow Island Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. This gives the city a unique advantage as the center of Poland's sea trade. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdańsk is also an important industrial center. Gdynia (Gdingen (until 1939 Gotenhafen (1939-1945 Gdiniô is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important Seaport Historically an important seaport and shipbuilding center, Gdańsk was a member of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade
The city was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which, under the leadership of Gdańsk political activist Lech Wałęsa, played a major role in bringing an end to communist rule across Central Europe. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and It is also the home and birthplace of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is of Kashubian origin. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland represents the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet and directs their work supervises territorial self-government Donald Franciszek Tusk (ˈdɔnalt franˈtɕiʃɛk ˈtusk born April 22 1957, Gdańsk) is a Center-right Polish politician co-founder
Contents |
Names
See also: List of European cities with names in different languages
The city's name is thought to originate from the Gdania river,[2] the original name of the Motława branch on which the city is situated. Many cities in Europe have different names in different languages Gdańsk and Gdania are considered to be derivations from the Gothic name of the area (Gutiskandja),[3] however this has also been questioned. According to a tale related by Jordanes, Gothiscandza was the first settlement of the Goths after their migration from Scandinavia ( Scandza) [4] Like many other Central European cities, Gdańsk has had many different names throughout its history.
The name Gdańsk is usually pronounced /gəˈdɑːnsk/, /gəˈdaɪnsk/, or /gəˈdænsk/ in English. The diacritic over the "n" is frequently omitted by non-Poles. The Polish alphabet is the script of the Polish language. It is based on the Latin alphabet but uses Diacritics such as the kreska In the local Kashubian language it is known as Gduńsk. Kashubian or Cassubian (Kashubian kaszëbsczi jãzëk, pòmòrsczi jãzëk, kaszëbskò-słowińskô mòwa; język kaszubski is one of
The Germanised version of this name, Danzig, has been used by the German population, as well as in English[5] until the end of World War II. Germanisation (also spelled Germanization) is either the spread of the German language, people and culture either by force or Assimilation World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Other former English versions of its name include Dantzig, Dantsic, and Dantzic. The city's Latin name may be given as either Gedania, Gedanum or Dantiscum; the variety of Latin names reflects the mixed influence of the city's Polish, German and Kashubian heritage.
The name of a settlement was recorded after St. Adalbert's demise in 997 A. D. as urbs Gyddanyzc and later was written as Kdanzk (1148), Gdanzc (1188), Danceke[6] (1228), Gdansk (1236), Danzc (1263), Danczk (1311, 1399, 1410, 1414-1438), Danczik (1399, 1410, 1414), Danczig (1414), Gdansk (1454, 1468, 1484), Gdansk (1590), Gdąnsk (1636) and in Latin documents Gedanum or Dantiscum.
Ceremonial names
On special occasions it is also known as The Royal Polish City of Gdańsk (Polish: Królewskie Polskie Miasto Gdańsk, Latin: Regia Civitas Polonica Gedanensis, Kashubian: Królewsczi Polsczi Gard Gduńsk). Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Kashubian or Cassubian (Kashubian kaszëbsczi jãzëk, pòmòrsczi jãzëk, kaszëbskò-słowińskô mòwa; język kaszubski is one of [7][8][9]
The Kashubians prefer the name: Our Capital City Gdańsk (Nasz Stoleczny Gard Gduńsk) or The Kashubian Capital City Gdańsk (Stoleczny Kaszëbsczi Gard Gduńsk).
History
- See also: History of Pomerania
Foundation and the Middle Ages
According to archaeologists, the Gdańsk stronghold was built in the 980s by Mieszko I of Poland, after a series of wars against the local tribes. John III Sobieski, (Jan III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696 was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Lviv ( Ukrainian: Львів, L’viv, Lwów Lemberg Львов L'vov; see also other names) is a major city in western This article is about the History of Gdańsk (Danzig, a city located on the Baltic Sea. The history of settlement in the Pomeranian region goes back some 10000 years when after the Ice Age Megalith cultures in the Bronze Age Germanic Life In 965 Mieszko married Dobrawa (Dobrava Dubrawka daughter of Boleslav I, Duke of Bohemia. In 1997, the city celebrated the millennial anniversary of the year 997 when Saint Adalbert of Prague baptized the inhabitants of the town on behalf of Boleslaw the Brave of Poland. Saint Adalbert ( Czech:; Wojciech c 956&ndash April 23, 997) a Bishop of Prague, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic
Gdańsk soon became the main centre of a splinter duchy known as Pomerelia, meaning the land by the sea. Pomerelia (Pommerellen is a historical region in northern Poland. The most famous local ruler, Swantipolk II, granted an autonomy charter to the town in ca. 1235, which at the time had about 2,000 inhabitants. Eleven years prior, in 1224, the town had already developed an urban charter similar to that of Lübeck which obtained its municipal constitution (Lübisches Stadtrecht) in 1226. The Lübeck law was the constitution of a municipal form of government developed at Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein after it was made a free city in 1226 The governors of Pomerelia gradually gained more and more power and evolved into semi-independent dukes, and ruled the duchy independently until 1294.
By 1308 the city had become a flourishing trading port with some 10,000 inhabitants, and on November 13, 1308, was seized by the Teutonic Order. The Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk on 13 November 1308 refers to the incorporation of the city into the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. This led to a series of wars between the Order and the Kingdom of Poland, ending with the Treaty of Kalisz (1343) when the Order acknowledged that it would hold Pomerania as an alm from the Polish king. The Treaty of Kalisz (pokój kaliski Vertrag von Kalisch was a Peace treaty signed by King Casimir III the Great of Poland and the Teutonic Although it left the legal basis of their possession of the province in some doubt, the agreement permitted the foundation of the municipality in 1343 and the development of increased export of grain (especially wheat), timber, potas, tar, and other goods of forestry from Poland via the Vistula River trading routes.
While under the control of the Teutonic Order, the city and its trade prospered, German migration increased, and the city became a full member of the Hanseatic League in 1361. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade
A new war broke out in 1409, ending with the Battle of Grunwald (1410), and the city came willingly under the control of the Kingdom of Poland. The Battle of Grunwald (or 1st Battle of Tannenberg) took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by A year later, with the first First Peace of Thorn, it returned to the Teutonic Order. The (First Peace of Thorn (1411 was like the Second Peace of Thorn (1466, a Peace treaty between allied Poland and Lithuania fom In 1440, the city participated in the foundation of the Prussian Confederation which led to the Thirteen Years' War of independence from the Teutonic Order (1454-1466). The Prussian Confederation (Preußischer Bund or Bund vor Gewalt; Związek Pruski was an organization formed in 1440 by a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 cities in The Thirteen Years' War was also the name of an Austrian-Ottoman War Thirteen Years War in Hungary The Thirteen Years' War (Dreizehnjähriger Krieg Wojna trzynastoletnia
This intermittent warfare ended on May 25, 1457, when the city received the privileges of an autonomous city within the Kingdom of Poland, granted by King Casimir IV the Jagiellonian. Casimir IV Jagiellon (Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk; Kazimieras Jogailaitis Kazimir Jahajłavič 30 November 1427 &ndash [10][11] Gaining free access for the first time to Polish markets, the seaport prospered while simultaneously trading with the other Hanseatic cities. After the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) and the incorporation of Royal Prussia by the Kingdom of Poland the warfare between the Polish crown and the Teutonic Order ended permanently, and the city continued to enjoy a large degree of internal autonomy (reconfirmed in 1577). The Second Peace of Thorn of 1466 (Zweiter Friede von Thorn Drugi Pokój Toruński was a Peace treaty signed in the Hanseatic city of Thorn (Toruń on Royal Prussia ( Prusy Królewskie was a province of the Kingdom of Poland from 1466 and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1772 The 16th and 17th centuries were a Golden Age for trade and culture of the city. Beside the German majority, the city was home to a large number of Poles, Jews, and Dutch. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Dutch people ( Dutch:) are the dominant Ethnic group of the Netherlands. In addition, a number of Scotsmen took refuge or immigrated to and received citizenship in the city. The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. During the Protestant Reformation, the German inhabitants adopted Lutheranism. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther
The city suffered a slow economic decline due to the wars of the 18th century, when it was taken by the Russians after the Siege of Danzig in 1734. Danzig was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1793, but returned to the status of a free city in 1807-1815 amidst the Napoleonic Wars. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising The Free City of Danzig, sometimes referred to as the Republic of Danzig, was a semi-independent state established by Napoleon on September 9, The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Returned to Prussia afterward, the city became the capital of Regierungsbezirk Danzig within the province of West Prussia from 1815. Regierungsbezirk Danzig was a Regierungsbezirk, or administrative region within the Prussian Province of West Prussia from 1815-1920 West Prussia ( Prusy Zachodnie was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773&ndash1824 and 1878&ndash1918 which was created out of the earlier Polish The city's longest serving Regierungspräsident was Robert von Blumenthal, who held office from 1841, through the revolutions of 1848, until 1863. " Germany " at the time of the Revolutions of 1848 had been a collection of 39 States loosely bound together in the German Confederation. The city became part of the German Empire in 1871. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification
The inter-war years, and World War II
When Poland regained its independence after World War I with access to the sea as promised by the Allies on the basis of Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points", the Poles hoped the city's harbour would also become part of Poland. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Entente Powers (from Triple Entente) were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United However, since a 1919 census determined that the city's population was 98% German,[12] it was not placed under Polish sovereignty, but, according to the terms of the Versailles Treaty, became the Free City of Danzig, an independent quasi-state under the auspices of the League of Nations with its external affairs largely under Polish control. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The Free City of Danzig ( German: Freie Stadt Danzig; Polish: Wolne Miasto Gdańsk) was an autonomous Baltic Sea port and The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 This led to a large degree of tension between the city and the surrounding Republic of Poland. The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. The Free City had its own constitution, national anthem, parliament (Volkstag), and government (Senat). It issued its own stamps as well as currency.
The majority of the Free City of Danzig's population favored reincorporation into Germany. The Free City of Danzig ( German: Freie Stadt Danzig; Polish: Wolne Miasto Gdańsk) was an autonomous Baltic Sea port and In the early 1930s the local Nazi Party capitalized on these pro-German sentiments and in 1933 garnered 38% of vote in the parliament. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Thereafter, the Nazis under Gauleiter Albert Forster achieved dominance in the city government, which was still nominally overseen by the League of Nations' High Commissioner. A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Albert Maria Forster ( July 26, 1902 &ndash February 28, 1952) was a Nazi German politician The Nazis demanded the return of Danzig to Germany along with an exterritorial highway for land-based access to the Third Reich through the area of the Polish Corridor. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Background Giving Poland access to the sea was one of the guarantees proposed by the United States President Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen [13] However, when the German Nazi Government secured Soviet approval for aggression against Poland, a decision was made to launch a full-out offensive regardless of any Polish willingness to negotiate successions. [14] On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany attacked Poland, triggering the outbreak of World War II. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
World War II began in Danzig, with a bombardment of Polish positions at Westerplatte by the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, and the landing of German infantry on the peninsula. Westerplatte is a Peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, located on Baltic Sea coast at the river mouth of the Dead Vistula (one of the History SMS Schleswig-Holstein was one of five Pre-dreadnought, ''Deutschland''-class battleships not to be confused with a later class of Pocket Polish defenders at Westerplatte resisted for seven days before running out of ammunition. Meanwhile, after a fierce daylong fight, defenders of Polish Post office were shot dead and buried on the spot in the Danzig quarter of Zaspa. Zaspa is one of the quarters of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. Divided into two quarters Zaspa-Młyniec Zaspa-Rozstaje To celebrate surrender of Westerplatte, NSDAP organized a night parade on Sep 7th along Adolf-Hitlerstrasse that was inadvertently attacked by a Polish hydroplane taking off from Hel Peninsula. Hel Peninsula ( Mierzeja Helska Półwysep Helski Hélskô Sztremlëzna Halbinsel Hela or Putziger Nehrung) is a 35-km-long Sand bar Peninsula The city was officially annexed by Nazi Germany and incorporated into the Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The province Danzig-West Prussia (Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreussen was a German administrative sub-division unit ( Reichsgau) created in 1939 by the Nazis from the
Most of the Jewish community in Danzig were able to escape from the Nazis shortly before the outbreak of war. A kehilla or kehillah (קהילה Hebrew: "community" is a Jewish Community. Nazi secret police had been observing Polish communities since 1936, compiling information which in 1939 served to prepare lists of Poles to be captured in Operation Tannenberg. The ( contraction of ge heime Sta ats' po' lizei: "Secret State Police" was the official Secret police of Nazi Germany The codename Unternehmen Tannenberg (Operation Tannenberg was used for two discrete German operations At the end of August 1939 the Gleiwitz incident -like On the first day of the war, approximately 1,500 ethnic Poles were arrested, some because of their participation in social and economic life, others because they were activists and members of various Polish organizations. On 2 September 1939, 150 of them were deported to the Stutthof concentration camp some 30 miles from Danzig, and murdered. Stutthof was the first concentration camp built by the Nazi Germany regime outside of Germany. [15] Many Poles living in Danzig were deported to Stutthof or executed in the Piaśnica forest. This article is about a river For villages see Piaśnica Mała and Piaśnica Wielka.
In 1941, the Nazi Regime ordered the invasion of the Soviet Union, eventually causing the fortunes of war to turn against it. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II As the Soviet Army advanced in 1944, German populations in Central and Eastern Europe took flight, resulting in the beginning of a great population shift. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya After the final Soviet offensive began in January, 1945, hundreds of thousands of German refugees, many of whom had fled to Danzig on foot from East Prussia (see evacuation of East Prussia), tried to escape through the city's port in a large-scale evacuation involving hundreds of German cargo and passenger ships. East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region Some of the ships were sunk by the Soviets, including the Wilhelm Gustloff after an evacuation was attempted at neighboring Gdynia. Ship history The Wilhelm Gustloff was the first purpose-built cruise liner for the Nazi Kraft durch Freude (KdF (" Strength Through Joy " In the process, tens of thousands of refugees were killed.
The city also endured heavy Allied and Soviet bombardment by air. Those who survived and could not escape encountered the Soviet Army, which captured the city on March 30, 1945 and largely destroyed it. [16] In line with the decisions made by the Allies at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the city was returned to Poland after 152 years. The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and Codenamed the Argonaut Conference, was the wartime meeting from 4 February The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, Germany, from July 16, The remaining German residents of the city who survived the war fled or were expelled to postwar Germany, and the city was repopulated with ethnic Poles, including many from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union who were deported by the Soviets in two major waves from the eastern portion of pre-war Poland. The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland after World War II was part of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans from Europe during and after World War II. After the Soviet invasion of Poland following the corresponding German invasion that marked the start of World War II in 1939 the Soviet Union annexed Repatriation of Polish population in the years of 1944–1946 (also known as the first repatriation, to contrast with the ''second repatriation'' in the years 1955–1959 Repatriation of Polish population in the years of 1955–1959 (also known as the second repatriation, to contrast with the ''first repatriation'' in the years 1944-1946 The term Kresy, meaning Outskirts or Borderlands, was first used to define the Polish eastern frontier The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II.
Contemporary History
The historic old city of Gdańsk, which had suffered large-scale destruction at the hands of the Soviet Army, was rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s. Boosted by heavy investment in the development of its port and three major shipyards, Gdańsk became the major shipping and industrial center of the Communist People's Republic of Poland. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian
As part of German-Polish reconciliation policies driven by West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik, German territorial claims on Gdańsk were renounced, and the city's full incorporation into Poland was recognized in the Treaty of Warsaw in 1970. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Chancellor or chancellour (archaic ( Latin: cancellarius) is an official Title used in countries whose civilization has arisen Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm (18 December 1913 - 8 October 1992 was a German politician Chancellor of West Germany 1969&ndash1974 Ostpolitik ( German for Eastern Politics) describes the politics of the "Change Through Rapprochement" principle &mdash as verbalized by Egon Bahr The Treaty of Warsaw (Warschauer Vertrag was a treaty between West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany - the FRG and the People's Republic of Poland This was confirmed by a reunited Germany in 1990 and 1991.
In 1970, Gdańsk was the scene of anti-regime demonstrations which led to the downfall of Poland's communist leader Władysław Gomułka. Władysław Gomułka ( February 6, 1905, Krosno - September 1, 1982) was a Polish Communist leader Ten years later the Gdańsk Shipyard was the birthplace of the Solidarity trade union movement, whose opposition to the Communist regime led to the end of Communist Party rule in 1989, and sparked a series of protests that successfully overturned the Communist regimes of the former Soviet bloc. Gdańsk Shipyard ( Stocznia Gdańska) is a large Polish Shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were Solidarity's leader, Lech Wałęsa, a native of Gdańsk, became President of Poland in 1990. The President of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, shorter form Prezydent RP) is the Polish Head of Gdańsk native Donald Tusk became Prime Minister of Poland in 2007. Donald Franciszek Tusk (ˈdɔnalt franˈtɕiʃɛk ˈtusk born April 22 1957, Gdańsk) is a Center-right Polish politician co-founder The Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland represents the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet and directs their work supervises territorial self-government
Today Gdańsk is a major shipping port and tourist destination and has been the setting for a number of major open air concerts, including Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Jean Michel Jarre. Pink Floyd are David Jon Gilmour CBE (born 6 March 1946 is an English Musician, best known as the Lead guitarist one of the lead Singers Jean-Michel André Jarre (born 24 August 1948, Lyon) is a French Composer, performer and Music producer. The Rock band Queen are staging a concert in the Shipyard in October 2008. [17]
Climate
Gdansk enjoys a temperate climate, with cold, cloudy, moderately-severe winters and mild summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms. Average temperatures range from -1. 0°C to 17. 2°C and rainfall varies from 84. 0 mm/month to 210. 0 mm/month. In general it is a maritime climate and therefore damp, variable and harsh.
The seasons are clearly differentiated. Spring starts in March and is initially cold and windy, later becoming pleasantly warm and often very sunny. Summer, which begins in June, is predominantly warm but hot at times (with temperature reaching as high as 30-35C at least once per year) with plenty of sunshine interspersed with heavy rain. The average annual hours of sunshine for Gdansk are 1600, similar to other Northern cities. July and August are the hottest months. Autumn comes in September and is at first warm and usually sunny, turning cold, damp and foggy in November. Winter lasts from December to March and includes periods of snow. January and February are the coldest months with the temperature sometimes dropping as low as -15°C.
Economy
The industrial sections of the city are dominated by shipbuilding, petrochemical and chemical industries, and food processing. The share of high-tech sectors such as electronics, telecommunications, IT engineering, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals is on the rise. Amber processing is also an important part of the local economy, as the majority of the world's amber deposits lie along the Baltic coast. Amber is Fossil tree Resin, which is appreciated for its color and beauty The Pomeranian Voivodeship, including Gdańsk, is also a major tourist destination in the summer months, as millions of Poles and European Union citizens flock to the beaches of the Baltic coastline. Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in
Main sights
The city has many fine buildings from the time of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Most tourist attractions are located along or near Ulica Długa (Long Street) and Długi Targ (Long Market), a pedestrian thoroughfare surrounded by buildings reconstructed in historical (primarily 17th century) style and flanked at both ends by elaborate city gates. This part of the city is sometimes referred to as the Royal Road as the former path of processions for visiting kings.
Walking from end to end, sites encountered on or near the Royal Way include:
- Upland Gate (Brama Wyżynna)
- Torture House (Katownia)
- Prison Tower (Wieża więzienna)
- Golden Gate (Brama Złota)
- Long Street (Ulica Długa)
- Uphagen House (Dom Uphagena)
- Main Town Hall (Ratusz Głównego Miasta)
- Long Market (Długi Targ)
- Arthur's Court (Dwór Artusa)
- Neptune Fountain (Studnia Neptuna)
- Golden House (Złota kamienica)
- Green Gate (Brama Zielona)
Gdańsk has a number of historical churches:
- St. Golden Gate (Złota Brama in Gdańsk, Poland, originally Langgasser Tor, is one of the most notable Tourist attractions of the Bridget
- St. Catherine
- St. John
- St Mary (Bazylika Mariacka), a municipal church built during the 15th century, is the largest brick church in the world. St Mary's Church ( Polish: Bazylika Mariacka, German: Marienkirche) or properly Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
- St Nicholas' Church
- Church of the Holy Trinity
The museum ship SS Soldek is anchored on the Motława River. The SS Sołdek was a Polish coal and ore Freighter ship She was the first ship built in Poland after World War II and the first sea-going
In the 16th century, Gdańsk hosted Shakespearean theatre on foreign tours, and the Danzig Research Society founded in 1743 was one of the first of its kind. The Danzig Research Society (Naturforschende Gesellschaft in Danzig Societas Physicae Experimentalis Gdańskie Towarzystwo Przyrodnicze was founded in 1743 in the city of Danzig Currently, there is a Fundation Theatrum Gedanensis aimed at rebuilding the Shakespeare theatre at its historical site. It is expected that Gdańsk will have a permanent English-language theatre, as at present it is only an annual event.
Transportation
- Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport - an international airport located in Gdańsk;
- Port of Gdańsk - a seaport located on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay within the city;
- Szybka Kolej Miejska - an urban transportation service of Tricity;
- Obwodnica Trojmiejska - an expressway that bypasses the cities of Gdynia, Sopot and Gdańsk. Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (Port Lotniczy Gdańsk im Lecha Wałęsy formerly Port Lotniczy Gdańsk-Rębiechowo is an international Airport located in Gdańsk An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land The Port of Gdańsk is a Seaport located on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay in the city of Gdańsk, extending along the Vistula estuary ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Gdańsk Bay or the Bay of Gdańsk (Zatoka Gdańska Gduńskô Hôwinga Гданьская бухта also known as Danzig Bay (Danziger Bucht is a southeastern History Construction started in the 1970s and the first section was opened for use in 1977
Train transportation provides good connection with all major Polish cities, and with neighbouring Kashubian Lakes region. The actually constructed A-1 Highway will connect the Port and city of Gdańsk with southern border of the country.
Gdańsk is the starting point of the EuroVelo 9 cycling route which continues southward through Poland, then into the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia before ending at the Adriatic Sea in Pula, Croatia. EuroVelo, the European cycle route network is a project of the European Cyclists' Federation to develop 12 long-distance cycle routes crossing Europe The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Pula (Pietas Iulia Pulj Istriot Pula; Pola is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria
Sports
There are many popular professional sports teams in the Gdańsk and Tricity area. There are many popular professional sports team in the Gdańsk and Tricity area Amateur sports are played by thousands of Gdańsk citizens and also in schools of all levels (elementary, secondary, university). One of the most popular sports in Gdańsk is football. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The most famous team is Lechia Gdansk. Founded in 1945, they play in the second league. Lechia stadium "MOSIR" is situated on Traugutta Street 29 in Gdańsk, opposite the Medical University of Gdańsk.
Politics and local government
Contemporary Gdańsk is the capital of the province called Pomeranian Voivodeship and is one of the major centres of economic and administrative life in Poland. The following outlines the current political situation of Gdańsk. Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie Many important agencies of the state and local government levels have their main offices here: the Provincial Administration Office, the Provincial Government, the Ministerial Agency of the State Treasury, the Agency for Consumer and Competition Protection, the National Insurance regional office, the Court of Appeal, and the High Administrative Court.
Regional centre
Gdańsk Voivodeship was extended in 1999 to include most of former Słupsk Voivodeship, the western part of Elbląg Voivodeship and Chojnice County from Bydgoszcz Voivodeship to form the new Pomeranian Voivodeship. The name Gdańsk Voivodeship has been used twice to designate local governments in Poland. Słupsk Voivodeship ( Polish: województwo słupskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998 Elbląg Voivodeship (województwo elbląskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1975 to 1998, superseded by the Chojnice County (powiat chojnicki is a unit of territorial administration and local government ( Powiat) in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Bydgoszcz Voivodeship (województwo bydgoskie was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975&ndash1998 superseded by Kuyavian-Pomeranian Pomeranian Voivodeship (also known as Pomerania Province or by its Polish name of województwo pomorskie {{IPA-pl|p|o|'|m|o|r|s|k|j|e}} or simply Pomorskie The area of the region was thus extended from 7,394 km² to 18,293 km² and the population rose from 1,333,800 (1980) to 2,198,000 (2000). By 1998, Tricity constituted an absolute majority of the population; almost half of the inhabitants of the new region live in the centre. Tricity (or Tri-City, also called Treble City, in Polish Trójmiasto) is an Urban area
Education and science
There are 14 universities with a total of 60,436 students, including 10,439 graduates as of 2001. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
- Gdańsk University (Uniwersytet Gdański)
- Gdańsk University of Technology (Politechnika Gdańska)
- Medical University (Akademia Medyczna)
- Academy of Physical Education and Sport of Gdansk (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego i Sportu im. The Gdańsk University of Technology ( pol Politechnika Gdańska) - is a Technical university located in Gdańsk - Wrzeszcz, Medical University of Gdańsk is located in Gdańsk, Poland. It was founded in 1945. Jędrzeja Śniadeckiego)
- Musical Academy (Akademia Muzyczna im. Stanisława Moniuszki)
- Arts Academy (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych) [8]
- Instytut Budownictwa Wodnego PAN
- Ateneum — Szkoła Wyższa
- Gdańska Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna
- Gdańska Wyższa Szkoła Administracji
- Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa
- Wyższa Szkoła Społeczno-Ekonomiczna
- Wyższa Szkoła Turystyki i Hotelarstwa w Gdańsku
- Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania
Scientific and regional organizations
- Gdańsk Scientific Society
- Baltic Institute (Instytut Bałtycki), established 1925 in Toruń, since 1946 (?) in Gdańsk
- TNOiK - Towarzystwo Naukowe Organizacji i Kierowania (Scientific Society for Organization and Management) O/Gdańsk
- IBNGR - Instytut Badań nad Gospodarką Rynkową (The Gdańsk Institute for Market Economics) [9]
Sister cities
Gdańsk is twinned with:
Bremen, Germany, since 1976
Turku, Finland, since 1987
Barcelona, Spain, since 1990
Cleveland, United States, since 1990
Kalmar, Sweden, since 1991
Helsingør, Denmark, since 1992
Marseille, France, since 1992- Rouen, France, since 1992
Kaliningrad, Russia, since 1993
Sefton, United Kingdom, since 1993- St. Petersburg, Russia since 1993
Astana, Kazakhstan, since 1996
Odessa, Ukraine, since 1996
Rotterdam, Netherlands, since 1998
Vilnius, Lithuania, since 1998- Nice, France, since 1999
- Bytów, Poland, since 2007
Footnotes
- ^ a b World Gazetteer: Poland - largest cities (per geographical entity)
- ^ From the history of Gdańsk city name, as explained at Gdansk Guide [1]
- ^ Adrian Room, Placenames of the World, 2nd Ed. Gdańsk Scientific Society (Polish Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, GTN is a general scientific society in Gdańsk (Danzig Poland. The Baltic Institute ( Instytut Bałtycki) in Gdańsk is a scientific society researching the topics of the Baltic Sea countries maritime economic issues Toruń Lublin Voivodeship Toruń (Thorn Torń Thorunium see also other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River with population Bremen (ˈbʁeːmən is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany (official name Stadtgemeinde Bremen / City Municipality of Bremen Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Turku, in Swedish Åbo ( pronounced,) is a city and the original capital of Finland on the southwest coast of Finland at the Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Elsinore redirects here For other places and things named Elsinore see Elsinore (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Kaliningrad (Калининград is a Seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian Exclave between Poland Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Astana ( Kazakh: Астана آستانه former names include Akmola, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, and Aqmola) is the capital Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Bytów (Bütow Bëtowò is a Town in the Middle Pomerania region of northern Poland in the Bytów Lakeland with 16888 inhabitants (2004 Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland [2] Quote: "The city has a Gothic name, from Gutisk-andja, "end of the Goths," as these people's territory extended to here. The city's former German name, Danzig, misleadingly suggests an association with the Danes. "
- ^ Dennis H. Green, The Visigoths from the Migration Period to the Seventh Century [3] Quote: ". . . the difficulty with Gdańsk, Gdynia and gudas. . . in the Polish coastal area centuries before the Goths are known to have occupied this region. . . casts doubt on the theory of Gothic origin. "
- ^ Britannica 11th edition (published in 1911), [4]
- ^ Marian Gumowski: Handbuch der polnischen Siegelkunde, 1966 [5]
- ^ Gdańsk, in: Kazimierz Rymut, Nazwy Miast Polski, Ossolineum, Wrocław 1987
- ^ Hubert Gurnowicz, Gdańsk, in: Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego, Ossolineum, Wrocław 1978
- ^ Baedeker's Northern Germany, Karl Baedeker Publishing, Leipzig 1904
- ^ From "Poland. The Ossolineum or Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich (ZNiO National Ossoliński Institute) is one of the largest scientific libraries and the oldest The Ossolineum or Zakład Narodowy im Ossolińskich (ZNiO National Ossoliński Institute) is one of the largest scientific libraries and the oldest Verlag Karl Baedeker is a Germany -based Publisher and pioneer in the business of worldwide Travel guides The guides often Chronology. [6]
- ^ From Danzig - Gdansk until 1920 [7]
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica Year Book, 1938,
- ^ See Documents Concerning the German Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities between Great Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939. See also the Soviet archived, Documents Relating to the Eve of the Second World War Volume II: 1938-1939 (New York: International Publishers), 1948.
- ^ See Documents Concerning the German Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities between Great Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939. Hitler's change of position is well reflected in Goebbel's personal diary. See also the Soviet archived, Documents Relating to the Eve of the Second World War Volume II: 1938-1939 (New York: International Publishers), 1948.
- ^ Museums Stutthof in Sztutowo. Accessed January 31, 2007. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ Gdansk, history. Official website. (English)
- ^ According to FollowQueen. comFollowQueen.com
See also
- Gdańsk law
- Gdańsk Pomerania
- List of people from Gdańsk
- List of people from Danzig
- List of mayors of Gdańsk
- List of mayors of Danzig
- List of famous people living or working in Gdańsk
- List of modern neighbourhoods of Gdańsk
- List of major corporations in Gdańsk
- List of Dukes of Gdańsk
- St. Mary's Church, Gdańsk
- Space of Freedom - Jean Michel Jarre's concert (August 26, 2005)
- 764 Gedania - a minor planet orbiting the Sun
External links
- Official website(English)
- Gdansk Photogallery
- Virtual Gdańsk (portal) (Polish)
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