(Redirected from Danzig)
'Gdańsk' (), also known as 'Danzig' () and several
other names, is a city in northern
Poland. It is the sixth-largest city in Poland, and serves as that nation's principal seaport as well as the capital of the
Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The city lies on the southern coast 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 "greater Gdańsk" and the
Tricity (''Trójmiasto'') with a population of over a million people. Gdańsk is, with a population of 458,053 (2006), the largest city in the province of
Eastern Pomerania and the
Gdańsk Pomerania region.
Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the
Motława River, connected to the
Leniwka, a branch in the delta of the
Vistula River, whose waterway system connects 60% of the area of Poland. This gives the city a unique advantage as the center of Poland's sea trade.
Historically an important seaport since medieval times and subsequently a principal shipbuilding center, Gdańsk was a member of the
Hanseatic League. The city is famous worldwide as the birthplace of the
Solidarity movement which, under the leadership of
Lech Wałęsa, played a major role in bringing an end to communist rule in Poland. Together with the nearby port of
Gdynia, Gdańsk is an important industrial center.
Names
The city's name is thought to mean ''town located on the Gdania river''
[1], the original name of the Motława branch on which the city is situated. Like many other European cities, Gdańsk has had many different names throughout its history.
The Polish name 'Gdańsk' is usually pronounced
IPA , , or in English. The acute accent is frequently neglected by non-Poles. In the local
Kashubian language it is known as 'Gduńsk'.
Once the city became a part of the
Kingdom of Prussia in 1792 following the
partitions of Poland it became more frequently populated by new German settlers. It remained in the hands of the German Empire until 1919. The German name 'Danzig' was used by the German population until the end of World War II although among Poles it was known by its Polish name. The city's Latin name may be given as any of 'Gedania', 'Gedanum', or 'Dantiscum'; the variety of Latin names reflects the influence of the Polish, Kashubian, and German names.
Former English versions of its name include 'Dantzig' (borrowed from Dutch), 'Dantsic', and 'Dantzic'.
''See also:''
List of European cities with names in different languages
Historical documents
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), 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''. These early recordings show the
Pomeranian name Gduńsk, the Polish name Gdańsk and the German name Danzig.
Alternative spellings from
medieval and early modern documents are ''Gyddanyzc'', ''Kdansk'', ''Gdanzc'', ''Dantzk'', ''Dantzig'', ''Dantzigk'', ''Dantiscum'' and ''Gedanum''. The official Latin name of ''Gedanum'' was used simultaneously.
Special celebration names
On special occasions it is also known as The Royal Polish City of Gdańsk (, , ,
Kashubian: ''Królewsczi Polsczi Gard Gduńsk'').
The Kashubians prefer the name: Our Capital City Gdańsk (''Nasz Stoleczny Gard Gduńsk'') or The Kashubian Capital City Gdańsk (''Stoleczny Kaszëbsczi Gard Gduńsk'').
Sources:
★ 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.
History
Main articles: History of Gdańsk
Seal of
Mściwój II, duke of Gdańsk Pomerania (1271-1294)
The medieval port crane in Gdańsk known as ''Żuraw'' (''Krantor'').
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 local wars against the inhabiting pagans. In 1997, the year 997 was celebrated by Poland as the date of the foundation of the city, this being the year when Saint
Adalbert of Prague (sent by the Polish king
Boleslaus the Brave) baptized the inhabitants of Gdańsk (''urbs Gyddanyzc'').
Gdańsk soon became the main centre of a Polish splinter duchy known as Pomerelia ruled by the
Dukes of Pomerania. The most famous of them,
Świętopełk II, granted the local autonomy charter to the city in ca. 1235, which at the time had about 2,000 inhabitants. Eleven years prior, in 1224, the town had already developed a city charter similar to that of
Lübeck which obtained its municipal constitution (''Lübisches Stadtrecht'') in 1226. Polish governors of Pomerelia gradually gained more and more power and evolved into semi-independent dukes, who ruled the duchy until 1294. The official language of Gdańsk was the language of its ruling family and their own administrative body.
By 1308 the city had became a flourishing trading city with some 10,000 inhabitants, but on November 13, 1308, it was occupied and demolished by the
Teutonic Knights. This led to a series of wars between the Knights and Poland, ending with the
Peace of Kalisz in 1343 when the Knights acknowledged that they would hold Pomerania as an alm from the Polish king. 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 from Poland via the
Vistula River trading routes.
Seal of Lübeck
While under the control of the Knights, the city and its trade prospered, German migration increased, and the city's name continued to show up in various forms. The city became a full member of the
Hanseatic League in 1361, and its city seal showed, similar to that of Lübeck, a
cog ship, with the inscription ''SIGILLUM BURGENSIUM DANTZIKE'' (approx. ''Seal of the Citizens of Dantzik'').
A new war broke out in 1409, ending with the
Battle of Grunwald (1410), and the city came under the control of the Polish king. A year later, with the first
Peace of Toruń (Thorn) in 1411, it returned to the Knights' administration temporarily. In 1440 Danzig participated in the foundation of the
Prussian Confederation which led to the
Thirteen Years' War of independence from the Teutonic Order (1454-1466).
Danzig in the 17th century
On May 25, 1457, Dantzik received the privileges of an autonomous city with self-government, granted by King
Casimir IV the Jagiellonian under the sovereignty of Poland.
[2][3] Recognized by the royal charter and the free access to all Polish markets, seaport of Dantzik prospered similar to other Hanseatic cities. Resulting from
Peace of Toruń signed in 1466 and the incorporation of
Royal Prussia by the crown of Poland the city was brought back under Polish protectorate thus continuing to enjoy a large degree of internal autonomy (confirmed in 1577). The 16th and 17th centuries were a Golden Age for trade and culture of the city. Beside the German majority, there were a variety of minorities that made up the population - Poles,
Jews, and
Dutch, who were the largest minority. In addition, a number of
Scotsmen took refuge or immigrated to and received citizenship in Danzig and other Prussian cities and also, through trade, all over the Baltic region. During the
Protestant Reformation, the German inhabitants adopted
Lutheranism.
The city suffered a slow economic decline due to the wars in the 18th century, when it was taken by the Russians after the
Siege of Danzig in 1734. Danzig was annexed by Prussia in 1793 and remained a part of Prussia - later within Germany - until 1919. The exception was for several years, from 1807-1815, when it was the
Free City of Danzig, as arranged by France amidst the
Napoleonic Wars. As part of Prussia, its longest serving Regierungspräsident was
Robert von Blumenthal, who held office from 1841, before the troubles of 1848, until 1863. Danzig became part of the
German Empire in 1871.
Main Town Hall at the Long Market street
World Wars and inter-war years
As a result of the
Versailles treaty after
World War I, Danzig became a
free city under the protection of the
League of Nations. Its predominantly German population had no right of self-determination in a referendum as in other disputed parts of the former
German Empire. When Poland regained its independence after
World War I, the Poles hoped to regain the city to provide the free access to the sea which they had been promised by the
Allies on the basis of
Woodrow Wilson's "
Fourteen Points". However, since the population of the city was predominantly German, it was not placed under Polish sovereignty, but became the
Free City of Danzig, an independent quasi-state under the auspices of the
League of Nations, governed by its predominantly German residents but with its external affairs largely under Polish control. The Free City had its own constitution, national anthem, parliament (''Volkstag''), and government (''Senat''). It issued its own stamps and currency, bearing the legend "''Freie Stadt Danzig''" and symbols of the city's maritime orientation and history.
The vast majority of the city's population favored eventual return to Germany. In the early 1930s the
Nazi Party capitalized on these pro-German sentiments, and in 1933 garnered 38 percent of vote for the Danzig ''Volkstag''. Thereafter, the Nazis under the Bavarian
Gauleiter Albert Forster achieved dominance in the city government - which, nominally, was still overseen by the League of Nations' high commissioner.
Nazi demands, at their minimum, would have seen the return of Danzig to Germany and a one kilometer, state-controlled route for easier access across the Polish Corridor, from
Pomerania to Danzig (and from there to
East Prussia).
[4] Originally, the Poles had rejected this proposal, but later appeared willing to negotiate (as did the British) by August.
[5] By this time, however,
Hitler had
Soviet backing and had decided to attack Poland. Germany feigned an interest in diplomacy (delaying the ''
Case White'' deadline twice), to try to drive a wedge between Britain and France on the one hand and Poland on the other.
[6] On
September 1,
1939, Germany
attacked Poland, triggering the outbreak of
World War II.
The military assault at Danzig began with an artillery bombardment of Polish positions at the
Westerplatte peninsula by the old German battleship ''
Schleswig-Holstein'' and the landing of German infantry on the peninsula. Polish defenders at Westerplatte resisted for nearly a week before running out of ammunition. Many members of Danzig's Polish and Kashub population were deported to the
Stutthof concentration camp near Danzig or were executed in the
Piaśnica forest.
The city was annexed by
Nazi Germany and incorporated into the
Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia.
The Wehrmacht designated Danzig as Hauptsitz, Wehrkreis XX, under the command of General der Infanterie
Bodewin Keitel. Its primary operational units were the XX Infanterie Korps and XXXXVII Panzer Korps, and it was the home station of the 60th Panzer Grenadier Division and the 21st Infanterie Division. Danzig also was responsible for sub-area headquarters at
Neustadt in Westpreussen,
Preussisch Stargard,
Marienwerder,
Graudenz,
Bromberg, and
Thorn.
Most of the
Jewish community in Danzig were able to escape from the Nazis shortly before the outbreak of hostilities. However,
German secret police had been observing Polish circles since 1936, compiling information which in 1939 served to prepare lists of Poles to be arrested or executed in
Operation Tannenberg. On the first day of the war, approximately 1,500 people were arrested, mainly Poles active in social and economic life, activists, and members of Polish organizations. On
2 September 1939, 150 of them were deported to the Stutthof concentration camp, where most were eventually killed.
[7]
As the tables of the war turned, German populations in Eastern Europe took flight from the advancing
Red Army, resulting in a great population shift. 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. Some of the ships were sunk by the Soviets, including the ''
Wilhelm Gustloff'' after an evacuation was attempted at neighboring Gdynia. In the process, tens of thousands of refugees were killed.
The city also endured heavy Allied and Soviet bombardment. Those who survived and could not escape encountered the Red Army, which captured the city on March 30, 1945, and left it in ruins.
[4] With the
Yalta and
Potsdam conferences, Gdańsk, along with all other territories east of the
Oder-Neisse line, was assigned to Poland. The remaining German residents of the city who survived the war were
expelled to the western zones of Germany, and henceforth the city became populated mostly by ethnic Poles.
After World War II
Example of the Hanseatic style buildings recreated in the Old Town after the world war.
The Old City was rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s. Because of the development of its port and three major shipyards, Gdańsk was a major shipping and industrial center of the Communist
People's Republic of Poland.
As part of German-Polish reconciliation policies driven by
West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's ''
Ostpolitik'', German territorial claims on Gdańsk (and all other formerly German territories now under Polish administration) were renounced, and the city's full incorporation into Poland was recognized in the
Treaty of Warsaw in 1970.
In 1970 Gdańsk was the scene of anti-government demonstrations which led to the downfall of Poland's communist leader
Władysław Gomułka. Ten years later the
Gdańsk Shipyard was the birthplace of the
Solidarity trade union movement, whose opposition to the government led to the end of communist party rule (1989). Solidarity's leader,
Lech Wałęsa, became
President of Poland in 1990. Today Gdańsk is a major industrial city and shipping port.
Danzig in the 1890s. The ''Langer Markt'' street and City Hall
Throughout its history Gdańsk/Danzig was ruled by various states before 1945:
★ 997-1000:
Baltic tribes
★ 1100-1385:
Poland
★ 1308-1466:
Teutonic Order
★ 1466-1793:
Kingdom of Poland (
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after 1569)
★ 1793-1805:
Kingdom of Prussia
★ 1807-1814:
Free City of Danzig
★ 1815-1871: Kingdom of Prussia
★ 1871-1918:
German Reich (
German Empire)
★ 1918-1939:
Free City of Danzig
★ 1939-1945: German Reich (
Nazi Germany)
★ 1945-Present: Poland
Economy
The city's industrial landscape is 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 for the local economy is also important.
Culture
Gdańsk was once an important centre of culture. In the 16th century it hosted Shakespearean theatre on foreign tours, and the
Danzig Research Society founded in 1743 was one of the first of its kind. 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.
Main sights
The city has many fine buildings from the time of the
Hanseatic League. 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.
Jacek Tower.
Walking from end to end, sites encountered on or near the Royal Way include:
★ Upland Gate
★ Torture House
★ Prison Tower
★
Golden Gate
★ Long Street (''Ulica Długa'')
★
★ Uphagen House
★
★ Main Town Hall
★ Long Market (''Długi Targ'')
★
★ Arthur's Court (''Dwór Artusa'')
★
★ Neptune Fountain
★ Green Gate
Gdańsk has a number of historical churches:
★ St. 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 Nicholas' Church
★ Church of the Holy Trinity
The museum ship ''
SS Soldek'' is anchored on the
Motława river.
Transportation
★
Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport
★
Port of Gdańsk
★
Szybka Kolej Miejska
★
Obwodnica Trojmiejska
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 it finally ends at the Adriatic Sea at
Pula in
Croatia.
Sports
Main articles: Sports in Gdańsk
There are many popular professional sports teams 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 soccer. The most famous team is ''Lechia Gdansk.'' Founded right after the end of World War II 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
Main articles: Politics of Gdańsk
Contemporary Gdańsk is the capital of the Pomeranian province and is one of the major centres of economic and administrative life in Poland. 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 center
Gdańsk Voivodeship was extended in 1999 to include most of
Słupsk Voivodeship, the western part of
Elbląg Voivodeship and
Chojnice County from
Bydgoszcz Voivodeship to form the new
Pomeranian Voivodeship.
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.
Education and science
Gdańsk University
There are 14 universities with a total of 60,436 students, including 10,439 graduates
as of 2001.
★
Gdańsk University (Uniwersytet Gdański)
★
Gdańsk University of Technology (Politechnika Gdańska)
★
Medical University (Akademia Medyczna)
★
Physical Education Academy (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Jędrzeja Śniadeckiego)
★
Musical Academy (Akademia Muzyczna im. Stanisława Moniuszki)
★
Arts Academy (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych)
[5]
★ 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)
[6]
==
Sister cities ==
★
Astana,
Kazakhstan, since 1996
★
Barcelona,
Spain, since 1990
★
Bremen,
Germany, since 1976
★
Cleveland,
United States, since 1990
★
Helsingør,
Denmark, since 1992
★
Kaliningrad,
Russia, since 1993
★
Kalmar,
Sweden, since 1991
★
Marseille,
France, since 1992
★
Nice,
France, since 1999
★
Odessa,
Ukraine, since 1996
★
Rotterdam,
Netherlands, since 1998
★
Rouen,
France, since 1992
★
Sefton,
United Kingdom, since 1993
★
St. Petersburg,
Russia
★
Turku,
Finland, since 1987
★
Vilnius,
Lithuania, since 1998
Footnotes
1. From the history of Gdańsk city name, as explained at Gdansk Guide [1]
2. From "Poland. Chronology. [2]
3. From Danzig - Gdansk until 1920 [3]
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Museums Stutthof in Sztutowo. Accessed January 31 2007.
See also
★
List of famous born Gedanians
★
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 262005)
★
764 Gedania - a minor planet orbiting the Sun
External links
★
Official website
★
Current pictures of Gdansk and other former cities of the Teutonic Order
★
Gdańsk University
★
Satellite view of Gdańsk by WikiMapia
★
Danzig-Online.pl
★
Photos of Gdańsk
★
The German minority in Danzig
★
The Polish Maritime Museum
★
Virtual Gdańsk (portal)
★
Sopot online
★
current Jewish Community of Gdańsk
★
Genealogy of former Jewish Community of Danzig and Gdansk
★
Government-in-Exile of the Free State of Danzig
★
Danzig website in German
★
A few views of Gdansk and Danzig in old postcards
★
Images from Danzig
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