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Gdynia (former German names Gdingen until 1939 and Gotenhafen 1939-1945; Kashubian Gdiniô) is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodship and an important seaport at Gdansk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.

Gdynia is located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania.

Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto) with a population of over a million people.

Gdynia was the location for the Nazi concentration camp Gotenhafen, that was a subcamp of the concentration camp Stutthof.

Port of Gdynia

• Official name:PORT OF GDYNIA AUTHORITY
• Trans-shipments:
  • 1924 10,000 tons
  • 1929 2,923,000 tons
  • 1938 8,700,000 tons
  • 2002 9,365,200 tons
    • Containers 252,247 TEU (#2 on the Baltic Sea)
    • Passengers 364,202

See also Ports_of_the_Baltic_Sea

Economy

The companies, that have their headquarter in Gdynia:

• the biggest Polish shipyard Stocznia Gdynia,
• the biggest Polish IT company PROKOM SA,
• 2 banks: Gdynski Bank Komunalny and Nordea,
• few marine lines.

Education

7 universities:

• state
  • Naval Academy of Gdynia 8,162 students
  • Military Naval Academy of Gdynia 1,452 students
  • Gdansk University departements of Biology, Geography and Oceanology 1,987 students
• Private schools:
  • University of Business and Administration 1,418 students
  • University of International Relations 86 students
  • Humanistic University of Pomarania 38 students
  • Cardinal Wyszynski University a department 219 students

See also Education in Gdynia

Many Gdynians also studied on other Tricity universities.

Sports

• Arka Gdynia - football team (2nd league 2003/2004, Polish Champion 1979)

History of Gdynia

Gdynia has a long history. Initially it was a Pomeranian (Kashubian) fishers village first mentioned in 1253. Oksywie, now part of Gdynia, was mentioned even earlier in 1209. In the years 1382–1772 Gdynia belonged to the Cistersian abbey in Oliwa.

Gdynia, as part of Eastern Pomerania, was part of the loose confederation of Slavic tribes that would later be called Poland from ca. 990–1308. After the Northern Crusades it became a state of the Teutonic Order (1308–1454/66), but afterwards fell to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1466–1772). At the Partitions of Poland of 1772 it was annexed into the Kingdom of Prussia (1772–1919), and as part of Prussia became part of the German Empire (1870–1919). After World War One it was assigned as part of the Polish Corridor to Poland (1919–1945), and was re-annexed by Nazi Germany at the start of World War Two in 1939. Gdynia finally became a part of modern Poland in 1945. Its name during the centuries it was under German rule was Gdingen.

In 1870 Gdynia had some 1200 inhabitants, and it was not a poor fishers village as sometimes described in the literature. It was a popular tourist spot with several guesthouses, restaurants, cafes, a couple of brick houses and small harbour with pier for small trading ships. The first Kashubian mayor of Gdynia was Jan Radtke.

After the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, the town, with other parts of former Polish Pomerania (or Royal Prussia), was returned to Poland, partially to compensate for the loss of Poland's seaport Danzig/Gdansk and surrounding area, which were declared the Free City of Danzig under the League of Nations, and were only partially under Poland's control.

Construction of the Seaport

The decision to build a major seaport at the Gdynia village was made by the Polish government in winter 1920, because of the hostile attitude of the Danzig (Gdansk) authorities and the seaport workers towards Allied military supplies to Poland during the Polish-Soviet War (1919–1920). Construction of the seaport was started in 1921, but because of financial difficulties was conducted slowly and with interruptions. It was accelerated after The Sejm (Polish parliament) had passed Gdynia Seaport Construction Act on 23 September 1922. Upto 1923 550 metres pier, 175 metres of a wooden tide breaker, and a small harbour were costructed. Ceremonial inauguration of Gdynia as a temporary military port and fishers shelter took place on 23 April 1923, and the first major sea-going ship arrived on 13 August 1923.

To speed up the construction works Polish government signed in November 1924 a contract with the French-Polish Consortium for Gdynia Seaport Construction, which till end of 1925 has built a small 7 metres-deep harbour, the south pier, partly the north pier, a railroad, and has also ordered the trans-shipment equipment. The works were going on slower than expected though. They were accelarated only after May 1926, because of the increase of the sea trade exports of Poland, economic prosperity, outbreak of the German–Polish trade war which has reverted most of Polish international trade to the sea routes, and also thanks to the personal engagement of Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, Polish Minister of Industry and Trade. Till the end of 1930 docks, piers, breakwaters and many auxiliary and industrial installations were constructed, (e.g depots, trans-shipment equipment, rice processing factory) or started (e.g. big clod room).

Trans-shipments rose to 10,000 tons (1924) and 2,923,000 tons (1929). At this time Gdynia was only the transit and special seaport designed to the coal exports. In the years 1931-1939 Gdynia harbour was further extended to become a universal seaport. In 1938 Gdynia was the most modern and the biggest seaport on the Baltic sea, and the 10th biggest in Europe. The trasnshipments rose to 8.7 mln tons, which was 46% of Polish foreign trade. In 1938 the Gdynia shipyard started to build its first full-sea ship called Olza.

Construction of the City

The city was constructed later that the seaport. In 1925 a special committee was inaugurated to build the city, in 1926 city expansion plans were designed, and city rights were granted, in 1927 tax privileges for investors granted. The city started to grow significantly after 1928, population grew to 120.000 in 1939.

Gdynia during World War II (1939–1945)

Gdynia city and seaport were occupied in September 1939 and renamed Gotenhafen to commemorate the Goths (despite that the previous German name was Gdingen, with no relation to the Goths). Some 50,000 Poles were expelled, and the harbour was turned into a German navy base. The shipyard was extended in 1940 and turned into a branch of a Kiel shipyard (Deutsche Werke Kiel AG.). Gdynia became a primary German naval base, why Gdynia witnessed several airraids by the Allies from 1943 and onwards, but little destruction was actually made then. Gdynia's seaport was vandalised by the withdrawing German troops in 1945 (90% of the buildings and equipment were destroyed) and the harbour entrance was blocked by the Gneisenau battleship.

Gdynia after World War II

In March 1945 Gdynia was captured by the Soviets and assigned to Poland (Gdansk Voivodship).

In 1970 riots occurred, see Coastal cities events.

Modern Gdynia

In Gdynia harbour there are anchored two museum ships: the destroyer ORP Blyskawica and the sailing frigate Dar Pomorza.

Modern division into neighbourhoods

• Babie Doły
• Chwarzno Wiczlino
• Chylonia
• Cisowa
• Działki Leśne
• Dąbrowa
• Grabówek
• Kamienna Góra
• Karwiny
• Leszczynki
• Mały Kack
• Obłuże
• Oksywie
• Orłowo
• Pogórze
• Port
• Pustki Cisowskie-Demptowo
• Redłowo
• Śródmieście
• Wielki Kack
• Witomino Leśniczówka
• Witomino Radiostacja
• Wzgórze Św. Maksymiliana

Population and area

1870: 1200 inhabitants
1920: 1300 inhabitants
1926: 12,000 inhabitants, 6 km
1939: 127,000 inhabitants, 66 km

1950: ? inhabitants
1960: 150,200 inhabitants, 73 km
1970: 191,500 inhabitants, 75 km
1975: 221,100 inhabitants, 134 km
1980: 236,400 inhabitants, 134 km
1990: 251,500 inhabitants, 136 km
1994: 252,000 inhabitants, 136 km
1995: 251,400 inhabitants, 136 km
2000: ? inhabitants

See also

• Ports of the Baltic Sea

Template:Poland

Further reading

• (ed.) R. Wapiński, Dzieje Gdyni, Gdańsk 1980
• (ed.). S. Gierszewski, Gdynia, Gdańsk 1968
• Gdynia, in: Pomorze Gdańskie, nr 5, Gdańsk 1968
• J. Borowik, Gdynia, port Rzeczypospolitej, Toruń 1934
• B. Kasprowicz, Problemy ekonomiczne budowy i eksploatacji portu w Gdyni w latach 1920-1939, Zapiski Historyczne, nr 1-3/1956
• M. Widernik, Główne problemy gospodarczo-społeczne miasta Gdyni w latach 1926-1939., Gdańsk 1970
• (ed.) A. Bukowski, Gdynia. Sylwetki ludzi, oświata i nauka, literatura i kultura, Gdańsk 1979
• Gminy województwa gdańskiego, Gdańsk 1995
• H. Górnowicz, Z. Brocki, Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego, Wrocław 1978
• Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. I-IV, Poznań 1969-2003
• (ed.) W. Odyniec, Dzieje Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego od VII wieku do 1945 roku, Gdańsk 1978
• L. Bądkowski, Pomorska myśl polityczna, Gdańsk 1990
• L. Bądkowski, W. Samp, Poczet książąt Pomorza Gdańskiego, Gdańsk 1974
• B. Śliwiński, Poczet książąt gdańskich, Gdańsk 1997
• Józef Spors, Podziały administracyjne Pomorza Gdańskiego i Sławieńsko-Słupskiego od XII do początków XIV w, Słupsk 1983
• M. Latoszek, Pomorze. Zagadnienia etniczno-regionalne, Gdańsk 1996
• B. Bojarska, Eksterminacja inteligencji polskiej na Pomorzu Gdańskim (wrzesień-grudzień 1939), Poznań 1972
• K. Ciechanowski, Ruch oporu na Pomorzu Gdańskim 1939-1945., Warszawa 1972

External links

• Gdynia city website
• Maritime School
• Seattle sister city of Gdynia

Internet directories

• Open Directory Project - Gdynia
• ChefMoz Dining Guide - Gdynia