Information AboutGdynia |
Gdynia (pronounce: of Poland and an important Seaport at Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea . Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania , Gdynia is part of a Conurbation with the spa town of Sopot , the city of Gdańsk and Suburb an communities, which together form a Metropolitan Area called the Tricity (''Trójmiasto''), with a population of over a million people. HISTORY The first known mention of the name "Gdynia" was of a Pomeranian ( Kashubian ) fishing village, in 1253 . Oksywie , now part of Gdynia, was mentioned even earlier in 1209 . It was there that the first church on the Polish coast was built. In 1380 the owner of the village which became Gdynia, Peter from Rusocin, gave the village to the Cisterian Order, so in the years 1382 – 1772 Gdynia belonged to the Cistercian abbey in Oliwa . In 1789 there were only 21 houses in the village. The area of the later city of Gdynia shared its history with Eastern Pomerania ; in prehistoric times it was the center of Oksywie Culture ; it was later populated by Goths and eventually Slavs with some Baltic Prussian influences. As a part of Pomerania , it was a province of Poland from circa 990 – 1308 . In 1309 - 1310 it was conquered by the Teutonic Order (1309– 1454 /66), but afterwards became part of the Kingdom Of Poland ( 1466 – 1772 . In the First Partition Of Poland in 1772 it was annexed into the Kingdom Of Prussia (1772– 1870 ), and as part of Prussia became part of the German Empire ( 1870 –1920). In 1870 the village of Gdynia had some 1,200 inhabitants, and it was not a poor fishing village as it is sometimes described. It was a popular tourist spot with several guest houses, restaurants, cafes, several brick houses and a small harbour with a 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 became part of the new Republic of Poland, while the centre of the region Gdańsk and surrounding area, which were declared the Free City Of Danzig under the League Of Nations 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 (Gdańsk) 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) passed the ''Gdynia Seaport Construction Act'' on 23 September 1922 . By 1923 a 550-metre pier, 175 metres of a wooden tide breaker, and a small harbour had been constructed. Ceremonial inauguration of Gdynia as a temporary military port and fishers' shelter took place on 23 April 1923 , and the first major seagoing ship arrived on 13 August 1923 . To speed up the construction works, the Polish government in November 1924 signed a contract with the French-Polish Consortium For Gdynia Seaport Construction , which by the end of 1925 had built a small seven-metre-deep harbour, the south pier, part of the north pier, a railway, and had also ordered the trans-shipment equipment. The works were going more slowly than expected, however. They accelerated only after May 1926, because of an increase in Polish exports by sea, economic prosperity, the outbreak of the German–Polish trade war which reverted most Polish international trade to sea routes, and also thanks to the personal engagement of Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski , Polish Minister of Industry and Trade, also responsible for construction of Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy . Till the end of 1930 docks, piers, breakwaters and many auxiliary and industrial installations were constructed (such as depots, trans-shipment equipment, and a rice processing factory) or started (such as a large clod room). Trans-shipments rose from 10,000 tons (1924) to 2,923,000 tons (1929). At this time Gdynia was the only transit and special seaport designed for coal exports. In the years 1931–1939 the Gdynia harbour was further extended to become a universal seaport. In 1938 Gdynia was the largest and most modern seaport on the Baltic Sea, as well as the tenth biggest in Europe. The trans-shipments rose to 8.7 million tons, which was 46% of Polish foreign trade. In 1938 the Gdynia shipyard started to build its first full-sea ship, the ''Olza''. Construction of the City The city was constructed later than 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 and the population grew rapidly to over 120,000 in 1939. In 1930 the Baltic Institute in Toruń , institution designed to research the Polish heritage in Pomerania, opened its branch in Gdynia. Gdynia during World War II (1939–1945) The city and seaport were occupied in September 1939 and renamed ''Gotenhafen'' after the Goths (even though the previous German name was ''Gdingen'', which had no connection to the Goths). Some 50,000 of the Polish citizens were expelled to the General Gouvernment and their homes were seized by German settlers. 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 A.G.''). It became a primary German naval base, and witnessed several air raids by the Allies from 1943 onwards, but suffered little damage. The seaport was largely destroyed by the withdrawing German troops in 1945 (90% of the buildings and equipment were destroyed) and the harbour entrance was blocked by the German Battlecruiser Gneisenau . The city was also the location for the Nazi Concentration Camp ''Gotenhafen'', a subcamp of the Stutthof Concentration Camp . Gdynia after World War II On March 28 , 1945 Gdynia was captured by the Soviets and assigned to Polish Gdansk Voivodship . In the Polish 1970 Protests , worker demonstrations took place at Gdynia Shipyard. Workers were fired upon by the police. The fallen became symbolized by a fictitious worker Janek Wiśniewski , commemorated in a song by Mieczysław Cholewa , ''Pieśń o Janku z Gdyni''. One of Gdynia's important streets is named after Janek Wiśniewski. The same person was portrayed by Andrzej Wajda in his movie '' Man Of Iron '' as Mateusz Birkut. ECONOMY Notable companies that have their headquarters in Gdynia:
Port Of Gdynia 2003 ; Stad Amsterdam , Dar Młodzieży and Dar Pomorza .]]
:::''See also: Ports Of The Baltic Sea '' EDUCATION in Gdynia View from Kamienna Gora]] There are currently 7 Universities and institutions of higher education based in Gdynia. Many students from Gdynia attend also universities Located In The Tricity .
:::''See also: Education in Gdynia '' SPORTS There are many popular professional sports teams in Gdynia and Tricity area. Amateur sports are played by thousands of Gdynia’s citizens, as well as in schools and universities. Sports in Gdynia
Sports in Tricity
POLITICS Gdynia/ Słupsk constituency Members of Parliament ( Sejm ) elected from Gdynia/Slupsk constituency
Municipal politics SIGHTS AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Gdynia is a relatively modern city and one will not find many historical buildings. The oldest building in Gdynia is 13th Century St. Michael Archangel's Church in Oksywie . There is also a 17th Century Neo-Gothic Manor House located in the Folwarczna Street in Orłowo . However, what most tourists look for Gdynia deals with its recent past. In the harbour there two Museum Ship s are anchored, the '' ORP Blyskawica '' Destroyer and the '' Dar Pomorza '' Tall Ship Frigate . Gdynia is also famous for its numerous examples of early 20th Century architecture, especially Monumentalism and early Functionalism . Recently reconstructed Świętojańska street and Kościuszki square are also worth mentioning. The surrounding hills and the coastline attract many nature lovers. Leisure Pier and cliff-like coastline in Kępa Redłowska as well as the surrounding Reservation Park are also popular. 1.5 kilometres long Promenade leads from the Marina in the city centre to the beach in Redłowo . Most of Gdynia can be seen from Kamienna Góra (54 metres Asl ) or a newly built observation point near Chwaszczyno. You can also take Hydrofoil or ship trip to Gdansk Westerplatte , Hel or just see port. MODERN DIVISION INTO NEIGHBOURHOODS ]]
POPULATION AND AREA SEE ALSO FURTHER READING
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