in
Poland . It is the country's sixth-largest city and the largest Polish
Seaport on the
Baltic Sea . As of the
2005 Census the city has a total population of 420,638.
Szczecin is located on the
Oder River , south of the
Lagoon Of Szczecin and the
Bay Of Pomerania . The city is situated along the southwestern shore of
Dąbie Lake , on both sides of Oder and on several large islands between western and eastern branch of the river.
Early medieval sources show: ''Stetin'' 1133, ''Stetyn'' 1188, ''Priznoborus vir nobilis in Stetin, Symon nobilis Stettinensis'' 1234, ''in vico Stetin'' 1240, ''Barnim Dei gratia dux Pomeranorum... civitati nostri Stetin'' 1243, ''Stityn'' 1251, ''Sigillum Burgoncium de Stitin'' municipal seal of the 13th century, which is the same to the modern Polish spelling of Szczecin. The name is almost certainly of the same origin as others Polish names such as
Szczytno ,
Szczucin and
Szczuczyn . In Latin, the city was known as ''Stetinum''.
There are several possible etymologies of the city name:
# Szczecin comes from the word ''szczyt'' which means ''peak, hill top'' in modern Polish, but also a long shield in Old Polish. So Szczecin means a town located on a hill top, or a town fortified as a stronghold.
# Szczecin comes from a personal name Szczuka and means Szczuka's town
# Szczecin comes from a personal name Szczeta/Szczota and means Szczota's town
# Szczecin comes from a word ''szczecina'' which means ''bristle''. So Szczecin is a town with many swines, or a town fortified like bristle. If this is true Szczecin could be identified with Burstaborg mentioned in the Scandinavian chronicles.
Because in : ''Alten Stettin.'')
In the 16th century Polish literature used two alternative spellings: ''Szczecin'' (seems to be the exact pronunciation of the city name used by its Slavonic inhabitants, previously spelled in Latin as ''Stetin'' since the 12th century) and ''Sztetyn'' (seems to be a copy of the German pronunciation). The first form of prevailed in the following years and was officially confirmed in the 19th century, long before the city became Polish in 1945.
Prior to
1945 , the city, inhabited almost entirely by Germans from late Medieval times, was known internationally and locally as ''Stettin'', its German name.
See Also: History of Szczecin
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A stronghold of the
Lusatian Culture was here in the early
Iron Age period. Another stronghold of the
Pomeranian s was built in the 8th century at the ford of the
Oder River . The city was already a flourishing trading centre with 10,000 inhabitants when it was subjugated and baptized by
Boleslaus III Of Poland . A medieval municipality was granted autonomy in
1243 . Till the
1630s Stettin was the capital of the
Duchy of
Pomerania ruled by the
Slavonic Griffin dynasty, of
Slavic origins, although the city and western Pomerania became gradually, and entirely, German. After their extinction of the
Griffin dynasty, Stettin, along with the rest of western Pomerania, was granted to
Sweden at the
Peace Of Westphalia , despite the protests of the Elector of
Brandenburg , who had a legal claim to inherit all of Pomerania. In
1720 after the
Great Northern War , the Swedes were forced to cede the city to King
Frederick William I of
Prussia . Stettin became a major Prussian (and, after
1871 German ) city. In
1939 Stettin had about 400.000 inhabitants and was Germany's third-biggest naval port (after
Hamburg and
Bremen ) and of great importance for the supply and trade of
Berlin .
In 1935 the German
Wehrmacht established Stettin as the headquarters for
Wehrkreis II , which controlled the military units in all of
Mecklenburg and
Pomerania . It was also the Area Headquarters for units stationed at Stettin I and II;
Swinemünde ;
Greifswald ; and
Stralsund . Stettin was the home Station for the 2nd Panzer Grenadier Division, which evolved into the 12th Panzer Division in 1940. This unit remained generally uncommitted during the invasion of Poland, but was activly engaged in the invasion of France. Subsequently, the division became involved in the invasion of Russia, and remained there until the withdrawal in 1945.
Stettin remained German until
1945 , when the
Red Army seized the city. Many of the city's German inhabitants escaped in fear of revenge. In the aftermath of
World War II the city became once again part of
Poland (since the middle ages) and the remaining German population was then
Expelled to Germany. Stettin was resettled with Poles, mainly from the area around
Poznań , where their homes had been destroyed during the Nazi German occupation and during fighting on the
Eastern Front . The city was also resettled with Poles from
Polish Areas Annexed By The Soviet Union . Szczecin was rebuilt and made a major industrial centre, the capital of
Szczecin Voivodship . It witnessed anti-communist revolts in
1970 and
1980 adding its share to the birth of
Solidarity movement. Since
1999 Szczecin has been the capital of
Western Pomeranian Voivodship .
- Alfred Döblin ( 1878 - 1957 ), author
- Heinrich George ( 1893 - 1946 ), actor
- Catherine The Great ( 1729 - 1796 ), empress of Russia
- Friedrich Gilly ( 1772 - 1800 ), architect
- Carl Gustav Friedrich Hasselbach ( 1809 - 1882 ), Mayor of Magdeburg
- Franz San Galli ( 1824 - 1908 ), inventor of Radiator ( Central Heating system)
- Hermann Günther Grassmann ( 1809 – 1877 ) mathematician, physicist, linguist, scholar, and neohumanist.
- Maria Fyodorovna ( 1759 - 1828 ), the second wife of Tsar Paul I Of Russia
- Kasia Nosowska (born 1971 ), singer of Szczecin-based Rock Band Hey
- Wolfhart Pannenberg (born 1928 ), Christian Theologian
- Carl Ludwig Schleich ( 1859 - 1922 ), author
- Manfred Stolpe (born 1936 ), Prime Minister of Brandenburg and Federal Minister in the government of Gerhard Schröder (2002 - 2005)
- Christian Tomuschat (born 1936 ), expert in international law, professor at the Humboldt University Of Berlin
- Friedrich Graf Von Wrangel ( 1784 - 1877 ), Prussian Field Marshal
- Piotr Jassa , Sailor
12th century: 5,000 inhabitants
1720: 6,000 inhabitants
1740: 12,300 inhabitants
1816: 21,500 inhabitants
1843: 37,100 inhabitants
1861: 58,500 inhabitants
1872: 76,000 inhabitants
1890: 116,228 inhabitants
1910: 236,000 inhabitants
1939: 382,000 inhabitants
1945: ?
1950: ?
1960: 269,400 inhabitants
1970: 338,000 inhabitants
1975: 369,700 inhabitants
1980: 388,300 inhabitants
1990: ?
2000: ?
2002: 413,600 inhabitants
2004: 419,000 inhabitants
Szczecin's architectural style is mainly influenced by those of last half of
19th Century and first twenty years of the
20th Century mostly by
Academic Art and
Art Nouveau . In many areas build after
1945 Social Realism is prevalent.
Urban planning of Szczecin is unusual. The first thing observed by a newcomer is abundance of green areas:
Park s and avenues – wide streets with trees planted in the island separating opposite traffic (where often
Tram tracks are laid); and
Roundabouts . This makes Szczecin's city project quite similar to that of
Paris . The reason is, Szczecin (like Paris) was rebuilt in the 1880s using a design by
Georges-Eugène Haussmann .
This course of designing streets in Szczecin is still used, as many recently built (or modified) city areas include roundabouts and avenues.
Szczecin is governed by the city council and the mayor. The mayor (''prezydent miasta''), as well as the council, is elected by the city's citizens every four years.
Marian Jurczyk ,
Solidarity icon, is Szczecin's mayor. His achievements are however widely criticised and he is blamed for over 10 millions
Zloty s compensations which city must pay for canceling the land selling deal, his lack of formal education, and his apparent cluelessness in many important matters. Mr Jurczyk famous errors includes forgetting the name of his own deputy he just nominated or quoting Jesus in his speech to the council.
Because of this criticism recall voices of recall were raised. On
23 March 2004 necessary 32,000 signatures were received by Recall Committee. Recall referendum took place on
23 May 2004 . However the necessary 30% turnout wasn't reached as only 19% of voters cast their ballots. An overwhelming majority of those voting (92%), supported mayor's recall. This means that current political situation is quite difficult.
The city is administratively divided into boroughs (''dzielnica''), which are further divided into smaller neighbourhoods. The governing bodies of the latter serve the role of auxiliary local government bodies called '' for Neighborhood Councils are held up to six months after each City Council elections. Attendance is rather low (on
13 April 2003 it ranged from 1.03% to 27.75% and was 3.78% on average).
Councillor s are responsible mostly for small infrastructure like trees, park benches,
Playground s, etc. Other functions are mostly advisory.
Official list of districts
Centrum ,
Drzetowo-Grabowo ,
Łękno ,
Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka ,
Niebuszewo-Bolinko ,
Nowe Miasto ,
Stare Miasto ,
Śródmieście Północ ,
Śródmieście-Zachód ,
Turzyn
Bukowo ,
Golęcino -
Gocław ,
Niebuszewo ,
Skolwin ,
Stołczyn ,
Warszewo ,
Żelechowa
Głębokie -
Pilchowo ,
Gumieńce ,
Krzekowo-Bezrzecze ,
Os.Arkońskie-Niemierzyn ,
Osów ,
Pogodno ,
Pomorzany ,
Świerczewo ,
Os.Zawadzkiego-Klonowica
Bukowe -
Klęskowo ,
Dąbie ,
Majowe-Kijewo ,
Płonia -
Śmierdnica -
Jezierzyce ,
Podjuchy ,
Os.Słoneczne ,
Wielgowo -
Sławociesze ,
Załom ,
Zdroje ,
Żydowce -
Klucz
Babin ,
Barnucin ,
Basen Górniczy ,
Błędów ,
Boleszyce ,
Bystrzyk ,
Cieszyce ,
Cieśnik ,
Dolina ,
Drzetowo ,
Dunikowo ,
Glinki ,
Grabowo ,
Jezierzyce ,
Kaliny ,
Kępa Barnicka ,
Kijewko ,
Kluczewko ,
Kłobucko ,
Kniewo ,
Kraśnica ,
Krzekoszów ,
Lotnisko ,
Łasztownia ,
Niemierzyn ,
Odolany ,
Oleszna ,
Podbórz ,
Port ,
Os.Przyjaźni ,
Rogatka ,
Rudnik ,
Sienna ,
Skoki ,
Słowieńsko ,
Sosnówko ,
Starków ,
Stoki ,
Struga ,
Śmierdnica ,
Os.Świerczewskie ,
Trzebusz ,
Urok ,
Widok ,
Zdunowo .
- Zdzislaw Chmielewski , PO , historian, rector of University Of Szczecin
- Boguslaw Liberadzki , SLD-UP , economist, minister of transport
- Sylwester Chruszcz , LPR , architect and politician, elected in Silesian constituency, but lives in Szczecin
Szczecin has the biggest shipyard in Poland, which recently went bankrupt and was successfully reinstated. It has a fishing industry and a steel mill. It is served by
Szczecin-Goleniów Airport and by the
Port Of Szczecin , third biggest port of Poland. It is also home to several major companies. Among them is the major food producer
Drobimex ,
Polish Steamship Company , producer of construction materials Komfort, Bosman brewery and
Cefarm drug factory. It also houses several of the ''new business'' firms of the IT branch, among them the
Vobis Microcomputer group and the
Home.pl web portal.
Major cultural events in Szczecin are:
- Days of the Sea (Polish ''Dni Morza'') held every June
- Street Artists Festival (Polish ''Festiwal Artystów Ulicy'') held every July
- Days of The Ukrainian Culture (Polish ''Dni Kultury Ukraińskiej'') held every May.
- Air show on Dabie airport held every May
- National Museum in Szczecin (Polish ''Muzeum Narodowe w Szczecinie'') collects arts, old jewelry, military equipment. It has three branches:
- --- Museum of the City of Szczecin (Polish ''Muzeum Miasta Szczecina'')
- --- Maritime Museum (Polish ''Muzeum Morskie'')
- --- Gallery of Contemporary Arts (Polish ''Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej'')
- Museum of the Szczecin Archidiocese (Polish ''Muzeum Archidiecezjalne w Szczecinie'') collects sacral arts and historical documents
- Bismarck tower Szczecin
- Kana Theatre (Polish ''Teatr Kana'')
- Modern Theatre (Polish ''Teatr Współczesny'')
- Opera in the Castle (Polish ''Opera na Zamku'')
- Polish Theatre (Polish ''Teatr Polski'')
- The Pomeranian Dukes' Castle In Szczecin (Polish ''Zamek Książąt Pomorskich w Szczecinie'')
- --- The Castle Cinema (Polish ''Kino Zamek'')
- --- The Cellar by the Vault Cabaret (Polish ''Kabaret Piwnica przy Krypcie'')
- --- The Crypt Theatre (Polish ''Teatr Krypta'')
There are many popular professional sports team in Szczecin area. The most popular sport today is probably
Football (thanks to
Pogon Szczecin just promoted to play in the 1st league in season 2004/2005). Amateur sports are played by thousands of Szczecin citizens and also in schools of all levels (elementary, secondary, university).
