Gdansk, Poland situated in the heartland of Europe.
The capital of Poland's "Pomorze" province,
the city of Gdansk is located at the mouth of the Vistula River on the Baltic
Sea.Gdansk is Poland's sixth largest
city, with a population of 470,000.
Much of the city's industry centers around shipbuilding and shipping. The city
has two main port areas. The older Nowy Port, or New Port, is a major industrial
centre for shipyards, metallurgical and chemical plants, timber mills, and
food-processing facilities. The newer Port Polnocny, or North Port, is Poland's
largest maritime development project. It handles coal exports and petroleum
imports.
Gdansk has schools of medicine, engineering, and fine arts. The University of
Gdansk was opened in 1970. There are also many fine churches, museums, theatres,
and gardens as well as a maritime centre, a concert hall, and an opera house.
Gdansk is part of the Trojmiasto, or Three-City, urban area, made up of the
towns of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot. The city center, known as Stare Miasto, or
Old Town, lies on the Motlawa, a river that runs into the Vistula 3 kilometres inland.
Noteworthy buildings in Old Town include St. Catherine's
Church, sections of which date back to the 14th century. Its interior is in the
Gothic style. The town hall was built between 1587 and 1595. The entrance hall
has a bronze bas-relief of the 17th-century Gdansk astronomer Hevelius. Greatly
damaged during World War II, the city's buildings were later restored.
Gdansk was first mentioned as a Polish city in 997 or 999. It has been called by
the German name Danzig at various periods of its history. It was granted
municipal autonomy in 1260 and developed as a trade centre. In 1308 the Teutonic
Knights seized the city. Under their rule the city became a wealthy member of
the Hanseatic League . In 1466 King Casimir IV of Poland
regained the territory after a 13-year war. As thanks for its loyalty, Gdansk
was granted local autonomy by the king and expanded greatly. It reached its peak
during the Renaissance as the most prosperous port on the Baltic. Its shipyards
launched their first warship in 1572. By 1754 its population was 77,000, the
largest of any eastern European city. The Swedish wars of the 17th century
halted the city's economic growth and began its decline.
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