Gdynia
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Gdynia (Kashubian: Gdiniô; Polish: Gdynia; German: Gdingen, Gotenhafen) is a city and an important seaport on the south coast of the Baltic Sea in metropolitan area called Tricity (Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot) with some 250,000 inhabitants. Gdynia is located in Kashubia or Eastern Pomerania region, north-western Poland and is also a county-status city in Pomeranian Voivodship.
Gdynia has a history of thousands of years. Initially it was a Pomeranian (Kashubian) fishers village first mentioned in 1253. In years 1382-1772 it belonged to the Cistersian abbey in Oliwa. Gdynia with Eastern Pomerania belonged to Poland (ca.990-1308), state of the Teutonic Order (1308-1454/66), Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1466-1772), Kingdom of Prussia (1772-1919) and with Prussia to the German Empire (1870-1919).
After the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, the town with other parts of former Polish Pomerania (or Royal Prussia), were returned to Poland, while its major city and seaport Gdansk and surrounding area were declared Free State Gdansk under the League of Nations and under Poland's control.
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 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.
Poland subsequently has built a huge military and commercial harbour at Gdynia. By 1934, the Gdynia harbour had overtaken the former largest Pomeranian harbour at Gdansk in terms of size. Poland also built up its military presence significantly in the area.
It was occupied by German forces from 1939 to 1945 and named Gotenhafen. It was recaptured in March 1945 by the Russians. Its modern German name is Gdingen.History of Gdynia
Construction of the Seaport
