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Gdynia

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

A view of the container terminals in Gdynia, showing busy docks and a city street in between.

Gdynia is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of about 239,000, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the Pomeranian Voivodeship after Gdańsk. Gdynia is part of a large area with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk, and other communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto) with around one million people.

Historically, Gdynia was a small fishing village. By the 20th century, it became popular as a seaside resort town. In 1926, Gdynia was granted city rights and started to grow quickly, developing a modernist cityscape. It became an important seaport for Poland. In 1970, events in and around Gdynia helped start the Solidarity movement in nearby Gdańsk.

Today, the port of Gdynia is a regular stop for luxury ships and ferries going to Scandinavia. Gdynia's downtown, which became a historical monument of Poland in 2015, shows beautiful Functionalist architecture and could become a UNESCO World Heritage List site. The city holds the popular annual Gdynia Film Festival. In 2021, Gdynia joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and was named a UNESCO City of Film.

History

Early history

The land where Gdynia now stands shared its past with Pomerelia (Eastern Pomerania). Long ago, it was home to the Oksywie culture. Later, it was settled by Lechites and had some influences from the Baltic Prussians. In the late 10th century, the area became part of Poland under its first ruler, Mieszko I. Later, it split away and then joined back with Poland in 1116/1121. The village of Oksywie was first written about in 1209. The name “Gdynia” was first mentioned in 1253 as a small fishing village. The first church on this part of the Baltic Sea coast was built there. In 1309–1310, the Teutonic Order took control from Poland. In 1380, the owner of the village gave it to the Cistercian Order. In 1382, it became part of the Cistercian abbey in Oliwa. In 1454, King Casimir IV Jagiellon brought the area back into Poland, starting the Thirteen Years’ War, which ended in 1466 with the Teutonic Knights recognizing the region as Polish. Gdynia was in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in the province of Royal Prussia within the Kingdom of Poland and later the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The neighborhood of Kolibki was where King John III Sobieski bought an estate in 1685.

In 1772, Gdynia was taken by the Kingdom of Prussia during the First Partition of Poland. It was included in West Prussia and taken from the Cistercian Order. By 1789, there were only 21 houses in Gdynia. It was so small that it often did not appear on maps. In 1871, the village became part of the German Empire. By the early 1900s, it had grown into a popular tourist spot with guest houses, restaurants, cafés, brick houses, and a small harbor. Around 1910, about 895 people lived there.

After World War I, Poland became independent again. In 1920, following the Treaty of Versailles, Gdynia was joined back with Poland. Nearby Gdańsk became a free city under the League of Nations, but Poland kept economic rights there.

Medieval St. Michael Archangel Church is the oldest building in Gdynia

Construction of the seaport

The Polish government decided to build a major seaport at Gdynia in winter 1920, during the Polish–Soviet War. Workers in the nearby city of Danzig went on strike, refusing to unload military supplies for Poland, so Poland needed its own port.

Construction of the Gdynia seaport began in 1921 but went slowly due to money problems. It sped up after the Polish parliament passed the Gdynia Seaport Construction Act in 1922. By 1923, they had built a 550-meter pier, part of a wooden breakwater, and a small harbor. The official opening of Gdynia as a temporary military port and shelter for fishermen happened on April 23, 1923. The first big ship, the French steamer Kentucky, arrived on August 13, 1923, after being diverted due to a strike in Gdańsk.

Gdynia Seaport in 1935

To speed up construction, in 1924 Poland signed a deal with a French-Polish group to build the seaport. By the end of 1925, they had built a small harbor, the south pier, part of the north pier, a railway, and ordered equipment for moving goods. Work went slower than expected but picked up after May 1926 because of more trade, good economic times, a trade war with Germany, and the efforts of Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, the Polish Minister of Industry and Trade. By the end of 1930, they had built docks, piers, breakwaters, and many buildings and tools for the port.

Shipments grew from 10,000 tons in 1924 to almost 3 million tons in 1929. At this time, Gdynia was the only port in Poland designed for exporting coal.

From 1931 to 1939, the harbor was expanded to handle all kinds of shipping. By 1938, Gdynia was the largest and most modern seaport on the Baltic Sea and the tenth largest in Europe. Shipments reached 8.7 million tons, which was 46% of Poland’s foreign trade. In 1938, the Gdynia shipyard began building its first ocean-going ship, the Olza.

Construction of the city

The city was built after the seaport. In 1925, a special committee was formed to build the city. It received city rights in 1926, and investors were given tax benefits in 1927. The city began to grow quickly after 1928.

Museum of the Navy in Gdynia

A new railway station and post office were built. The state railways added lines, built bridges, and created houses for their workers. In a few years, houses were built along roads leading north from Gdańsk to Gdynia. Public institutions and private employers helped their staff build homes.

In 1933, a plan was made to prepare the city for a population of 250,000 people. By 1939, the population had reached over 120,000.

Gdynia during World War II (1939–1945)

When Germany invaded Poland to start World War II in September 1939, Gdynia was defended fiercely by Polish forces. On September 13, Germans began arresting local Poles while fighting continued in the north. By September 14, the Germans had captured the whole city and began occupying it. They made mass arrests and set up prisons and camps for Poles, who were either sent to concentration camps or executed. Some Poles were killed near Starogard Gdański. In October and November 1939, public executions of 52 Poles took place in the city. In November 1939, hundreds more Poles from Gdynia were killed in massacres nearby. On the night of November 10–11, German police arrested over 1,500 Poles in Obłuże and killed 23 young men as punishment.

MS Pilsudski in Gdynia, 1935

On November 11, German police shot and killed two Polish boys collecting Polish books that had been thrown out by German settlers in Oksywie. The Germans renamed the city Gotenhafen after an ancient Germanic tribe. Ten Poles from Gdynia were also killed by the Russians in the Katyn massacre in 1940.

About 50,000 Polish citizens were forced to leave so German settlers could live there. Kashubians who were thought to support Poland were also arrested or executed. Despite this, Polish people organized resistance groups like the Kashubian Griffin and Pomeranian Griffin. They spread underground news, shared information about German actions with Western Europe, sabotaged industry, and helped people escape. The German secret police cracked down on these groups several times.

The harbor became a German naval base. The shipyard was expanded in 1940. The city was important because it was far from the fighting, so many big German ships were kept there. In 1942, a movie called Titanic was being filmed there.

The Germans set up camps for prisoners of war and forced labor. The seaport and shipyard were bombed several times by Allied planes but were not badly damaged. Gdynia was used in 1944–45 to help German troops and refugees escape the Red Army. Some ships were sunk by Soviet submarines. The city was mostly destroyed by German troops and refugees in 1945, and the harbor entrance was blocked by a German battleship.

After World War II

On March 28, 1945, Soviet forces captured Gdynia and returned it to Poland. A communist government was set up and lasted until 1989. After the war, people from Warsaw, which had been destroyed by Germany, and other parts of Poland moved to Gdynia. People from cities that are now in Lithuania and Ukraine also came, as well as refugees from the Greek Civil War.

On December 17, 1970, workers at Gdynia Shipyard protested and were shot at by police. Janek Wiśniewski was one of 40 people who died. A street in Gdynia is named after him. In 1999, a big storm destroyed a crane in a shipyard. In 2002, Gdynia won the Europe Prize for working to bring European countries together.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950103,458—    
1960147,625+42.7%
1970191,500+29.7%
1978227,140+18.6%
1988249,805+10.0%
2002253,458+1.5%
2011249,139−1.7%
2021245,222−1.6%
Source:

Geography

Climate

Gdynia has an oceanic climate because it is near the Baltic Sea, which helps keep the temperatures mild. The weather is fairly even throughout the year with rain spread out nicely. Autumns tend to be warmer than springs thanks to the sea's warming effect. Nights are usually a bit warmer than in other parts of Poland. Like much of Northern Europe, Gdynia doesn’t get much sunshine in late autumn, winter, and early spring, but it shines brightly in late spring and summer. Because it is far north, Gdynia enjoys long days in midsummer, with about 17 hours of daylight, but only around 7 hours in midwinter.

Districts

Gdynia is split into smaller areas called dzielnicas and osiedles. Some of the dzielnicas are Babie Doły, Chwarzno-Wiczlino, Chylonia, Cisowa, Dąbrowa, Działki Leśne, Grabówek, Kamienna Góra, Karwiny, Leszczynki, Mały Kack, Obłuże, Oksywie, Orłowo, Pogórze, Pustki Cisowskie-Demptowo, Redłowo, Śródmieście, Wielki Kack, Witomino-Leśniczówka, Witomino-Radiostacja, and Wzgórze Św. Maksymiliana.

Osiedles include Bernadowo, Brzozowa Góra, Chwarzno, Dąbrówka, Demptowo, Dębowa Góra, Fikakowo, Gołębiewo, Kacze Buki, Kolibki, Kolonia Chwaszczyno, Kolonia Rybacka, Krykulec, Marszewo, Międzytorze, Niemotowo, Osada Kolejowa, Osada Rybacka, Osiedle Bernadowo, Port, Pustki Cisowskie, Tasza, Wiczlino, Wielka Rola, Witomino, Wysoka, and Zielenisz.

Cityscape

Gdynia is a modern city with interesting buildings. The oldest building is St. Michael the Archangel's Church in Oksywie, which dates back to the 13th century. Visitors enjoy the hills, coastline, and nature areas. Two special ships, a destroyer called ORP Błyskawica and a tall ship named Dar Pomorza, are anchored in the harbor for people to see. A long walk along the water connects the city center to the beach.

From Kamienna Góra or a viewing point near Chwaszczyno, you can see most of the city. There are also two tall towers where you can look out over the area. The Emigration Museum opened in 2015, and Gdynia has many other museums to explore.

Modernist Center

Main article: Modernist Center of Gdynia

Gdynia has many buildings from the early 1900s, showing styles like functionalism and modernism. The city's center was planned in 1926, with main streets and squares creating a link between the city and the Baltic Sea. Important buildings include the Bank of Poland and the PLO Building. The architecture in the center was inspired by European designers and is famous for its modern look. It is protected as a historical monument and might be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Culture

Gdynia is a city with many fun cultural events. It holds the main Polish film festival called the Gdynia Film Festival. Every year, it also hosts the Open'er Festival, which is one of Europe’s biggest music festivals. People can enjoy hip-hop, rock, and electronic music, with past performances by famous artists like Bruno Mars, Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, and Depeche Mode. There is also a big summer party called the Viva Beach Party on Gdynia’s Public Beach.

In 2014, Gdynia hosted an exciting air race event. The city even appeared on the Monopoly Here and Now World Edition board in 2008, thanks to many people voting for it online.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Tricity

Sport teams

International events

Economy and infrastructure

Gdynia has an important shipyard and a busy port called the Port of Gdynia. The port handles many passengers, tons of cargo, and containers each year. There are also car ferries that travel between Gdynia and a town in Sweden called Karlskrona.

The city has good public transport, including one of Poland's few trolleybus systems. There are many bus lines that connect Gdynia to nearby areas. The main airport for the area is Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, which is not far from Gdynia and serves many destinations. Gdynia also has a local airport, but it has had some problems recently.

Roads and railways connect Gdynia to other cities. The main railway station is very busy and has many trains going to places like Warsaw, Kraków, and Poznań. There are also fast trains that make the trip quicker.

Gdynia is home to many big companies, including IT firms, finance centers, and companies that build bridges and ships. Some older companies, like a large shipyard, are no longer operating.

Education

Gdynia has 8 universities and other places for higher learning. Many students from Gdynia also go to schools in the nearby area called the Tricity.

The schools include:

Notable people

Prominent people from Gdynia include Jacek Fedorowicz, Joanna Senyszyn, Klaudia Jans-Ignacik, and Olek Czyż.

Sport

Fictional characters

International relations

Consulates

Gdynia has 10 honorary consulates from countries such as Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, and Norway.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Poland

Gdynia is twinned with many cities around the world, including:

Previously, Gdynia was also twinned with Kaliningrad, Russia, but this partnership ended in 2022 because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Images

A beautiful view of the Sea Towers in Gdynia, Poland, showing the modern buildings against a clear blue sky.
A historic courthouse building in Gdynia, Poland, constructed in 1936.
The headquarters building of the Polish Navy in Gdynia, Poland.
A photograph of Gdynia Town Hall in Poland, featuring flags of the country.
A monument dedicated to Antoni Abraham in Gdynia, Poland.
The headquarters building of Zakład Ubezpieczeń i PLO in Gdynia, Poland.
Historic building at 55 Świętojańska Street in Gdynia, Poland, from 1939.
A Polish naval ship, ORP Błyskawica, docked in a museum harbor with its special camouflage pattern.

Related articles

Baltic Sea
Poland
Port of Gdynia
Metropolitan area
Scandinavia
Functionalism (architecture)

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Gdynia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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