GDANSK

German Danzig, city, capital of Gdansk wojewdztwo (province), north central Poland, situated at the mouth of the Vistula River on the Baltic Sea. First mentioned as a Polish city in 997 or 999, Gdansk was part of the Polish diocese of Wloclawek as noted in a papal bull of 1148. It was granted municipal autonomy in 1260 and developed as a trade centre. In 1308 the Teutonic Knights seized the city, which they held until 1466, when King Casimir IV of Poland regained the territory after a 13-year war. Granted local autonomy by the king in gratitude for its loyalty, Gdansk expanded greatly, reaching its peak during the Renaissance as the most prosperous port on the Baltic. By 1754 it had the largest population (77,000) of any eastern European city and annual grain exports of more than 200,000 tons. The Swedish wars of the 17th century halted the city's economic growth and began its decline. In 1772 Gdansk was seized by Prussia, resulting in a rapid dissolution of port trade; and in 1793 it was incorporated as part of Prussia. Napoleon granted it the privileges of a free city in 1807, but its territorial separation from Poland, because of the existence of a Prussian corridor to the sea, ruined its economy. Gdansk appealed for reunification with Poland (181314); but when the Congress of Vienna instead partitioned Poland among Russia, Austria, and Prussia, the city was relegated to the province of West Prussia. Gdansk became somewhat industrialized but failed to regain its stature as a great Baltic trading port. From 1919 to 1939 it again had the status of a free city, under the Treaty of Versailles, with Poland having administrative governance over it. The Gdansk legislative assembly, however, which was of German composition, tended to antagonize the Polish overseer whenever possible. Poland finally built another port on Polish territory at Gdynia, 10 miles (16 km) to the north. Gdynia grew rapidly, and Gdansk also flourished. German control of the city grew stronger as the German National Socialist (Nazi) Party won a majority of the assembly seats in the 1933 and 1935 elections. In 1938 Hitler demanded that Gdansk be given to Germany; Poland's refusal was used by Germany as provocation for its attack on Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, which precipitated World War II. The city was greatly damaged during the war and was returned to Poland in March 1945. Now fully reconstructed, it counts among its restored buildings St. Catherine's Church, sections of which date from the 14th century, and the medieval town hall. As Danzig it was the childhood home of the contemporary German writer Gnter Grass, several of whose novels were set in the locality. The city centre, known as Stare Miasto (Old Town), lies on the Motlawa, a tributary of the Vistula, 2 miles (3 km) inland. The city has two main port areas. The older Nowy Port (New Port) is a major industrial centre for shipyards, metallurgical and chemical plants, timber mills, and food-processing facilities. The Polish maritime commission was first begun there in 1568 to handle questions of defense and trade. The shipyards launched their first warship in 1572. In modern times, shipbuilding there has been an important source of foreign currency. Labour unrest in the Gdansk shipyards in 1980 led to the creation of the Solidarity union. The newer Port Polnocny (North Port) is Poland's largest maritime development project (its first stage completed in 1975); it handles coal exports and petroleum imports, much of the latter being processed at a nearby refinery. Gdansk is an important cultural seat containing schools of medicine, engineering, and fine arts; a maritime centre; many fine churches, museums, theatres, and gardens; and a concert hall and an opera house. The University of Gdansk was founded in 1970. Gdansk is part of the Trjmiasto (Three-City) urban area, comprising the towns of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot. Pop. (1991 est.) 465,400.