SWINOUJSCIE

German Swinemnde, town, Szczecin wojewdztwo (province), Poland, on a low-lying sandy island that separates the Zalew Szczecinski (Oderhaff), a lake at the mouth of the Oder River, from the Baltic Sea. A major fishing port, Swinoujscie has fine beaches that make it a resort. The town was first chronicled in 1181, though it existed earlier as a fishing settlement. It also served as a strategic stronghold for the defender of the Zalew Szczecinski. The town was invaded several times, principally by the Danes, Swedes, and Germans. It became a German industrial and naval base in the 19th century. During World War II it was devastated, but it has been rebuilt as part of the growing SzczecinSwinoujscie port complex, Poland's largest in the early 1980s in cargo handled. Pop. (1990 est.) 42,900.