TCZEW

town, Gdansk wojewdztwo (province), north-central Poland. It lies along the Vistula River, 19 miles (30 km) above its mouth. Tczew is a major river port, with links to Gdansk, and a rail junction for lines to Warsaw, Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, and Chojnice. Shipyards and railroad workshops are located there. A Pomeranian fortress was built on the site in 1252, and municipal rights were granted to the surrounding settlement. It was annexed to Poland in 1282 and occupied by the Teutonic Knights between 1308 and 1466. Seized by Prussia in 1772, it was returned to Poland in 1919. With the extension of the railroad in 1857, one of the first and largest truss bridges in Europe was built there, part of which remains. Pop. (1989 est.) 58,400.