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| {{Dablink|For alternative meanings of Gdańsk and Danzig, see ] and ]}} | |||
| {{Infobox settlement | |||
| |name = Gdańsk | |||
| |motto = '']'' <br />(Neither rashly, nor timidly) | |||
| |image_skyline = Collage of views of Gdansk.jpg | |||
| |imagesize = 250px | |||
| |image_caption = | |||
| |image_flag = Gdansk flag.svg |flag_link = Symbols of Gdańsk | |||
| |image_shield = POL Gdańsk COA.svg |shield_link = Symbols of Gdańsk | |||
| |pushpin_map = Poland | |||
| |pushpin_label_position = bottom | |||
| |subdivision_type = Country | |||
| |subdivision_name = {{POL}} | |||
| |subdivision_type1 = ] | |||
| |subdivision_name1 = ] | |||
| |subdivision_type2 = ] | |||
| |subdivision_name2 = ''city county'' | |||
| |leader_title = Mayor | |||
| |leader_name = ] (]) | |||
| |established_title = Established | |||
| |established_date = 10th century | |||
| |established_title3 = City rights | |||
| |established_date3 = 1263 | |||
| |area_total_km2 = 262 | |||
| |population_as_of = 2008 | |||
| |population_total = 455584 | |||
| |population_density_km2 = auto | |||
| |population_metro = 1080700 | |||
| |timezone = ] | |||
| |utc_offset = +1 | |||
| |timezone_DST = ] | |||
| |utc_offset_DST = +2 | |||
| |latd = 54 | latm = 22 | lats = | latNS = N | longd = 18 | longm = 38 | longs = | longEW = E | |||
| |postal_code_type = Postal code | |||
| |postal_code = 80-008 to 80-958 | |||
| |area_code = +48 58 | |||
| |website = http://www.gdansk.pl | |||
| |blank_name = ] | |||
| |blank_info = GD}} | |||
| '''Gdańsk''', also known by its German name '''Danzig''' (see ] below), is a city on the ] coast in northern ], at the centre of the country's fourth-largest ].<ref name = "lvhmzm">{{cite web|url=http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=gamelan&geo=-173&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=a&va=&srt=pnan |title=Poland - largest cities (per geographical entity) |publisher=World Gazetteer |date= |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref> | |||
| Gdańsk is Poland's principal ] as well as the capital of the ]. It is also historically the largest city of the ]. The city is close to the former boundary between ] and ] lands and it has a complex ] with long spells of Polish rule interspersed with periods of ] control and two spells as a ]. It has been part of modern Poland since 1945. | |||
| The city lies on the southern edge of ] (of the ]), in a ] with the ] of ], the city of ] and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the ] (''Trójmiasto''), with a population of over 800,000.<ref name = "lvhmzm"/> Gdańsk itself has a population of 458,053 (2006), making it the largest city in the ] region of Northern Poland. | |||
| Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the ] River, connected to the ], a branch in the delta of the nearby ], whose waterway system supplies 60% of the area of Poland and connects Gdańsk to the ] in ]. This gives the city a unique advantage as the center of Poland's sea trade. Together with the nearby port of ], Gdańsk is also an important industrial center. Historically an important seaport and shipbuilding center, Gdańsk was a member of the ]. | |||
| The city was the birthplace of the ] movement which, under the leadership of Gdańsk ] ], played a major role in bringing an end to ] rule across ]. It is also the home and birthplace of Polish ] ], who is of ] origin. | |||
| ==Names== | |||
| ] | |||
| The city's name is thought to originate from the ],<ref></ref> the original name of the Motława branch on which the city is situated. Gdańsk and Gdania are considered to be derivations from the Gothic name of the area (]),<ref>Adrian Room, ''Placenames of the World, 2nd Ed.'' Quote: "The city has a Gothic name, from Gutisk-andja, "end of the Goths," as these people's territory extended to here. The city's former German name, Danzig, misleadingly suggests an association with the Danes."</ref> however this has also been questioned.<ref>Dennis H. Green, ''The Visigoths from the Migration Period to the Seventh Century'' Quote: "...the difficulty with Gdańsk, Gdynia and ''gudas''... in the Polish coastal area centuries before the Goths are known to have occupied this region... casts doubt on the theory of Gothic origin."</ref> Like many other Central European cities, Gdańsk has had many different names throughout its history. | |||
| The name of a settlement was recorded after St. Adalbert's death in 997 AD as ''urbs Gyddanyzc''<ref name=Tighe>Carl Tighe, "Gdańsk: national identity in the Polish-German borderlands", Pluto Press, 1990, </ref> and later was written as ''Kdanzk'' (1148), ''Gdanzc'' (1188), ]<ref></ref> (1228), ''Gdansk'' (1236, 1454, 1468, 1484, 1590), ''Danzc'' (1263), ''Danczk'' (1311, 1399, 1410, 1414–1438), ''Danczik'' (1399, 1410, 1414),<ref name=Tighe/> ''Danczig ''(1414), ''Gdąnsk'' (1636). See also ]. | |||
| In Polish the modern name of the city is pronounced {{IPAr|pl|AUD|Pl-Gdańsk.ogg|'|g|d|a|ń|s|k}}. In English (where the ] over the "n" is frequently omitted) the usual pronunciation is {{IPA-en|ɡəˈdænsk|}} or {{IPA-en|ɡəˈdɑːnsk|}}. | |||
| For much of its history the majority of the city's inhabitants were ], who called it ''Danzig'' {{IPA-de|ˈdantsɪç||Danzig.ogg}}. This name was also used in English<ref></ref> until the end of World War II, and is still used in historical contexts. Other former English spellings of the name include ''Dantzig'', ''Dantsic'' and ''Dantzic''. | |||
| In the ] the city is called ''Gduńsk''. The city's ] name may be given as either ''Gedania'', ''Gedanum'' or ''Dantiscum''; the variety of Latin names reflects the mixed influence of the city's Polish, German and Kashubian heritage. | |||
| === Ceremonial names === | |||
| ] period.]] | |||
| On special occasions the city is also referred to as "The Royal Polish City of Gdańsk" (Polish ''Królewskie Polskie Miasto Gdańsk'', Latin ''Regia Civitas Polonica Gedanensis'', Kashubian ''Królewsczi Polsczi Gard Gduńsk'').<ref>Gdańsk, in: Kazimierz Rymut, ''Nazwy Miast Polski'', ], Wrocław 1987</ref><ref>Hubert Gurnowicz, ''Gdańsk'', in: ''Nazwy miast Pomorza Gdańskiego'', ], Wrocław 1978</ref><ref>''Baedeker's Northern Germany'', ], Leipzig 1904</ref> | |||
| Kashubians also use the name "Our Capital City Gdańsk" (''Nasz Stoleczny Gard Gduńsk'') or "The Kashubian Capital City Gdańsk" (''Stoleczny Kaszëbsczi Gard Gduńsk''). | |||
| == History == | |||
| {{Main|History of Gdańsk}}{{See also|History of Pomerania}} | |||
| === Foundation and the Middle Ages === | |||
| At the mouth of the ] river (archaic Gdania), a ] settlement was archaeologically recorded that probably dates back to the 7th century.<ref name=Hess40>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=40}}</ref> In the 980s, a stronghold was built most probably by ] who thereby connected the ] realm with the trade routes of the ].<ref name=Hess39>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=39}}</ref> The first written record of this stronghold is the ''vita of ]'', written in 999 and describing events of 997.<ref name=Hess39/> This date is generally{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} regarded as the founding of Gdańsk in Poland; in 1997 the city celebrated the millennial anniversary of the year 997 when Saint ] baptized the inhabitants of the settlement on behalf of ] of Poland. In the 12th century, the settlement comprised the ], former Piast stronghold, a settlement at modern Long Market, a craftman's setllements along the ''Altstädter Graben'' ditch, and a settlement of German merchants around the ''St Nicolas'' church.<ref name=Hess40/> In 1186, a ] monastery was set up in ] nearby (now within the city limits). In 1215, the ducal stronghold became the center of a ]. In 1224/25, Germans in the course of the ] established a settlement in the area of the earlier fortress.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} | |||
| About 1235, the town was granted city rights under ] by ]n duke ], an ] similar to that of ] which was also the primary origin of many settlers.<ref name=Hess40/> In 1300, the town had an estimated population of 2,000.<ref name=Hess4041>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|pages=40-41}}</ref> While overall the town was not that an important trade center at that time, it had some relevance in the trade with ].<ref name=Hess4041/> In 1308, the ] ].<ref name=Hess41>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=41}}</ref> Medieval massacre records of 10,000 inhabitants are perceived divergently in modern literature:<ref name=Boockmann158>], ''Ostpreussen und Westpreussen'', Siedler, 2002, p.158, ISBN 3-88680-212-4</ref> while sources state it as a fact,<ref name="p.376">James Minahan, One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, ISBN 0313309841, </ref> other sources discard it as a medieval exaggeration.<ref name=Boockmann158/> The alleged massacre was used as evidence by the Polish crown in a subsequent papal lawsuit.<ref name=Boockmann158/><ref name="Thomas Urban">Thomas Urban: "". {{pl icon}}</ref> The knights colonized the area, replacing local Kashubians with German settlers.<ref name="p.376"/> In 1308, they founded ''Hakelwerk'' near the town, initially as a Slavic fishing settlement.<ref name=Hess41/> In 1340, the Teutonic Knights built a large fortress, which became the seat of the knights' ].<ref name=Hess4142>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|pages=41-42}}</ref> In 1343, they founded ''Rechtstadt'', which in contrast to the pre-existing town (thence ''Altstadt'', "Old Town" or ''Stare Miasto'') was chartered with ].<ref name=Hess41/> In 1358, Danzig joined the ], and became an active member in 1361.<ref name=Hess42>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=42}}</ref> It maintained relations with the trade centers ], ], ] and ].<ref name=Hess42/> In 1377, the ''Old Town's'' city limits were expanded.<ref name=Hess41/> In 1380, ''Neustadt'' ("New Town" or "Nowe Miasto") was founded as the fourth, independent settlement.<ref name=Hess41/> | |||
| ] river.]] | |||
| After a series of ]s, in the ] the Order had to acknowledge that it would hold Pomerelia as an ] from the ]. Although it left the legal basis of the Order's possession of the province in some doubt, the city thrived as a result of increased exports of grain (especially wheat), timber, potas, tar, and other goods of forestry from Prussia and Poland via the ] ], despite the fact that after its capture, the Teutonic Knights tried to actively reduce the economic significance of the town. While under the control of ] German migration increased. A new war broke out in 1409, ending with the ] (1410), and the city came under the control of the ]. A year later, with the first ], it returned to the Teutonic Order. In 1440, the city participated in the foundation of the ] which was an organization opposed to the rule of the Teutonic Knights. This led to the ] of independence from the ] (1454-1466). This intermittent warfare ended on May 25, 1457, when the city - jointly with ] - became part of the ] while maintaining its rights and independence as an autonomous city.<ref></ref><ref></ref> | |||
| ] was built between 1568-1571 inplace of Koggentor, to serve as the residence of visiting Polish monarchs.<ref>{{pl icon}} {{cite web |author = |url = http://miasta.gazeta.pl/trojmiasto/1,49422,3928314.html |title = Zielona Brama w Gdańsku |work = wilanowmiasta.gazeta.pl |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = 2007-02-18 |accessdate = 2008-12-29}}</ref> It was designed by Hans Kramer of Dresden and built by Regnier, the architect from ].<ref>{{en icon}} {{cite book |author=Philip Ward|coauthors=|title=Polish cities: travels in Cracow and the South, Gdańsk, Malbork and Warsaw|year=1988 |editor= |page=77 |pages= |chapter= | chapterurl = |publisher= Oleander |location= |isbn=09-06672-73-2 |url=http://books.google.pl/books?id=hFIdAAAAMAAJ&pgis=1|format= |accessdate=}}</ref>]] | |||
| ===Modern Ages=== | |||
| On 15 May 1457, ] granted Danzig the ''Great Privilege'' ({{lang-de|Großes Privileg}}), after he had been invited by the town's council and had already stayed in town for five weeks.<ref name=Hess45>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=45}}</ref> With the ''Great Privilege'', the town was granted autonomy from Poland.<ref name=Hess45A>{{cite book|title=Danziger Wohnkultur in der frühen Neuzeit|first=Corina|last=Hess|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2007|isbn=3825887111|page=45}}: "Geben wir und verlehen unnsir Stadt Danczk das sie zcu ewigen geczeiten nymands for eynem herrn halden noc gehorsam zcu weszen seyn sullen in weltlichen sachen."</ref> The privilege confirmed to the town independent jurisdiction, legislation and administration of her territory, and the rights of the Polish crown were limited to the following: The Polish king was allowed to stay in town for three days a year, he was further allowed to chose a permanent envoy from eight councilmen proposed to him by the town, and received an annual payment, the ''Gefälle''.<ref name=Hess45/> Furthermore, the privilege united ''Old Town'', ''Hakelwerk'' and ''Rechtstadt'', and legalized the demolition of ''New Town'', which had sided with the ].<ref name=Hess45/> Already in 1457, ''New Town'' was demolished completely, no buildings remained.<ref name=Hess41/> | |||
| Gaining free and privileged access for the first time to Polish markets, the seaport prospered while simultaneously trading with the other Hanseatic cities. After the ] with the Teutonic Monastic State of Prussia the warfare between the latter and the Polish crown ended permanently. After the incorporation of Royal Prussia by the ] in 1569, the city continued to enjoy a large degree of internal autonomy (cf. ]). | |||
| King ] attempt to subject the city, which had supported ] in the prior election of the king, failed. The city, encouraged by its immense wealth and almost impregnable fortifications, as well as by the secret support of ] and ], shut its gates against Stephen. After the ], lasting six months, the city's army of 5,000 mercenaries was utterly defeated in a field battle on December 16, 1577. However, since Stephen's armies were unable to take the city by force, a compromise was reached: ] confirmed the city's special status and her ] privileges granted by earlier ]. The city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid the enormous sum of 200,000 ]s in gold as payoff ("apology"). | |||
| ] into Gdańsk, February 11, 1646.]] | |||
| Beside the German-speaking majority, whose elites sometimes distinguished their German dialect as ]n,<ref>Bömelburg, Hans-Jürgen, ''Zwischen polnischer Ständegesellschaft und preußischem Obrigkeitsstaat: vom Königlichen Preußen zu Westpreußen (1756-1806)'', München: Oldenbourg, 1995, (Schriften des Bundesinstituts für Ostdeutsche Kultur und Geschichte (Oldenburg); 5), zugl.: Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg-Univ., Diss., 1993, 549 pp.</ref> the city was home to a large number of Polish-speaking Poles, ]ish Poles, and ]. In addition, a number of ] took refuge or immigrated to and received citizenship in the city. During the ], most German-speaking inhabitants adopted ]. | |||
| ] of ] on its pinnacle (installed in 1561), dominates Long Market skyline.<ref>{{pl icon}} {{cite web |author = |url = http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/international/?lang=eng&oddzial=1 |title = The Main Town Hall |work = www.mhmg.gda.pl |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = |accessdate = 2008-12-29}}</ref>]] | |||
| The city suffered a slow economic decline due to the wars of the 18th century, when it was taken by the Russians after the ] in 1734. Danzig was ] by the ] in 1793, only to be broken off by Napoleon as a pseudo-independent ] from 1807-1814. Returned to Prussia after ]'s defeat in the ], the city became the capital of ] within the province of ] from 1815. The city's longest serving Regierungspräsident was ], who held office from 1841, through the ], until 1863. The city became part of the ] in 1871. | |||
| Throughout its long history Gdańsk/Danzig faced various periods of rule from different states before 1945: | |||
| *997-1308: as part of Poland | |||
| *1308-1454: as part of territory of Teutonic Order | |||
| *1454-1466: Thirteen Years' War | |||
| *1466-1793: as part of Poland | |||
| *1793-1805: as part of Prussia | |||
| *1807-1814: as a free city | |||
| *1815-1871: as part of Prussia | |||
| *1871-1918: as part of Imperial Germany | |||
| *1918-1939: as a free city | |||
| *1939-1945: as part of Nazi Germany | |||
| Altogether combining the number of years, the city was under rule of Poland for 641 years, under the rule of Teutonic Order for 158 years, 125 years as part of Prussia and later Germany, 29 years of its history are marked by the status of a free city, and 6 years under the occupation of Nazi Germany until it returned to Poland again in 1945. | |||
| ==== The inter-war years, and World War II ==== | |||
| ] | |||
| When Poland regained its independence after ] with access to the sea as promised by the ] on the basis of ]'s "]", the Poles hoped the city's harbour would also become part of Poland. However, since a 1919 census determined that the city's population was 98% German,<ref>''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' Year Book, 1938,{{Verify source|date=March 2008}}</ref> it was not placed under Polish sovereignty, but, according to the terms of the ], became the ], an independent quasi-state under the auspices of the ] with its external affairs largely under Polish control. This led to a large degree of tension between the city and the surrounding ]. The Free City had its own constitution, ], parliament (''Volkstag''), and government (''Senat''). It issued its own stamps as well as currency. | |||
| ] is German".]] | |||
| The German population of the ] favored reincorporation into Germany. In the early 1930s the local ] capitalized on these pro-German sentiments and in 1933 garnered 38% of vote in the parliament. Thereafter, the Nazis under ] ] achieved dominance in the city government, which was still nominally overseen by the League of Nations' ]. ] demanded the return of Danzig to Germany along with an extraterritorial (meaning under German ]) highway through the area of the ] for land-based access between the parts of Germany which had become physically separated after World War I.<ref>See ''Documents Concerning the German Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities between Great Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939.'' See also the Soviet archived, ''Documents Relating to the Eve of the Second World War'' Volume II: 1938-1939 (New York: International Publishers), 1948.</ref> The ] in principle agreed to this proposal until the ] in March 1939 effectively canceled the ] of 1934 and ended Polish willingness to negotiate successions. German-Polish relations deteriorated rapidly afterwards, even ] into border skirmishes. The German Nazi Government, knowing that its ] was inferior to the combined British, French, Polish, and Soviet forces, ] on September 1 only after having secured ] in late August, hoping to negotiate a peace solution with Britain and France after the end of hostilities.<ref>See ''Documents Concerning the German Polish Relations and the Outbreak of Hostilities between Great Britain and Germany on September 3, 1939''. Hitler's change of position is well reflected in Goebbel's personal diary. See also the Soviet archived, ''Documents Relating to the Eve of the Second World War'' Volume II: 1938-1939 (New York: International Publishers), 1948.</ref> This invasion of Poland is regarded as the beginning of World War II. | |||
| World War II began in Danzig, with a bombardment of Polish positions at ] by the German battleship '']'', and the landing of German infantry on the peninsula. Outnumbered Polish defenders at Westerplatte resisted for seven days before running out of ammunition. Meanwhile, after a fierce day long fight, defenders of the Polish ] were murdered and buried on the spot in the Danzig quarter of ]. To celebrate the surrender of Westerplatte, the NSDAP organized a night parade on Sep 7th along Adolf-Hitlerstrasse that was inadvertently attacked by a Polish hydroplane taking off from ]. The city was officially annexed by ] and incorporated into the ]. | |||
| ] after the ].<ref>Translation: The postage seal reads: "''Danzig greets joyously her leader and liberator, Adolf Hitler.''"</ref>]] | |||
| Most of the ] in Danzig were able to escape from the Nazis shortly before the outbreak of war. ] had been observing Polish communities since 1936, compiling information which in 1939 served to prepare lists of Poles to be captured in ]. On the first day of the war, approximately 1,500 ] were arrested, some because of their participation in social and economic life, others because they were activists and members of various Polish organizations. On September 2, 1939, 150 of them were deported to the ] some 30 miles from Danzig, and murdered.<ref>. Retrieved January 31, 2007.</ref> Many Poles living in Gdańsk were deported to Stutthof or executed in the ] forest. | |||
| In 1941, the Nazi Regime ordered the ], eventually causing the fortunes of war to turn against it. As the ] advanced in 1944, German populations in Central and Eastern Europe took flight, resulting in the beginning of a great population shift. After the final Soviet offensive began in January, 1945, hundreds of thousands of German refugees, many of whom had fled to Danzig on foot from ] (see ]), tried to escape through the city's port in a large-scale evacuation involving hundreds of German cargo and passenger ships. Some of the ships were sunk by the Soviets, including the '']'' after an evacuation was attempted at neighboring Gdynia. In the process, tens of thousands of refugees were killed. | |||
| The city also endured heavy Allied and Soviet bombardment by air. Those who survived and could not escape encountered the Soviet Army, which captured the city on March 30, 1945 and was heavily damaged.<ref></ref> In line with the decisions made by the Allies at the ] and ] conferences, the city returned to Poland. The remaining German residents of the city who had survived the war ] to postwar Germany, and the city was repopulated with ethnic Poles ] in ] from ] including many from the ] of ]. An unspecified number of young (mostly underaged) inhabitants of Gdańsk, both male and female, was rounded up by the Soviet ] in 1945 and placed in provisional camps in Grudziądz, Ciechanów, Działdowo and Iława. All of them were soon deported to Siberia by the Soviet ], as revealed by the ] in 2000-2002 investigation.<ref>], 18 November 2003.</ref> | |||
| ==== Contemporary times ==== | |||
| ] buildings recreated in the Main Town after the world war - Old Arsenal by Anthony van Obberghen, Jan Strakowski and Abraham van den Blocke, 1602 - 1605.<ref>{{en icon}} {{cite book |author=|coauthors=Lech Krzyżanowski, Michał Wożniak, Marek Źak, Wacław Górski |title=Beautiful historic Gdańsk|year=1995 |editor= |page=769 |pages= |chapter= | chapterurl = |publisher= Excalibur |location= |isbn= |url=http://books.google.pl/books?id=18O1AAAAIAAJ&pgis=1|format= |accessdate=}}</ref>]] | |||
| The historic old city of Gdańsk, which had suffered large-scale destruction at the hands of the Soviet Army, was rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s. Boosted by heavy investment in the development of its port and three major shipyards for Soviet ambitions in the ], Gdańsk became the major shipping and industrial center of the ] ]. | |||
| As part of German-Polish reconciliation policies driven by ] ] ]'s '']'', German territorial claims on Gdańsk were renounced, and the city's full incorporation into Poland was recognized in the ] in 1970. This was confirmed by a reunited Germany in 1990 and 1991. | |||
| In 1970, Gdańsk was the scene of anti-regime demonstrations which led to the downfall of Poland's communist leader ]. Ten years later the ] was the birthplace of the ] ] movement, whose opposition to the Communist regime led to the end of Communist Party rule in 1989, and sparked a series of protests that successfully overturned the Communist regimes of the former ]. Solidarity's leader, ] became ] in 1990. Gdańsk native ] became ] in 2007. | |||
| Today Gdańsk is a major shipping port and ] and has been the setting for a number of major open air concerts, including ]'s ] and ]. The ] Queen staged a concert in the Shipyard in October 2008.<ref>According to FollowQueen.com</ref> | |||
| ] 2010 — the 6th annual Wikimedia Conference — is scheduled to take place in the Polish Baltic Philharmonic in Gdańsk, Poland from July 9-11, 2010. | |||
| ==Climate== | |||
| {{Unreferenced section|date=May 2008}} | |||
| Gdansk enjoys a ], with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters and mild summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms. Average temperatures range from -1.0°C to 17.2°C and rainfall varies from 31.0 mm/month to 84.0 mm/month. In general it is a ] and therefore damp, variable and harsh. | |||
| The seasons are clearly differentiated. Spring starts in March and is initially cold and windy, later becoming pleasantly warm and often very sunny. Summer, which begins in June, is predominantly warm but hot at times (with temperature reaching as high as 30-35C at least once per year) with plenty of sunshine interspersed with heavy rain. The average annual hours of sunshine for Gdansk are 1600, similar to other Northern cities. July and August are the hottest months. Autumn comes in September and is at first warm and usually sunny, turning cold, damp and foggy in November. Winter lasts from December to March and includes periods of snow. January and February are the coldest months with the temperature sometimes dropping as low as -15°C. | |||
| {{Infobox Weather | |||
| |metric_first=yes | |||
| |single_line=yes | |||
| |location=Gdańsk | |||
| |Jan_Hi_°C = 0 | |||
| |Feb_Hi_°C = 0 | |||
| |Mar_Hi_°C = 4 | |||
| |Apr_Hi_°C = 9 | |||
| |May_Hi_°C = 15 | |||
| |Jun_Hi_°C = 18 | |||
| |Jul_Hi_°C = 20 | |||
| |Aug_Hi_°C = 20 | |||
| |Sep_Hi_°C = 16 | |||
| |Oct_Hi_°C = 11 | |||
| |Nov_Hi_°C = 5 | |||
| |Dec_Hi_°C = 1 | |||
| |Year_Hi_°C = 10 | |||
| |Jan_Lo_°C = -4 | |||
| |Feb_Lo_°C = -4 | |||
| |Mar_Lo_°C = -1 | |||
| |Apr_Lo_°C = 1 | |||
| |May_Lo_°C = 6 | |||
| |Jun_Lo_°C = 9 | |||
| |Jul_Lo_°C = 11 | |||
| |Aug_Lo_°C = 11 | |||
| |Sep_Lo_°C = 8 | |||
| |Oct_Lo_°C = 4 | |||
| |Nov_Lo_°C = 0 | |||
| |Dec_Lo_°C = -2 | |||
| |Year_Lo_°C = 3 | |||
| |Jan_MEAN_°C = -1 | |||
| |Feb_MEAN_°C = -1 | |||
| |Mar_MEAN_°C = 1 | |||
| |Apr_MEAN_°C = 5 | |||
| |May_MEAN_°C = 11 | |||
| |Jun_MEAN_°C = 14 | |||
| |Jul_MEAN_°C = 16 | |||
| |Aug_MEAN_°C = 16 | |||
| |Sep_MEAN_°C = 12 | |||
| |Oct_MEAN_°C = 7 | |||
| |Nov_MEAN_°C = 2 | |||
| |Dec_MEAN_°C = 0 | |||
| |Year_MEAN_°C = 7 | |||
| |Jan_Precip_days = 22 | |||
| |Feb_Precip_days = 18 | |||
| |Mar_Precip_days = 18 | |||
| |Apr_Precip_days = 16 | |||
| |May_Precip_days = 16 | |||
| |Jun_Precip_days = 17 | |||
| |Jul_Precip_days = 18 | |||
| |Aug_Precip_days = 16 | |||
| |Sep_Precip_days = 18 | |||
| |Oct_Precip_days = 18 | |||
| |Nov_Precip_days = 22 | |||
| |Dec_Precip_days = 23 | |||
| |Year_Precip_days = 222 | |||
| |Jan_Precip_cm = 2.39 | |||
| |Feb_Precip_cm = 1.99 | |||
| |Mar_Precip_cm = 2.43 | |||
| |Apr_Precip_cm = 2.49 | |||
| |May_Precip_cm = 4.72 | |||
| |Jun_Precip_cm = 4.87 | |||
| |Jul_Precip_cm = 10.17 | |||
| |Aug_Precip_cm = 5.8 | |||
| |Sep_Precip_cm = 4.03 | |||
| |Oct_Precip_cm = 4.38 | |||
| |Nov_Precip_cm = 3.43 | |||
| |Dec_Precip_cm = 3.11 | |||
| |Year_Precip_cm = 49.81 | |||
| |source = Weatherbase,<ref name="Weatherbase">{{cite web | |||
| |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=5121&refer=&units=metric | |||
| |title=Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Gdansk, Poland | |||
| |dateformat=mdy | |||
| |accessdate=}}</ref> MSN Weather<ref name="MSN Weather">{{cite web | |||
| |url=http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3aPLXX0005&q=Gda%c5%84sk%2c+POL&setunit=C | |||
| |title=Monthly Averages for Gdansk, POL | |||
| |dateformat=mdy | |||
| |accessdate=}}</ref> (for precipitation cm data) | |||
| |accessdate = }} | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| The industrial sections of the city are dominated by shipbuilding, petrochemical and chemical industries, and food processing. The share of high-tech sectors such as electronics, telecommunications, IT engineering, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals is on the rise. ] processing is also an important part of the local economy, as the majority of the world's amber deposits lie along the ] coast. The ], including Gdańsk, is also a major tourist destination in the summer months, as millions of Poles and ] citizens flock to the beaches of the Baltic coastline. | |||
| ==Main sights== | |||
| ] Fountain in the center of the Long Market, a masterpiece by a Dutch architect Abraham van den Blocke, 1617.<ref name="Sturgis">{{cite book |author=|coauthors=Russell Sturgis, Arthur Lincoln Frothingham |title=A history of architecture|year=1915 |editor= |page=293 |pages= |chapter= | chapterurl = |publisher= Baker & Taylor |location= |isbn= |url=http://books.google.pl/books?id=Inw3AAAAIAAJ&pgis=1|format= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref>{{en icon}} {{cite book |author=|coauthors=Paul Wagret, Helga S. B. Harrison|title=Poland|year=1964 |editor= |page=302 |pages= |chapter= | chapterurl = |publisher= Nagel |location= |isbn= |url=http://books.google.pl/books?id=uXu0AAAAIAAJ&pgis=1|format= |accessdate=}}</ref>]] | |||
| ] was built in ] style between 1678-1681 by ].<ref name="ROBiDZ">{{cite web |author = ROBiDZ w Gdańsku |url = http://www.wrotapomorza.pl/pl/kultura/zabytki/wybrane_zabytki/kosciol/krolewska|title = Kaplica Królewska w Gdańsku |work = www.wrotapomorza.pl |publisher = |laguage = Polish|page = |date = |accessdate = 2008-12-29}}</ref>]] | |||
| The city has many fine buildings from the time of the ]. Most ]s are located along or near Ulica Długa (''Long Street'') and Długi Targ (''Long Market''), a pedestrian thoroughfare surrounded by buildings reconstructed in historical (primarily 17th century) style and flanked at both ends by elaborate ]s. This part of the city is sometimes referred to as the Royal Road as the former path of processions for visiting kings. | |||
| Walking from end to end, sites encountered on or near the Royal Way include: | |||
| *Upland Gate (''Brama Wyżynna'') | |||
| *Torture House (''Katownia'') | |||
| *Prison Tower (''Wieża więzienna'') | |||
| *] (''Brama Złota'') | |||
| *Long Street (''Ulica Długa'') | |||
| **Uphagen House (''Dom Uphagena'') | |||
| **Main ] (''Ratusz Głównego Miasta'') | |||
| *Long Market (''Długi Targ'') | |||
| **Arthur's Court (''Dwór Artusa'') | |||
| **Neptune Fountain (''Studnia Neptuna'') | |||
| **Golden House (''Złota kamienica'') | |||
| *Green Gate (''Brama Zielona'') | |||
| Gdańsk has a number of historical churches: | |||
| *St. Bridget | |||
| *St. Catherine | |||
| *St. John | |||
| *] (''Bazylika Mariacka''), a municipal church built during the 15th century, is the largest brick church in the world. | |||
| *St Nicholas' Church | |||
| *Church of ] | |||
| The ] '']'' is anchored on the ] River. | |||
| In the 16th century, Gdańsk hosted Shakespearean theatre on foreign tours, and the ] founded in 1743 was one of the first of its kind. Currently, there is a ''Fundation Theatrum Gedanensis'' aimed at rebuilding ] at its historical site. It is expected that Gdańsk will have a permanent English-language theatre, as at present it is only an annual event. | |||
| ==Famous people== | |||
| {{See also|Category:People from Gdańsk}} | |||
| {{See also|List of people from Gdańsk}} | |||
| {{See also|List of people from Danzig}} | |||
| {{See also|List of mayors of Gdańsk}} | |||
| {{See also|List of mayors of Danzig}} | |||
| {{See also|List of famous people living or working in Gdańsk}} | |||
| {{See also|List of Dukes of Gdańsk}} | |||
| == Transportation == | |||
| ] | |||
| * ] - an international ] located in Gdańsk; | |||
| * ] - a seaport located on the southern coast of ] within the city; | |||
| * ] - major railway passenger station with ] and SKM service; | |||
| * ] - an urban transportation service of ''Tricity''; | |||
| * City buses and trams are operated by (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego w Gdańsku). | |||
| * ] - an expressway that bypasses the cities of Gdynia, Sopot and Gdańsk. | |||
| Train transportation provides good connection with all major ], and with the neighbouring Kashubian Lakes region. The A-1 Highway connects the port and city of Gdańsk with the southern border of the country. | |||
| Gdańsk is the starting point of the ] 9 cycling route which continues southward through Poland, then into the ], ] and ] before ending at the ] in ]. | |||
| == Sports == | |||
| {{Main|Sports in Gdańsk}} | |||
| There are many popular ] teams in the Gdańsk and Tricity area. ] are played by thousands of Gdańsk citizens and also in schools of all levels (elementary, secondary, university). The city's professional ] club is ]. Founded in 1945, they play in the ], Poland's top division. Their home stadium, ], will be replaced by the under-construction ] one of the four Polish stadia to host the ] competition. | |||
| == Politics and local government == | |||
| {{Main|Politics of Gdańsk}} | |||
| Contemporary Gdańsk is the capital of the province called ] and is one of the major centres of economic and administrative life in Poland. Many important agencies of the state and ] levels have their main offices here: the Provincial Administration Office, the Provincial Government, the Ministerial Agency of the State Treasury, the Agency for Consumer and Competition Protection, the National Insurance regional office, the Court of Appeal, and the High Administrative Court. | |||
| ===Regional centre=== | |||
| ] was extended in 1999 to include most of former ], the western part of ] and ] from ] to form the new ]. | |||
| The area of the region was thus extended from 7,394 km² to 18,293 km² and the population rose from 1,333,800 (1980) to 2,198,000 (2000). By 1998, ] constituted an ] of the population; almost half of the inhabitants of the new region live in the centre. | |||
| == Education and science == | |||
| ] | |||
| There are 14 universities with a total of 60,436 students, including 10,439 graduates as of 2001. | |||
| * ] (Uniwersytet Gdański) | |||
| * ] (Politechnika Gdańska) | |||
| * ] (Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny) | |||
| * Academy of Physical Education and Sport of Gdansk (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego i Sportu im. Jędrzeja Śniadeckiego) | |||
| * Musical Academy (Akademia Muzyczna im. Stanisława Moniuszki) | |||
| * Arts Academy (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych) | |||
| * Instytut Budownictwa Wodnego PAN | |||
| * Ateneum{{ndash}} Szkoła Wyższa | |||
| * Gdańska Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna | |||
| * Gdańska Wyższa Szkoła Administracji | |||
| * Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa | |||
| * Wyższa Szkoła Społeczno-Ekonomiczna | |||
| * Wyższa Szkoła Turystyki i Hotelarstwa w Gdańsku | |||
| * Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania | |||
| === Scientific and regional organizations === | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] (Instytut Bałtycki), established 1925 in ], since 1946 (?) in Gdańsk | |||
| * TNOiK - Towarzystwo Naukowe Organizacji i Kierowania (Scientific Society for Organization and Management) O/Gdańsk | |||
| * IBNGR - Instytut Badań nad Gospodarką Rynkową (The Gdańsk Institute for ]) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080209112613/http://www.ibngr.edu.pl/english/index2.htm |title=The Gdańsk Institute for Market Economics |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-25}}</ref> | |||
| ==International relations== | |||
| ===Twin towns — Sister cities=== | |||
| Gdańsk is ] with:<ref name="Gdańsk">{{cite web|url=http://www.gdansk.pl/samorzad,62,733.html|title=Gdańsk Official Website: 'Miasta partnerskie'|publisher=] 2009 |language=Polish & English|accessdate=2009-07-11}}</ref><sup>] order]</sup> | |||
| {| cellpadding="10" | |||
| |- style="vertical-align:top;" | |||
| | | |||
| * {{flagicon|Germany}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1976)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Finland}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1987)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Spain}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1990)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/><ref name="Barcelona">{{cite web|url=http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,229724149_257215678_1,00.html|title=Barcelona internacional - Ciutats agermanades|publisher=© 2006-2009 |language=Spanish|accessdate=2009-07-13}}</ref> | |||
| * {{flagicon|USA}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1990)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Sweden}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1991)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Denmark}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1992)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| || | |||
| || | |||
| * {{flagicon|France}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1992)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|France}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1992)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Russia}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1993)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1993)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Russia}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1993) <ref name="Gdańsk"/><ref name="St. Petersburg">{{cite web |url=http://eng.gov.spb.ru/figures/ities |title=Saint Petersburg in figures - International and Interregional Ties |publisher=Saint Petersburg City Government |accessdate=2008-03-23}}</ref>''</small> | |||
| *{{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1996)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| || | |||
| || | |||
| * {{flagicon|Ukraine}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1996)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Netherlands}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1998)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Lithuania}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1998)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|France}} ] in ] <small>''(since 1999)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|PRC}} ], ] <small>''(since 2004)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Italy}} ], ] <small>''(since 2005)''</small> <ref name="Gdańsk"/> | |||
| * {{flagicon|Poland}} ] in ] <small>''(since 2007)''</small><ref></ref> | |||
| |} | |||
| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] - ]'s concert (26 August 2005) | |||
| * ] - a minor planet orbiting the Sun | |||
| == Footnotes == | |||
| {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{commons|Gdańsk}} | |||
| {{Wiktionary}} | |||
| *{{en icon}} | |||
| *{{en icon}} [http://www.shopandsee.eu/ Official Tourist Board Website - Tourist Guide as well as shopping guide | |||
| * | |||
| *{{pl icon}} (portal) | |||
| * | |||
| {{Template group | |||
| |list = | |||
| {{Gdansk}} | |||
| {{Principal cities of Poland}} | |||
| {{Pomeranian Voivodeship|state=autocollapse}} | |||
| {{Hanseatic League}} | |||
| {{Polish coast|state=autocollapse}} | |||
| {{Coord|54|21|N|18|40|E|display=title}} | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Gdansk}} | |||
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Revision as of 04:46, 22 October 2009
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