Szczecin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Szczecin
Flag of Szczecin Coat of arms of Szczecin
(Flag) (Coat of arms)
Location of Szczecin
Country Poland
Voivodeship West Pomerania
Municipal government Rada miasta Szczecina
Mayor Piotr Krzystek
Area 301.3 km²
Population
 - city
 - urban
 - density
417,300
850 000
1372/km²
Founded 8th century
City rights 1243
Latitude
Longitude		 53°26'N
14°34'E
Area code +48 91
Car plates ZS
Twin towns Berlin-Kreuzberg, Bremerhaven, Dalian, Esbjerg, Hull, Lübeck, Malmö, Murmansk, St. Louis
Municipal Website

Szczecin (['ʂtʂɛtɕin] (help·info); German: Stettin [ʃtɛˈtin] (help·info); Kashubian: Sztetëno; Latin: Stetinum, Scecinum, and Sedinum) is the capital city of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of the 2005 census the city has a total population of 420,638.

Szczecin is located on the Oder River (Odra), south of the Lagoon of Szczecin and the Bay of Pomerania. The city is situated along the southwestern shore of Dąbie Lake, on both sides of Oder and on several large islands between western and eastern branch of the river.

Contents

[edit] Origins of the name

Early medieval sources show: Stetin 1133, Stetyn 1188, Priznoborus vir nobilis in Stetin, Symon nobilis Stettinensis 1234, in vico Stetin 1240, Barnim Dei gratia dux Pomeranorum... civitati nostri Stetin 1243, Stityn 1251, Sigillum Burgoncium de Stitin municipal seal of the 13th century, which is the same to the modern Polish spelling of Szczecin. The name is almost certainly of the same origin as others Polish names such as Szczytno, Szczucin and Szczuczyn. In Latin, the city was known as Stetinum.

City Hall
Enlarge
City Hall

There are several possible etymologies of the city name:

  1. Szczecin comes from the word szczyt which means peak, hill top in modern Polish, but also a long shield in Old Polish. So Szczecin means a town located on a hill top, or a town fortified as a stronghold.
  2. Szczecin comes from a personal name Szczuka and means Szczuka's town
  3. Szczecin comes from a personal name Szczeta/Szczota and means Szczota's town
  4. Szczecin comes from a word szczecina which means bristle. So Szczecin is a town with many swines, or a town fortified like bristle. If this is true Szczecin could be identified with Burstaborg mentioned in Scandinavian chronicles.

Because Duke Warcislaw IV of Pomerania founded "New Szczecin" (Polish: Nowy Szczecin; German: Neustettin) in 1310, the original Szczecin was sometimes called "Old Szczecin" (Polish: Stary Szczecin; German: Altes Stettin; Latin: Stetinum Antiqua)

In the 16th century Polish literature used two alternative spellings: Szczecin (seems to be the exact pronunciation of the city name used by its Slavonic inhabitants, previously spelled in Latin as Stetin since the 12th century) and Sztetyn (seems to be a copy of the German pronunciation). The first form of Szczecin prevailed in the following years and was officially confirmed in the 19th century, long before the city became Polish in 1945.

Prior to 1945, the city, inhabited almost entirely by Germans, was known by its German name, Stettin.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Szczecin
The town's fortifications as seen in 1642
Enlarge
The town's fortifications as seen in 1642
Harbour as seen in 1900
Enlarge
Harbour as seen in 1900
The Old Town Hall, now the city's history museum
Enlarge
The Old Town Hall, now the city's history museum
The Old Town was rebuilt in the late 1990s, consisting of new buildings, some of which were reconstructions of buildings destroyed in WWII
Enlarge
The Old Town was rebuilt in the late 1990s, consisting of new buildings, some of which were reconstructions of buildings destroyed in WWII

A stronghold of the Lusatian culture was here in the early Iron Age period. East Germanic tribes inhabited the area until about 200 AD. Another stronghold of the Slavic Pomeranians was built in the 8th century at the ford of the Oder River.

It was the main centre of a small Western Slavic tribe living in the fork of the Oder between the main branch and the Randow River. It is not certain if this tribe belonged to the Pomeranians who lived on the right bank of the Oder, or to the Polabians or Veleti who lived on the left bank of the Odra. It is also possible that Szczecin was controlled in some manner by both tribes. It is very likely that Mieszko I of Poland, who conquered Pomerania in the years 967–972, also took control of Szczecin and Wolin. Piast rule in Szczecin was overthrown by a pagan rebellion around 1005. Most of the time, the Pomeranians kept their pagan Slavic faith. Several Triglav temples existed nearby.

After the decline of Wolin in the 12th century, Szczecin became one of the most important and powerful cities of the Baltic Sea south coasts, having some 5,000 inhabitants. In a winter campaign of 1121–1122, Szczecin was subjugated by Bolesław II of Poland, who invited the Catholic bishop Otto of Bamberg to baptize the citizens (1124). In the following years it was subjugated by Warcislaw I, Duke of Pomerania, who organized the second visit of Otto in 1128. At this time the first Christian church of St. Peter and Paul was erected.

In the second half of the 12th century, a group of German tradesmen (from various parts of the Holy Roman Empire) settled in the city around St. Jacob's Church, which was founded by Beringer, a trader from Bamberg, and consecrated in 1187. For centuries the dukes, oriented towards the west, invited West and Central German settlers to colonize Pomeranian wastelands and to found villages. Duke Barnim I granted a local government charter to this community in 1237, separating the Germans from the Slavic majority community settled around the St. Nicholas Church (in the neighbourhoods of Chyżyn, Upper Wik, and Lower Wik). Duke Barnim I Dobry of Pomerania granted Szczecin Magdeburg rights in 1243. Around that time the major ethnic group of the city had become German while Slavic population diminished.

Stettin joined the Hanseatic League in 1278. From 1309 until until the 1630s Stettin was the capital of the Duchy of Pomerania, ruled by the Griffin dynasty of Slavic origins. By the 1630s the city and sorounded area became completely Germanized.

After the extinction of the Griffin dynasty, Stettin, along with the rest of Western Pomerania, was granted to Sweden at the Peace of Westphalia (1648), despite the protests of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, who had a legal claim to inherit all of Pomerania. In 1720 after the Great Northern War, the Swedes were forced to cede the city to King Frederick William I of Prussia. Stettin developed into a major Prussian city and became part of the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871. In 1939 Stettin had about 400,000 inhabitants. It was Germany's third-biggest naval port (after Hamburg and Bremen) and was of great importance for the supply and trade of Berlin.

In 1935 the German Wehrmacht established Stettin as the headquarters for Wehrkreis II, which controlled the military units in all of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. It was also the Area Headquarters for units stationed at Stettin I and II; Swinemünde; Greifswald; and Stralsund. During the invasion of Poland which started World War II in 1939, Stettin was the base for the German 2nd Motorized Infantry Division which cut across the Polish Corridor. Allied air raids in 1944 and heavy fighting between the German and Soviet armies destroyed 65% of Stettin's buildings and almost all of the city centre, seaport, and industry .

Stettin remained German until 1945, when the Soviet Red Army seized the city. Many of the city's inhabitants fled in fear of revenge and it was virtually deserted after being captured by Soviet army on April 26, 1945. In the following month the city was 3 times handed over to Polish administration, eventually July 5, 1945. In mean time the part of German population returned to the city, as it was undecided if the city would be in Poland, or in the Soviet occupation zone in Germany. It is not clear if the Stettin was located on the Polish side of Oder-Neisse line according to Potsdam Conference, nevertheless most of Pomerania, including Stettin and the mouth of the Oder, was eventually given to Poland.

Polish authorities were led by Piotr Zaremba. Many Germans had to work in the Soviet military camps that were outside Polish jurisdiction. In the 1950s most of Stettin's Germans were expelled from the city, although there was a significant German minority for the next 10 years.

In 1945 the Polish community in Stettin consisted of a few of citizens from the pre-war population as well as forced laborers from the Generalgouvernement. Stettin was resettled with Poles, most of whom came from around Poznań, where their homes had been destroyed during the German occupation and during fighting on the Eastern Front. The city was also resettled with Poles from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union. This settlement process was coordinated by the city of Poznań and Stettin returned to original Polish name of Szczecin.

The citizens of Szczecin rebuilt and extended the city's industry and industrial areas, as well as its cultural heritage, although efforts were hampered by the authorities of Communist Poland. Szczecin became a major industrial centre for Poland, as well as an important seaport for Poland (especially for Silesian coal), Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. The city witnessed anti-communist revolts in 1970 and 1980 and participated in the growth of the Solidarity movement during the 1980s. Since 1999 Szczecin has been the capital of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship.

[edit] Dukes of Szczecin

  • 1160-1187 Boguslaw I
  • 1156-1180 Boguslaw I, Casimir I
  • 1202-1220 Boguslaw II
  • 1220-1278 Barnim I Dobry
  • 1278-1295 Barnim II, Otto I and Boguslaw IV
  • 1295-1344 Otto I
  • 1344-1368 Barnim III Wielki
  • 1368-1372 Casimir III
  • 1372-1404 Swietobor I and Boguslaw VII
  • 1404-1413 Swietobor I
  • 1413-1428 Otto II and Kazimierz V
  • 1428-1435 Kazimierz V
  • 1435-1451 Joachim I Mlodszy
  • 1451-1464 Otto III
  • 1464-1474 Eryk II
  • 1474-1523 Boguslaw X
  • 1523-1531 Jerzy I and Barnim X
  • 1531-1569 Barnim IX
  • 1569-1600 Jan Fryderyk
  • 1600-1603 Barnim X
  • 1603-1606 Boguslaw XIII
  • 1606-1618 Filip II
  • 1618-1620 Franciszek I
  • 1620-1625 Boguslaw XIV

[edit] Famous residents

[edit] Before 1945

[edit] After 1945

[edit] Historical population

12th century: 5,000 inhabitants
1720: 6,000 inhabitants
1740: 12,300 inhabitants
1816: 21,500 inhabitants
1843: 37,100 inhabitants
1861: 58,500 inhabitants
1872: 76,000 inhabitants
1890: 116,228 inhabitants
1910: 236,000 inhabitants
1939: 382,000 inhabitants
1945: 260,000 inhabitants (German population largely expelled, war losses.)
1950: 180,000 inhabitants (drop due to continuing expulsion of Germans)
1960: 269,400 inhabitants (resettling of Poles)
1970: 338,000 inhabitants
1975: 369,700 inhabitants
1980: 388,300 inhabitants
1990: 412.600 inhabitants
1995: 418.156 inhabitants
2000: 415,748 inhabitants
2002: 415,117 inhabitants
2003: 414,032 inhabitants
2004: 411,900 inhabitants
2005: 411,119 inhabitants

[edit] Architecture and urban planning

Szczecin's architectural style is mainly influenced by those of the last half of the 19th century and the first years of the 20th century: Academic art and Art Nouveau. In many areas built after 1945, social realism is prevalent.

Urban planning of Szczecin is unusual. The first thing observed by a newcomer is abundance of green areas: parks and avenues – wide streets with trees planted in the island separating opposite traffic (where often tram tracks are laid); and roundabouts. This makes Szczecin's city project quite similar to that of Paris. The reason is, Szczecin (like Paris) was rebuilt in the 1880s using a design by Georges-Eugène Haussmann.

This course of designing streets in Szczecin is still used, as many recently built (or modified) city areas include roundabouts and avenues.

[edit] Municipal administration

The city is administratively divided into boroughs (dzielnica), which are further divided into smaller neighbourhoods. The governing bodies of the latter serve the role of auxiliary local government bodies called Neighborhood Councils (Polish: Rady Osiedla). Elections for Neighborhood Councils are held up to six months after each City Council elections. Attendance is rather low (on 13 April 2003 it ranged from 1.03% to 27.75% and was 3.78% on average). Councillors are responsible mostly for small infrastructure like trees, park benches, playgrounds, etc. Other functions are mostly advisory. Official list of districts

Modern division onto boroughs
Enlarge
Modern division onto boroughs

[edit] Dzielnica Śródmieście (City Centre)

Centrum, Drzetowo-Grabowo, Łękno, Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka, Niebuszewo-Bolinko, Nowe Miasto, Stare Miasto, Śródmieście Północ, Śródmieście-Zachód, Turzyn

[edit] Dzielnica Północ (North)

Bukowo, Golęcino-Gocław, Niebuszewo, Skolwin, Stołczyn, Warszewo, Żelechowa

[edit] Dzielnica Zachód (West)

Głębokie-Pilchowo, Gumieńce, Krzekowo-Bezrzecze, os.Arkońskie-Niemierzyn, Osów, Pogodno, Pomorzany, Świerczewo, os.Zawadzkiego-Klonowica

[edit] Dzielnica Prawobrzeże (Right-Bank)

Bukowe-Klęskowo, Dąbie, Majowe-Kijewo, Płonia-Śmierdnica-Jezierzyce, Podjuchy, os.Słoneczne, Wielgowo-Sławociesze, Załom, Zdroje, Żydowce-Klucz

[edit] Other historical neigbourhoods

Babin, Barnucin, Basen Górniczy,Błędów, Boleszyce, Bystrzyk, Cieszyce, Cieśnik, Dolina, Drzetowo, Dunikowo, Glinki, Grabowo, Jezierzyce, Kaliny, Kępa Barnicka, Kijewko, Kluczewko, Kłobucko, Kniewo, Kraśnica, Krzekoszów, Lotnisko, Łasztownia, Niemierzyn, Odolany, Oleszna, Podbórz, Port, os.Przyjaźni, Rogatka, Rudnik, Sienna, Skoki, Słowieńsko, Sosnówko, Starków, Stoki, Struga, Śmierdnica, os.Świerczewskie, Trzebusz, Urok, Widok, Zdunowo.

[edit] Members of European Parliament (MEPs) from Szczecin

[edit] Economy

PAZIM building
Enlarge
PAZIM building
One of Szczecin's most important recent developments has been the Galaxy Centrum shopping center
Enlarge
One of Szczecin's most important recent developments has been the Galaxy Centrum shopping center

Szczecin has the biggest shipyard in Poland, which recently went bankrupt and was successfully reinstated. It has a fishing industry and a steel mill. It is served by Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport and by the Port of Szczecin, third biggest port of Poland. It is also home to several major companies. Among them is the major food producer Drobimex, Polish Steamship Company, producer of construction materials Komfort, Bosman brewery and Cefarm drug factory. It also houses several of the new business firms of the IT branch.

[edit] Culture

Major cultural events in Szczecin are:

  • Days of the Sea (Polish Dni Morza) held every June
  • Street Artists Festival (Polish Festiwal Artystów Ulicy) held every July
  • Days of The Ukrainian Culture (Polish Dni Kultury Ukraińskiej) held every May.
  • Air show on Dabie airport held every May

[edit] Museums

  • National Museum in Szczecin (Polish Muzeum Narodowe w Szczecinie) collects arts, old jewelry, military equipment. It has three branches:
    • Museum of the City of Szczecin (Polish Muzeum Miasta Szczecina)
    • Maritime Museum (Polish Muzeum Morskie)
    • Gallery of Contemporary Arts (Polish Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej)
  • Museum of the Szczecin Archidiocese (Polish Muzeum Archidiecezjalne w Szczecinie) collects sacral arts and historical documents

[edit] Arts and Entertainment

  • Bismarck tower Szczecin
  • Kana Theatre (Polish Teatr Kana)
  • Modern Theatre (Polish Teatr Współczesny)
  • Opera in the Castle (Polish Opera na Zamku)
  • Polish Theatre (Polish Teatr Polski)
  • The Pomeranian Dukes' Castle in Szczecin (Polish Zamek Książąt Pomorskich w Szczecinie)
  • The Castle Cinema (Polish Kino Zamek)
  • The Cellar by the Vault Cabaret (Polish Kabaret Piwnica przy Krypcie)
  • The Crypt Theatre (Polish Teatr Krypta)

[edit] Education and science

  • University of Szczecin (Polish Uniwersytet Szczeciński) with 35.000 students, rector Zdzislaw Chmielewski
  • Technical University of Szczecin (Polish Politechnika Szczecińska)
  • Pomeranian Medical University (Polish Pomorska Akademia Medyczna)
  • University of Agriculture in Szczecin (Polish Akademia Rolnicza w Szczecinie)
  • Branch of Academy of Music in Poznan (Polish Akademia Muzyczna w Poznaniu)
  • Maritime University of Szczecin (Polish Akademia Morska w Szczecinie)
  • The West Pomeranian Business School (Polish Zachodniopomorska Szkoła Biznesu)
  • Higher School of Public Administration in Szczecin (Polish Wyższa Szkoła Administracji Publicznej w Szczecinie)
  • High Theological Seminary in Szczecin (Polish Arcybiskupie Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne w Szczecinie)
  • Higher School of Applied Arts (Polish Wyższa Szkoła Sztuki Użytkowej)
  • Academy of European Integration (Polish Wyższa Szkoła Integracji Europejskiej)
  • Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczno-Turystyczna
  • Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczna TWP
  • Wyższa Szkoła Języków Obcych
  • Wyższa Szkoła Techniczno-Ekonomiczna
  • Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa- Collegium Balticum
  • Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa "OECONOMICUS" PTE
  • Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania

[edit] Scientific and regional organizations

  • Western Pomeranian Institute (Polish Instytut Zachodnio-Pomorski)
  • Szczecin Scientific Society (Polish Szczecińskie Towarzystwo Naukowe)

[edit] Sports

There are many popular professional sports team in Szczecin area. The most popular sport today is probably football (thanks to Pogon Szczecin just promoted to play in the 1st league in season 2004/2005). Amateur sports are played by thousands of Szczecin citizens and also in schools of all levels (elementary, secondary, university).

[edit] Professional teams:

Pogoń Szczecin, Polish football club
  • Pogon Szczecin - football team (2nd league 2003/2004, promoted to 1st league in 2004/2005)
  • Arkonia Szczecin - football team (4th league in season 2003/2004)
  • Pogon Szczecin II - 2nd Pogon football team (regional 4th league in season 2003/2004)
  • KS Piast Szczecin - women's volleyball team, (Seria A in season 2003/2004 and 2004/2005)
  • Łącznościowiec Szczecin - women's handball team playing in Polish Ekstraklasa Women's Handball League: 9th place in 2003/2004 season

[edit] Amateur leagues

  • Halowa Amatorska Liga Pilkarska - Hall Amateur Football League [1]
  • Halowa Liga Pilki Noznej- Hall Football League
  • Szczecinska Liga Amatorskiej Koszykowki - Szczecin Amateur Basketball League [2]
  • Szczecinska Amatorska Liga Pilki Siatkowej - Szczecin Amateur Volleyball League [3] - women league, 1st, 2nd and 3rd men league
  • Elita Professional Sport - Elita Hall Football League [4] - 1st and 2nd league, futsal cup
  • Kaskada Szczecin Rugby Club - club rugby [5] - 7 and 15 league, rugby cup

[edit] External links

 Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Internet guides

[edit] Regional media

[edit] History and culture

[edit] Economy and transportation

[edit] Education and Science

[edit] Sports

[edit] Local Businesses

Voivodeships of Poland Flag of Poland
Greater Poland | Kuyavia-Pomerania | Lesser Poland | Lower Silesia | Lublin | Lubusz | Łódź | Masovia | Opole | Podlachia | Pomerania | Silesia | Subcarpathia | Świętokrzyskie | Warmia and Masuria | West Pomerania
Principal cities: Warsaw | Łódź | Kraków | Wrocław | Poznań | Gdańsk | Szczecin | Bydgoszcz | Lublin | Katowice | Białystok | Częstochowa | Gdynia | Toruń | Olsztyn | Radom | Kielce | Rzeszów | Opole | Gorzów Wielkopolski

Coordinates: 53°26′N 14°32′E

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/z/c/Szczecin.html"