Szczecin

Szczecin
Oder River in Szczecin
Oder River in Szczecin
Flag of Szczecin
Flag		 Coat of arms of Szczecin
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Floating Garden
Motto: "Szczecin jest otwarty"
("Szczecin is open")
Szczecin (Poland)
Szczecin
Szczecin
Coordinates:
Country Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Voivodeship West Pomeranian
County city county
Established 8th century
Town rights 1243
Government
 - Mayor Piotr Krzystek
Area
 - City 301 km² (116.2 sq mi)
Population (2007)
 - City 407,811
 - Density 1,354.9/km² (3,509.1/sq mi)
 - Metro 777,000
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code PL-70-017
to 71-871
Area code(s) +48 91
Car plates ZS
Website: http://www.szczecin.pl
City Hall
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
The town's fortifications as seen in 1642
Harbour as seen in 1900
Three generations in West Pomerania after World War II: Pomnik Czynu Polaków, Szczecin

Szczecin [ˈʂt​͡ʂɛt​͡ɕin] (Ltspkr.png listen) (German: Stettin [ʃtɛˈtin] (Ltspkr.png listen); Kashubian: Sztetëno [ʂtɛˈtənɔ]; Latin: Stetinum) 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 had a total population of 420,638, but in 2007 407,811.

Szczecin is located on the Oder River, 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. Szczecin borders with Police - a district town situated at an estuary of the Oder River.

The city is on the European Route of Brick Gothic.

Contents

Origins of the name

The most likely origin of the name is considered to be the Polish words Szczyt or Szczeć-the first being the name of a hill peak, the second being a description of grass[1]. In Latin, the city is known as Stetinum. 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.

Because Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania founded the city of Neustettin (literally "New Stettin", now Szczecinek) in 1310, the original Szczecin was sometimes called "Old Szczecin" (Polish: Stary Szczecin; German: Altes Stettin).

History

Main article: History of Szczecin

Historical and cultural milieu of the city spanning a thousand years[1] have been shared by more than one nationality.[2] The history of Szczecin began at the turn of the 7th and 8th centuries with a Slavic settlement[3] on today's Castle Hill growing into a fortified borough in the 8th century at the ford of Oder River. Prince Mieszko I of Poland took control over the region in the years 967–972.[3] Around 1005 a Pomeranian pagan rebellion took place. In approximately 1080 the area was again incorporated into the holdings of Piast dynasty.[3]

After the decline of Wolin in the 12th century, Szczecin became one of the more important and powerful seaports of the Baltic Sea south coasts, with population of some 5,000 inhabitants. In the winter of 1121, the burgh under local duke Wartislaw I was subjugated by Boleslaus III of Poland and its inhabitants converted to Christianity due to two missions of bishop Otto of Bamberg in 1124 and 1128. At this time, the first Christian church of St. Peter and Paul was erected. Wartislaw managed to expand his realm westward, thereby forming the territorial body of the later Duchy of Pomerania.

This second period of Polish feudal sovereignty ended soon, the 1147 siege during the Wendish Crusade of the Duchy of Saxony with Polish participation did not result in subjugation.[4]

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.[5] After the 1164 Verchen battle, Stettin duke Bogislaw I became a vassal of the Saxony[6]. In 1173, Stettin castellan Wartislaw II could not resist a Danish attack and became vassal of Denmark.[6] In 1181, duke Bogislaw I of Stettin became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire.[7] From 1185 to 1227, Stettin dukes were again vassals of Denmark.[7]

German settlement (Ostsiedlung) accelerated in Pomerania during the 13th century.[8] Duke Barnim of Pomerania granted a local government charter to this community in 1237, separating the German settlement from the Slavic community settled around the St. Nicholas Church (in the neighborhood of Kessin (Polish: Chyzin). When Barnim granted Stettin Magdeburg Law in 1243, the old Slavic settlement with its burgh was included within the city limits, which is exceptional for Pomeranian towns usually not comprising former Slavic settlements or burghs, though sometimes founded in close proximity.[9] The former Slavic settlement was dissolved when after the town was placed under German town law the duke had to promise to level the burgh in 1249[10] and most Slavic inhabitants were resettled to two new suburbia (German: Wieken) north and south of the town.[11]

Stettin joined the Hanseatic League in 1278. In 1570, a congress was held at Stettin ending the Northern Seven Years' War.

The last Griffin duke, Bogislaw XIV died when the duchy was made a party in the Thirty Years' War. Since the Treaty of Stettin of 1630, the town along with most of Pomerania was allied to and occupied by the Swedish Empire, who managed to keep the western parts of Pomerania after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, despite the protests of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, who had a legal claim to inherit all of Pomerania. The exact partition of Pomerania between Sweden and Brandenburg was settled in Stettin in 1653. 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 seaport (after Hamburg and Bremen) and was of great importance for the supply and trade of Berlin. Cars of the Stoewer automobile company were produced in Stettin from 1899 - 1945.

In 1935 the German Wehrmacht made Stettin 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 1939 invasion of Poland, which started World War II in Europe, 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 industries.

The Soviet Red Army captured the city on April 26, 1945. Many of the city's inhabitants fled before its capture, and Stettin was virtually deserted when it fell. In the following month the city was handed over to Polish administration three times, permanently on July 5, 1945. In the meantime part of the German population had returned, believing it might become part of the Soviet occupation zone in Germany. Stettin is located mostly west of the Oder river, which was considered to become Poland's new border. However, Stettin and the mouth of the Oder River (German: Stettiner Zipfel), also became Polish.

The Polish authorities were led by Piotr Zaremba. Many of the remaining Germans were forced to work in Soviet military camps that were outside of Polish jurisdiction. In the early 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 citizens from the pre-war population as well as forced laborers from the General government. The city's German population was expelled and Stettin was resettled with Poles, many of whom came from around Poznań and Bydgoszcz, where their homes had been destroyed under the German occupation and the fighting during the East Prussian Offensive. Additional Poles were moved to the city from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union. This settlement process was coordinated by the city of Poznań, and Stettin's name was changed to the Polish name Szczecin. In 1947, after Operation Vistula, a significant number of Ukrainians came to Szczecin, having been forced by the Communist government to leave eastern Poland.

The new 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.

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, especially in the city centre, which had been destroyed due to Allied bombing, 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.

Within Szczecin's boundaries is part of the protected area called Szczecin Landscape Park in the forest of Puszcza Bukowa.

Szczecin-(TZ)OZach-panoramic-fragment.jpg

Szczecin harbour and Oder River panorama

Municipal administration

The city is administratively divided into boroughs (Polish: 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 May 20 2007 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

Dzielnica Śródmieście (City Centre) Centrum, Drzetowo-Grabowo, Łękno, Międzyodrze-Wyspa Pucka, Niebuszewo-Bolinko, Nowe Miasto, Stare Miasto, Śródmieście Północ, Śródmieście-Zachód, Turzyn.

Dzielnica Północ (North) Bukowo, Golęcino-Gocław, Niebuszewo, Skolwin, Stołczyn, Warszewo, Żelechowa.

Dzielnica Zachód (West) Głębokie-Pilchowo, Gumieńce, Krzekowo-Bezrzecze, os.Arkońskie-Niemierzyn, Osów, Pogodno, Pomorzany, Świerczewo, os.Zawadzkiego-Klonowica.

Dzielnica Prawobrzeże (Right-Bank) Bukowe-Klęskowo, Dąbie, Majowe-Kijewo, Płonia-Śmierdnica-Jezierzyce, Podjuchy, os.Słoneczne, Wielgowo-Sławociesze, Załom, Zdroje, Żydowce-Klucz.

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.

Historical population

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) from Szczecin

Economy

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

Szczecin has three shipyards (Stocznia Remontowa Gryfia, Stocznia Pomerania, Stocznia Szczecińska), of which one is the biggest in Poland (Stocznia Szczecińska, which five years ago went bankrupt and was 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.

Transportation

There is a popular public transit system operating throughout Szczecin including a bus network and electric trams.

Culture

Major cultural events in Szczecin are:

Museums

Arts and entertainment

Education and science

Scientific and regional organizations

Sports

There are many popular professional sports team in Szczecin area. The most popular sport today is probably football (thanks to Pogoń 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).

Professional teams:

Amateur leagues

Twin Towns - Sister Cities

The twin towns and sister cities of Szczecin are:

Famous residents

Before 1945

After 1945

Footnotes

  1. ↑ AIESEC, History of Szczecin
  2. ↑ Akademickie Centrum Informatyki, The history of Szczecin, 1997
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Szczecin City Hall, Municipal Government Office, A little bit about the history of the City, Szczecin 2002.
  4. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.30, ISBN 3886802728
  5. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.43, ISBN 3886802728
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.34, ISBN 3886802728
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.35, ISBN 3886802728
  8. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.43ff, ISBN 3886802728
  9. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.75, ISBN 3886802728
  10. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.83, ISBN 3886802728
  11. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.84, ISBN 3886802728
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.532, ISBN 3886802728
  13. ↑ Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.416, ISBN 3886802728
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.534, ISBN 3886802728
  15. ↑ esbjergkommune.dk accessed Feb-2008

See also

Publications

External links

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