Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

and a

seaport A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

on the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and fr ...

coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in the

Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province ( Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; (Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. The ...

after

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

. Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of

Sopot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest c ...

, the city of Gdańsk, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (''Trójmiasto'') with around 1,000,000 inhabitants. Historically and culturally part of

Kashubia pl, Kaszuby , native_name_lang = csb, de, csb , settlement_type = Historical region , anthem = Zemia Rodnô , image_map = Kashubians in Poland.png , image_flag ...

and Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia for centuries remained a small fishing village. By the 20th-century it attracted visitors as a seaside

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

. In 1926, Gdynia was granted city rights after which it enjoyed demographic and urban development, with a

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

cityscape. It became a major seaport city of Poland. In 1970,

protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...

in and around Gdynia contributed to the rise of the

Solidarity movement Solidarity ( pl, „Solidarność”, ), full name Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity" (, abbreviated ''NSZZ „Solidarność”'' ), is a Polish trade union founded in August 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. Subseq ...

in nearby

. The

port of Gdynia Port of Gdynia – the Polish seaport located on the western coast of Gdańsk Bay Baltic sea in Gdynia. Founded in 1926. In 2008 it was #2 in containers on the Baltic sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Den ...

is a regular stopover on the cruising itinerary of luxury passenger ships and

ferries A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

travelling to

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

. Gdynia's downtown, designated a historical monument of Poland in 2015, is an example of building an integrated European community and includes Functionalist architectural forms. Its axis is based around 10 Lutego Street and connects the main train station with the Southern Pier. The city is also known for holding the annual

Gdynia Film Festival The Gdynia Film Festival (until 2011: Polish Film Festival, Polish: ''Festiwal Polskich Filmów Fabularnych w Gdyni'') is an annual film festival first held in Gdańsk (1974–1986), now held in Gdynia, Poland. It has taken place every year si ...

. In 2013, Gdynia was ranked by readers of ''The News'' as Poland's best city to live in, and topped the national rankings in the category of "general quality of life". In 2021, the city entered the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

Creative Cities Network The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a project of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.City of Film.

History

Early history

Saint Michael Archangel church in Gdynia (7)

The area of the later city of Gdynia shared its history with

Pomerelia Pomerelia,, la, Pomerellia, Pomerania, pl, Pomerelia (rarely used) also known as Eastern Pomerania,, csb, Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô Vistula Pomerania, prior to World War II also known as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pome ...

(Eastern Pomerania). In prehistoric times, it was the center of Oksywie culture; it was later populated by Slavs with some

Baltic Prussian Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians or simply Prussians ( Old Prussian: ''prūsai''; german: Pruzzen or ''Prußen''; la, Pruteni; lv, prūši; lt, prūsai; pl, Prusowie; csb, Prësowié) were an indigenous tribe among the Baltic peoples that ...

influences. In the late 10th century, the region was united with the emerging state of Poland by its first historic ruler

Mieszko I Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was the first ruler of Poland and the founder of the first independent Polish state, the Duchy of Poland. His reign stretched from 960 to his death and he was a member of the Piast dynasty, a son of Siemomysł and a ...

. During the reign of Bolesław II, the region seceded from Poland and became independent, to be reunited with Poland in 1116/1121 by Bolesław III. In 1209, the present-day district of

Oksywie Oksywie (german: Oxhöft, csb, Òksëwiô) is a neighbourhood of the city of Gdynia, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Formerly a separate settlement, it is older than Gdynia by several centuries. Etymology Both the Polish and then Germ ...

was first mentioned (''Oxhöft''). Following the fragmentation of Poland, the region became part of the Duchy of Pomerania (Eastern), which became separate from Poland in 1227, to be reunited in 1282. The first known mention of the name "Gdynia", as a Pomeranian (

Kashubian Kashubian can refer to: * Pertaining to Kashubia, a region of north-central Poland * Kashubians, an ethnic group of north-central Poland * Kashubian language See also *Kashubian alphabet The Kashubian or Cassubian alphabet (''kaszëbsczi alf ...

) fishing village dates back to 1253. The first church on this part of the Baltic Sea coast was built there. In 1309–1310, the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

invaded and annexed the region from Poland. In 1380, the owner of the village which became Gdynia, Peter from Rusocin, gave the village to the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...

Order. In 1382, Gdynia became property of the Cistercian abbey in

Oliwa Oliwa ( la, Oliva; csb, Òlëwa; german: Oliva) is a northern district of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętowo, ...

. In 1454, King

Casimir IV Jagiellon Casimir IV (in full Casimir IV Andrew Jagiellon; pl, Kazimierz IV Andrzej Jagiellończyk ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the m ...

signed the of act of incorporation of the region to the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

, and the Thirteen Years' War, the longest of all Polish-Teutonic wars, started. It ended in 1466, when the Teutonic Knights recognized the region as part of Poland. Administratively, Gdynia was located in the

in the province of

Royal Prussia Royal Prussia ( pl, Prusy Królewskie; german: Königlich-Preußen or , csb, Królewsczé Prësë) or Polish PrussiaAnton Friedrich Büsching, Patrick Murdoch. ''A New System of Geography'', London 1762p. 588/ref> (Polish: ; German: ) was a ...

in the Greater Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland and later of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ...

. In 1772, Gdynia was annexed by the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) constituted the German state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: ...

in the First Partition of Poland. Gdynia, under the Germanized name ''Gdingen'', was included within the newly formed province of

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...

and was expropriated from the Cistercian Order. In 1789, there were only 21 houses in Gdynia. Around that time Gdynia was so small that it was not marked on many maps of the period: it was about halfway from Oksywie and Mały Kack, now districts of Gdynia. In 1871, the village became part of the German Empire. In the early 20th century Gdynia was not a poor fishing village as it is sometimes described; it had become a popular tourist spot with several guest houses, restaurants, cafés, several brick houses and a small harbour with a pier for small trading ships. The first

mayor was Jan Radtke. It is estimated that around 1910 the population of Gdynia was 895 people. Following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, in 1918, Poland regained independence, and following the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1 ...

, in 1920, Gdynia was re-integrated with the reborn Polish state. Simultaneously, the nearby city of Gdańsk (''Danzig'') and surrounding area was declared a free city and put under the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by ...

, though Poland was given economic liberties and requisitioned for matters of foreign representation.

Construction of the seaport

The decision to build a major seaport at Gdynia village was made by the Polish government in winter 1920, in the midst of the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

(1919–1920). Robert Michael Citino. ''The path to blitzkrieg: doctrine and training in the German Army, 1920–1939''. Lynne Rienner Publishers. 1999. p. 173. The authorities and seaport workers of the

Free City of Danzig The Free City of Danzig (german: Freie Stadt Danzig; pl, Wolne Miasto Gdańsk; csb, Wòlny Gard Gduńsk) was a city-state under the protection of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gda ...

felt Poland's economic rights in the city were being misappropriated to help fight the war. German dockworkers went on strike, refusing to unload shipments of military supplies sent from the West to aid the Polish army, and Poland realized the need for a port city it was in complete control of, economically and politically. 140429-POL-Gdynia-Muzeum MW

Construction of Gdynia seaport started in 1921 but, because of financial difficulties, it was conducted slowly and with interruptions. It was accelerated after the

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

(Polish parliament) passed the ''Gdynia Seaport Construction Act'' on 23 September 1922. By 1923 a 550-metre pier, of a wooden tide breaker, and a small harbour had been constructed. Ceremonial inauguration of Gdynia as a temporary military port and fishers' shelter took place on 23 April 1923. The first major seagoing ship, the French Line steamer ''Kentucky'', arrived on 13 August 1923 after being diverted because of a strike at Gdansk. Gdynia, transatlantyk MS Pilsudski 1935 (67264474)

Gdynia, transatlantyk MS Pilsudski 1935 (67264474)

To speed up the construction works, the Polish government in November 1924 signed a contract with the French-Polish Consortium for Gdynia Seaport Construction. By the end of 1925, they had built a small seven-metre-deep harbour, the south pier, part of the north pier, a railway, and had ordered the trans-shipment equipment. The works were going more slowly than expected, however. They accelerated only after May 1926, because of an increase in Polish exports by sea, economic prosperity, the outbreak of the German–Polish trade war which reverted most Polish international trade to sea routes, and thanks to the personal engagement of

Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski (30 December 1888, Kraków – 22 August 1974, Kraków) was a Polish politician and economist, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, government minister and manager of the Second Polish Republic. Biography He studied at the pr ...

, Polish Minister of Industry and Trade (also responsible for the construction of

Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy The Central Industrial District ( pl, Centralny Okręg Przemysłowy, abbreviated COP), is an industrial region in Poland. It was one of the biggest economic projects of the Second Polish Republic. The 5-year-long project was initiated by a famous P ...

). By the end of 1930 docks, piers, breakwaters, and many auxiliary and industrial installations were constructed (such as depots, trans-shipment equipment, and a rice processing factory) or started (such as a large cold store). Trans-shipments rose from 10,000 tons (1924) to 2,923,000 tons (1929). At this time Gdynia was the only transit and special seaport designed for coal exports. In the years 1931–1939 Gdynia harbour was further extended to become a universal seaport. In 1938 Gdynia was the largest and most modern seaport on the Baltic Sea, as well as the tenth biggest in Europe. The trans-shipments rose to 8.7 million tons, which was 46% of Polish foreign trade. In 1938 the Gdynia shipyard started to build its first full-sea ship, the '' Olza''.

Construction of the city

The city was constructed later than the seaport. In 1925 a special committee was inaugurated to build the city; city expansion plans were designed and city rights were granted in 1926, and tax privileges were granted for investors in 1927. The city started to grow significantly after 1928. A

new railway station The New Thessaloniki Railway Station ( el, Νέος Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Θεσσαλονίκης, ''Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos Thessalonikis'') is the main central passenger railway station and terminal of Thessalon ...

and the Post Office were completed. The State railways extended their lines, built bridges and also constructed a group of houses for their employees. Within a few years houses were built along some of road leading northward from the

to Gdynia and beyond. Public institutions and private employers helped their staff to build houses.
In 1933 a plan of development providing for a population of 250,000 was worked out by a special commission appointed by a government committee, in collaboration with the municipal authorities. By 1939 the population had grown to over 120,000. File:Sąd rejonowy betonowe 06.jpg, Gdynia Courthouse by Zbigniew Karpiński, 1936 File:Gdynia Dowodztwo MW 2.jpg, Headquarters of the Polish Navy File:Gdynia urząd miasta UM.jpg, Piłsudski Avenue with modernist buildings File:PlacKaszubski.PomnikAntoniAbrahamk.jpg, ''Plac Kaszubski'', one of the main squares in the city File:Siedziba_Zakładu_Ubezpieczeń_i_PLO.jpg, ''PLO Building'' designed by Roman Piotrowski File:Gdynia, Świętojańska 55 (1) - czupirek 2013.jpg, ''Krenski House'', detail, by Zbigniew Kupiec

Gdynia during World War II (1939–1945)

During the German

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...

, which started

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in September 1939, Gdynia was the site of fierce Polish defense. On 13 September 1939, the Germans carried out first arrests of local Poles in the southern part of the city, while the Polish defense was still ongoing in the northern part. On 14 September 1939, the Germans captured the entire city, and then

occupied ' ( Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...

it until 1945. On 15–16 September, the Germans carried out further mass arrests of 7,000 Poles, while Polish soldiers still fought in nearby Kępa Oksywska. The German police surrounded the city and carried out mass searches of weapons. Arrested Poles were held and interrogated in churches, cinemas and halls, and then around 3,000 people were released until 18 September. The occupiers established several prisons and camps for Polish people, who were afterwards either deported to

concentration camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

or executed.Wardzyńska, p. 106 Some Poles from Gdynia were executed by the Germans near

Starogard Gdański Starogard Gdański (; until 1950: ''Starogard''; csb, Starogarda; formerly german: Preußisch Stargard) is a city in Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland with 48,328 inhabitants (2004). Starogard is the capital of Starogard County. It is a ...

in September 1939. In October and November 1939, the Germans carried out public executions of 52 Poles, including activists, bank directors and priests, in various parts of the city. In November 1939, the occupiers also murdered hundreds of Poles from Gdynia during the

massacres in Piaśnica The massacres in Piaśnica were a set of mass executions carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II, between the fall of 1939 and spring of 1940 in Piaśnica Wielka (Groß Piasnitz) in the Darzlubska Wilderness near Wejherowo. The exa ...

committed nearby as part of the ''

Intelligenzaktion The ''Intelligenzaktion'' (), or the Intelligentsia mass shootings, was a series of mass murders which was committed against the Polish intelligentsia (teachers, priests, physicians, and other prominent members of Polish society) early in the ...

''. Among the victims were policemen, officials, civil defenders of Gdynia, judges, court employees, the director and employees of the

National Bank of Poland The Narodowy Bank Polski (; the National Bank of Poland), often abbreviated to NBP, is the central bank of Poland, founded in 1945. It controls the issuing of Poland's currency, the Polish złoty. The bank is headquartered in Warsaw, and has bran ...

, merchants, priests, school principals, teachers, and students of local high schools. On the night of 10–11 November, the German security police carried out mass arrests of over 1,500 Poles in the Obłuże district, and then murdered 23 young men aged 16-20, in retaliation for breaking windows at the headquarters of the German security police. Poles arrested in Gdynia September 1939

On 11 November, a German gendarme shot and killed two Polish boys who were collecting Polish books from the street, which were thrown out of the windows by new German settlers in the Oksywie district. The Germans renamed the city to ''Gotenhafen'' after the

Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Euro ...

, an ancient Germanic tribe, who had lived in the area. 10 Poles from Gdynia were also murdered by the Russians in the large

Katyn massacre The Katyn massacre, "Katyń crime"; russian: link=yes, Катынская резня ''Katynskaya reznya'', "Katyn massacre", or russian: link=no, Катынский расстрел, ''Katynsky rasstrel'', "Katyn execution" was a series of m ...

in April–May 1940. Some 50,000 Polish citizens, who moved to Gdynia after 1920, were expelled to the General Government (German-occupied central Poland) to make space for new German settlers in accordance with the ''

Lebensraum (, ''living space'') is a German concept of settler colonialism, the philosophy and policies of which were common to German politics from the 1890s to the 1940s. First popularized around 1901, '' lso in:' became a geopolitical goal of Impe ...

'' policy. Local

Kashubians The Kashubians ( csb, Kaszëbi; pl, Kaszubi; german: Kaschuben), also known as Cassubians or Kashubs, are a Lechitic ( West Slavic) ethnic group native to the historical region of Pomerania, including its eastern part called Pomerelia, in no ...

who were suspected to support the Polish cause, particularly those with higher education, were also arrested and executed. The German

gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a '' Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest rank in the Nazi political leadership, subordinate only to ''Reichsleiter'' and to th ...

Albert Forster Albert Maria Forster (26 July 1902 – 28 February 1952) was a Nazi German politician, member of the SS and war criminal. Under his administration as the ''Gauleiter'' and ''Reichsstatthalter'' of Danzig-West Prussia (the other German-ann ...

considered Kashubians of "low value" and did not support any attempts to create a Kashubian nationality. Despite such circumstances, local Poles, including Kashubians, organized Polish resistance groups, Kashubian Griffin (later

Pomeranian Griffin The Pomeranian Griffin secret military organization ( pl, Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Pomorski) was a Polish anti-Nazi resistance group active in Pomerania and East Prussia during World War II. A major Polish resistance organization in the ...

), and the exiled "Związek Pomorski" in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. In 1943, local Poles managed to save some kidnapped Polish children from the

Zamość Zamość (; yi, זאמאשטש, Zamoshtsh; la, Zamoscia) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. ...

region, by buying them from the Germans at the local train station. ORP Błyskawica w nowym kamuflażu - 02-01-2012

The harbour was transformed into a German naval base. The

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...

was expanded in 1940 and became a branch of the

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland pe ...

shipyard (''Deutsche Werke Kiel A.G.''). The city became an important base, due to its being relatively distant from the

war theater In warfare, a theater or theatre is an area in which important military events occur or are in progress. A theater can include the entirety of the airspace, land and sea area that is or that may potentially become involved in war operations. ...

, and many German large ships— battleships and

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval ...

s—were anchored there. During 1942, Dr Joseph Goebbels authorized relocation of to Gotenhafen Harbour as a stand-in for during filming of the German-produced movie ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'', directed by

Herbert Selpin Herbert Selpin (29 May 1904 – 1 August 1942) was a German film director and screenwriter of light entertainment during the 1930s and 1940s. He is best known for his final film, the partly suppressed ''Titanic'', during the production of which h ...

. The city was the location of two subcamps of the

Stutthof concentration camp Stutthof was a Nazi concentration camp established by Nazi Germany in a secluded, marshy, and wooded area near the village of Stutthof (now Sztutowo) 34 km (21 mi) east of the city of Danzig ( Gdańsk) in the territory of the Germa ...

. The first subcamp was located in the Orłowo district in 1941–1942, the second, named ''Gotenhafen'', was located at the shipyard in 1944–1945. The seaport and the shipyard both witnessed several air raids by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

from 1943 onwards, but suffered little damage. Gdynia was used during winter 1944–45 to evacuate German

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tro ...

s and refugees trapped by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

. Some of the ships were hit by

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

es from Soviet submarines in the

on the route west. The ship sank, taking about 9,400 people with her – the worst loss of life in a single sinking in maritime history. The seaport area was largely destroyed by withdrawing German troops and millions of encircled

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s in 1945 being bombarded by the Soviet military (90% of the buildings and equipment were destroyed) and the harbour entrance was blocked by the German battleship that had been brought to Gotenhafen for major repairs.

After World War II

On 28 March 1945, the city was captured by the Soviets and restored to Poland. The Soviets installed a communist regime, which stayed in power until the

Fall of Communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...

in the 1989. The post-war period saw an influx of settlers from

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...

which was destroyed by Germany, and other parts of the country as well as Poles from the cities of

Wilno Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

(now ''Vilnius'') and

Lwów Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...

(now ''Lviv'') from the Soviet-annexed former eastern Poland. Also

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, Albania, Greeks in Italy, ...

refugees of the Greek Civil War During and after the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949, members and or supporters of the defeated Communist forces fled Greece as political refugees. The collapse of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and subsequent evacuation of the Communist Party o ...

, settled in the city. The port of Gdynia was one of the three Polish ports through which refugees of the Greek Civil War reached Poland. On December 17th, 1970, worker demonstrations took place at Gdynia Shipyard. Workers were fired upon by the police.

Janek Wiśniewski Zbigniew Eugeniusz Godlewski (3 August 195217 December 1970) was a Polish teenager shot dead by security forces during the 1970 Polish protests in the city of Gdynia. The event was popularized across the country in the poem and song, known by th ...

was one of 40 killed, and was commemorated in a song by Mieczysław Cholewa, ''Pieśń o Janku z Gdyni''. One of Gdynia's important streets is named after Janek Wiśniewski. The event was also portrayed in

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of th ...

's movie ''

Man of Iron ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

''. On 4 December 1999,

a storm ''A Storm'', a 1922 pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pa ...

destroyed a huge crane in a shipyard.

Geography

Climate

The climate of Gdynia is an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

owing to its position of the

, which moderates the temperatures, compared to the interior of

. The climate is cool throughout the year and there is a somewhat uniform precipitation throughout the year. Typical of Northern Europe, there is little sunshine during the year. Because of its latitude, Gdynia has 17 hours of daylight in midsummer but only around 7 hours in midwinter.

Districts

Gdynia is divided into smaller divisions: ''

dzielnica In the Polish system of local administration, a dzielnica (Polish plural ''dzielnice'') is an administrative subdivision or quarter of a city or town. A dzielnica may have its own elected council (''rada dzielnicy'', or ''dzielnica council''), a ...

s'' and ''

osiedle Osiedle (Polish plural: ''osiedla'', from German ''Ansiedlung'' meaning ''settlement'') is a term used in Poland to denote a designated subdivision or neighbourhood of a city or its dzielnica, or of a town, with its own council and executive. L ...

s''. Gdynia's ''dzielnicas'' include: Babie Doły, Chwarzno-Wiczlino, Chylonia, Cisowa, Dąbrowa, Działki Leśne, Grabówek, Kamienna Góra, Karwiny, Leszczynki, Mały Kack, Obłuże,

, Orłowo, Pogórze, Pustki Cisowskie-Demptowo, Redłowo, Śródmieście, Wielki Kack, Witomino-Leśniczówka, Witomino-Radiostacja, Wzgórze Św. Maksymiliana.
''Osiedles'': Bernadowo, Brzozowa Góra, Chwarzno, Dąbrówka, Demptowo, Dębowa Góra, Fikakowo, Gołębiewo, Kacze Buki, Kolibki, Kolonia Chwaszczyno, Kolonia Rybacka, Krykulec, Marszewo, Międzytorze, Niemotowo, Osada Kolejowa, Osada Rybacka, Osiedle Bernadowo, Port, Pustki Cisowskie, Tasza, Wiczlino, Wielka Rola, Witomino, Wysoka, Zielenisz.

Cityscape

Gdynia is a relatively modern city. Its architecture includes the 13th century St. Michael the Archangel's Church in

, the oldest building in Gdynia, and the 17th century

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with ...

located on Folwarczna Street in Orłowo. The surrounding hills and the coastline attract many nature lovers. A leisure

pier Seaside pleasure pier in England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out ...

and a cliff-like coastline in Kępa Redłowska, as well as the surrounding Nature Reserve, are also popular locations. In the harbour, there are two anchored

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small num ...

s, the destroyer and the

tall ship A tall ship is a large, traditionally- rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or fe ...

frigate ''

Dar Pomorza The ''Dar Pomorza'' ( en, Gift of Pomerania) is a Polish full-rigged sailing ship built in 1909 which is preserved in Gdynia as a museum ship. She has served as a sail training ship in Germany, France, and Poland. ''Dar Pomorza'' won the Cutty ...

''. A -long

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

leads from the

marina A marina (from Spanish language, Spanish , Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a Dock (maritime), dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina dif ...

in the city center, to the beach in Redłowo. Most of Gdynia can be seen from Kamienna Góra (

asl American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States of America and most of Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that is express ...

) or the viewing point near Chwaszczyno. There are also two viewing towers, one at Góra

Donas The Donas hill is in Poland in the Pomerania region, within the borders of the City of Gdynia, in the Dąbrowa district. There are two summits, higher western 206.5 m, entirely forested, and the eastern one 205.6 m, the one with the GSM tower. ...

, the other at Kolibki. In 2015 the Emigration Museum opened in the city. Other museums include the

Gdynia Aquarium Gdynia Aquarium ( pl, Akwarium Gdyńskie) is a public aquarium and sea museum operated by the National Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Gdynia, Poland. Previously called the ''Oceanographic Museum and Sea Aquarium of the Sea Fisheries In ...

, Experyment Science Center, Abraham's house, Żeromski's house, Gdynia Automotive Museum, Naval Museum, and Gdynia City Museum.

Modernist Center

Gdynia holds many examples of early 20th-century architecture, especially monumentalism and early functionalism, and

modernism Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, ...

. Historic Urban Layout of the City Center was drafted by Adam Kuncewicz and

Roman Feliński Roman Feliński (4 February 1886 – 22 March 1953) was a Polish architect. He authored the first Polish book on urban planning. He worked on development plans for Gdynia and Warsaw, and designed over 150 buildings, among others, the ''Magnus'' ...

in 1926. The central axis of Gdynia is built around 10 Lutego Street, Kosciuszka Square and the Southern Pier. The structure of the city is designed to emphasize the connection of Gdynia and Poland with the Baltic Sea. Examples of modernist architecture are the buildings of the Bank of Poland and many tenement houses (''

kamienice Kamienice is a settlement in the administrative district of Gmina Malbork, within Malbork County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Malbork and south-east of the regional capital Gdańsk. Before 1 ...

''). Another good example of modernism is ''PLO Building'' situated at 10 Lutego Street. The architecture of central Gdynia was inspired by the work of European architects such as Erich Mendelssohn and is sometimes compared to the

White City White City may refer to: Places Australia * White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore * White City railway station, a former railway station * White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney * White City FC, a football c ...

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

. The center of Gdynia has become a symbol of modernity, but was included in the list of historical monuments of Poland and is a candidate for the

UNESCO World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Culture

Gdynia hosts the

, the main Polish film festival. The

International Random Film Festival The International Random Film Festival is the first film festival in the world which celebrates randomness in cinema. Out of the submission 25 films are selected to compete each year. The festival is organized annually in a randomly selected loca ...

was hosted in Gdynia in November 2014. Since 2003 Gdynia has been hosting the

Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Fest ...

, one of the biggest contemporary music festivals in Europe. The festival welcomes many foreign hip-hop,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

artists every year. In record-high 2018 it was attended by over 140,000 people, who enjoyed the lineup headlined by

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (character), 2-D (Singing, vocals, Musical keyboard, keyboards), Murd ...

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...

, and

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depech ...

. Another important summer event in Gdynia is the Viva Beach Party, which is a large two-day

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

party made on Gdynia's Public Beach and a summer-welcoming concerts CudaWianki. Gdynia also hosts events for the annual Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival.
In the summer of 2014 Gdynia hosted

Red Bull Air Race World Championship The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a ...

Cultural references

In 2008, Gdynia made it onto the '' Monopoly Here and Now World Edition'' board after being voted by fans through the Internet. Gdynia occupies the space traditionally held by

Mediterranean Avenue ''Monopoly'' is a multi-player economics-themed board game. In the game, players roll two dice to move around the game board, buying and trading properties and developing them with houses and hotels. Players collect rent from their opponents, a ...

, being the lowest voted city to make it onto the Monopoly Here and Now board, but also the smallest city to make it in the game. All of the other cities are large and widely known ones, the second smallest being Riga. The unexpected success of Gdynia can be attributed to a mobilization of the town's population to vote for it on the Internet. An abandoned factory district in Gdynia was the scene for the survival series ''Man vs Wild'', season 6, episode 12. The host, Bear Grylls, manages to escape the district after blowing up a door and crawling through miles of sewer.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and villain from the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service ...

, the supervillain in the

James Bond novels ''James Bond'' is a literary franchise comprising a series of novels and short stories, first published in 1953 by Ian Fleming, a British author, journalist, and former naval intelligence officer. The protagonist of the series, James Bond, i ...

, was born in Gdynia on 28 May 1908, according to '' Thunderball''. Gdynia is sometimes called "Polish

Roswell Roswell may refer to: * Roswell incident Places in the United States * Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs * Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta * Roswell, Idaho * Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported 194 ...

" due to the alleged UFO crash on 21 January 1959.

Notable people

* Stanisław Baranowski (1935–1978), glaciologist, undertook scientific expeditions to Spitsbergen and Antarctica. *

Karol Olgierd Borchardt Karol Olgierd Borchardt ( 25 March 1905 – 20 May 1986 ) was a Polish writer and captain of the Polish Merchant Marine. Biography Born to Polish parents in Moscow, Karol Borchardt spent the vast majority of his life in Gdynia and died there i ...

(1905–1986), writer and captain of the Polish Merchant Marine * Krzysztof Charamsa (born 1972), former Catholic theologian and author *

Adam Darski Adam Nergal Darski (born Adam Michał Darski, 10 June 1977), often referred to by his stage name Nergal, is a Polish musician and television personality. He is best known as the frontman of extreme metal band Behemoth. Career Nergal was ...

(born 1977), musician and TV personality, frontman for the blackened death metal band

Behemoth Behemoth (; he, בְּהֵמוֹת, ''bəhēmōṯ'') is a beast from the biblical Book of Job, and is a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation; he is paired with the other chaos-monster, Leviathan, and ...

* Wiesław Dawidowski (born 1964), Augustinian Catholic priest, doctor of theology and journalist * Rafał de Weryha-Wysoczański (born 1975), art historian, genealogist and writer * Jacek Fedorowicz (born 1937), satirist and actor *

Tova Friedman Tova Friedman (Birth name, née Grossman; born January 27, 1938) is a Polish American therapist, social worker, author, and academic. She is a Holocaust survivors, Holocaust survivor who was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Friedman ta ...

(born 1938), therapist, social worker, author and

Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...

Eugeniusz Geno Małkowski Eugeniusz Geno Małkowski (; 5 September 1942 – 20 August 2016) was a Polish painter. Małkowski was a professor of contemporary art at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, founder of artistic groups and associations throughout Poland ...

(1942–2016), painter *

Gunnar Heinsohn Gunnar Heinsohn is a German author, sociologist and economist and professor emeritus at the University of Bremen. In 1984 he received a ''Lehrstuhl'', a tenured chair in social pedagogy at the University of Bremen. Heinsohn has published on a wid ...

(born 1943), German author, sociologist and economist * Klaus Hurrelmann (born 1944), Professor of Public Health and Education * Hilary Jastak (1914–2000 in Gdynia), Catholic priest, Doctor of Theology, Chaplain of Solidarity movement, Major of Polish Armed Forces, Lieutenant Commander of the Polish Navy *

Janusz Kaczmarek Janusz Kazimierz Kaczmarek (born 25 December 1961 in Gdynia) is a Polish lawyer, prosecutor and politician. He was National Public Prosecutor from 31 October 2005 to 8 February 2007, and Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration fr ...

(born 1961), lawyer, prosecutor and politician * Marcin Kupinski (born 1983), ballet dancer *

Tomasz Makowiecki Tomasz Makowiecki (born 10 June 1983, in Gdynia) is a Polish musician, singer and songwriter. History ''Idol'' and Makowiecki Band (2002–2005) Makowiecki became popular in 2002 as one of the finalists in the first season of Polish TV series ' ...

(born 1983), musician, singer and songwriter *

Dorota Nieznalska Dorota Alicja Nieznalska (born 19 September 1973) is a Polish visual artist and sculptor. Nieznalska's controversial installation ''Pasja'' (2002), which included the placement of an image of the penis upon a metal Greek cross, resulted in a nota ...

(born 1973), visual artist and sculptor * Kazimierz Ostrowski (1917–1999 in Gdynia), painter *

Anna Przybylska Anna Przybylska (26 December 1978 – 5 October 2014) was a Polish actress and model. She was ranked high amongst the most beautiful Polish actresses and was chosen, in 2004, to be the Polish ambassador for the ASTOR cosmetics brand. Two years ...

(1978–2014), actress and model *

Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld Zvi Aryeh Benzion Rosenfeld (1922 – 11 December 1978) was an American rabbi and educator credited with introducing Breslov (Hasidic group), Breslov Hasidic Judaism, Hasidism to the United States. Teaching children, teens, and adults in New York C ...

(1922–1978), Polish-American

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

and educator *

Jerzy Rubach Jerzy Jan Rubach (; born February 16, 1948, in Gdynia) is a Polish linguist who specializes in phonology. He is a professor of linguistics at the University of Iowa and the University of Warsaw (Poland). In 1966-1971 Rubach studied at the Insti ...

(born 1948), Polish and American linguist who specializes in phonology *

Arkadiusz Rybicki Arkadiusz Czesław Rybicki (12 January 1953 – 10 April 2010) was a Polish politician. Biography Rybicki was born in Gdynia. In the 1980s he was active in the Solidarity movement. He was elected to the Sejm on 25 September 2005, getting 9466 v ...

(1953–2010), politician, active in the Solidarity movement * Joanna Senyszyn (born 1949), left-wing politician, vice-president of the

Democratic Left Alliance The Democratic Left Alliance () was a social-democratic political party in Poland. It was formed in 9 July 1991 as an electoral alliance of centre-left parties, and became a single party on 15 April 1999. It was the major coalition party in P ...

(SLD) and

MEP MEP may refer to: Organisations and politics * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, a political party in Sri Lanka * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (1956), a former political alliance in Sri Lanka * Maison européenne de la photographie, a photography centre ...

Anna Siewierska Anna Siewierska (born Gdynia, Poland, 25 December 1955, died Da Lat, Vietnam, 6 August 2011) was a Polish-born linguist who worked in Australia, Poland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. She was professor of linguistics at Department o ...

(1955-2011), Polish-born linguist, specialist in language typology *

Wojciech Szczurek Wojciech Bogusław Szczurek (born 1 December 1963 in Gdynia) has been the mayor of the City of Gdynia since 1998. He was also the Advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland – Lech Kaczyński for local government. Biography Wojciech Sz ...

(born 1963), Mayor of the City of Gdynia since 1998 * Józef Unrug (1884–1973), German-born Polish vice admiral who helped create the Polish navy *

Marian Zacharski Marian Zacharski (born 1951 in Gdynia, Poland; raised in nearby Sopot), is a former Polish intelligence officer, arrested in 1981 and convicted of espionage against the United States. After four years in prison, he was exchanged for American agent ...

(born 1951), Intelligence officer convicted of espionage * Marek Żukowski (born 1952), theoretical physicist, specializes in quantum mechanics

Sport

Jörg Berger Jörg Berger (13 October 1944 – 23 June 2010) was a German football manager and player, who last managed Arminia Bielefeld. Career As an active he played for 1.FC Lok Leipzig. Coaching career In 1970, Berger was forced to retire due to ...

(1944–2010), German soccer player, trainer *

Adelajda Mroske Adelajda Mroske (25 June 1944 – 9 January 1975) was a Polish speed skater. She competed in four events at the 1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winter ...

(1944–1975), speed skater, she competed in four events at the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label= Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...

* Ryszard Marczak (born 1945), former long-distance runner from Poland, competed in the marathon at the

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

Józef Błaszczyk Józef Wojciech Błaszczyk (born 23 March 1947, in Gdynia) is a sailor from Poland. Błaszczyk represented his country at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state ...

(born 1947), sailor who competed in the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972 ...

Andrzej Chudziński Andrzej Chudziński (17 September 1948 – 4 September 1985) was a butterfly Polish Swimming (sport), swimmer. He competed in Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics, three events at the 1972 Summer Olympics. References External links

* ...

(1948–1995), swimmer, competed in three events at the

Anna Sobczak Anna Sobczak (born 2 November 1967) is a Polish fencer. She competed in the women's individual and team foil events at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímp ...

(born 1967), fencer, competed in the women's individual and team foil events at the 1988 and

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

* Tomasz Sokołowski (born 1970), footballer, over 350 pro games and 12 for Poland * Jarosław Rodzewicz (born 1973), fencer, won a silver medal in the team foil event at the 1996 Summer Olympics * Marcin Mięciel (born 1975), soccer player, over 500 pro games *

Michael Klim Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

(born 1977), Polish-born Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist and world champion * Anna Rybicka (born 1977), fencer, she won a silver medal in the women's team foil event at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

Andrzej Bledzewski Andrzej Bledzewski (born 2 July 1977) is a Polish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently serves as a goalkeeping coach for GKS Tychy. Career Club In February 2011, he joined Warta Poznań. In July 2011, he joined Miedź ...

(born 1977), retired football goalkeeper, over 400 pro games *

Tomasz Dawidowski Tomasz Dawidowski (born 4 February 1978 in Gdynia) is a Polish footballer. He plays as a striker or a midfielder. Club career Dawidowski started his career at Lechia Gdańsk. In 1998, he joined Amica Wronki. In 2004, he moved to Wisła Kraków. ...

(born 1978), footballer, over 200 pro games and 10 for Poland *

Maciej Grabowski Maciej Grabowski (died 1750) was a Polish-Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states a ...

(born 1978), laser class sailor, competed in the

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and 2008 Summer Olympics * Adriana Dadci (born 1979), judoka, competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics *

Stefan Liv Stefan Daniel Patryk Liv (born Patryk Śliż; 21 December 1980 – 7 September 2011) was a Swedish professional ice hockey player who played as a goaltender. Liv played professionally in Sweden, North America and Russia. Liv playe ...

(1980–2011), Polish-born Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender *

Monika Pyrek Monika Zofia Pyrek-Rokita (born 11 August 1980) is a retired Polish pole vaulter. Born in Gdynia, competing at the 2004 Olympics, she placed fourth with 4.55 metres, just behind another Polish pole vaulter born in Gdynia, Anna Rogowska. Monika ...

(born 1980), retired pole vaulter, competed at the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

and 2012 Summer Olympics * Anna Rogowska (born 1981), pole vaulter, the bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics * Michał Zych (born 1982), ice dancer * Karolina Chlewińska (born 1983), foil fencer, competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics *

Igor Janik Igor Janik (born 18 January 1983 in Gdynia) is a male javelin thrower from Poland. His personal best throw is 84.76m achieved in 2008. Competition record Seasonal bests by year *2000 - 62.41 *2001 - 75.03 *2002 - 78.90 *2003 - 82.54 *2004 - ...

(born 1983), javelin thrower, competed in the

and 2012 Summer Olympics *

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik Klaudia Jans-Ignacik (née Jans; born 24 September 1984) is a retired Polish tennis player. On 16 August 2004, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 410. On 10 September 2012, she peaked at No. 28 in the doubles rankings. Ja ...

(born 1984), retired tennis player, competed in the

and 2012 Summer Olympics *

Piotr Hallmann Piotr Hallmann (born 25 August 1987 in Gdynia) is a Polish mixed martial artist and second lieutenant in the Polish Navy. Hallmann has fought as a lightweight throughout his MMA career, and competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He i ...

(born 1987), mixed martial artist, second lieutenant in the Polish Navy * Joanna Mitrosz (born 1988), rhythmic gymnast, competed at the

and 2012 Summer Olympics * Małgorzata Białecka (born 1988), windsurfer, competed at 2016 Summer Olympics *

Olek Czyż Aleksander "Olek" Czyż is a Polish professional basketball player. He has also represented the Polish national team. Early years and college Czyż grew up playing basketball in Poland. He first started playing when he was 10 years old for a cl ...

(born 1990), professional basketball player, played for Poland *

Justyna Plutowska Justyna Plutowska (born 27 June 1991) is a Polish ice dancer. With former partner Peter Gerber, she is the 2013 Finlandia Trophy bronze medalist and 2014 Bavarian Open champion. Personal life Justyna Plutowska was born 27 June 1991 in Gdynia, P ...

(born 1991), ice dancer

Fictional characters

(born 28 May 1908 in Gdingen), fictional character and villain from the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 19 ...

series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming

Sports

Sport teams *

Arka Gdynia Morski Związkowy Klub Sportowy Arka Gdynia () is a Polish professional football club, based in Gdynia, Poland, that plays in the Polish I liga. The club was founded as Klub Sportowy Gdynia in 1929. History The history of Arka dates back to ...

– men's football team (

Polish Cup The Polish Cup in football ( pl, Puchar Polski w piłce nożnej ) is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa titl ...

winner 1979 and 2017,

Polish SuperCup The Polish Super Cup (, ) is an annually held match between the champions of the Ekstraklasa and the Polish Cup winners or, if the Ekstraklasa champions also win the Polish Cup, the Cup's runners-up. As of 2021, the Polish Super Cup has been pl ...

winner in 2017 and in 2018. Currently plays in the first division of Polish football, the

Ekstraklasa Poland Ekstraklasa (), meaning "Extra Class" in Polish, named PKO Ekstraklasa since the 2019–20 season due to its sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is the top Polish professional league for men's association football teams. Contested by 18 ...

) *

Bałtyk Gdynia Bałtyk Gdynia is a Polish football club from Gdynia. The club is named after the Baltic Sea. History The club was established in 1930 by football enthusiasts from the developing city. Bałtyk is the oldest football club from Gdynia, which sti ...

– men's football team, currently playing in Polish 4th division *

Arka Gdynia (basketball) Arka Gdynia is a Polish professional basketball team, based in Gdynia. The team plays in the Polish PLK. The club's sponsorship name comes from the company Asseco. Historically the team is one of the most successful in Poland, mainly because of ...

– men's basketball team (9 time

Polish Basketball League Polska Liga Koszykówki (PLK) (English: Polish Basketball League) is a professional men's club basketball league in Poland. It constitutes the first and highest-tier level of the Polish league pyramid. The winning team of the final round are crow ...

winner) *

Arka Gdynia (women's basketball) Arka Gdynia is a Polish professional women's basketball club. It was founded in 1946 in the city of Gdańsk as Spójnia Gdańsk. In 1992 the club moved from Gdańsk to Gdynia and changed the name to Bałtyk Gdynia. Then it changed its name several ...

– women's basketball team (12-time

Basket Liga Kobiet Basket Liga Kobiet (BLK), currently known for sponsorship reasons as Energa Basket Liga Kobiet (EBLK; 2001–2013 Polska Liga Koszykówki Kobiet, PLKK) is a professional women's club basketball league in Poland. It constitutes the first and highes ...

champion) *

RC Arka Gdynia Arka Gdynia () is a Polish rugby union club located in Gdynia, Poland. Honours * Ekstraliga ** Champions (4): 2004, 2005, 2011, 2015 ** Runners-up (7): 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2013 * Polish Cup (rugby): **Winners (1): 2010 History Arka Gdy ...

– rugby team (Champions of Poland in seasons 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2010/2011) * Seahawks Gdynia – American football team ( Polish American Football League) (4-time champion of Poland in 2012, 2014 and in 2015) * Arka Gdynia (handball) – handball team which plays in Ekstraliga (First division of Polish handball)

International events

2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2017) was the 21st edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, a biennial international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-21 n ...

2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 22nd edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 197 ...

2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships The 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, originally scheduled for 29 March 2020 in Gdynia, Poland, was postponed until 17 October 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. On , the mass participation race was cancelled, while the elit ...

Economy and infrastructure

Notable companies that have their headquarters or regional offices in Gdynia: * PROKOM SA – the largest Polish I.T. company *

C. Hartwig Gdynia SA C. or c. may refer to: * Century, sometimes abbreviated as ''c.'' or ''C.'', a period of 100 years * Cent (currency), abbreviated ''c.'' or ''¢'', a monetary unit that equals of the basic unit of many currencies * Caius or Gaius, abbreviated as ...

– one of the largest Polish freight forwarders *

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acq ...

– finance center *

Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ( ) is a Canadian multinational media conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where it is headquartered at the Bay Adelaide Centre. Thomson Reuters was created by the Thomson Corp ...

– business data provider * Vistal – bridge constructions, offshore and shipbuilding markets; partially located on old

Stocznia Gdynia Stocznia Gdynia is a shipyard, located in the Port of Gdynia, Poland. It was founded in 1922. Since 2009—in liquidation—it does not conduct production activities. In 1970, workers of Gdynia Shipyard rose up against the ruling Polis ...

terrains *

Nauta Nauta is a town in the northeastern part of Loreto Province in the Peruvian Amazon, roughly south of Iquitos, the provincial capital. Nauta is located on the north bank of the Marañón River, a major tributary of the Upper Amazon, a few miles ...

– ship repair yard; partially located on old Stocznia Gdynia terrains *

Crist ''Crist'' ( Old English for ''Christ'') is the title of any of three Old English religious poems in the Exeter Book The Exeter Book, also known as the Codex Exoniensis or Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501, is a large codex of Old English poe ...

– shipbuilding, offshore constructions, steel structures, sea engineering, civil engineering; located on old Stocznia Gdynia terrains Former: *

– former largest Polish shipyard, now under bankruptcy procedures *

Nordea Nordea Bank Abp, commonly referred to as Nordea, is a European financial services group operating in northern Europe and based in Helsinki, Finland. The name is a blend of the words "Nordic" and "idea". The bank is the result of the successive ...

– banks, sold and consolidated with PKO bank Pesa SA133-031, Województwo Pomorskie (PKM) (41368347674)

Transport

Port of Gdynia

In 2007, 364,202 passengers, 17,025,000 tons of cargo and containers passed through the port. Regular car ferry service operates between Gdynia and Karlskrona, Sweden.

Airport

The conurbation's main airport,

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport ( pl, Port Lotniczy Gdańsk im. Lecha Wałęsy, formerly pl, Port Lotniczy Gdańsk-Rębiechowo, german: Flughafen Danzig Lech Walesa) is an international airport located northwest of Gdańsk, Poland, not far from ...

, lays approximately south-west of central Gdynia, and has connections to approximately 55 destinations. It is the third largest airport in Poland. A second

General Aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...

terminal was scheduled to be opened by May 2012, which will increase the airport's capacity to 5mln passengers per year. Another local airport, ( Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport) is situated partly in the village of Kosakowo, just to the north of the city, and partly in Gdynia. This has been a military airport since the World War II, but it has been decided in 2006 that the airport will be used to serve civilians. Work was well in progress and was due to be ready for 2012 when the project collapsed following a February 2014 EU decision regarding Gdynia city funding as constituting unfair competition to Gdańsk airport. In March 2014, the airport management company filed for bankruptcy, this being formally announced in May that year. The fate of some PLN 100 million of public funds from Gdynia remain unaccounted for with documents not being released, despite repeated requests for such from residents to the city president,

Road transport

Trasa Kwiatkowskiego Trasa im. Eugeniusza Kwiatkowskiego (''Trasa Kwiatkowskiego'') – is a highway in Gdynia, Poland named after Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski linking the Port of Gdynia to the Tricity beltway (Obwodnica Trójmiejska) and therefore A1 motorway. It is curre ...

links

Port of Gdynia Port of Gdynia – the Polish seaport located on the western coast of Gdańsk Bay Baltic sea in Gdynia. Founded in 1926. In 2008 it was #2 in containers on the Baltic sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Den ...

and the city with

Obwodnica Trójmiejska The Tricity Ring Road (Polish: ''Obwodnica trójmiejska'', ''Obwodnica Trójmiasta'', ''Trasa Obwodowa Trójmiasta'') is a ring road in Poland bypassing the metropolitan area formed by the cities of Gdynia, Sopot and Gdańsk commonly known as ...

, and therefore A1 motorway. National road 6 connects Tricity with

Słupsk Słupsk (; , ; formerly german: Stolp, ; also known by several alternative names) is a city with powiat rights located on the Słupia River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania or more specifi ...

Koszalin Koszalin (pronounced ; csb, Kòszalëno; formerly german: Köslin, ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-stat ...

and

Szczecin agglomeration Szczecin agglomeration or Stettin agglomeration is the urban agglomeration of the city of Szczecin and surrounding towns in the Polish-German border area. The Larger Urban Zone defined by Eurostat includes 777,806 people living on 5249 km2 i ...

Railways

The principal station in Gdynia is

Gdynia Główna railway station Gdynia Główna railway station (Polish for ''Gdynia main station'') is the main railway station serving the city of Gdynia, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The station opened in 1921 and is located on the Nowa Wieś Wielka–Gdynia Por ...

, and Gdynia has five other railway stations. Local services are provided by the 'Fast Urban Railway,'

Szybka Kolej Miejska (Tricity) PKP Szybka Kolej Miejska w Trójmieście Sp. z o.o. (); approximate English translation Tricity Rapid Transit Rail Ltd., usually abbreviated SKM, is a public rapid transit system in Poland's Tricity area (Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia), in addition ...

operating frequent trains covering the Tricity area including

and Gdynia. Long-distance trains from Warsaw via Gdańsk terminate at Gdynia, and there are direct trains to

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most populo ...

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

and other major cities. In 2011-2015 the Warsaw-Gdańsk-Gdynia route is undergoing a major upgrading costing $3 billion, partly funded by the European Investment Bank, including track replacement, realignment of curves and relocation of sections of track to allow speeds up to , modernization of stations, and installation of the most modern

ETCS The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible ...

signalling system, which is to be completed in June 2015. In December 2014 new

Alstom Alstom SA is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer operating worldwide in rail transport markets, active in the fields of passenger transportation, signalling, and locomotives, with products including the AGV, TGV, Eurostar, Av ...

Pendolino Pendolino (from Italian ''pendolo'' "pendulum", and ''-ino,'' a diminutive suffix) is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the UK, the US ...

high-speed trains were put into service between Gdynia, Warsaw and

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 159 ...

reducing rail travel times to Gdynia by 2 hours.

Education

There are currently 8

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

and institutions of higher education based in Gdynia. Many students from Gdynia also attend universities located in the Tricity. * State-owned: **

Gdynia Maritime University The Gdynia Maritime University (Polish: Uniwersytet Morski w Gdyni) is one of two colleges in Poland which specialises in educating highly qualified officers for the maritime industry, especially for the merchant navy. History The university ...

** Polish Naval Academy * Privately owned: ** WSB Universities – WSB University in Gdańsk, departments of Economics and Management ** Academy of International Economic and Political Relations ** University of Business and Administration in Gdynia ** Pomeranian Higher School of Humanities **

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...

– department in Gdynia ** Higher School of Social Communication

Twin towns – sister cities

Gdynia is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of ...

, Denmark *

Baranavichy Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is not ...

, Belarus * Brooklyn (New York), United States * Côte d'Opale (communauté), France *

Haikou Haikou (; ), also spelled as Hoikow is the capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan. Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is on the ...

, China * Karlskrona, Sweden *

, Germany *

Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuani ...

, Lithuania *

Kotka Kotka (; ; la, Aquilopolis) is a city in the southern part of the Kymenlaakso province on the Gulf of Finland. Kotka is a major port and industrial city and also a diverse school and cultural city, which was formerly part of the old Kymi parish ...

, Finland *

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, f ...

, Norway * Kunda (Viru-Nigula), Estonia *

Liepāja Liepāja (; liv, Līepõ; see other names) is a state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest-city in the Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an important ice ...

, Latvia *

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, United States Former twin towns: *

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

, Russia (terminated in 2022 due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

)

Notes

References

External links

Gdynia Port - Home for all Polish Ocean Liners

Gdynia city website

Virtual tour on Gdynia's coast

{{Authority control Planned cities in Poland Port cities and towns in Poland Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea 1926 in Poland City counties of Poland Cities and towns in Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship (1919–1939) Marinas in Poland Nazi war crimes in Poland UFO sightings