Szczecin

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"Stettin" redirects here. For other uses, see Stettin (disambiguation).
Szczecin
Oder River in Szczecin
Oder River in Szczecin
Flag of Szczecin
Flag		 Coat of arms of Szczecin
Coat of arms
Motto: "Szczecin jest otwarty" ("Szczecin is open")
Szczecin (Poland)
Szczecin
Szczecin
Coordinates: 53°25′N 14°35′E / 53.417, 14.583
Country Flag of Poland 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 (2006)
 - City 410,809
 - Density 1,364.8/km² (3,534.9/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

Szczecin [ˈʂt​͡ʂɛt​͡ɕin] (Image:Ltspkr.png listen) (German: Stettin [ʃtɛˈtin] (Image:Ltspkr.png listen); Kashubian: Sztetëno; 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.

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.

The city is on The European Route of Brick Gothic.

Szczecin borders with Police - a district town situated at Oder River.

Contents

[edit] Origins of the name

Early medieval sources show: Stetin 1133, Stetyn 1188, Priznoborus vir nobilis in Stetin, Symon nobilis Stettinensis 1234, in vico Stetin 1240, Barnim Dei gratia dux Pomeranorum... civitati nostri Stetin 1243, Stityn 1251, Sigillum Burgoncium de Stitin municipal seal of the 13th century. In Latin, the city was known as Stetinum.

City Hall
City Hall

The most likely origin of the name is considered to be the Polish words Szczyt or Szczeć-the first being the name of hill peak, the second being description of grass[1]. Because Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania founded the city of Neustettin (literally "New Szczecin", now Szczecinek) in 1310, the original Szczecin was sometimes called "Old Szczecin" (Polish: Stary Szczecin; German: Altes Stettin).

[edit] History

Main article: History of Szczecin
The town's fortifications as seen in 1642
The town's fortifications as seen in 1642
Harbour as seen in 1900
Harbour as seen in 1900
The Old Town Hall, now the city's history museum
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 Old Town was rebuilt in the late 1990s, consisting of new buildings, some of which were reconstructions of buildings destroyed in WWII
Three generations in West Pomerania after World War II: Pomnik Czynu Polaków, Szczecin
Three generations in West Pomerania after World War II: Pomnik Czynu Polaków, Szczecin

The location was a stronghold of the Lusatian culture in the early Iron Age period[citation needed]. An East Germanic tribe, the Rugians, inhabited the area until about 500 AD[citation needed]. Another stronghold was built in the 8th century at the ford of the Oder River by the Slavic Pomeranians[citation needed].

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

After the decline of Wolin in the 12th century, Stetinum became one of the most important and powerful cities of the Baltic Sea south coasts, having some 5,000 inhabitants. In a winter campaign of 1121–1122, Stetinum was subjugated by Boleslaus III of Poland, who invited the Catholic bishop Otto of Bamberg to baptize the citizens (1124). In this time, Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania is recorded to be the local duke. Wartislaw managed to expand his duchy westward, thereby forming the territorial body of the later Duchy of Pomerania, and organized the second visit of Otto in 1128. At this time the first Christian church of St. Peter and Paul was erected. The duchy was for the centuries being ruled by the Griffins dynasty (House of Pomerania), of which Wartislaw I is the first definite ancestor. Stettin was made the capital of the duchy and did not lose this status even during the partitions of Pomerania, when Pomerania-Stettin comprised large portions of the duchy and always was seat of Pomeranian dukes. As a result, Stettin was chosen to stay capital even in the Prussian Province of Pomerania set up after the 1637 death of the last Pomeranian duke.

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. After the 1164 Verchen battle, Stettin dukes joined in to Saxony and in 1181 Stettin became part of the Holy Roman Empire. For centuries the dukes invited West and Central German settlers to colonize Pomeranian wastelands and to found towns and villages (see Ostsiedlung). Duke Barnim of Pomerania granted a local government charter to this community in 1237, separating the Germans from the Slavic majority community settled around the St. Nicholas Church (in the neighborhoods of Chyzin, Uber-Wiken, and Unter-Wiken). Barnim granted Stettin Magdeburg rights in 1243. Around that time the major ethnic group of the city had become German, while the Slavic population decreased.

Stettin joined the Hanseatic League in 1278. Already in the 1300s the city had been German, while the countryside remained partly West Slavic. By the 1630s the city and surrounding area that hadn't been already German had become completely Germanized.

After the extinction of the Griffits dynasty, Stettin, along with the rest of Western Pomerania, was granted to Sweden at the Peace of Westphalia (1648), despite the protests of Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg, who had a legal claim to inherit all of Pomerania. In 1720 after the Great Northern War, the Swedes were forced to cede the city to King Frederick William I of Prussia. Stettin developed into a major Prussian city and became part of the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871. In 1939 Stettin had about 400,000 inhabitants. It was Germany's third-biggest 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 invasion of Poland, which started World War II in 1939, Stettin was the base for the German 2nd Motorized Infantry Division, which cut across the Polish Corridor. Allied air raids in 1944 and heavy fighting between the German and Soviet armies destroyed 65% of Stettin's buildings and almost all of the city centre, seaport and 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-Neisse line, which was to be Poland's new border according to the Potsdam Conference. However, most of Pomerania, including all of Stettin and the mouth of the Oder River, was awarded to Poland.

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 of citizens from the pre-war population as well as forced laborers from the General government. Stettin was resettled with Poles, most of whom came from around Poznań, where their homes had been destroyed during the German occupation and during fighting on the Eastern Front. The city's population was expelled and then resettled with Poles from Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union. This settlement process was coordinated by the city of Poznan, and Stettin's name was changed to a Polish name of Szczecin. There is significant Ukrainian minority, which was forced by communist government, after Operation Vistula in 1947 to leave East of 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.


Szczecin harbour and Oder River panorama

[edit] Dukes of Pomerania-Stettin

Main article: Dukes of Pomerania

[edit] Famous residents

[edit] Before 1945

[edit] After 1945

  • Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (1905-1953)
  • Chava Alberstein (*1947), Israeli singer and composer of songs
  • Piotr Andrejew (*1947), Polish screenwriter and film director, born in Szczecin
  • Janusz Kijowski, (*1947) film director, born in Szczecin
  • Ryszard Kotla (*1947) historian, travel writer, journalist, engineer, born in Szczecin-Dąbie
  • Jerzy Zielinski (*1950) Polish cinematographer active in Hollywood, born on January 8, 1950 in Szczecin
  • Wojciech Kulikowski artist (1954)
  • Kasia Nosowska (*1971), singer of Szczecin-based rock band Hey
  • Grzegorz Mroz (*December 18, 1983)

[edit] Historical population

 This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)
  • 12th century: 5,000 inhabitants
  • 1720: 6,000 inhabitants
  • 1740: 12,300 inhabitants
  • 1816: 21,500 inhabitants
  • 1843: 37,100 inhabitants
  • 1861: 58,500 inhabitants
  • 1872: 76,000 inhabitants
  • 1890: 116,228 inhabitants[2]
  • 1900: 210,680 inhavitants (including annexed suburbs)[3]
  • 1910: 236,113 inhabitants[4]
  • 1939: 382,000 inhabitants
  • 1945: 260,000 inhabitants (German population largely expelled, plus war losses.)
  • 1950: 180,000 inhabitants (drop due to continuing expulsions of Germans)
  • 1960: 269,400 inhabitants (resettling of Poles)
  • 1970: 338,000 inhabitants
  • 1975: 369,700 inhabitants
  • 1980: 388,300 inhabitants
  • 1990: 412.600 inhabitants
  • 1995: 418.156 inhabitants
  • 2000: 415,748 inhabitants
  • 2002: 415,117 inhabitants
  • 2003: 414,032 inhabitants
  • 2004: 411,900 inhabitants
  • 2005: 411,119 inhabitants

[edit] Architecture and urban planning

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

[edit] 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
Modern division onto boroughs

[edit] Dzielnica Śródmieście (City Centre)

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

[edit] Dzielnica Północ (North)

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

[edit] Dzielnica Zachód (West)

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

[edit] Dzielnica Prawobrzeże (Right-Bank)

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

[edit] Other historical neigbourhoods

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

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

[edit] Transport

There is a common bus network in Szczecin and Police, Poland. There are trams in Szczecin.

[edit] Economy

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

[edit] Culture

Major cultural events in Szczecin are:

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

[edit] Museums

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

[edit] Arts and entertainment

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

[edit] Education and science

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

[edit] Scientific and regional organizations

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

[edit] Sports

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

[edit] Professional teams:

  • Pogon Szczecin - football team (4th regional league in season 2007/2008)
  • Arkonia Szczecin - football team (4th league in season 2003/2004)
  • Pogon II Szczecin - 2nd Pogon football team (regional 4th league in season 2007/2008)
  • KS Stal Szczecin - 15 youth and junior teams, 1 senior, being in 4th regional league in season 2007/2008
  • Pogon Nowa Szczecin - regional league "B klasa" - a fans answer for bad politics of 1st league team - it is based on players from Szczecin, not on Brazilians like the Pogon team used to be in 2005/2006
  • KS Piast Szczecin - women's volleyball team, (Seria A in season 2003/2004 and 2004/2005)
  • Łącznościowiec Szczecin - women's handball team playing in Polish Ekstraklasa Women's Handball League: 9th place in 2003/2004 season
  • Wicher Warszewo - futsal team playing in Środowiskowa Liga Futsalu (Futsal League) - 2 regional Futsal League: 2th place in 2006/2007 season - promotion in the first regional Futsal League
  • Husaria Szczecin - American football team playing in Polish American Football League

[edit] Amateur leagues

  • Halowa Amatorska Liga Pilkarska - Hall Amateur Football League [5]
  • Halowa Liga Pilki Noznej- Hall Football League
  • Szczecinska Liga Amatorskiej Koszykowki - Szczecin Amateur Basketball League [6]
  • Szczecinska Amatorska Liga Pilki Siatkowej - Szczecin Amateur Volleyball League [7] - women league, 1st, 2nd and 3rd men league
  • Elita Professional Sport - Elita Hall Football League [8] - 1st and 2nd league, futsal cup
  • Kaskada Szczecin Rugby Club - club rugby [9] - 7 and 15 league, rugby cup

[edit] Twinning cities

The sister cities of Szczecin are:

[edit] See also

[edit] Publications

  • W. H. Meyer, Stettin in alter und neuer Zeit (Stettin, 1887)

[edit] References

  1. ^ esbjergkommune.dk accessed Feb-2008

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Internet guides

[edit] Regional media

[edit] History and culture

[edit] Economy and transportation

[edit] Education and Science

[edit] Sports

[edit] Local Businesses

[edit] Private

v • d • e
Members of the Hanseatic League
Wendish and
Pomeranian circle
Lübeck*† · Hamburg† · Kiel · Lüneburg · Rostock · Stade · Stargard · Stettin · Stralsund · Wismar
 Extent of the Hanseatic League, showing the Circles

Principle trading routes of the Hanseatic League
Saxony, Thuringia,
Brandenburg circle
Poland, Prussia,
Livonia, Sweden circle
Danzig (Gdańsk) · Breslau (Wrocław)  · Dorpat (Tartu) · Fellin (Viljandi) · Elbing (Elbląg)  · Königsberg (Kaliningrad)  · Kraków  · Reval (Tallinn) · Riga · Stockholm · Toruń (Thorn)* · Visby
Rhine, Westphalia,
Netherlands circle
Dortmund*† · Bochum · Breckerfeld · Cologne† · Deventer · Duisburg · Groningen · Haltern · Hamm · Harderwijk · Hattem · Hasselt · Kampen · Münster · Oldenzaal · Osnabrück · Recklinghausen · Roermond · Soest† · Unna · Werl · Zutphen · Zwolle
Principal Kontore
(counting houses)
Bryggen (in Bergen) · Hanzekantoor (in Brugge (Bruges)) · Steelyard (in London) · Peterhof (in Novgorod)
Subsidiary Kontore
Antwerp · Berwick · Boston · Damme · Edinburgh · Hull · Ipswich · King's Lynn · Kaunas · Newcastle · Polotsk · Pskov · Yarmouth · York
* Chief city of its circle     † Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire
v • d • e
Principal cities of Poland Flag of Poland

Warsaw • Kraków • Łódź • Wrocław • Poznań • Gdańsk • Szczecin • Bydgoszcz • Lublin • Katowice • Białystok • Gdynia •
Częstochowa • Radom • Sosnowiec • Kielce • Toruń • Olsztyn • Rzeszów • Opole • Gorzów Wielkopolski • Zielona Góra

 Poland administrative divisions since 1999
v • d • e
Counties of West Pomeranian Voivodeship

City counties: Szczecin (capital) • Koszalin • Świnoujście

Land counties: Białogard • Choszczno • Drawsko • Goleniów • Gryfice • Gryfino • Kamień • Kołobrzeg • Koszalin • Łobez • Myślibórz • Police • Pyrzyce • Sławno • Stargard • Świdwin • Szczecinek • Wałcz

Coordinates: 53°25′N 14°35′E / 53.417, 14.583