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Szczecin - History |
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It
was in 1278, when
Szczecin became a member of Hanza. There was a great part of the Gryphites'
dynasty in the history of Pomerania. The dynasty has built an autonomous
Pomeranian state and its representatives governed in Pomerania over 500
years feud of the German Reich, at the same time. The politics of
Pomeranian sovereigns was limited substantially towards maintaining of
autonomy - as far-reaching and longstanding as possible. (1121-1637).
The Duchy of Pomerania was a buffer state between Poland, Brandenburg and
the Teutonic Order and it was during the 17th century, the decadency of
prosperity of the town began and, soon afterwards, economical breakdown of
the whole duchy deepened as a consequence of the Thirty Years' War
(1618-1648). Prince Bugustaw XIV, the last one of the Gryphites dynasty
died without issue in 1637. In accordance with the Peace of Westphalia,
concluded in Osnabriick (1648), hitherto independent Pomeranian Duchy was
divided between Sweden and Brandenburg. Szczecin, with considerable part
of Pomerania passed over to Swedish hands. During 90 years of Swedish
rule, a visible downfall of the town, of the port and trade appeared. The
Prussian authorities made Szczecin a strong military centre, of
which evidence were defence fortifications, covering much bigger surface
then the area of the town itself. In the course of Napoleonic wars, the
town was very important French fortress during a several years
(1806-1813). The stay of the Frenchmen caused substantial fall in
population and brought about economical collapse of the town. Once
the town returned to Prussia, the shipbuilding industry revived and the
town became, step by step, an important centre of that industry in the
state of Prussia. The Prussian authorities expanded military function of
the Szczecin fortress which, for ever afterwards, had unfavourable
repercussions on town planning development. In19th
century was a new age for the city's economic history. Prussian reforms of
the municipal system, introducing industrial and professional freedom and
the release from customs barriers within the country stimulated sweeping
changes. The year 1843 can be regarded as a turning point; that's when the
Szczecin-Berlin railroad line was put into service, the first railroad
connection between the Prussian capital and the seaside. Shortly
afterwards the line was extended to Stargard and farther to Poznan. In
that way Wroclaw obtained a railway link with Szczecin. The release from
very burdensome Sund taxes (1857) added Szczecin yet more attractiveness
as a trade centre. Favourable transport links soon attracted goods, people
and capital to the city. In 1851 two engineers from Hamburg set up a
shipyard, foundry and machine-building factory in Drzetowo, a Szczecin
suburb. In 1857, it was turned into the "Vulcan" joint-stock
company to deal mainly with constructions of steel steamships. The
"Vulcan" shipyard was a highly profitable company, ensuring
large dividends on capital invested. The city's very asset, giving
enormous profits to the "Vulcan" company and the whole Szczecin
industry was cheap manpower. The "Vulcan" shipyard dominated the
German shipbuilding industry up to the beginning of 20th century. The
largest and most advanced ships were built here, including two
transatlantic liners, that won the very prestigious "Blue Band of the
Atlantic". In the 1850's, the city became an important centre of the
cement industry with three cement plants sited here. The chemical industry
also developed rapidly with two large chemical plants ("Pommernsdorf"
at Pomorzany and "Union" at Glinki). That industry, dealing
mainly with the production of synthetic fertilizers, was very expansive.
Szczecin as an investments location was also extremely attractive for
Silesian industrial circles. Guido Von Donnersmarck, a Silesian industrial
magnate, built steelworks at the Szczecin suburb Stolczyn and a synthetic
silk factory at Podjuchy. Silesian industrialists also built a paper mill
at Skolwin in 1910. The turn of the century saw an enormous development of
the food-processing industry in the city. There were two sugar refineries,
a sugar factory, two steam-powered grain mills, three oil mills, three
breweries, as well as a vinegar, yeast and chicory factory. Before the
First World War another industrial branch was added to the city's rich
economic life: the automotive industry. The local industry owed its
prosperity first and foremost to the close connections with the seaport,
which provided the supply of raw materials and received the finished
products. Szczecin was granted a permit to build a canal connecting the
city with Berlin in order to guarantee the harbour more cargo. The canal
was put into operation in 1913
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The
city was one of the most powerful ports and trade centres on the Baltic.
In the XVII century, after the termination of the line of descent
of the Pomeranian dukes, the strategic location of Szczecin became the
cause of numerous armed interventions from adjoining nations - Denmark,
Sweden, Brandenburg and Germany. At the end of the XIX century the
city experienced a period of particularly dynamic economic development, as
capital flowed in from all over Europe. 
On
26th April 1945, Szczecin was conquered by the 65th Russian army and the
Polish administration took over the town on 5th July 1945. During the
Potsdam Conference, the Great Threesome decided to award Szczecin to
Poland. During the Second World War. After the end of the Second
World War, the reconstruction of the destroyed city was taken care of by
settlers from all over Poland, who arrived in Szczecin and in the area of
Western Pomerania in large numbers. Although the former image of the city
changed, its unique character was preserved with the captivating charm of
historical, secessionist architecture and the beauty of its lustrous
vegetation.