Świnoujście

Świnoujście (in German Swinemünde ) is a Polish city of 44.800 inhabitants (at January 1st, 2005) located in the islands of Usedom, Wollin and Karsibór and which forms with it only a city-circle. It is the outer harbor of Szczecin (in German Stettin) and is in the Western Voïvodie de Poméranie.

Geographical location

The city is part of the island of Usedom of approximately 3 kilometers broad which returned to Poland after the 2nd world war. The center of the city is limited to the east by Swine which separates the islands from Usedom and Wollin. On Eastern bank the districts of Osternothafen and Ostswine are. Towards the German locality close to Ahlbeck exists only one passage border for pedestrians, on the Polish side one has of a trunk road and a railway line towards Szczecin, distant of approximately 100 kilometers. District of Warszów on the island of Wollin exist connections towards Ystad and Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark.

History

With the site of what would become later Świnoujście was already at the end of XIIe century a fortress, and in 1230 the duke of Poméranie Barnim 1st made arrange an inland waterway on Swine. In 1297 the port of Świnoujście is mentioned for the first time in relation to the creation of a ducal station of customs and piloting.

At the end of the Guerre Thirty Year old, in 1648, the Traités of Westphalia divided Poméranie between the Prussia and the Sweden after the commander-in-chief Swedish, Banier, had occupied some since 1636 a great part, as well as the Brandebourg and even the Saxony. The island of Usedom with Świnoujście and Poméranie Western returned to Sweden. This one left ensabler Swine for strategic reasons: she wanted that was made by Peene the sea traffic coming from Stettin and towards this city.

By the peace of Stockholm which put an end to the war Nordique, in 1720, Sweden yielded Stettin and Usedom-Wollin to Prussia against the payment of 2 million Taler. Sweden preserved Rügen, Stralsund and Wismar. Prussia which needed one access to the Baltic decided for the mouth of Swine. As from 1729, Swine became again navigable, and near the small village of Westswine one started in 1740 the construction of a port which was officially open in 1746 as a seaport of Prussia. The few peasants who lived there had lived fishing, agriculture and of traffic by the vat on Swine. There was, certainly, a small church of village out of wooden, concerned with the parish of Karsibór.

With the construction and the activity of the new port the town of Świnoujście which had been born reached into 165? with the statute of immediate city. To attract new colonists one placed free at their disposal to 1840 building sites. The port constituted the center of the activities. One could more easily seek the goods of the boats which were in the roads or the port to dispatch them inter alia in Szczecin. When they returned from Szczecin, they took the goods again. Navigation, goods transport, the trade, the craft industry and industry knew a first golden age. The war of American independence in the years 1773-1784 and the Franco-British war of 1801-1805 made it possible the port to develop and to increase.

In Świnoujście lived already then to 2000 people. In 1823, the moles (of 1500 and 1100 meters, a technical prowess) were finished, in 1859 the headlight and 1880 the imperial railroad. As from 1857, there were the connections of steamer towards Eastern Prussia, Bornholm and Copenhagen. The largest boats passed by Stettin after the completion of the imperial railroad, which was not good for the city. This is why the foundation of the seaside resort of Świnoujście was beneficial to the inhabitants. In July 1824, the first official balneal season was opened in Świnoujście. A new activity had been born for the urban development with consequences in the long term. At the beginning, half of the bathers came from Berlin.

In 1852 Świnoujście became garrison town and the emperor of Germany was the host several times. Whereas in 1826 one counted only 626 bathers, they were already 40.247 in 1913 and 43.040 in 1928. Świnoujście, the greatest Baltic sea bathing German, acquired a world reputation! Consequently the number of inhabitants increased: from 4.719 in 1850, it tripled up to 13.916 in 1910, this number (figure) and in 1931, one counted 19.798 inhabitants. March 12th, 1945, little before the end the 2 {{E}} world war, the city was aimed by a attacks air of the 8 {{E}} Custom-Fleet and destroyed mainly. More than 20.000 people perished. The majority were buried very close, in Golm, in common graves. May 5th, 1945, the city was occupied by the Soviet army. In autumn of the same year, a Polish administration was installation. The city, named hitherto Swinemünde, accepted the name of Świnoujście. At that time 30.000 Germans lived in Świnoujście and on Wollin. At the beginning of 1950, they were nothing any more but 500 to 600. They worked for the majority on the Soviet naval basis as specialists, some in the city, others in the administration of the port. However, the immigrant Polish population did not make them the easy life. As from 1950, only the Germans who could prove a Polish origin had the right to remain in their native land. The continual presence of a large Soviet garrison and a Polish garrison complicated the freedom of circulation of the Poles. The harbor installations as well as the district of cure were reserved for the Soviet troops.

In 1948 the construction of a base of great fishing in open sea started on Eastern bank of Swine (canning facility Odra the fish). As from 1958, the rebuilding of the city was intensified. The enlarging of the port of open sea (the harbor complex Szczecin-Świnoujście) followed. After in 1958 the Soviet armed forces had evacuated the district of cure, Świnoujście became again beside Kołobrzeg and of Zoppot a re-elected seaside resort of the area. In December 1992, the last units of the Soviet army were withdrawn. Since 1989, often at the price of dry dismissals, the reorganization of the economy in Poland is also reflected in the aspect of the city, which benefits much from the proximity of the border. A great number of German tourists animate the saving in Świnoujście and contribute with their money to the increasing wellbeing of the population.

Administration

The commune extends on 197 km ² with 46.700 inhabitants; it counts 7 localities. Y belong:

Świnoujście-city
Przytór
Karsibór
Łunowo
Warszów
Ognica
Wydrzany

Curiosities

With the downtown area one can admire several splendid houses of the XVIIIe century. On the side of the island of Usedom a walk of seaside and a park of cure are.

Twinnings

External bond

Official site

Fiu-vro: Świnoujście Nds-nl: Świnoujście Simple: Swinoujscie

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