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Gdynia
Although the first written notes about its settlement primarily
appeared in the 13th century, there is no doubt that Gdynia is one of
the youngest towns of Poland. It was built almost from scratch, on the
site of the small seaside village. The major reason for its foundation
were the violent changes that took place after the World War I. Poland
regained independence in 1918, though, it obtained only abridged plot of
the Pomerania region without any bigger harbour centre and needed a wide
window on the world.
Gdynia was designed as the port and shipbuilding centre and
effectively fulfilled its function till September 1939 when the Nazis
invaded Poland turning the town into a German navy base and renaming it
to Gotenhafen. During wartime Gdynia witnessed several air raids by the
Allies from 1943 and onwards, but the real destruction was actually made
by the withdrawing German troops in 1945 (90 per cent of the buildings
and equipment were destroyed). After the war, the town was completely
reconstructed. The historic shipyard is still the its greatest domain
despite some transitory financial problems.
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