The history of Gdansk - part two :)
by Dagon
The determined struggle of the Gdañsk inhabitants to shake off the Teutonic yoke was long. Having said that, it is worth noting that under the Order 's rule the city gained e.g. its Radunia canal and the Grand Mill built upon it, the most imposing secular structure of the port and castle-town. The mill was fitted with eighteen wheels and generated immense profit.
Other tangible benefit Gdañsk gained both under the Teutonic rule and later, after the peace treaty of Toruñ, came from its membership in the Union of Hanseatic Towns (1361 ?1669). The city 's role of an ancient emporium was well captured by a Polish poet of the time who called it "the old lion of the mighty Hansa ". While Lübeck was depicted as the warehouse, Bremen likened to the key, and Hamburg to the lock, Gdañsk was compared to the lion bravely guarding the opulent granaries of Hansa.
After the Teutonic defeat in the battle of Grunwald [Tannenberg](1410), Gdañsk pledged allegiance to the Polish king. However, the Teutonic rule of the city came to an end only in 1454.The knights were ousted, and their fortress at the mouth of Radunia canal was razed to the ground, sharing its fate with the whole so-called New City.
King Casimir the Jagiellonian incorporated Gdañsk into the Crown and conferred numerous privileges onto the city. The document establishing the most important privilege called "The Great" was signed on 15th May 1457. The city took over extensive property previously held by the Teutonic Order. Its authorities and local merchants gained numerous rights. Gdañsk began to mint its own coin. It is since those times that the city 's coat of arms of two crosses has had the Jagiellonian royal crown added on top. The crown and the Polish eagle became a frequently used motif that adorned the works of the local craftsmen and artists, and locally printed books. The largest chamber of Main City Hall was decorated with portraits of the Polish rulers.
The Gates of Heaven
by Ekaterinburg
Gdansk is full of gates. Not actual gates you open and close, but arches leading from one part of the city to another. These range from the triumphal arches such as the Golden Gate and Green Gate on the Royal Route, to the much simpler ordinary archway like that leading out of ul Mariacka to the riverside. I particularly liked the gates leading onto the riverbank, like the Bread Sellers' Gate leading out of ul. Chlebnicka. For visitors, it is a real delight to come upon one of these gates and find yourself unexpectedly next to the river with all its busy traffic and refreshing breezes.
Wind of changes
by matcrazy1
In 1990 the wind of changes and the market economy came to Poland. The unefficient Gdansk shipyard could not survive it without large reforms.
Due to large fear of losing a job, the shipyard workers forced the state authorities to change it into a strange company of which 40% belonged to its workers and 60% to the state. It was even unfairly called privatisation that time. Rising debts and finally declaring bancrupcy in 1996 was the result. Unfortunatelly, post-communist authorities which had come back to power in 1995, refused, for political reasons, any financial help for this shipyard while they provided it for many other worse companies.
Finally the shipyard was sold to a private company in 1998 which founded the new company: Stocznia Gdanska - Grupa Stoczni Gdynia S.A. 50% of the area of the former shipyard and about 20% of its employees survived. It's a quite typical example of economic changes in 1990' in Poland.
View Points of the 3 cities - part1
by Landad
There are several view points from which you can see a part of the city and the Baltic sea. Especially when we have good weather....
So let me point you this places:
Gdansk: 3 places
Gdansk Oliwa: 1 place
Gdynia Orlowo: 1 place
Gdynia Kamienna Gora: 1 place
Gdansk:
1. the church of St. Maria, the oldest brick church in the middle of the Old Town. You have to walk up some hundred stairs up by the way for a while you can feel like walking up the Gaudi cathedral in Barcelona - the same round stairs !!! Unfortunately the entry cost around 6 PLN and it is open only till 6 p.m. The view is very wide !
2. Zieleniak - the famous office building, which was built in 70-ties ( the only one green in the city, by the way, green in Polish means zielony, so Zieleniak is green or something like that ;-))). This time just use lift and go to the restaurant on the XVI floor ( for more details see my restaurant in Gdansk advice ! ). There is also a nice view on the northern part of the 3 cities.
3. The hill with a cross. It is placed in the north from the main train station in Gdansk. Look up and around and I am sure you will notice the hill. The cross is pretty big and as far as I remember... it is lighted in the evening. Just walk there, must be around 15 minutes walking from the station to the north. There is a really nice view on the old town, the shipyard and northern part of the 3-city and... it cost nothing ;-)))
see part 2.
Chimneys
by matcrazy1
Wherever you walk around the old town, especially along off the beaten path streets look up to see many, different in style, unique and pretty chimneys on roofs and coat of arms of wealthy families above portals of guild houses. And, even better, go up to viewing platforms in the towers of the St. Catherine's church or the Town Hall to see labirynth of roofs.
This, renovated recently (2005) chimney in my picture is placed on the roof of the Torture House.
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Look for this...
riverside.
Stutthof Concentration Camp
The Green Gate leading on to the Long Embankment.
