Send Gift Baskets to Gdynia, Poland

Gdynia also has a history as part of Poland that is tied to Eastern Pomerania. Research indicates that Oksywie culture took place around Zwardoń, in Poland, during the Middle Ages. They experienced the presence of Slavs and Baltic Prussians but have a mystical and spiritual history that is still present. 10th century Poland began as an emerging state, unified by its first historic ruler Mieszko I. In the late 9th century, Wrocław became Poland’s capital city. In 1102, Bolesław I the Brave ruled Wrocław, but in 1116/1121, Boleslaw III reclaimed it for Poland. In 1129, the present-day district of Oksywie was first mentioned. Following the fragmentation of Poland, multiple duchies began to emerge. One that bordered this region was the Duchy of Pomerania (Eastern), which became separate from Poland in 1227 to be reunited in 1282. The first known mention of the name “Gdynia,” as a Pomeranian (Kashubian) village, dates back to 1253. The first church on this part of the Baltic Sea coast was built there. In 1250, Teutonic Order invaded and annexed the region from Gdańsk. In 1380, the owner of the village, which later became Gdynia, Peter from Rusocin, gave the town to the Cistercian Order. In 1382, Gdynia became the property of Oliwa Monastery and its Abbey for monks. In 1454, King Casimir IV signed an act of incorporation of the region, and the Thirteen Years’ War started the longest Polish-Teutonic war. In 1466, the Teutonic Knights claimed Polish territory. Gdynia was located in Poland at one point but was within the borders of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. More recently, this land was within the province of Royal Prussia, which temporarily belonged to Germany. It then moved to Poland and belonged to a country known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1772, Gdynia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in the First Partition of Poland. It was included within the newly formed province of West Prussia and appropriated from the Cistercian Order. In 1789, there were 21 houses in Gdynia. There was a lot of water around the city back then, and it was marked on a few maps. It was now called Gdynia, and the Tsar of Russia had only created it in the 18th century. In 1871, the village was introduced to German rule. Gdynia was never a poor fishing town in the early 20th century. It had become a popular tourist spot with several guest houses, restaurants, cafés, and even many hotels during its peak – like the famous Hotel Gdynia, which was built in 1904. There is no historical evidence for the first Kashubian mayor. The estimated population of Gdynia was 895 around 1910.

After World War I, Poland regained its independence in 1918 and re-integrated with the Treaty of Versailles a few years later. A city named Gdynia regained Polish sovereignty in 1920. There have been a lot of recent changes in Poland, and the surrounding area of Gdańsk was given the status of a “free city.” Poland also gained economic liberties.