Szczecin

Szczecin (German Stettin), city and port in northwestern Poland, capital of Zachodniopomorskie Province, on the Odra (Oder) River, near the Baltic Sea. The city is a shipbuilding center and an important inland port; it is connected by canal with Berlin, Germany. Among the principal industrial establishments are iron foundries, machine shops, chemical plants, sugar refineries, and factories making cement, processed foods, and textiles. The city is the site of several noteworthy churches, among them the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, built in 1124. Educational institutions in Szczecin include Szczecin University (founded in 1985), Szczecin Technical University (1946), and an agricultural college. A large library is also located in the city.

The site of Szczecin was probably settled by Slavic tribes as early as the 10th century. A city subsequently developed here and in the 13th century became the residence of the dukes of Pomerania. After developing into an important trade center, it joined the Hanseatic League in 1251. The city was ceded to Sweden in 1648 by the Peace of Westphalia at the close of the Thirty Years' War and to Prussia in 1720 at the end of the Great Northern War. When the region was divided in 1919, Szczecin was made the capital of the German province of Pomerania. During World War II (1939-1945) the city was extensively bombed by the Allies, and subsequently Szczecin was included in the German territory that was placed under the administration of Poland. Population (2005 estimate) 413,600.