The history of Gdańsk, now more than a thousand years long, was rich in dramatic events. This largest Polish port and most powerful stronghold guarding the mouth of the Vistula was a desirable bite, over which many battles were fought. Archeological excavations revealed settlements from the beginnings of the 10th century, the castle on the Motława river arose about 980. In the first biography of St. Adalbert, who came here in 997, Gdańsk was already called "urbs" - the town.

For over 300 years it was ruled by Polish dukes, by whom it was granted the municipal chart. In 1308 it was captured and destroyed by the Teutonic Knights, under whose rule it remained till 1454. Rebuilt and enlargened it became one of the leading towns of the Hanseatic League. After returning to the Polish Crown it grew to the largest and richest town at the coast of the Baltic Sea. Its trade connections reached as far as Portugal and Tuscany. The main product of export was Polish grain and timber. The city's shipyards built vessels also for English kings.

All this splendour collapsed with the partitions of Poland. In the 19th century, save the short periode of Napoleon wars, Gdańsk belonged to Prussia, later on - together with it - to the German Reich. After the World War I it became the so-called Free City. Since 1933 the Nazis ruled here. Growing ideological and national conflicts led to the 2nd World War, which began with the German attack on the Polish munition depot on the Westerplatte in the harbour of Gdańsk. In 1945 the city returned to Poland almost completely destroyed. The remaining German population was expelled. The false political and economical system imposed upon Poland did not help to a normal development. Two matters were success in Gdańsk: the reconstruction of the architectural landmarks (in fact not completed till today) and the construction of the Northern Harbour - the deepest on the Baltic.

The main feature of the people of Gdańsk was always their love of freedom, often manifested in its history. It was revealed in the 13th when Duke Swiętopełk managed to acquire the independence. Under the rule of the Teutonic Knights the burghers of Gdańsk many times protested and fought against their policy of limiting their rights, which they wished to maintain and develop - like their sister cities of the Hanseatic League. It was this feeling too, that let them to get rid of the Teutonic Order and to give themselves under the mild rule of Polish Kings. It paid - they obtained from them such great autonomy that they could regard themselves as citizens of an almost free city. They watched lest their freedom got diminished and they resolved to be sieged by King Stefan Batory, when he refused to confirm the privillegies given to Gdańsk by his predecessors. The diplomacy has won, the king obtained money for the war against Russia and confirmed the rights of the city, which recognized him as its lord.

The list of scientists from old Gdańsk, who have brought new important ideas and discoveries into the world's science is long. One of the first was Bartholomäus Keckermann (1572-1609). He was professor of the Gdańsk Academic Gymnasium, which was a kind of a half-university. Keckermann was one of the most universal scientists of his time. Among others he wrote the world's first History of Logic. Equally famous was Philip Clüver (1550-1622), who became professor of the University in Leyden. He created a new branch of science - the Historic Geography. Another professor of the Academic Gymnasium Peter Krüger (1580-1639) was a pioneer of mathematics. He elaborated the first separate tables of logarithms for trigonometric functions and for numbers. He also formulated the theorem of cosines, which we learn at schools. His pupil was the famous astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-l687), whose big observatory was the first such equipped with telescopes. His research was supported financially by the kings of Poland and France. The Royal Society of Sciences in London nominated him to its first foreign member. He draw accurate maps of the Moon, created 9 new constellations, invented the first periscope and discovered the secular changes of magnetic declination, of which we have the longest curve in the world - begun in 1539 by Joachim Rheticus, who published here the first "Narration" on the heliocentric system by Copernicus.

One should also mention the botanist Jakob Theodor Klein (1685-1759), who systematized zoological species independently of Linne.The naturalists Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798) and his son Johann Georg Forster (1754-1794) took part in the second expedition around the world of James Cook and led the scientific research in it.

The most famous scientist of old Gdańsk was the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), who spent almost all of his life out of his home country. Hugo Conventz (1855-1922), director of the museum of Natural History, was the founder of scientific environment protection. Biochemist Adolf Butenandt (1903-1995), professor of the Technical University of Gdańsk - founded in 1904 - won the Nobel Prize.

The second Nobel Prize was of another kind. It was granted to Lech Wałęsa, a modest electrician from the largest shipyard of Gdańsk, who became leader of the most powerful freedom motion in the former Soviet block and changed the course of history. The prize signified then the recognition of processes undergoing in Poland and helped to bring them to a fruitful achievement. For the communist rulers it was a warning: look out, the world is watching you! It encouraged all freedom fighters in Poland and gave Lech Wałęsa a sense of some safety. He was then 40. He got employed at the shipyard in 1967 and as early as in 1970 he attended the strikes during which several workers in Gdańsk area were killed by the communist forces. In 1980 he was elected the President of the "Solidarnoœć"- the first independent trade union in all Soviet countries. When in 1981 the martial law was introduced in Poland, he was interned. Released one year later, he returned to his previous activity - now in conspiration. In 1989 he was the main opposition leader in the negotiations of the so called Round Table, which brought about the free elections and essential political changes in Poland. In the years 1990-1995 he was the President of the Republic of Poland - now free and independent again. Presently Lech Wałęsa is living in Gdańsk, where he has created a scientific institute. His lectures in western countries contribute to better understanding of our transformations and help to achieve its main goals.

The third Nobel prizewinner from Gdańsk Günter Grass was born here in 1927. His father was German, his mother descended from a Cassubian family. As the result of the war the majority of the remaining German inhabitants of Gdańsk were deported. Like all his compatriots Günter Grass missed his home city - now almost completely destroyed. To get over the bitter feeling of loss and homesickness he began to write. His novels and poems are full of reminiscences of the prewar Gdańsk and its people. Surprizingly they are now especially popular among the young generations of contemporary Polish inhabitants of Gdańsk. His literary works became a bridge between two nations. Therefor in 1993 he was granted the honorary citizenship by the Council of his native city and in 1999 he was honoured with the Nobel Prize.

WORLD CAPITAL OF AMBER

The world's richest deposits of amber lay on Samland not far from Gdańsk. Also in the vicinity of our city one can find much of this precious fossile resin, even on the beaches. The name "Amber Coast" is fully justified. The Amber Trail, connecting the Baltic Coast with the Mediterranian functioned as early as in the 2nd century a.C. Excavated stores of raw material, artifacts and semiproducts from the 9th-13th centuries confirm the existence of numerous workshops of amberware makers at those times.

The gathering and digging of amber as well as amber trade was a monopoly of the rulers of Gdańsk. Among others the Cistercian monks from the monastery in Oliwa, founded in the 12th century, were given right to gather amber in their territory. The fishers from Gdańsk obtained such rights too, under the condition to give all, what they have found, to the Teutonic Knights. Later on, in the Polish times, the amber monopoly went over to the Municipal Council of Gdańsk. In 1477 the Guild of Amberwaremakers was founded. Their number, at first equal to 46, was subsequently reduced to 40. From 1536 to 1812 286 masters were registered.

Many of them were very famous. The masters Gottfried Turow and Ernest Schacht from Gdańsk created the famous Amber Chamber, lost in the last war. Gdańsk was also a world center of scientific research on amber, carried out by members of the Natural History Society. Till 1895 25 papers were published in this field. The Museum of Natural History in the Green Gate, established in 1879, had the world's second / largest collection of raw amber pieces, often with unique inclusions. This splendid traditions are maintained and developped also today. Since 1994 the regular amberware fair "Amberif" is organized. In 2000 it was attended by 370 exhibitors. Gdańsk is today again the world's capital of amber.

Prof. Andrzej Januszajtis