Zmiana zaplecza i położenia transportowego Gdańska i Gdyni

Marcin Polom

In a new geopolitical situation in Central Europe after World War II there was a visible change in the geopolitical position of Gdańsk and Gdynia. The role and meaning of these cities had already changed before, along with the change in geopolitical conditions. After World War II there were also meaningful changes in the range of the hinterland for the both ports. Changes of Poland's borders, a 'shift' to the west, annexation of a part of Eastern Prussia, Western Pomerania with Szczecin (Stettin) and Silesia, dramatically changed the transit directions across Poland. In the geopolitically changed situation and location of the ports in Gdańsk and Gdynia whose main advantage in acquisition of freights was their geographical location, due to a rapid pace of political processes in Europe and the economic crisis of the late 1980s, there were several changes in the directional and commodity structure of freights. The change in the geopolitical location and the transit hinterlands is even of a greater meaning after Poland's accession to NATO, as a navy base of the North Atlantic Treaty is to be created in the military port in Gdynia. It may cause not only a meaningful increase in port transhipments but also growth of infrastructure in the whole region of the Bay of Gdańsk, necessary for the military base. It will be associated with a new position of Gdynia whose authorities will have to face new tasks and problems.