The port city of Gdynia and its City Museum in the 1930s

Abstract

ABSTRACT Political decisions taken after WWI resulted in significant geopolitical shifts in the South Baltic area. Due to the unfavourable stance of its new neighbour, the Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk), the reborn state of Poland decided to build its own independent port in 1920. The village of Gdynia, where the investment was located, underwent a serious transformation over a decade. It became a large urban centre of international economic significance: Poland's gate to the sea. The new Polish state began by strengthening its position in the region through searching for historic contexts and points of reference. Evidence of Polish and Slavic heritage was discovered and gathered. Folk tools and products were collected too. In the face of Gdynia and the region's economic and social transformations, they were gradually replaced. Some of the items ended up in the City Museum which was established in Gdynia. This article discusses how the institution strove to reinforce its leading role in the region.