Słupsk had its origins as a Pomeranian settlement in the earlyMiddle Ages. In 1265, it was givencity rights. By the 14th century, the city had become a centre of local administration and trade and aHanseatic League associate. Between 1368 and 1478, it was a residence of theDukes of Słupsk, until 1474 vassals of theKingdom of Poland. According to thepeace treaty of 1648, Słupsk became part ofBrandenburg-Prussia. In 1815, it was incorporated into the newly formed PrussianProvince of Pomerania. AfterWorld War II, the city again became part of Poland, and from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital ofSłupsk Voivodeship. It is a railway junction located on the main railroad between theTricity andSzczecin. The localRenaissanceDucal Castle houses the Museum of Central Pomerania with the largest collection of paintings by popular early-20th-century artistStanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz.[5]
Slavic names inPomeranian —Stolpsk,[6]Stôłpsk,Słëpsk,Słëpskò,Stôłp[7] — andPolish —Słupsk — may be etymologically related to the wordssłup 'pole' andstołp 'keep'. There are two hypotheses about the origin of those names: that it refers to a specific way of constructing buildings on boggy ground with additional pile support, which is still in use, or that it is connected with a tower or other defensive structure on the banks of the Słupia River.[6]
Later, under German administration, the town was namedStolp, to which the suffixin Pommern was attached in order to avoid confusion with other places similarly named. The Germanised name comes from one of five Slavic Pomeranian names of this settlement.[6] The city was occasionally calledStolpe, referring to theSłupia River, whose German name isStolpe.Stolpe is also theLatin exonym for this place.[8]
The New Gate, dating back to the 14th century, served as the main entrance to the Old Town
Słupsk developed from a fewmedieval settlements located on the banks of theSłupia River, at the uniqueford along thetrade route connecting the territories of modernPomeranian andWest Pomeranian Voivodeships. This factor led to the construction of agrod, aWest Slavic orLechitic fortified settlement, on an islet in the middle of the river. Surrounded by swamps and mires, the fortress had perfect defence conditions. Archaeological research has shown that the grod was situated on an artificial hill and had a naturalmoat formed by the branches of the Słupia, and was protected by apalisade. Records confirm that the area of Słupsk was part of the Polish realm during the reign ofMieszko I and in the 11th century.[9]
Castle mill, the oldest industrial structure in Poland
According to several sources, the first historic reference to Słupsk comes from the year 1015 when the king of PolandBoleslaus I the Brave took over the town, incorporating it into the Polish state. In the 12th century, the town became one of the most important castellanies in Pomerania alongsideGdańsk andŚwiecie.[10] However, several historians stated that the first mention was in two documents dating to 1227, signed by thePomeranian dukesWartislaw III andBarnim I and their mothers, confirming the establishment of an abbey in 1224 and donating estates, among them a village "in Stolp minore" or "in parvo Ztolp", respectively, to that abbey.[11] Another document dated to 1180, which mentions a "castellania Slupensis" and would thus be the oldest surviving record, has been identified as a late 13th-century or 14th-century duplicate.[11]
TheGriffin dukes lost the area to theSamborides during the following years, and the next surviving documents mentioning the area concern donations made by SamborideŚwiętopełk II, dating to 1236 (two documents) and 1240.[12] In the earlier of the two 1236 documents, a Johann "castellanus de Slupcz" is mentioned as a witness,[13] Schmidt considers this to be the earliest mention of the gard, since a castellany required the existence of a gard.[14] The first surviving record explicitly mentioning the gard is from 1269: it notes a "Christianus, castellanus in castro Stolpis, et Hermannus, capellanus in civitate ante castrum predictum", thus confirming the existence of a fortress ("castrum") with a suburbium ("civitas").[14] Schmidt further says that the office of a capellanus required a church, which he identifies as Saint Peter's.[14] This church is mentioned by name for the first time in a 1281 document of SamborideMestwin II, which also mentions Saint Nicolai church and a Saint Mary's chapel in the fortress.[15] The oldest mention of Saint Nicolai church dates to 1276.[15]
Słupsk possibly received itscity rights in 1265.[16] Historians argue that city rights were granted for the first time[15] in a document dated 9 September 1310 whenBrandenburgian margravesWaldemar and Johann V granted those privileges underLübeck law, which was confirmed and extended in a second document, dated 2 February 1313.[15] The margraves had acquired the area in 1307.Mestwin II accepted them as his superiors in 1269, confirmed in 1273,[17] but later on, in 1282, Mestwin II and Polish DukePrzemysł II signed theTreaty of Kępno, which transferred the suzerainty overGdańsk Pomerania including Słupsk to Przemysł II. After Mestwin II's death the city was reintegrated with Poland and remained Polish until 1307, when theMargraviate of Brandenburg took over, while leaving local rule in the hands of theSwienca family, whose members were castellans in Słupsk.[18] In 1337, the governors of Słupsk (Stolp) had purchased the village ofStolpmünde (modern Ustka)[9] and then constructed a port there, enabling a maritime economy to develop. After theTreaty of Templin in 1317 the city passed to theDuchy of Pomerania-Wolgast.[19]
TheProtestant Reformation reached the town in 1521, when Christian Ketelhut preached in the town. Ketelhut was forced to leave Stolp in 1522 due to an intervention byBogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania. Peter Suawe, a Protestant from Stolp, however, continued his practices. In 1524, Johannes Amandus fromKönigsberg and others arrived and preached in a more radical way. As a consequence, Saint Mary's Church was profaned, the monastery's church was burned, and the clergy were treated poorly.[21] The inhabitants of the town began the process of conversion toLutheranism. In 1560 Polish pastor Paweł Buntowski preached in the town, and in 1586 Polish religious literature spread locally.[9]
TheHouse of Griffins, which ruled Pomerania for centuries, died out in 1637. The territory was subsequently partitioned betweenBrandenburg-Prussia andSweden. After thePeace of Westphalia (1648) and theTreaty of Stettin (1653), Stolp came under Brandenburgian control. In 1660, theKashubian dialect was allowed to be taught, but only in religious studies.[9] The Polish language in general, however, was experiencing very unfavourable conditions due to depopulation of the area in numerous wars and impliedGermanization.[22]
After theThirty Years' War, Stolp lost much of its former importance—despite the fact thatSzczecin was thenruled by Sweden, the province's capital was situated not in the second-largest city of the region, but in the one closest to the former ducal residence—Stargard. However, the local economy stabilized. The constant dynamic development of theKingdom of Prussia and good economic conditions saw the city develop. After the major state border changes (modernVorpommern and Stettin joined the Prussian state after a conflict withSweden) Stolp was only an administrative centre of theKreis (district) within theRegierungsbezirk ofKöslin (Koszalin). However, its geographical location led to rapid development, and in the 19th century, it was the second city of the province in terms of both population and industrialization.
During theNapoleonic Wars, the city was taken by 1,500 Polish soldiers under the leadership of generalMichał Sokolnicki in 1807.[9] In 1815 Słupsk became one of the cities of theProvince of Pomerania, in which it remained until 1945. In 1869 a railway fromDanzig (Gdańsk) reached Stolp.
Old Town view towards the New Gate in the early 20th-century
During the 19th century, the city's boundaries were significantly extended towards the west and south. The new railway station was built about 1,000 metres from the old city. In 1901, the construction of a new city hall was completed, followed by a local administration building in 1903. In 1910 a tram line was opened. The football clubViktoria Stolp was formed in 1901. In 1914, before theFirst World War, Stolp had approximately 34,340 inhabitants.
Stolp was not directly affected by the fighting in theFirst World War. The trams did not operate during the war, returning to the streets in 1919. Demographic growth remained high, although development slowed, because the city became peripheral, theKreis (district) being situated on post-war Germany's border with the so-calledPolish Corridor. Polish claims to Stolp and its neighbouring area were refused during theTreaty of Versailles negotiations. The city, having become the regional center of the eastern part of Eastern Pomerania, thrived, becoming known asLittle Paris. A cultural highlight was an annual art exhibition.[24]
From 1926 the city became an active point ofNazi supporters, and the influence ofNSDAP grew rapidly.[9] The party with Hitler received 49.1% of the city's vote in theGerman federal election of March 1933,[25] when however, the election campaign was marked by Nazi terror.[26] During theKristallnacht, the night of 9/10 November 1938, the localsynagogue was burned down.[27]
The beginning of theSecond World War halted the development of the city. In 1941, the Nazis created alabour camp for people brought from various German-occupied territories, who were maltreated physically and psychologically and forced to undertake exhausting work while being subject to starvation.[27] In 1944, the Germans established a subcamp of theStutthof concentration camp at the local railway repair works, and a forced labour camp for women and children at a local school.[28][29] Prisoners of the former were over 600 Jews from various German-occupied countries, mostlyEstonia andLithuania, both men and women, and from October 1944 also 20 Jewish boys aged 10 and 11 brought from theŁódź Ghetto, with the prisoners, especially women, being subjected to exhausting work, starvation and arbitrary beatings.[28] Prisoners of the latter were women with children (around 2,000 people), mainly Polish, but also Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian, who were exposed to poor sanitary and nutritional conditions, lack of warming even in winter and no medical care, resulting in epidemics, and also regular violence.[29] Over 200 children, mostly Polish, died in the other camp.[29] In February 1945, the Germans marched some 400 women and children from the latter camp to a newly established camp in nearbyGogolewko,[29] and sent the prisoners of the subcamp of Stutthof on adeath march to an emptied camp inKokoszki.[28] The Germans also operated nineforced labour subcamps of theStalag II-Bprisoner-of-war camp in the city.[30]
TheSchutzstaffel (SS) committed a massacre of 24 Polishforced labourers (23 men and one woman) on 7 March 1945, just before theRed Army took over the city without any serious resistance on 8 March 1945.[27] In fear of Soviet repression, up to 1,000 inhabitants committed suicide.[33] Thousands remained in the city; the others had fled and the German soldiers abandoned it. However, the Soviet soldiers were ordered to set fire to the historical central Old Town, which was almost completely destroyed.[citation needed]
Life in the devastated city was organized anew. In 1945, the first post-war craft workshops and public schools were opened, trams and a regional railway started to operate, and the amateur Polish Theater was established.[34] In September 1946, the firstWarsaw Uprising Monument in Poland was unveiled.[34] From April 1947, the local Polish newspaperKurier Słupski was published.[34] The city became a cultural centre. In the 1950s, the Puppet TheaterTęcza, the Teachers' College and the Baltic Dramatic Theater were established.[34] The puppet theatreTęcza used to collaborate with the similar institution calledArcadia inOradea,Romania, but the partnership ceased after 1989. The Millennium Cinema was one of the first in Poland to have acinerama. The first Polishpizzeria was established in Słupsk in 1975.[35]
During the1970 protests there were minor strikes and demonstrations. None were killed during themilitia's interventions.
Wojska Polskiego Avenue with heritage architecture
Major street name changes were made in Słupsk after theRevolutions of 1989. Also, a process of major renovations and refurbishments began, beginning in the principal neighbourhoods. According to theadministrative reform of Poland in 1999,Słupsk Voivodeship was dissolved and divided between two larger regions:Pomeranian Voivodeship andWest Pomeranian Voivodeship. Słupsk itself became part of the former. The reform was criticized by locals, who wanted to create a separate Middle Pomeranian Voivodeship.[36] In 1998 a majorriot took place after a basketball game.
Administratively, the city of Słupsk has the status of both an urbangmina and a citycounty (powiat). The city boundaries are generally artificial, with only short natural boundaries around the villages ofKobylnica andWłynkówko on theSłupia River. The boundaries have remained unchanged since 1949, when Ryczewo became a part of the city.
Słupsk shares about three-quarters of its boundaries with the rural district calledGmina Słupsk, of which Słupsk is the administrative seat (although it is not part of the district). The city's other neighbouring district isGmina Kobylnica, to the south-west. TheSłupsk Special Economic Zone is not entirely contained within the city limits: a portion of it lies within Gmina Słupsk, while some smaller areas are at quite a distance from Słupsk (Debrzno), or even in another voivodeship (Koszalin,Szczecinek,Wałcz).
Słupsk lies in anpradolina of theSłupia River. The city centre is situated significantly lower than its western and easternmost portions. Divided into two almost equal parts by the river, Słupsk is hilly when compared to other cities in the region. About 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) of the city's area is covered by forests, while 17 square kilometres (6.6 sq mi) is used for agricultural purposes.
Słupsk is rich in natural water bodies. There are more than twentyponds, mostly former meanders of the Słupia, within the city limits. There are also severalstreams, irrigationcanals (generally unused and abandoned) and aleat. Except in the city centre, all these watercourses are unregulated.
There is generally little human influence on landform features visible within the city limits. However, in the northwestern part of the city there is a hugehollow, a remnant of a formersand mine. Although there were once plans to build awaterpark in this area,[39] they were later abandoned and the site remains unused.
Słupsk has atemperatemarine climate, like the rest of the Polish coastal regions.[40] The city lies in a zone where thecontinental climate influences are very weak compared with other regions of Poland.[41] The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range of 11 to 21 °C (52 to 70 °F). The coolest month is February, averaging −5 to 0 °C (23 to 32 °F). The wettest month is August with average precipitation of 90 millimetres (3.5 in), while the driest is March, averaging only 20 millimetres (0.79 in). Snowfalls are always possible between December and April.
Climate data for Słupsk (1951–1980 normals, extremes 1951–1965 and 1987–1992)
Market Square, part ofStare Miasto (Old Town) neighbourhoodSienkiewicz Street, part ofCentrum
The neighbourhoods (osiedla, singularosiedle) of Słupsk do not have any administrative powers. Their names are used for traffic signposting purposes and are shown on maps. The neighbourhoods are as follows:
Nadrzecze ("Riverside") — situated in the southern part of the city, this district is a major industrial area. It is bounded by the railroad to the west,Deotymy andJana Pawła II streets to the north, the Słupia river to the east and the city boundary to the south.
Osiedle Bałtyckie ("Baltic Neighbourhood") — the northernmost neighbourhood of Słupsk, a large part of which belongs to theSłupsk Special Economic Zone.
Osiedle Niepodległości ("Independence Neighbourhood") (before 1989 calledOsiedle Budowniczych Polski Ludowej or "Neighbourhood of the Builders of People's Poland", and still popularly referred to asBPL) andOsiedle Piastów ("Piast Neighbourhood") — these neighbourhoods make up the largest residential area of the city, inhabited by about 40,000 people.
Osiedle Słowińskie ("Slovincian Neighbourhood") — the easternmost part of Słupsk, similar in character to Osiedle Akademickie. It adjoins the Northern Wood (Lasek Północny) and is close to the city's boundary withRedzikowo, the planned site of theUS national missile defense interceptors.
Ryczewo — brought within the city limits in 1949, this is the youngest neighbourhood of Słupsk. Before theSecond World War it was a villa district. It has retained much of its village character.
Stare Miasto ("Old Town"; also known asŚródmieście orCentrum — "the City Centre") — the central district of Słupsk containing the historic centre of the city including the city hall and the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle.
Westerplatte (known also asOsiedle Hubalczyków-Westerplatte) — a large and fast-developing area in the south-east of Słupsk, including the city's highest point. Currently both detached houses and blocks of flats are being built here.
Zatorze (usually further subdivided intoOsiedleJana III Sobieskiego andOsiedleStefana Batorego) — the second largest residential area, with 10,000 inhabitants. According to police statistics, it is the most dangerous area of the city.
Słupsk has many green areas within its boundaries. The most important are the Park of Culture and Leisure (Park Kultury i Wypoczynku), the Northern Wood (Lasek Północny) and the Southern Wood (Lasek Południowy). There are also many small parks, squares and boulevards.
The first railway reached Słupsk (then Stolp) from the east in 1869. The first rail station was built north of its current location. The line was later extended to Köslin (Koszalin), and further lines were built connecting the city with Neustettin (Szczecinek), Stolpmünde (Ustka), Zezenow (Cecenowo) (narrow gauge) and Budow (Budowo) (narrow gauge). The narrow-gauge tracks were rebuilt as standard gauge by 1933, but were demolished during the Second World War. After the war, the first train connection to be restored was that withLębork, reopened May 27, 1945. Between 1988 and 1989 almost all of the lines traversing the city were electrified. From 1985 to 1999 Słupsk had atrolleybus system.
The city's network of streets is well developed, but many of them require general refurbishment. The city is currently investing significant sums of money in road development.
At one time Słupsk had five functioning cinemas, but only one, which belongs to the cinema chainMultikino remains open today, which is located in theJantar Shopping Centre. There is also a small specialist cinema called "Rejs" on 3 Maja street. There was a cinema called 'Milenium', which has now been replaced by theBiedronka chain of supermarkets.
Słupsk has a developing economy based on a number of largefactories. Thefootwear industry has been particularly successful in the region, expanding its exports to many countries.
TheScania commercial vehicles plant also plays a very significant role in Słupsk's economy, generating the highest revenue out of all companies currently based in Słupsk. Most of thebuses currently manufactured there are exported toWestern Europe.
Selected historic churches, from the left: St. Mary, Saint Hyacinth, Saint Otto
Following the medieval Christianization of the region, the vast majority of the town's population was composed ofCatholics, then after theReformation until the end of World War II ofProtestants.
The European Interceptor Site (EIS) of the US was planned in nearbyRedzikowo, forming aGround-Based Midcourse Defense system in conjunction with a US narrow-beam midcourse tracking and discrimination radar system in theCzech Republic. It was supposed to consist of up to 10silo-based interceptors, a two-stage version of the existing three-stage Ground Based Interceptor (GBI), withExoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV).
The missile shield has received much local opposition in the area, including several protests. This included a protest in March 2008, when an estimated 300 protesters marched on the proposed site of the missile base.[52] The planned installation was later scrapped by President Obama on 17 September 2009.[53]
On February 12, 2016, the US Army has awarded AMEC Foster Wheeler a $182.7 million contract with an option to support theAegis Ashore missile defense system in Poland. The contract comes as part of Phase III of the European Phased Adaptive Approach program, which aims to boost land-based missile defense systems for NATO members against ballistic missile threats. Project is located in Redzikowo, the site that was formerly scrapped.[54]
(in German) Helge Bei der Wieden and Roderich Schmidt, eds.:Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands: Mecklenburg/Pommern, Kröner, Stuttgart 1996,ISBN978-3-520-31501-4, pp. 287–290.
(in German) Haken, Christian Wilhelm:Drei Beiträge zur Erläuterung der Stadtgeschichte von Stolp (Three Contributions to Explaining the History of the Town of Stolp) (1775). Newly edited by F. W. Feige, Stolp, 1866 (online)
(in German) Kratz, Gustav:Die Städte der Provinz Pommern, Abriss ihrer Geschichte, zumeist nach Urkunden (The Towns of the Province of Pomerania - Sketch of their History, Mainly According to Historical Records). Berlin, 1865 (reprinted in 2010 byKessinger Publishing,ISBN1-161-12969-3), pp. 413–439 (online)
(in German) Pagel, Karl-Heinz:Stolp in Pommern - eine ostdeutsche Stadt. Lübeck, 1977 (with extensive bibliography,online)
(in German) Reinhold, Werner:Chronik der Stadt Stolp (Chronicle of the Town of Stolp). Stolp, 1861 (online)
Notes
^ab"Local Data Bank". Statistics Poland. Retrieved11 August 2022. Data for territorial unit 2263000.
^"Główny Urząd Statystyczny" [Central Statistical Office] (in Polish). To search: Select "Miejscowości (SIMC)" tab, select "fragment (min. 3 znaki)" (minimum 3 characters), enter town name in the field below, click "WYSZUKAJ" (Search).
^Collaborative work (2007).Powierzchnia i ludność w przekroju terytorialnym w 2007 (in Polish). Central Statistical Office.
^Collaborative work (1999).Gminy w Polsce (in Polish). Central Statistical Office.
^abBeata Zgodzińska."Witkacy w zbiorach muzeum".Muzeum Pomroza Środkowego w Słupsku (in Polish). Retrieved2 March 2025.
^Język polski, Tomy 19-20 Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego, page 194, W Drukarni Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 1999
^Polacy i Niemcy wobec siebieStanisław Salmonowicz, Ośrodek Badań Naukowych im. W. Kętrzyńskiego 1993, page 43
^Edda Gutsche (2018).Mit Ausblick auf Park und See. Zu Gast in Schlössern und Herrenhäusern in Pommern und der Kaschubei (in German). Elmenhorst/Vorpommern: edition Pommern. p. 63.ISBN978-3-939680-41-3.
^abcMegargee, Geoffrey P. (2009).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 1481–1482.ISBN978-0-253-35328-3.
^abcde"Nasze miasto - Słupsk". Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved2019-06-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Historia Słupska po roku 1945. Official webpage of the city (in Polish)
^Kaczmarek, T., Kaczmarek, U., Sołowiej D., Wrzesiński, D. (2002).Ilustrowana Geografia Polski (in Polish). Świat Książki.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Collaborative work (2000).Altas geograficzny dla szkół średnich (in Polish). PPWK.
The list includes the 107 urban municipalities governed by acity mayor (prezydent miasta) instead of a town mayor (burmistrz) ·Cities with powiat rights are initalics · Voivodeship cities are inbold
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