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Gdańsk’s heritage and reconstruction after the war

After the Second World War, Gdańsk was fully integrated into Poland. Subsequently, the population dynamic of the city changed – many German residents fled or were expelled, and were replaced by Poles, who came especially from areas lost to the Soviets in the former eastern lands. With new rulers and a new populace in place, a question arose – what to do about the ruined city?

September 26, 2025 - Błażej Kowacz - History and MemoryIssue 5 2025Magazine

An image of Gdańsk after the Second World War. After the war, the city became fully integrated as a Polish city, with differing proposals on how to proceed with the rebuilding, some arguing it shouldn’t be rebuilt at all. Photo: Polish National Digital Archive / Public Domain

Walking through the cobbled streets of Gdańsk, surrounded by houses of brick and stone, medieval cathedrals with towers reaching for the sky and beautiful ornate façades of manneristic buildings, one would be forgiven for thinking the city was spared the ravages of the Second World War that claimed cities such as Warsaw, Wrocław or Dresden. Indeed, much of the main city, thanks to post-war reconstruction efforts, manages to mask the truth of the enormity of the destruction that befell it. However, immediately after the end of the conflict, the idea of rebuilding the city in its current form was far from certain, as the future of Gdańsk and the fate of its historic quarters remained a topic of heavy debate, with proposals ranging from building a Soviet-style city to leaving the centre in ruin as a monument to the war, being seriously discussed.

A short look at the history and architecture of Gdańsk

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