Szczecin

Szczecin (/ˈʃtʃɛtʃɪn/; Polish pronunciation: [ˈʂt͡ʂɛt͡ɕin]; German: Stettin, Swedish: Stettin known also by other alternative names) is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. In the vicinity of the Baltic Sea, it is the country's seventh-largest city and a major seaport in Poland. As of June 2011 the population was 407,811.

Szczecin is located on the Oder River, south of the Lagoon and the Bay of Pomerania. The city is situated along the southwestern shore of Dąbie Lake, on both sides of the Oder and on several large islands between the western and eastern branches of the river. Szczecin borders directly with the town of Police and is the urban center of the Szczecin agglomeration, that includes communities in the German states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The city's history began in the 8th century as a Slavic Pomeranian stronghold, built at the site of today's castle. In the 12th century, when Szczecin had become one of Pomerania's main urban centres, it lost its independence to Piast Poland, Saxony, the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark. At the same time, the Griffin dynasty established themselves as local rulers, the population was converted to Christianity, and German settlers arrived from Western European states. The native Slavic population was assimilated in the following centuries. Between 1237 and 1243, the town was rebuilt, granted vast autonomy rights, and eventually joined the Hanseatic League.

Stettin (disambiguation)

Stettin or Szczecin is a city in Poland.

Stettin may also refer to:

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Stettin (region)

The Region of Stettin (German: Regierungsbezirk Stettin, Polish: rejencja szczecińska) was a unit of territorial division in the Prussian and later German Province of Pomerania. It was established in 1816 and existed until 1945. On 1 October 1932 the Stralsund Region was incorporated into the Stettin Region. The Region included large parts of the historical regions of Western and Central Pomerania.

The seat of the regional administration was the city of Stettin (modern Szczecin). Initially it was located in the Ducal Castle, in 1911 it was moved to a new building complex.