Our project "Plans of Gdańsk" is a unique collection of scans of historical maps, covers and descriptions that show the rich history of the city on the Motława River. Through this platform, we would like to share with you fascinating visual and historical documents that shed light on the urban transformations of Gdańsk over the centuries.
For several years I have been collecting paper plans (maps) of the city of Gdańsk. Now I have decided to make my collection available electronically in the form of scans. This means that only the plans that I have in the original version are included on the website (I do not collect reprints or copies).
For financial reasons, there are no very valuable or very old plans here, but there are a few rarities from the recent history of Gdańsk. Most of the plans come from the post-war years of the 20th century.
The main idea behind the creation of the website planygdanska.eu was to enable Internet users to compare how Gdańsk, its districts and a specific street have changed over the years. Anyone can search for a map from a given year and check whether their street existed at that time, what its name was, and what was the name of the district in which it was located.
Another reason is an attempt to catalog the plans of Gdańsk published over the years in various forms (plan, leaflet, postcard), especially from the past several dozen years.
I'm glad you visited my website. If you have any comments or advice, please go to the contact tab.
If you have outdated, old, unnecessary plans for Gdańsk, please let me know - I will purchase them from you if possible. It will be even nicer if you decide to donate them for free. We will all benefit from this. I would like to remind you that the website is non-commercial and is entirely maintained with private funds.
The first mentions of Gdańsk date back to the 8th century, and already in the 11th century the city began to play an important role in the Baltic trade. In the Middle Ages, Gdańsk was an important member of the Hanseatic League, an international association of merchants, which contributed to the development of the port and maritime trade.
In the 16th century, Gdańsk became one of the richest cities in Europe, and its importance was marked on the maps of that period. Trade in grain, salt and wood developed. At that time, the city also gained the status of a free city, which influenced its political independence.
As a result of the destruction of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Gdańsk had to undergo a reconstruction process. New maps documenting this periodic city show changes in architecture and urban planning.
In the 19th century, during the times of dynamic industrial development, Gdańsk became an important port for Germany and underwent further changes. After World War I, the city returned to Polish rule, and the interwar period brought further challenges and transformations, which are also reflected on the maps.
During World War II, Gdańsk was significantly destroyed. After the war, thanks to the efforts of residents and international aid, the city underwent a reconstruction process, which can also be tracked on maps.
Currently, Gdańsk is a dynamic city combining rich history with modernity. Contemporary maps show the development of infrastructure, new districts and the changing landscape of the city.
Thanks to maps, we can follow this fascinating journey through time and space, discovering the secrets, stories and evolution of Gdańsk over the centuries.