Administration and Operation of the Commercial Seaports in Gdańsk and Gdynia During the Second World War

Abstract

The study presents the functioning and operation of the port of Gdańsk and the civilian-economy zone of the port of Gdynia during World War II. After the outbreak of the war, in September 1939, the Harbour and Waterways Council, which had so far administered the port of Gdańsk, was dissolved, and its powers were entrusted to the State Commissioner for Harbours and Waterways working under the Reich Governor of Gdańsk. The State Com- missioner also took over the administration of the so-called economic sector at the naval port of Gdynia. At the beginning of 1940, the management of the port of Gdańsk and the civilian part of the port of Gdynia was handed over to the joint stock company “Danziger Hafengesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung” – “Dahag” established by the Reich Governor and the city of Gdańsk. The investments made in the two ports and the new technical equipment they received improved their operations and cargo handling capacity. However, the cargo turnover of the Gdańsk–Gdynia port complex during the war was smaller than the volumes handled before the outbreak of the war. Despite the efforts made by the authorities of “Dahag,” the Gdańsk–Gdynia port complex never became a hub for transit transport from Scandinavia to Central Europe in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, which, apart from the war, was due to competition from other German ports.

Keywords

• war
• economy
• port
• administration
• operation