Szczecin

Szczecin (German: Stettin; pop. 416,400), city in northwestern Poland, capital of Szczecin province, on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the Oder River. It is the main port for Poland, and also an important shipping center for goods in and out of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Germany. Szczecin was a fishing settlement by the 8th century. Its status changed a number of times between the 10th century, when it was annexed to Poland, and 1720, when it came under Prussian control. It then remained in German hands until 1945, when it was made part of post-World War II Poland. In addition to shipping, its economy is based on shipbuilding and manufacturing.