With a population of ,, [ 8 ] it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. The city has a complex history, having had periods of Polish, German and self rule. An important shipbuilding and trade port since the Middle Ages , in it became a member of the Hanseatic League which influenced its economic, demographic and urban landscape. It also served as Poland's principal seaport, and was the largest city of Poland in the 15thth centuries. In , within the Partitions of Poland , the city became part of Prussia , and thus a part of the German Empire from after the unification of Germany.
The contemporary city was shaped by extensive border changes , expulsions and new settlement after Mary's Church , one of the largest brick churches in the world.
Dominic's Fair , which dates back to , [ 12 ] and is regarded as one of the biggest trade and cultural events in Europe.
The name of the settlement was recorded after St. The Germanised form Danzig developed later, simplifying the consonant clusters to something easier for German speakers to pronounce. Written in , it describes how in Saint Adalbert of Prague baptised the inhabitants of urbs Gyddannyzc , "which separated the great realm of the duke [i. Archaeological evidence for the origins of the town was retrieved mostly after World War II had laid 90 percent of the city centre in ruins, enabling excavations.
The site was ruled as a duchy of Poland by the Samborides. It consisted of a settlement at the modern Long Market, settlements of craftsmen along the Old Ditch, German merchant settlements around St Nicholas' Church and the old Piast stronghold. At that time the area of the later city included various villages. Migration of merchants to the town resumed in In , the town had an estimated population of 2, While overall the town was far from an important trade centre at that time, it had some relevance in the trade with Eastern Europe.
