Gdynia – Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany (1939–1942)

Expelling people alien to race and ethnicity, and then settling lands with carefully selected German population, was one of targets of German occupier’s policy to be carried out on grounds incorporated into Reich. Enforced evictions of Polish people and displacements of Germans living outside the Reich after 1st World War made tool for execution of that policy. Displacements of Polish Gdynia inhabitants to the German-occupied Poland are subject of this elaboration – presented in a broad historical background of events related to establishment of the city, its existence in interwar times, defense of Gdynia in 1939, introduction of German occupational administration and selected manifestations of repressions imposed on the Gdynia population. Plans and extents of the displacements, organization and methods of their execution, confiscations of properties, conditions in which the expelled people used to be transported to the German-occupied Poland and their living conditions after the displacements are covered in the article. Files of catalogue number S 22/00/Zn, regarding investigation carried out by Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation in Gdańsk and focused on displacements of Polish people from Gdynia to the German-occupied Poland, make majority of materials described in the article.