Gdynia Modernist City Centre on UNESCO World Heritage List

The World Heritage Committee found Gdynia City Centre to be an outstanding example of an urban and architectural complex reflecting the large-scale application of the principles of modernist architecture in town planning and development. The inscription was supported by as many as 18 Committee members: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Grenada, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, Ukraine, Tanzania, Togo, Türkiye, and Vietnam. The inscription is the result of many years of joint efforts by the city authorities, Conservator's Office, and the state administration as well as intensive and coordinated diplomatic action.

Gdynia Modernist City Centre was inscribed on the World Heritage List as a property of outstanding universal value for the entire mankind. The transformation of a small village on the Baltic shore into a modern port town in 1926-1939 was considered an impressive example of a transformation in urban planning. Designed with the dynamic strategic development of the seaport in mind, Gdynia became a symbol of modernity, progress, and the ambitions of the reborn Polish state. Its urban layout and buildings from the interwar period bear witness to the consistent application of the principles of modernism and to the collaboration between public authorities, private investors, and architects.

Gdynia's emergence and development shows how the ideas of the international modernist movement were creatively adapted to the local conditions of a port town. The urban layout that has survived to this day, along with the numerous modernist buildings, are unique evidence of the geopolitical and social changes that took place in Central and Eastern Europe after the First World War.

The city inhabitants' engagement in the preservation of local heritage was also appreciated during the discussion held prior to the adoption of the decision. It was emphasised that the numerous grassroots initiatives and the active involvement of the local community in the nomination process demonstrate a strong sense of identity linked to the city's modernist character.

In 2025, for the third time in its history, Poland has become a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the term 2025-2029. Its membership is a token of our country's high standing in the international system of the protection of cultural protection and is a tribute to the achievements of Polish experts in this field over many years.

The inscription of Gdynia Modernist City Centre on UNESCO World Heritage List is the result of the long-standing efforts by the city authorities, Conservator's Office, and the state administration supported by the Polish diplomacy. Thanks to this decision, Gdynia has joined the world's most precious sites of outstanding cultural value, considered to be the shared heritage of all humanity.