The decision has been made
Gdynia has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List!
The long-awaited decision has been made – Gdynia, and more specifically, the modernist city centre – is to be inscribed on UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List. On Monday, 27 July, in Busan, South Korea, experts acknowledged that Gdynia’s architecture and overall urban layout are of exceptional value on a global scale.
International promotion, becoming a ‘must-see’ destination for architecture enthusiasts from around the world, and a new, powerful driving force for tourism – these are just some of the benefits that are now waiting for Gdynia. They are guaranteed by the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL), the world’s most famous registry of buildings, monuments and traditions that preserve history for future generations.
The only city of its kind in the world. What makes Gdynia stand out
An international panel of experts, who met in Busan, South Korea, over the past week, carefully examined Gdynia’s revised nomination dossier (it should be noted that the modernist city centre was the only Polish candidate for inscription on the World Heritage List), and confirmed that Gdynia is unique in features not found in other cities with similar architecture.
These include, among other things, a compact, carefully planned city centre with high-quality living spaces; urban design in harmony with the sea and the port; unique apartment houses and buildings with rich and coherent architectural forms; as well as the preservation of the historical functions, authenticity and integrity of the entire area.
To conclude: ‘Gdynia Modernist City Centre’ (the full name of the UNESCO World Heritage List entry) is quite simply one of the world’s best-preserved examples of a 20th-century modernist port city.
A long road to UNESCO World Heritage List
This is the result of more than 20 years of combined efforts and work aimed at effectively protecting and promoting Gdynia’s most valuable architectural heritage. It is worth recalling that over the past two decades, municipal officials have, among other things, strengthened conservation measures, appointed a Municipal Conservator of Monuments, conducted and supported numerous academic research projects, and collaborated with both residents and other authorities.
Since 2007, the urban layout of the City Centre has been listed in the registry of monuments, and since 2015 it has also been granted the status of a Historic Monument – this gave rise to a genuine ambition for the city to be included on the prestigious international list maintained by UNESCO. This goal was achieved at a symbolic moment: the year marking the city’s centenary.
It should be noted that Gdynia’s nomination dossier has been supported, amongst other things, by detailed nomination documentation, namely the so-called Management Plan (a document setting out the regulations for the conservation, monitoring and development of the historical centre), a multi-stage evaluation conducted by ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites), as well as diplomatic efforts and establishing trust in the nomination at both national and international levels.
The addition of the modernist City Centre to the list was made possible thanks to cooperation with the government, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Heritage Institute, the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Poland to UNESCO, and the authorities of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
A brief history of Gdynia’s road to UNESCO World Heritage List:
• 2007: the urban layout of Gdynia’s City Centre was entered in the register of historical monuments of the Pomeranian Voivodeship
• 2007: the first international scientific conference, ‘Modernism in Europe – Modernism in Gdynia’, which focuses on promoting the modernist movement and continues to be held in the city to this day
• 2012: establishing the Office of the Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Gdynia (under the agreement with the Voivodeship Office for the Protection of Monuments in Gdańsk)
• 2015: the City Centre of Gdynia recognised as a Historical Monument by a decision of the President of the Republic of Poland
• 2019: Poland submits Gdynia’s nomination to the UNESCO Tentative List and work begins on the nomination dossier
• February 2023: the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage submits Gdynia’s nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List and provides the complete nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre
• June 2025: receiving a document where ICOMOS experts confirmed the exceptional value of Gdynia’s modernist City Centre, whilst highlighting issues requiring further clarification (a so-called ‘referral’ recommendation)
• June 2025: Bożena Żelazowska, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage, recommended that Gdynia’s nomination be put to a vote at the 2026 session of the World Heritage Committee
• 2025–2026: the process of supplementing and refining Gdynia’s nomination dossier, as well as ongoing diplomatic efforts
• November 2025: exercising the right to direct consultations with ICOMOS experts and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s Nominations Unit in Paris
• January 2026: official submission of supplementary documentation to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and subsequently to ICOMOS
• May 2026: away meeting of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Media in Gdynia; unanimous support from the Senate for Gdynia’s nomination
• July 2026: consultations with ICOMOS experts in Paris; a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps of the member states of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
• 19–27 July 2026: 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, decision on Gdynia’s nomination
It all ‘began with the sea’ and has remained to this day
It combined the said modernist architecture with a functional urban layout and remained inextricably linked to the port and the Baltic Sea. Importantly, it has retained its unique spatial layout and architecture to this day.
Gdynia’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List is based on Criterion IV – reserved for properties representing a significant stage in human history. The uniqueness of Gdynia’s nomination was also confirmed by a comparison with other cities characterised by modern urban planning from the same period. A comparison with the German Bauhaus, the housing estates of Berlin, the architecture of Kaunas in Lithuania and Ljubljana in Slovenia, as well as the coastal city of Tel Aviv (Israel), Brasília (Brazil), Chandigarh (India) and Asmara (Eritrea), confirmed that Gdynia represents a distinct, unique model with its own characteristic features.
In order to understand what makes this city so unique, it is worth noting:
• the history of the city’s development at a pace that is unique on a global scale (from a Kashubian village to a modern port city with over 100,000 inhabitants in just a dozen or so years)
• careful urban planning in the spirit of modernism: a well-thought-out street grid, compact rows of houses, and a focus on residents’ needs and quality of life
• designing buildings in line with best known practice: light-filled apartments, no dark annexes, access to green spaces, inspiration drawn from nautical themes, a distinctive, ‘streamlined’ architectural style known as Gdynia modernism, and Art Deco elements, whilst maintaining consistency and aesthetic appeal
• the city’s connection to the sea: the city was planned and developed in harmony with the port, and its main axis remains open to the sea to this day (South Pier, Kościuszki Square and 10 Lutego Street)
• maintaining authenticity: the city avoided serious damage during the Second World War; it has kept the original layout of streets, squares and blocks, and retained numerous structures from the interwar period; the functions of most buildings have remained unchanged, and the historical names have been preserved
This is the first Polish site on the UNESCO World Heritage List to feature the modernist architecture of an entire urban complex. To date, a total of just 17 sites from Poland have been included on the list: 15 cultural heritage sites and 2 natural heritage sites (including such iconic places as Kraków’s Old Town, the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork).
How the inscription will change the way the city functions
A place amongst the world’s most valuable heritage sites opens up new opportunities for the city. Above all, a boost in tourism is expected – the UNESCO brand is a powerful draw for visitors from around the world who are looking for a high-quality experience and who drive the local economy (services, transport, retail, hospitality). The city’s international profile will also be significantly enhanced. Inclusion on the World Heritage List may also open up potential avenues for securing external funding for initiatives related to the preservation of architecture and facilitate the continued protection of valuable historical monuments.
However, the inscription on this prestigious list does not entail any kind of revolutionary change that the residents of the City Centre might in any way fear. This area has been under special protection since 2007, and the owners of the buildings and apartment houses – the majority of which remain in private hands – are already familiar with the rules for cooperating with conservators. Many aspects are also set out in the provisions of the local spatial development plans.
It is worth remembering that the city’s annual grant scheme for conservation works has been operating successfully for years, enabling investors to receive financial support for the renovation of façades, roofs and architectural details of the city’s most valuable buildings. Effective and consistent heritage protection is, in fact, one of the reasons why the application for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List was successful – without the measures taken over 20 years ago, it would not have been possible to preserve the condition that convinced the experts.
However, the arrangements governing new developments will change. In order to preserve the unique character of Gdynia’s City Centre, it will be necessary to assess the impact of each new development on the protected area – although many aspects are already set out in existing planning documents.
About the UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage List was established under the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
It features the world’s most valuable properties which have been recognised as being of significance to humanity as a whole. The main aim is to protect the representative cultural and natural heritage of all regions of the world. To date, only 17 sites from Poland have been included on the list (the most recent addition dates from 2021). In total, however, there are over 1,200 sites from across the globe.
Each year, the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention (Poland ratified the Convention in 1976) may submit only one nomination for inclusion on the List. Decisions on new nominations are taken at sessions of the World Heritage Committee.
The fate of the applications is then decided by an international panel comprising representatives from 21 member states (currently they are the representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Czechia, Grenada, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Türkiye, Ukraine and Vietnam).
All State Parties to the said Convention are obliged to provide their monuments included on the list with special care and protection against destruction. They must also ensure that they are preserved in as unaltered a state as possible for future generations.
Author: Kamil Złoch (kamil.zloch@gdynia.pl)