Proud Hanseatic city, center of Baltic trade, Free City under the Versailles order, site of the outbreak of war in 1939, stage of an unprecedented reconstruction, city of "The Tin Drum" and Solidarity: Gdańsk's history between Germany and Poland is both exciting and fascinating. From prehistoric amber collectors to the Slavic dukes of Gdańsk, the consequential conquest by the Teutonic Order, and the subjugation under the Polish king, Gdańsk's development led to a remarkable flourishing: around 1650, there was no city larger or wealthier than the port city on the Vistula between Moscow and Amsterdam. This was followed by a long decline that led to its incorporation by Prussia. In 1945, old Gdańsk was destroyed, and the German inhabitants were expelled. But a miracle happened: the new Polish population rebuilt the historic center.