First recorded as a settlement in 997, Gdańsk was likely founded by Duke
Mieszko I of the Piast dynasty, capitalizing on Baltic trade routes as well as
establishing a Piast presence on the Pomeranian coast. In the 12th and 13th
centuries, the town expanded to the north and south as it outgrew its original
borders. As Piast Poland politically disintegrated due to inheritance issues,
the town became one of the centers for the independent Duchy of Pomerelia.
Under its duke, Swietopelk II, Gdańsk was granted Lübeck city rights in 1235 as
German-speaking merchants took up residence in the growing town. By the end of
the
