Editing Szczecin (section)

=== 17th to 18th centuries ===
[[File:Stettin merian.JPG|thumb|left|The city's fortifications, as seen in 1642]]

Following the [[Treaty of Stettin (1630)|Treaty of Stettin of 1630]], the town (along with most of Pomerania) was allied to and occupied by the [[Swedish Empire]], which managed to keep the [[Swedish Pomerania|western parts of Pomerania]] after the death of Bogislaw{{nbsp}}XIV in 1637. From the [[Peace of Westphalia]] in 1648, Stettin became the Capital of Swedish Pomerania.<ref name="auto">Swedish encyclopedia "Bonniers lexikon" (1960's), vol 13:15, column 1227</ref> Stettin was turned into a major Swedish fortress, which was repeatedly besieged in subsequent wars.<ref name=aps345/> The next [[Treaty of Stettin (1653)]] did not change this, but due to the downfall of the Swedish Empire after [[Charles XII]], the city went to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] in 1720.<ref name="auto"/> Instead Stralsund became capital of the last remaining parts of Swedish Pomerania 1720–1815.<ref>Swedish encyclopedia "Bonniers lexikon" (1960's), vol 13:15, column s 709-710</ref>

The city was on the path of Polish forces led by [[Hetman]] [[Stefan Czarniecki]] moving from Denmark during the [[Second Northern War]]. Czarniecki, who led his forces to the city,<ref>''Historia Szczecina: zarys dziejów miasta od czasów najdawniejszych'', Tadeusz Białecki, 1992: "Nowa wojna polsko-szwedzka w połowie XVII w. nie ominęła i Szczecina. Oprócz zwiększonych podatków i zahamowania handlu w 1657 r. pod Szczecinem pojawiły się oddziały polskie Stefana Czarnieckiego"</ref> is today mentioned in the [[Polish anthem]], and numerous locations in the city honour his name.

Wars inhibited the city's economic prosperity, which had undergone a deep crisis during the devastation of the Thirty Years' War and was further impeded by the new Swedish-Brandenburg-Prussian frontier, cutting Stettin off from its traditional [[Farther Pomerania]]n hinterland.<ref name=aps344>[[Peter Oliver Loew]], ''Staatsarchiv Stettin: Wegweiser durch die Bestände bis zum Jahr 1945'', German translation of Radosław Gaziński, Paweł Gut, Maciej Szukała, ''Archiwum Państwowe w Szczecinie, Poland. Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych'', Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 2004, p.{{nbsp}}344, {{ISBN|3-486-57641-0}}</ref> Due to a [[Plague (disease)|Plague]] during the [[Great Northern War]], the city's population dropped from 6,000 people in 1709 to 4,000 in 1711.<ref name="Buchholz, p.{{nbsp}}532">Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.{{nbsp}}532, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}</ref> In 1720, after the Great Northern War, Sweden was forced to cede the city to King [[Frederick William I of Prussia]]. Stettin was made the capital city of [[Province of Pomerania (1653–1815)|the Prussian Pomeranian province]], since 1815 reorganised as the [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|Province of Pomerania]]. In 1816, the city had 26,000 inhabitants.<ref name="Buchholz, p. 416">Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.{{nbsp}}416, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}</ref>

The Prussian administration deprived the city of its right to administrative autonomy, abolished [[guild]] privileges as well as its status as a staple town, and subsidised manufacturers.<ref name=aps345/> Also, colonists were settled in the city, primarily [[French people|French]] [[Huguenots]].<ref name=aps345/> The French established a prosperous community, greatly contributed to the city's economic revival, and were treated with reluctance by the German burghers and city authorities.<ref>{{cite book|last=Skrycki|first=Radosław|editor-last=Rembacka|editor-first=Katarzyna|year=2011|title=Szczecin i jego miejsca. Trzecia Konferencja Edukacyjna, 10 XII 2010 r.|language=pl|location=Szczecin|page=96|chapter=Z okresu wojny i pokoju – "francuskie" miejsca w Szczecinie z XVIII i XIX wieku|isbn=978-83-61233-45-9}}</ref>