Editing Sopot (section)

=== Polish People's Republic (1945–1989) ===
[[File:Sopot 1958, Strand, középen a Grand Hotel. Fortepan 54721.jpg|thumb|left|The Sopot beach in the 1950s with the [[Grand Hotel (Sopot)|Grand Hotel]] in the background]]
Sopot recovered rapidly after the war. A [[tram]]way line to Gdańsk was opened, as well as the School of Music, the School of Maritime Trade, a library, and an art gallery. During the city presidency of [[Jan Kapusta]] the town opened an annual Arts Festival in 1948. In 1952, the tramways were replaced by a heavy-rail commuter line connecting Gdańsk, Sopot, and [[Gdynia]]. Although in 1954 the School of Arts was moved to Gdańsk, Sopot remained an important centre of culture, and in 1956 the first Polish [[jazz]] festival was held there (until then jazz had been banned by the [[Communist]] authorities). This was the forerunner of the continuing annual [[Jazz Jamboree]] in Warsaw.

In 1961, the [[Sopot International Song Festival]] was inaugurated, although it was held in Gdańsk for its first three years – it moved to its permanent venue at Sopot's [[Forest Opera]] in 1964. In 1963, the main street of Sopot (''Bohaterów Monte Cassino'', "the Heroes of [[Battle of Monte Cassino|Monte Cassino]]") was turned into a pedestrian-only [[promenade]].

New complexes of baths, sanatoria, and hotels were opened in 1972 and 1975. By 1977, Sopot had approximately 54,500 inhabitants, the highest ever in its history. In 1979, the historical town centre was declared a national heritage centre by the government of Poland.