STETTIN, stet-ten'. The capital of the Province of Pomerania, Prussia. The city is situ ated on both hanks of the Oder, 17 miles south of the Stettiner Haff, an inlet of the Baltic, and 83 miles by rail northeast of Berlin (Map: Prussia, F 2). The district on the right bank of the river comprises the former suburbs of Lastadie and Silberwiese. The site of the town is hilly, and consequently the streets are uneven, but the houses are well built. The extensive fortifications were demolished in IS74. The castle, dating from 1577, formerly occupied by the Dukes of Pomerania, is now a Government building. The Iiiinigs-Thor and the Berliner Thor are interesting sandstone gates built by Frederick William 1. Saint James is an impos ing thirteenth-century church in the centre of the town, restored in 1897: Saint Peter and Saint Paul is the oldest church in Pomerania, restored IS16-17: and tbe fine new Roman Catholic church (1890) is also worthy of note.
Stettin is the most important manufacturing town in Pomerania. Its principal industrial es tablishment is the Vulcan ship-building yard, employing over 6000 men, and covering 65 acres. There is also a large iron foundry, where all the anchors for German ships are forged. The cloth ing industry ranks second in importance only to ship-building, and employs over 10,000 men, women, and children. There arc numerous large
factories for the manufacture of chemicals and cement, bicycles and sewing machines, soap and candles, paper, glass, etc. A new harbor on the east bank of the Oder was opened in 1900. This, together with the deepening of the Oder to the Stettiner enabling large vessels, which formerly stopped at Swinemtinde, to reach the city, has made Stettin the third port of Germany. It has direct steamship communication with New York, London, and other foreign cities. The port was cleared in 1900 by 4594 vessels, of 1,552,543 tons burden. The chief exports are corn, spirits, lumber, sugar, and cement; the imports, iron, petroleum, wine, groceries, and coal. Population, in 1890, 116,228; in 1900 (Greater Stettin), 210,680.
Stettin is of Slavic origin. It first came into notice in the twelfth century. As a member of the Hanseatic League it became a flourishing commercial town. It belonged to Sweden from 1648 until 1720, when it passed to Prussia. It was held by France from 1S06 to 1813. Consult W. 11. Meyer, Stettin in alter and neuer Zeit (Stettin, 1887).