Legendary figures
Since 1920s, Gdynia became a great challenge for the most active citizens of the revived Republic, fascinated with the great projects. The scale of the project exceeded any previous investments. Hence, the history of Gdynia was created by hundreds of figures who appear in the Sea Legend Trail today.
The mister and vice-PM, Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, became the main strategist and animator of the Gdynia's myth. Tadeusz Wenda was a visionary and an author of the premises and the constructor of the port. Admiral Kazimierz Porębski became a pioneer of the Polish maritime training, commander of the Navy, together with the legendary commander of the fleet, Vice Admiral Józef Unrug. Another outstanding figure was Julian Rummel, a sailor, and Stanisław Łęgowski, who rendered great services to the formation of Polish maritime administration. Professor Kazimierz Demel was a pioneer of sea exploration and co-founder of the Maritime Fishing Institute. Legendary captains are the most colourful group in this legend and heroes of numerous stories, including Karol Olgierd Borchard, a chronicler of our fleet, and captain Mamert Stankiewicz, a hero of his most famous book. There are also Konstanty Maciejewicz, called the "captain of captains", and Stanisławem Kosko, a graduate of the Maritime College in Tczew, later the headmaster of the college transferred to Gdynia.
General Mariusz Zaruski was a sailor and captain of "Zawisza Czarny", an author of an original concept of sea education for youth and an initiator of constructing a fleet of training yachts. The core of the maritime sailing was formed in Gdynia. Władysław Wagner sailed from Gdynia, a scout and the first Pole to sail round the world in three consecutive yachts in 1932-1939. Leonid Teliga constructed his yacht, "Opty", in Gdynia. 30 years after Wagner he was the first sailor under the white-and-red flag to sail round the glob alone.
Some of them have their streets or monuments in Gdynia, and all of them have written their pages in the book of the sea history of Gdynia.