Fryderyk Getkant

Who was Fryderyk Getkant?

Fryderyk Getkant or Frederick Getkant was a Polish military engineer, artillery lieutenant and cartographer,.

From 1620s he worked in Pomeranian Voivodeship - Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, on the problems of defence, especially those related to King Władysław IV Vasa short-time maritime interests.

He was one of the engineers working on fortifications in Großendorf and at Hela where Pomerania and Royal Prussia meet, together with Johann Pleitner.

Author of many plans, maps and atlases, among them, what is now considered as the 'first Polish' sea map and atlas Topographia practica conscripta et recognita per Fridericum Getkant, mechanicum. Manuscript of his work covering mechanical and engineering aspects of his work was lost during the Lwów fire in 1662.

The small harbor and town were destroyed after about a dozen years. The town disappeared and in the 18th century there were only 15 people.