ABSTRACT
Forwarding in Poland under the communist regime was always significant part of maritime sector as all international movements were organised by the state and thus a sizeable enterprise was needed to control and direct the flow of imports and exports. The history of C. Hartwig dates back to 1858 when Carl Hartwig opened a tannery in Poznan which he soon extended to cover variety of fuel, building and transport activities and which in short time became dominated by freight forwarding. The Shipping Department in Hartwig Gdynia was there to give advice on problems concerning sea transport, the choice of routes, the shipping line or vessel, ports to be used or transhipment needs. Containerised goods were particularly significant in this turnover - and had featured in Hartwig Gdynia's work as early as 1956 with the first shipment of containerised meat from Gdynia to the UK.
