Oliwa, though situated about 9 km away from the centre of Gdansk, has been its district since 1926. In the past, however, Oliwa used to be a separate village whose origins go back as far as the year 1186 when Sambor, Pomeranian Prince, brought the Cistercian monks from Kolbacz near Szczecin to Oliwa.
They set up a monastery here which over the centuries played an important role not only in the history of the country but in the hostory of this part of Europe as well.Firstly, the Cistercian monastery was a stronghold of Catholicism during the Reformation period. Secondly, it is in the monastery in Oliwa that the peace treaty ending the war with Sweden was signed in 1660 by Emperor Leopold I, Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia, King Charles X of Sweden and King John II Casimir of Poland.
Moreover, this part of Gdansk became part of world history due to the naval Battle of Oliwa which took place in 1627. It was then that during the Swedish incursion the inexperienced Polish fleet were victorious over the stronger and outnumbering Swedish Royal Fleet.