As a geographical position of the new Koenigsberg castle laid by Teutonic Knights in 1255 was advantageous the three towns appeared around it within 70 years: Altstadt, Loebenicht and Kneiphof. Very soon the towns started trading with cities of Lithuania, Poland, Holland, Danemark and with Veliki Novgorod. Trading routes lay through rivers, gulfs and the Baltic Sea. The Koenigsberg port appeared on the place of the Pregol branches’ crossing where the border of sea and river shipping existed. Flat-bottomed river ships with goods from Lithuania came here from the East and sea ships – from the Baltic Sea – from the West. The first complex of warehouses was built in 1327. They were called lastadies (Latin “lastadium” – a place for cargo discharging). Both the town and port enlarged; the quays of the latter stretched downstream and upstream.
In 1890 the building of the Koenigsberg seaway canal started. Then it was possible for huge ships up and even oceanic ones to arrive directly at the Koenigsberg port from the Baltic Sea. In 1921 the construction of a new Koenigsberg port began; it became one of the most modern in the world.
Despite active development of Koenigsberg, there was no wharf till the middle of the XVIII century. But in 1781 six wharves were initiated on the southern shore of the Pregol and four – on the northern one. In 1826 the “Union” steel works was founded and in 1930 it became a part of the “Schihau” shipbuilding firm.
The most part of the constructions and equipment was saved till our days and became a basis for the Kaliningrad sea and fish ports. The “Yantar” shipyard was initiated on the place of the “Schihau”.