The turning point in the development of the city was a decision concerning fortification demolishing. Destroying forts and walls began in June 1873 and this period serves as a starting point of the dynamic city's development. The spatial development of Szczecin was in this period the classic pattern of geometrical town-planning, which basis were star places with triangular building plots. The subsequent stage of the city's spatial development at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was incorporation of the already urbanized, independent settlements and small towns to Szczecin. This development was connected to communal infrastructure expansion. In 1843 the railway station was expanded; and between 1843 and 1877 new railway connections with Berlin, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Gdansk were established. In 1879 the first horse tram appeared at the streets of the city; in 1896 there was electric tram already. In 1848 a gas-works was established, in 1865 it was waterworks; finally, in 1887 the first power plant was established. At the beginning of 20th century a sewage treatment plant appeared. In 1897 a steelworks was put into operation. Between 1894 and 1898 Szczecin port was being very dynamically developed; while, special intensive development of dockyard was between 1870 and 1914.
From the 16th century to the beginning of the 18th century Szczecin was inhabited by approximately 10 thousand people. In 1720 Szczecin had only 6.081 inhabitants; in 1740 it was 12.360 already; while in 1820 - 27.681 inhabitants. Together with the development of the city the number of inhabitants was growing - from 55 thousands in 1855, through 116 thousand in 1890, up to 237 thousand in 1911 and 381 thousand in 1939.
As a result of the allied air-raids; especially between 1943 and 1945, the city's buildings were destroyed in 60-70%, port and its facilities destruction was about 70-80%, and industrial facilities were almost 90% destroyed. Oder area, city center, and former historic part of the city suffered the most.
In 25th April 1945 the last Szczecin and Pomerania Gauleiter - Schwede-Coburg left Szczecin together with Wehrmacht contingents. The next day the city was captured by 65th Soviet army under command of General Pawel Batow, and in 28th April Polish government was established. The Temporal Government was led by engineer Piotr Zaremba appointed by the authorities to be the city's president. During that time, in Szczecin there was only approximately 200 Poles and about 6 thousand German people, who were gathered in Niebuszewo district. A war commanding officer, Colonel Aleksiej Fiedotow let German people create their administration, which was seized by German communists led by Erich Wiesner. Their tactics, in the context of quite good contact with Soviet elites, consisted mainly in soothing failure conditions and protecting against some territorial lost. The Germans were extremely successful in those activities, and that fact was a merit of Anglo-Saxons in considerable part. They protested against Polish authorities' presence in the city, and as a result, Poles left the city on 19th May. They returned on 9th June but not for long since they were again forced to leave the city on 19th June. The city's president and Szczecin voivode finally registered in 5th July 1945. Polish administration seized the city excluding the whole port, which remained in the Soviet hands till 1947; and in part till 1955. Through Szczecin port; including landing pier next to today's Wały Chrobrego, Soviets exported equipment captured in Germany.