After the war, the town—together with the southern two-thirds of East Prussia—was placed under Polish administration according to the 1945 Potsdam Conference. The remaining German-speaking populace, including Masurians, who had not evacuated were subsequently expelled westward and replaced by Poles. The town, renamed from the German "Goldap" to the Polish "Gołdap", was rebuilt and retained its status as a seat of a powiat.