Gdansk Off The Beaten Path Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

Controversial monument!

This monumental stone structure in a shape of battleaxe digged into the ground was ceremonially unveiled by Polish communist authorities in 1969 (Podwale Staromiejskie, close to the Swan Gate). It's the monument for those who fighted Gdansk to be a Polish city. There are dates of the battles and fights between Poles and Germans from 1308 till 1945. I've found it a bit controversial.

Let me explain that Soviets and communists always regarded and publicized that Gdansk and the western part of Poland had always been Polish, never German. The key purpose of this propaganda was to false true history still living in human memory and minds. That's why they used to put up a lot of monuments about "coming back of a city/town X to its roots that was Poland" and about "liberation from hands of German occupants" never mind the city/town belonged to Poland or Germany and had German or Polish majority before WWII. The fact that Gdansk had Polish minority of only about 10% in 1934 could never been published on the eastern side of the Iron Wall. Not to mention the fact that "liberation" of Gdansk in 1945 meant burning the city out to the ground, house by house, by new, Soviet occupants following by cruel persecutions of their citizens who didn't want to accept new, communist rule, and 44 years of totalitarian communism.

Some (many?) Gdansk citizens would like to see this monument ended up on the waste heap. I'd rather put some explanations for visitors by the monument. Each year, a few tenths Gdansk old communists (called now post-communists) gather at this monument and put flowers on the 1st May (Labour Day regarded by many as the only post-communist holiday in Poland now). At the same time, young post-communists (they call themselves socialdemocrats) march around Gdansk to protest against neo-liberalism of the government. Well, freedom of speech came back to Gdansk in 1989, now doubts :-).

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Other Contact: http://fakty.interia.pl/news?inf

Guard-house No.1 (Westerplatte)

Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdansk, at an estuary of the Dead Vistula (one of the Vistula delta estuaries). I drove there by my car maybe 15 min. from Gdansk downtown (a ship from the Long Waterfront = Dlugie Pobrzeze is an option). I bought a ticket to a museum (3 zl; daily 8.00 am - 7.00 pm) in a gift shop (Pamiatki) by a parking lot. The very small museum is placed in the former Polish guard-house No.1, an ugly building pays tribute to the heroic defence. The short information for visitors is given on the table put outside (in Polish, English and German). But all items displayed in the museum are described exclusively in Polish :-(.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Poland has been wiped off the map of Europe since 1795. The country had been divided among Germany (Gdansk, Wroclaw), Austria (Krakow, Lvov) and Russia (Warsaw, Vilnius) till the WWI (1914 - 1918) which finally broght independence to Poland in 1918. Gdansk and the area around was disputed between Poland and Germany and finally the Free City of Gdansk was created (under a commissioner appointed by the League of Nations) . In 1925 the Council of the League of Nations allowed Poland to set up a Polish Military Transit Depot in Westerplatte, on a territory of the Free City of Gdañsk. On 1 September 1939, at 04:45 local time, as Germany began its invasion of Poland, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein started to shell the Polish garrison with its 280mm and 150mm main guns. The World War II broke out.

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Other Contact: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes

Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

Heroism or sheer stupidity?

I put this provocative question when I saw weapons used by Polish troops defending Westerplatte during the first 7 days of September 1939. They are displayed in the museum in the Guard-house No.1. I easily got to know how large the disproportion in arms between the Germans and Poles had been: one Polish 75mm gun (shortly destroyed) against many 280mm and 150mm German guns; 182 Polish soldiers against 2,600 German ones etc.

The attacks by German marines, who were hoping for an easy victory, were repelled, with Polish small arms and machinegun fire, many times. But shortage of food, water, ammunition and medical supplies together with heavy bombings with the ship and a field heavy artillery along with dive-bombing raids by Germans, eventually forced heroic defenders to gave up on the 7th day.

HEROISM OR SHEER STUPIDITY?
It was not stupidity. Only 14 Poles were killed and 53 wounded of 205 soldiers defending Westerplatte. Number of German losses remains undisclosed but it's estimated 300 killed and many more wounded. And, anyway, saying stupidity about one who lost his/her live for freedom of his country is inappriopriate.

However, there are Poles (minority) who think that it's a sheer stupidity to loose so many lives during the WWII to be finally "prized" with a new, totalitarian system - the Soviet communism which brought next, numerous victims. Their conclusion is that it could have been much better to cooperate with Hitler (like most conquered countries had done) instead of buildind the army abroad and in occupied Poland which, together lost many soldiers. The disproportion between the Polish contribution to World War II and "the prize" at the end is shocking, indeed.

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Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

John Paul II, Westerplatte and Berlin Wall

There are some pictures and information about the meeting of pope John Paul II with youths in Westerplatte on 27 June 1987. They are displayed in the museum in the Guard-house No.1.
I remember well, one of the most important words said to young people by John Paul II:
"We know, that here, in this place, in Westerplatte, a group of young Poles, the soldiers under major Sucharski's command, was remaining nobly obtinate in September 1939, taking an uneven fight against invaders, the heroic fight.

They have remained in the nation's memory as a meaningful symbol. It's necessary, this symbol continously to talk and to mount a challenge for more and more people and generations of Poles.

Each of you, young friends, finds some own "Westerplatte" in your life, some tasks given to carry out, some correct errands which you can't fight not to do them, some duties, obligations you can't shirk. You may not desert. At the end, you find some order of truths and values in and around you, which should be kept and defended, like Westerplatte was. Yes, to defend for you and the others."
Excuse, the translation into English is mine. Hopefully it's correct. Isn't it?

On the same day, the U.S. President Ronald Reagan had a speech near the Brandenburg Gate and called for tearing down the Berlin Wall and opening the Gate. Surely, I could read only about "Ronald Reagan's dangerous provocation in West Berlin" in all Polish newspapers. Add common news about the nightmare of unemployment which oppresses western youths, economic crisis in the West etc. etc.

Despite the communist propaganda, for many young people, this task, to tear down communism, became the obligation John Paul II was talking about. The papal appeal for the youth, for creating their own “Westerplatte”, or virtues that they would be ready to defend to the last was understood that way. It was a prelude to what was about to happen in this part of Europe.

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Other Contact: http://www.inyourpocket.com

Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

Monuments off the beaten path

On the way from a parking lot to the main monument on the hill in Westerplatte, I passed by the two groups of monuments.

The first one has been, indeed, completed recently and consists of 14 simple, white gravestones with names of the soldiers who were killed during 7 days and nights of the heroic defence of the Polish Military Transit Depot in Westerplatte. The place looks like a small cemetery.

A little bit futher, there is a standing holy cross and a commemorative plaque put on the ground. The plaque says that there is the earth from places of resistance and torments of Poles during WWII placed there. It was erected in 1965 by ZMS, the communist organisation of the youth. There is a list of places of those torments and surely the list in not complete as such places like Katyn and many other places in the former Soviet Union where Poles were killed by the Soviets could not be listed there that time. Communist authorities used to remove the cross or transfer it to other place but always someone put it back on the right place. I got to know that the cross was removed twice just before the visit of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhniev in 1960'.

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Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

Story of one tank and more

There is a Soviet tank on a post displayed in Westerplatte. Turn right, towards the Baltic coast on the way to the main monument on the hill to see it.

When I was looking at the gravestones of the heroes of Westerplatte, an old, handsome and elegant guy gently asked us, a group of visitors, whether we need a guide around the grounds of Westerplatte. He told us, that he was born in 1920 and knew many facts and curiosities which had never been published. He wanted only 10 zl (€ 2.5) for up to 1 hour tour around, never mind for how many persons. We gently refused his offer, I regret now. If you have minimum 30 min. take the guide.

Despite, we refused his offer, he proposed to say something about that Soviet tank. Well, the tank is said to drive the whole trail of so called Polish Army (set up and commanded by the Soviets) from the battle of Lenino to Berlin during the WWII. But, like many other tanks put in Poland to commemorate victory of Polish-Soviet troops over Nazi Germany, noone knows whether it's true. He said that monuments commemorating battles against Germans which had never taken place, were erected by communist authorities (in Masurian region) after WWII. Anyway, the tank was first put in another, more important place of the Westerplatte grounds before the visit of Leonid Brezhnev, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in 1960'. There was large, we say Byzantine in style, celebration with many VIPs from the Soviet bloc. The preparations to the visit lasted over a year. It's said that yellow grass was painted in green to amaze incoming communist secretaries.

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Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

Ruins of Westerplatte

I have seen the model of the Polish Military Transit Depot in Westerplatte in the museum in the Guard-house No.1. On the way to the main monument I saw ruins of the Polish garrison after attacks of German forces during the first 7 days of September 1939. They are remained as they looked after the heavy bombings from the air, land and the sea. I realized how bad damages were done by the 280mm and 150mm main guns of the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein. No wonder, each shells from the Schleswig-Holstein weighed 350 kg (!).

Although the ruins are not fenced, follow the warning signs and keep away of them.

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Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

Ugly, monolithic monument

This huge monument, made of 236 granite block and 25 m high, was put on the top of the green earth hill in Westerplatte in 1966. I don't like such heavy structures which always look somewhat severe and unhuman. They were typical for Soviet propaganda of Stalin's era when heavier and bigger meant better. Those big monuments of Stalin, Lenin and many other communist criminals were removed soon after the communism fall, at least in Poland while this one, as paying tribute to the heroic defence of Polish soldiers survived and maybe interesting as an architectural symbol of its time.

Anyway, I have amazed the views, over both the green space around, the Bay of Gdansk, the city's shipyards and the Baltic Sea to the north, from the top of the 22 m high hill.

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Phone: +48 (58) 343 69 72

The only one along the southern Baltic coast

On the way from Westerplatte back to downtown Gdansk, I decided to follow the direction signs to Wisloujcie. I drove back roads to reach the invincible Vistulamouth Fortress (Twierdza Wisloujscie) in the end. it's a place for fans of real off the beaten paths, and old fortifications (15th - 17th century) put up in a pretty, picturesque scenery. Despite the fortress has been closed to visitors for years due to damages, I would come to see it from the outside again. Why? There are at least three reasons.

The fortress itself, or better to say its part I could see from the outside, and the setting of canals with boats, yachts and green space surrounding the fortifications. And it's real off the beaten path, difficullt to reach unless you have a car. Well, the fortress is well seen from the side of the Vistula river when you take a cruise from downtown Gdansk to Westerplatte. There is one more reason. It's the only maritime fortress along the southern Baltic, the coast which belongs to Danmark, Germany, Poland, Russia and Lithuania. The Vistulamouth Fortress in Gdansk was twice inscribed (1998, 2000) on the List of 100 Most Endangered Sites run by the World Monuments Watch (WMW). Thanks to the WMW funds the renovations were undertaken and they should be completed soon. The fortress is a branch of the Museum of History of Gdansk, now.

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Other Contact: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wis

Phone: +48 (58) 343 14 05

The moat with yachts and canals

I've found a lot of peace and quite around the Vistulamouth Fortress. There are a few colorful boats and yachts on the dark green water of the canal. First of all there are no visitors but many singing birds and a few alone houses both old and new ones put up nearby.

However, there is an ungly metal boathouse where the two young locals were working. Well, they both followed the atmosphere of the place and had a very long cigarette break. Through the partly open boathouse's doors I could see surprisingly large yacht, almost ready to use, I guessed.

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Other Contact: http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/twierdza.

Phone: +48 (58) 343 14 05