He remembers the Teutonic Knights, the Hussic Wars and the conflict of Olive. She hosted Zygmunt III Vasa, repeatedly defended Gdańsk during the siege of the city, but succumbed to russian artillery in 1945. Today, the Fortress of Wisłoujście is simply a unique worldwide fortification monument, which, after the late completed renovation, enjoys evidence interest from local residents and tourists.
The authoritative guide published by the Historical Museum of the City of Gdańsk states that the Fortress of Wisłoujście is “an extended military architectural establishment, originally located at the mouth of the Vistula”. During the modern period it was called the gateway to the Republic of Poland and for centuries it was a key strategical point during subsequent sieges of Gdańsk. The fortress crews successfully defended themselves against attacks by Stefan Bator, King of Sweden Charles X Gustav, Napoleon Bonaparte and Russian Prince Alexander.
Wooden Beginnings
Before the Fortress of Wisłoujście was created – fortified building with barracks, reflection tower, etc. – there was a wooden lighthouse in this area. Actually a few, due to the fact that in medieval sources 1 can find references to the burning of specified an object by Hussites (1433) and later to the demolition by the storm in 1465.
– The oldest sources most frequently talk about lanterns, not a military facility, which was located at the mouth of the Vistula River and the entrance to the Port of Gdańsk – says Maciej Flis, the head of the Wisłoujście Fortress (a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Gdańsk). The Watchtower may have existed already in the times of the Pomeranian princes (16th century), but this presumption has not yet been confirmed by archaeological studies. It is certain that in the next century the Teutonic Knights had a authoritative here, called the “master of the mouth”, who charged work on ships arriving in Gdańsk.
Pass the brick
The setting up of the first permanent brick fortification at the mouth of the Vistula is connected with the liberation of Gdańsk from the Teutonic regulation in the mid-15th century. After the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the city gained tremendous privileges, making it possible to build a fresh fortress with a brick defensive tower, which inactive served as a lighthouse. For the years 1586–1602, there is simply a construction of Fort Carre (square) with 4 bastions with kasamats. The constantly expanded and upgraded fortress of Wisłoujście served as an crucial military function until Napoleonic times. However, the brick fortification lost its importance erstwhile the emergence of fresh weapons and methods of combat required concrete construction.
Even in the 19th century, the Fortress of Wisłoujście was a political prison, a warehouse of ammunition and military equipment, to become a civil-residential facility after the end of planet War I. The erstwhile barracks turned into rental houses, the shoals became the basis for vegetable gardens. The fresh residents could not remember the light of the lighthouse at the top of the tower, as the tower lost this function as early as 1758.
Secrets of planet War II
Another chapter in past The Fortress of Vislauscia wrote World War II. It is known that in September 1939 the erstwhile fortress did not endure during attack on military facilities on Westerplatte, just a fewer 100 meters straight. Poles did not defend themselves in the area of the historical fortress, which was then a de facto residential settlement of the Free City of Gdańsk. Maciej Flis, however, mentions theories indicating the alleged presence in the first days of the war at the Fortress of Vislauscia of German soldiers. 1 of them assumes that at the top of the tower there were artillery fire coordinators from "Schleswig-Holstein". However, this explanation has no confirmation in known sources.
Another talks about carrying German soldiers injured on Westerplatte to a infirmary to be organized in an old fortress. However, according to Flis, this is unlikely, since in September 1939 The Germans could usage all the hospitals in Gdansk. The fortress of Wisłoujście was indeed a lazaret and military base, but it was not until 1945 erstwhile the Germans defended themselves on Westerplatte against Red Army attacks.
One of the unconfirmed theories assumes that at the end of the war German occupiers there had anti-aircraft cannon positions of 8.8 cm Flak 18. After the war, you can see the Sturmgeschütz IV tank and RSO caterpillar vehicles. Thus, it can be assumed that Germany had a communication line between front positions and the Fortress of Wisłoujście, which as a consequence of strong artillery and russian raids was destroyed in 60% (fort). The intent of the attack was, of course, the tower, which at that time was an excellent reflection point.
However, it is very hard to find precisely the function of the Fortress of Wislauście in 1945. The subject is not well studied. The biggest problem in the survey of the latest past of fortifications is the fact that after the war there were many robberies. They took what they needed, regardless of the historical value of these items – says the museum manager.
To plow or populate
After the war, the municipal authorities did not see the point in rebuilding the Fortress of Wisłoujście, erstwhile the ruined Gdańsk had to be dealt with first. There was even a plan to level this area for the construction of another port wharf. Fortunately, as early as the 1950s, at the initiative of employees of the Gdańsk University of Technology, the fortification was able to be entered in the registry of monuments. However, there was a long way to rebuild and revitalize this place.
The first work in this area was in the late 1950s and 1960s. At first, however, the authorities did not intend to establish a museum facility here, but to adapt the erstwhile fort for residential purposes. There was besides a task to build a historical hotel base that was in ruins during the Game. “Just as planet War II destroyed our facility, so the game decade with the improvement of the manufacture then closed the fortress for decades to come”, Flis admits.
The fresh neighbour of the Fortress Wisłoujście became chemical plants with open storages of sulphur dust, which rapidly caused pollution. At 1 point, respective 100 families from the apartments in the erstwhile fort received an eviction warrant. In the mid - 1970 ’ s, attempts were made to return to the hotel’s design, however, the investigation of the wellness department from that period revealed air contamination with sulphur dust of 400 t per square kilometre. – People driving on Westerplatte inactive in the 1990s have in head the “moon landscape”: yellow fields, dried trees. It was a tragedy of this place," says the museum manager.
Cheap wine, monuments and first tourists
When the partially rescued fortress of Wisloujście was not suitable for residential purposes, the city was looking for a fresh way to usage this space. Thus the fortress entered into the registry of monuments was converted into the warehouse facilities of Dagoma. In the photographs from that period, you can see the courtyard of the fort enclosed with barrels with fruit pulp, or strawberry. Maciej Flis heard from witnesses about breaking into a warehouse, bribing a janitor, and picking up the barrel contents. The urban legend is besides associated with this practice, as if a strawberry pulp, but inexpensive wine, was kept in containers. – I spoke to the employees of Dagoma who denied stories about storing inexpensive wine in the Fortress of Wisłoujście. Although like any legend, there is simply a seed of fact in these accounts. There was a sulphur preservative in the pulp, and in specified a barrel opened under the cover of the night there may have been fermentation. And as a result, to the creation of a vile quality of wine on sulphur," says the manager.
Dagoma utilized the Fortress of Wisłoujście until the early 1990s, even though from 1974 the historical area was under the care of the Museum of Gdańsk. The institution has been conducting rescue actions from the beginning to safe walls, rebuild damage, etc. But it was only possible to make the facility available to visitors after almost 2 decades. In 1991 a Polish flag was drawn on the mast of the rebuilt tower, which inactive flies there today.
History in the rhythm of techno
The 21st century is simply a fresh beginning for the Fortress of Vislauscia. Maciej Flis stresses that Poland's accession to the European Union and its fresh origin of backing (European Regional improvement Fund) had a immense impact on the reconstruction of the historical space. The latest phase of the renovation work lasted from 2020 to 2024 and cost around PLN 15 million. However, this is not the end of work and investment. The museum manager reveals that in the close future there will be a tender for the renovation of the hangar under the permanent exhibition. The plans besides include the main tourist information building with cash registry and store and the construction of a catering area. An exhibition is to be created in the east Shaniec, the museum besides wants to reconstruct the courtyard, repair the barracks in the fort, and recreate the 19th century helmet on top of the tower.
The last renovation of the Fortress Wisłoujście required closing the facility for nearly 4 years. But it was worth waiting for the effect, as thousands of tourists have already seen. – Our attendance estimates were in ruins erstwhile we organized the beginning of the Fortress of Vislauście during May. The interest was so large that half of the 2019 turnout was "we made" during the first fewer days of May," Flis says. “Over 14,000 people visited us at the time. We anticipate 30–40 1000 tourists realistically each year, but we may encounter a pleasant surprise and exceed 50,000 people. We are on the sidelines on our way to Westerplatte, not everyone gets to us, but the increase in interest in this place is immense – the museum manager adds.
A separate group of visitors are participants of the techno music festival, which this year takes place on 23-25 August in the fortress. “I was completely amazed that these people came back to us, for example, a week after the event, due to the fact that they wanted to see the fort besides during the day,” Flis admits.
In a place with specified a rich history, of course, there can be no shortage of events involving reconstructors. They embezzle themselves as soldiers and civilians centuries ago, present clothes, weapons, kitchens, recreate military clashes and everyday life of ancestors. all year in July, the “Wisłoujście 1628” event is organized here, to which enthusiasts of that era come from the country and abroad. This year Wisłoujście Fortress hosted reconstructionists from the Czech Republic, Finland and Spain. Germany, among others, has already announced the next edition, and the historical festival itself is to be even bigger and to be held for respective days.
Apart from historical and musical events, the Fortress Wisłoujście serves many another cultural and amusement purposes. It was here a fewer years ago that Marcin Prokop and Szymon Hołownia shot a cannon in 1 of the editions of the show “I Have Talent!”, the “Good Day TVN” squad shot a vacation episode of the show, the fortress “played” in many films and documentary productions (although not necessarily itself). There was besides a fitting for filming the episode "Top Model". However, the area where tens of thousands of visitors walk proved to be inappropriate for models with heels on them.
