Gdansk Favorites

Favorite thing: Throughout the post-war period Gdañsk has invariably remained the synonym of Polish aspirations to and actions aiming at freedom. December 1970 left a tragic mark on the city and its inhabitants. Shots fired at the striking workers took their toll. Today, the famous "Three Crosses" or Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers that stands at the gates to the Gdañsk Shipyard honours the memory of the victims.

Contemporary historians consider the "Gdañsk August "of 1980 the breakthrough that triggered the process of decomposition of the post-war order on the Old Continent. The mass strikes staged then led to signing the famous August Agreement at the Gdañsk Shipyard. This formed a crack in the block that gradually led to the emergence of a new political map of Europe. Gdañsk earned another image. It became the city the world will always associate with free trade unions, "Solidarity ", and the winner of the Nobel peace prize and first President of the III Republic of Poland - Lech Wa³êsa.

In 1997 Gdañsk celebrated its millennium and worshipped its patron, St Adalbert, thanks to whom the name of the city on the Mot³awa River was first mentioned in written records. Widely open to the world, Gdañsk has always been a European city to the core. "Nec temere, nec timide", i.e. fearlessly but reasonably, is its motto one can read in Latin on the city 's grand coat of arms. History has travelled a full circle. The contemporary Gdañsk rings with life as in the olden days, and retaining its memories of the past is building its own, separate identity.

The history taken from: www.gdansk.pl

Favorite thing: In June 1919, under the Versailles Treaty Gdañsk becomes a Free City supervised by the League of Nations represented by its High Commissioners. The thirties witnessed a mounting wave of Nazism and terror that hit particularly hard on the personnel of the Polish Railway and Post, social and political activists, Polish priests and teachers, and the local Jews whose Great Synagogue was pulled down in May 1939.

On 1st September 1939 the armoured ship, Schlezwig-Holstein, began shelling the Polish military post on Westerplatte. This was the breakout of the Second World War.

Recaptured by the troops of the II Belarus Front in March 1945, Gdañsk was soon reduced to a sea of ruins. Fortunately, the destroyers left the scene replaced by builders, conservators, and artists who spent another fifty odd years bringing the city back to its previous glamour.

The ancient residents of Gdañsk had a notorious opinion of being restive and non-submissive. They were said to be tough and bold to any oppressor.
Today, despite the fact that after the "great migrations " following the war Gdañsk is no longer the same city, the same immortal "spirit of the place "prevented the new residents from consenting to the evil brought about by the subsequent variation of totalitarian rule.

Favorite thing: Reformation that reached Gdañsk as early as in the twenties of 16th century radically changed the religious face of the city. The Protestants ardently fighting for the freedom of faith were finally successful. From then on the tolerant city and its vicinities would give shelter to various religious dissidents. Numerous Dutch Mennonites and Scots, Huguenots and Jews found their haven here.
In 1580 the most famous Protestant school located in the post-Franciscan monastery of the Old Suburb was raised to the status of an Academic Gymnasium and became the pride of the city.

That ancient Gdañsk, affluent and recognized in Europe, a melting pot of nations, cultures, faiths, and tongues, the most international Polish city, formed a unique community of diversity. Polish writers of the times held a grudge against it, though the cause lay not in its cosmopolitan nature, but arrogance towards the Polish kings. And yet, facing the Swedish threat the city did not spare sacrifice to stage a determined defence winning the tough test of iron and gold. In 1734,besieged by the Russians and Saxons Gdañsk rose again in defence of honour and the Polish throne of king Stanis³aw Leszczyñski.

Alas, following the 2nd partition of Poland the city could no longer escape Prussian annexation. Its hopes put in Napoleon 's new order turned out futile. Taken over by the French in 1807 Gdañsk did gain the status of a Free City, however retained it only until 1814.

The following forty years are sometimes referred to as the times of a great crisis, decline, and economic catastrophe of the city. Substantial changes began only in the 1860-ies. The city landscape was gradually cleared of the remains of ancient fortifications. Gdañsk gained a modern water and sewer system, many public institutions, and efficient traffic routes.

Favorite thing: The determined struggle of the Gdañsk inhabitants to shake off the Teutonic yoke was long. Having said that, it is worth noting that under the Order 's rule the city gained e.g. its Radunia canal and the Grand Mill built upon it, the most imposing secular structure of the port and castle-town. The mill was fitted with eighteen wheels and generated immense profit.

Other tangible benefit Gdañsk gained both under the Teutonic rule and later, after the peace treaty of Toruñ, came from its membership in the Union of Hanseatic Towns (1361 ?1669). The city 's role of an ancient emporium was well captured by a Polish poet of the time who called it "the old lion of the mighty Hansa ". While Lübeck was depicted as the warehouse, Bremen likened to the key, and Hamburg to the lock, Gdañsk was compared to the lion bravely guarding the opulent granaries of Hansa.

After the Teutonic defeat in the battle of Grunwald [Tannenberg](1410), Gdañsk pledged allegiance to the Polish king. However, the Teutonic rule of the city came to an end only in 1454.The knights were ousted, and their fortress at the mouth of Radunia canal was razed to the ground, sharing its fate with the whole so-called New City.

King Casimir the Jagiellonian incorporated Gdañsk into the Crown and conferred numerous privileges onto the city. The document establishing the most important privilege called "The Great" was signed on 15th May 1457. The city took over extensive property previously held by the Teutonic Order. Its authorities and local merchants gained numerous rights. Gdañsk began to mint its own coin. It is since those times that the city 's coat of arms of two crosses has had the Jagiellonian royal crown added on top. The crown and the Polish eagle became a frequently used motif that adorned the works of the local craftsmen and artists, and locally printed books. The largest chamber of Main City Hall was decorated with portraits of the Polish rulers.

Favorite thing: The beginnings of Gdañsk go back to the year 980.Shortly before Easter 997 St Wojciech or Adalbert, a missionary and bishop of Bohemia, arrived in the area only to be soon killed by the pagan Prussians. A Benedictine monk, Jan Canaparius from the Aventine monastery described his life and death. In the records he referred to "urbs Gyddanyzc" or the city of Gdañsk as the place where the saint was believed to have baptised a large number of the newly converted. In this context today 's city on the Motlawa River was first mentioned in writing.

The complex combining a castle-town, city, and port began to take shape in the second half of the tenth century. Gdañsk then ruled by the dynasty of Pomeranian princes had a mixed population where the local Slavs lived side by side with growing numbers of merchants and craftsmen that arrived from the west. In the 12th century Gdañsk must have already grown to a large settlement for its times with several hundred homesteads, an open market, harbour, wharf, and defence bulwark.

Thanks to Prince Swietopelk II the Great, Gdañsk obtained city rights (of the Lübeck type). The ruler 's son and last prince of the Gdañsk Pomerania, Msciwoj II also called Mestwin, bestowed his land to Przemysl II, Prince of Great Poland in an act drawn in Kêpno in 1282. That was a step of great political significance, as it enabled unification of the Polish territories. However, in view of the chaos that spread in Gdañsk following the death of the Czech king Vaclav (the Œwiêc family having sold Pomerania to the Margraves of Brandenburg), the governor of the castle, Bogusza, called on the Teutonic Knights for help. Those, having captured the castle in 1308 butchered the population. Since then the event is known as "the Gdañsk slaughter ".

Favorite thing: I didn't know, where to write about that, so I decided to write here. :)
I'm sure, that most of you heard about people, I'm going to write about, but maybe you didn't know - they were somehow connected with this city.
- Guenther Grass - he was born here (in Wrzeszcz on 13 Lelewela street). In Gdansk are set many of his books.
- Jan Heweliusz - he lived in Gdansk in XVII century; he had many jobs, but most important was astronomer. He widened people knowledge about astronomy. He discovered many things, and that made him well known in Europe.
- Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit - well known physicist. He made many inventions, for example - his own scale of temperatures ("0" in this scale is equal to the coldest Gdansk winter - in 1709), which is today used for example in US.
- Artur Schopenhauer - he was born in Gdansk, but travelled west when he was 5.
- Lech Walesa - I think, I don't have to write about him - everybody knows something about him (lets say only Solidarity).

Fondest memory: This was my last photo taken by me in Gdansk.
The sight of the train station.
I had to leave, I wish I could stay longer.
Gdansk is so beautiful that you guys have to find ample times to chart yourself around this beautiful place in Poland !
I took the night train to Wroclaw.
Sharing the same compartment with an old lady who's afraid of thieves.
Wish I had taken her photo....
I couldn't even find a time to capture myself in Gdansk because I was too busy taking the sight photos....
I will be back for sure.
When ?
Only the time will tell...After Gdansk, I Would Continue My Journey To Wroclaw...[Click on the word 'Wroclaw']

Fondest memory: My camera is cheap I know, the flash is not strong.
I wouldn't expect the night photo, in this case the dawn photos; to turn out okay.
Nevertheless I managed to capture the sight of St. Catherine Church at this hour.
I didn't manage to capture this church known as 'The Mother Of Gdansk Churches' during light hours, so I could only present this for my own memory & also what you could see in Gdansk, if you spend more times exploring this beautiful city.