Location: Westerplatte (about 10km north of Gdansk) - Poland
Visiting a different kind of old today...Westerplatte - located in the north of Poland, near the city of Gdansk.
Westerplatte began as a Polish military depot staffed by 88 military personnel to bring in military equipments and ammunitions. The League of Nations prevented the Polish government from further fortification of Westerplatte. Hence, five small concrete guardhouses were built to strengthen the garrison when the threat from Germany increased.
Westerplatte began as a Polish military depot staffed by 88 military personnel to bring in military equipments and ammunitions. The League of Nations prevented the Polish government from further fortification of Westerplatte. Hence, five small concrete guardhouses were built to strengthen the garrison when the threat from Germany increased.
On 1 Sept 1939, World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. However, most would not know the exact location where it all started.
The first shot was fired here at Westerplatte on 1 Sept 1939 at 0447 hours. Though Westerplatte had a little around 200 soldiers and with no further reinforcements, these men managed to keep the Germans at bay for 7 days before finally surrendering on 7 Sept 1939. In honour of their valiant effort, the German Commander allowed Major Sucharski to keep carry his sword in captivity.
The League of Nations was disbanded, having failed in its mission to prevent another world war; and in 1943 the United Nations was founded.
At Westerplatte, the ruins of the barracks and guardhouses are still here. Memorials have also been built. Set in the forest, there is a walking outdoor exhibition with photos and information about Westerplatte, its importance and events of WWII.
We spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins and reading the many information on Westerplatte.
The first shot was fired here at Westerplatte on 1 Sept 1939 at 0447 hours. Though Westerplatte had a little around 200 soldiers and with no further reinforcements, these men managed to keep the Germans at bay for 7 days before finally surrendering on 7 Sept 1939. In honour of their valiant effort, the German Commander allowed Major Sucharski to keep carry his sword in captivity.
The League of Nations was disbanded, having failed in its mission to prevent another world war; and in 1943 the United Nations was founded.
At Westerplatte, the ruins of the barracks and guardhouses are still here. Memorials have also been built. Set in the forest, there is a walking outdoor exhibition with photos and information about Westerplatte, its importance and events of WWII.
We spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins and reading the many information on Westerplatte.
Cemetary of the Defenders of Westerplatte, situated in the ruins of Guardhouse No.5, where the largest number of defenders died.
Ruins of the "new" barrack.
The new barrack with three levels built in 1934-1935 was very modern for its time with central heating, spacious bathrooms, solid furniture and cupboards for the soldiers, a sick room and a radio station. The building is in ruins as a result of war time destruction and post war devastation which included indoor detonation of unexploded shells and bombs.
"The principal mission of the three level building was to protect its lowest storey (the shelter) from artillery and airplane fire by prematurely causing detonations of shells on the upper ceilings to shield its ceilings... Air raids on 2 Sept 1939, which dropped 500kg bombs, showed that the building built to resist Nazi putsch passed its test in the harshest conditions of regular war. The barracks shelter, crushed by rubble from its upper floors, protected the crew from the preparatory hurricane fire through the next five days of defense." ~ Col. Jozef Silakowski
The permanent outdoor exhibitions has a lot of information about Westerplatte, its importance and events that started WWII. The information are in Polish and English.
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