Spandinavia

I was surprised to find that this city has so much to offer artistically and historically. Then I began to remember some of the things I had read in history that took place here. The name was not given as Gdansk, however. It was given the German name of Danzig, a name, perhaps more familiar to most of us Americans who have read some history.

I don’t know if she was right but an eighth grade history teacher once challenged us student in her class by saying to us, “There are only two ancient peoples in the world whose nations were destroyed, and yet the peoples continued to exist without a nation and were eventually able to restore their nations. Which two ethnic groups am I talking about?” I remember thinking hard about this and I piped up with one answer. “The Jews!” I said.

“That’s right. That’s one of them,” she said. “What is the other group?”

We could not come up with the answer. Finally she told us. “The Poles,” she said. Then she continued to give us the complicated story of the dissection of Poland at the turn of the twentieth century and its tumultuous re-assembly in two World Wars.

Our walking tour of Gdansk was fantastic. Our guide, Mr. Skibenski, was a former worker in one of the shipyards where Solidarity was formed. Tragically, his parents were killed at Auschwitz, and his brother was killed by the Soviet Russians. We marveled at the enormous crane that used a human treadmill and gears to install masts onto ships. We also visited the church of St. Mary, the largest brick Gothic church in the world. Remarkably, most of the city was destroyed during World War II, but much of it has been meticulously rebuilt using the original bricks. Interestingly, there’s a large Fahrenheit thermometer near the place where Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit was born. His parents tragically committed suicide by drinking poison, so the young scientist was raised by his uncles.

During our tour, we learned about the European Union’s festival celebrating all its member nations. St. Mary’s Church has a fascinating history; it was once Protestant but has since been restored to its original Catholic form after World War II. Interestingly, its buttresses are not the typical flying buttresses but rather internal buttresses. The large stained glass window overlooking the altar is a modern design. The Renaissance building that served as an arsenal is characterized by its striking facade, which depicts exploding grenades. Next door, there’s a modern building of Soviet design. Although it may not be as elaborate, it’s also listed as a historical building simply because it represents a specific architectural period.

We also visited a building that served as a prison during Napoleon’s time. On one of the main streets, we witnessed a Catholic evangelical rally. As we continued our journey, we passed a replica of a Renaissance ship that now offers short excursions to tourists. On our return to the ship, our guide pointed out a significant historical site where the first shots of World War II were fired. A Marine barracks, right where our ship was docked, was destroyed by naval shelling. Further destruction occurred during an aerial bombardment on the second day. The ruined barracks has since been designated as a national monument. After our excursion, I walked over to photograph the park where these ruins are preserved.

This city’s greatest blessing is also its greatest curse. Many great cities lie on a river. London has the Thames. Paris has the Seine. New York has the Hudson. Gdansk lies at the confluence of three great inland rivers. Throughout history, these rivers have been highways, not only for traders, but also for armies. The geographical location of Gdansk is almost perfect, and for this reason it has been remarkably successful. This is also the reason that this city has been prized by so many invaders throughout history. It is so perfectly situated that it has been a perpetual target.

Whatever you call it, Gdansk or Danzig, this place is magnificent, and its citizens can look forward to a future for their city as illustrious as it’s past. They have suffered and learned from the Germans and the Russians and now they are ready to be Poles again, a proud people of remarkable achievements and incalculable resources. Their accomplishments are as significant and varied as those of Nicolas Copernicus and Frederic Chopin. Poland is free and prosperous. And she intends to stay that way.Read more