Wisłoujście Fortress is set for major changes. The 14th-century monument will soon undergo extensive conservation work worth over PLN 20.5 million. The Gdańsk Museum has received PLN 12.2 million in funding for this purpose from the FEnIKS programme. The most spectacular change will be the reconstruction of the tower’s Baroque spire, lost following a fire caused by a lightning strike in 1889. The reconstruction aims to restore the monument to the form seen in 18th-century engravings and archival plans.
The return of the historic spire
The Wisłoujście Fortress tower has stood without a spire since 1945. This is a novelty in its nearly 550-year history, as for most of that time it dominated the mouth of the Martwa Wisła with some form of spire. Following severe damage during the fighting for Gdańsk at the end of the Second World War, its structure was rebuilt, but the tower never received a spire. Now, the Gdańsk Museum intends to recreate the striking 18th-century Baroque structure, which has already been approved by the conservator of monuments. The reconstructed spire is to be approximately 40 metres high.
Wisłoujście Fortress – restoration to continue until 2029
The project, implemented under the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment 2021–2027 programme, will run until mid-2029. The works will cover an area of nearly 180,000 square metres, encompassing almost the entire historic fortification complex. The site will feature new exhibition spaces, workshop rooms and a modern Visitor Centre with a permanent exhibition. Among the exhibits will be a model of a 17th-century ship from the royal navy, over three metres long, billed as the largest model of its kind in Poland.
The History of Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk
The history of the fortress began as early as the 14th century, when a wooden watchtower stood at the mouth of the Vistula, controlling the movement of ships heading for the port of Gdańsk. In 1482, a brick cylindrical tower was erected on the site, serving as a lighthouse, an observation point and a defensive post. In the 16th and 17th centuries, a brick artillery ring and modern carré-type bastion fortifications were built around it. The fortress repelled sieges by the armies of Stefan Batory, the Swedish fleet, and the Russian, Prussian and Napoleonic armies, long considered almost impregnable.
Wisłoujście Fortress to regain its tower spire
The vicissitudes of the fortress tower’s spire resemble a ready-made script for a historical drama. The first Renaissance spire was built in 1593 and housed a navigation light for ships entering Gdańsk. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1709 during a great blaze, which, according to accounts, was caused by a sentry smoking a pipe. Following reconstruction completed in 1721, a far more decorative spire with Baroque features appeared, only to be destroyed by a lightning strike in 1889. Two years later, it was replaced by a conical spire covered in slate, mockingly dubbed the ‘sugar head’ by the locals.
Millions to save Gdańsk’s historic monument
The current funding is not the first major support for the rescue of the Wisłoujście Fortress. In 2020, the Gdańsk Museum received a PLN 12.5 million revitalisation loan from the Regional Operational Programme for the Pomeranian Voivodeship for the years 2014–2020. A year later, a further PLN 15 million was secured as part of a so-called municipal loan administered by the Pomeranian Development Fund. Thanks to these new funds, it will be possible to accelerate conservation work and restore the building’s historic character. Today, it is regarded as one of the most valuable examples of modern defensive architecture in Europe.
Source: media.muzeumgdansk.pl
See also:Architecture |Metamorphosis|Museum|Renovation|Monument|History|Gdańsk|Interesting facts
