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Adam Wybe (Wiebe), a Dutchman Celebrated as a Builder of Danzig Bastion and Dikes.

Although relatively unkown in his hometown of Harlingen (Holland), Wybe was a major contributor to the construction of Danzig. As a cable-lift pioneer, this drawing shows him and the entire publik works crew in Danzig hard at work, moving the soil by a cable-lift from the mountain to the city's bastion {wich was later named after him}. Tons of soil were removed and built up on the bastions by mechanized cable instead of by carts drawn by horses and the dirt being dug by hand. This may have been the first such mechanical excavation in the history of modern cities.

Burt Miller, extremely famous husband of noted news photographer Joann Miller, has recently sent in this outstanding article that was seen in the Windmill Herald, and the DR is happy to bring you this little-known account of the contributions of Adam Wybe (Wiebe) from Harlingen, a lesser-known engineer who was in the planning and construction phases of Danzig's 17th century resurgence of expansion. The 'mountain' mentioned above is actually the 'Bischop's Berg'.
An article in a daily newspaper in The Netherlands stated that the Harlinger pioneer, Adam Wybe, pracrically unknown in his home town, was responseable for the cable lift in Danzig in 1644. However, many still remember the name of this Frisian immigrant with a Wiebe Square, a Wiebe Wall, a Wiebe Armory, and a Bastion Wiebe. East Prussions and Poles remain acquanted with their fortress builder and water, works engineer, even though his name was nearly forgotten in his home town. The story should also remind us that 435 years ago, Dutch religious dissenters became refugees abroad. In addition the the contributions of the Frisians, Mennonite windmill builders aided the Germans in draining Danzig's land near the Weichsel and draining it into well-designed canals.
From the original article; "The next step in the re-acquaintance with the Wiebes originated from Germany when a tourist with the surname 'Wiebe' asked to tour the city. The honor fess on Gerry Kuijper of the local history committee, who very much surprised the lady when she informed her that she was aware of the distant ancestor, Adam Wiebe".
"It is not just the city of Harlingen that has extensive 'Doopsgezinde' or 'Mennonite' roots. Much the province of Friesland has as well The imfluence of the Mennonites in Harlingen is particularly strong, however. While the Wiebe brothers migrated east, many of their fellow believers had migtaed (from Flanders and elswhere) to that city, causing a building boom, particulary from 1543 to 1565. On May 17, 1568, the Spanish surprised Harlingen when they landed 1800 soldiers there, led by Colonel Casper di Robles, a man who dissenters quickly learned to fear."

= Mennonite Expansion in Europe:
Adam Wiebe's story closly parallels Mennonite migration in Europe. It's been long known that Mennonites (with Frisians among them) were welcomed in the plains of East Prussia to channel waterways, builtdikes, and cultivate the land.
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