Galerie

Outstanding Neighbors on the West Side

The post card shows the arrangement of the prison tower with its surrounding satellite buildings as they appeared a couple of centuries ago. Stockturm’s illustrious neighbors include: St. George’s Hall, moved in 1494 from the Artushof.

THE UPLAND GATE --- 1574-1575
One of the most expensive projects in the history of Danzig was this massive gate which was located on the western approach and terminated by a drawbridge which carried the road over a moat. The structure was mainly brick by the Dresden architectural firm, Jan Cramer. Another firm of the Flemish Willem van den Blocke, in 1588, made several laural-leaf embellishments of the state seals. (It may be worthwhile for any of you stamp niuses to find the area on Google Earth) “Google and show us your print!”

The medieval brick fortification walls became a weaker and weaker defense for the city zin the era of development of artillery. In the second half of the 16th century, on the western side,the most exposed to attack, high earth embankments were begun and deep and broad were dug. in 1588, above the green curtain of the embankment, there appeared the stone mass of the Brama Wyzynna (High Gate) —the main entrance into the city, which was surrounded by a system embanhments and moats built by van den Bosch from 1619-36, with 70,000 inhabinates. The new fortification did well to 1793, when Prussia took over in the third division of Poland.

The Stockturm, Upland Gate, defensive wall and moat greeted the great emperors of history to Danzig, including Napoleon.

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 160 - 2nd Quarter 2013, Page 12.