Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

GDAŃSK 211

Gdańsk Crane 5
Żuraw

ul. Szeroka 67/68. Map D3.
Central Maritime Museum
Tel (058) 301 6938. # 10am–
4pm Tue–Sun (Jul & Aug: to 6:30pm).
& http://www.cmm.pl

One of the city’s iconic
buildings, the Gdańsk Crane
was built in the 14th century
and reno vated between 1442
and 1444. Its present appear-
ance com bines the functions
of a city gate and a port crane.
The crane, a huge wooden
struc ture, is set be tween two
circular brick towers. It was
oper ated by men working the
huge tread mills within, and
was capable of lifting weights
of up to 2 tonnes (2 tons) to a
height of 27 m (90 ft). It was
origi nally used not only to
load and unload goods but
also to fit masts to ships. The
Gdańsk Crane was des troyed
by fire in 1945. As part of the
rebuild ing prog ramme after
World War II, it was repaired
and recon structed together
with its internal mechanism.
It is now part of the collection
of the Central Maritime
Museum (see p213). The
Crane Tower looks out over
ulica Długie Pobrzeże, which
runs along side the Motława
river. The tower, once known
as the Long Bridge, was
originally a wooden foot-
bridge that func tioned as a
quay where ships from all
over the world were moored.
Today, yachts offer ing trips
around the port of Gdańsk
are moored here.

Great Armoury 7

Wielka Zbrojownia

ul. Targ Węglowy 6. Map C3.

Academy of Fine Arts

http://www.asp.gda.pl

One of the finest examples of

the Dutch Mannerist style in

Gdańsk, the Great Armoury

was built, probably to plans

by Antonis van Opbergen in

collaboration with architect

Jan Strakowski, between 1600

and 1609. Today, the ground

floor of the former weapons

and ammu nition store is filled

with shops, while the upper

storeys are occupied by the

Academy of Fine Arts. The

building has a façade with

17th-century deco rative carv-

ings by Wilhelm Barth.

Finely decorated façade of the

monumental Great Armoury

Anton Möller’s decorative Tablet of

Charity, Church of St Mary

Church of

St Mary 6

Kościół Mariacki

ul. Podkramarska 5. Map D4.

Tel (058) 301 3982. # 9am–6pm

daily (5pm in winter). Tower #

opening hours vary, call in advance.

& http://www.bazylikamariacka.pl

The Church of St Mary is the

larg est medieval brick-built

church in Europe. Building

work began in 1343 and took

150 years to complete. The

final stage of construction,

involving the 100-m (325-ft)

long nave, was carried out by

Henryk Hetzel. From 1529 to

1945, when it was destroyed,

it was a Protestant church.

Like many other parts of

Gdańsk, it was rebuilt after

World War II. The interior

has Gothic, Mannerist and

Baroque fur nish ings. It also

con tains sev eral mem orial

tablets to prominent local

families. The Tablet of the

Ten Commandments (1480–

90) depicts each of the

command ments in two scenes,

illus trating obedi ence to and

disregard of the laws. The

Tablet of Charity, an ornate

panel made in 1607 by

Anton Möller, was used to

encourage church goers to

be generous. The memorial

tablet dedicated to Valentyn

von Karnitz of around 1590,

has many Dutch Mannerist

fea tures. The centre painting

depicts the biblical tale of the

Lamentation of Abel.

The church has a num ber

of unique features, includ ing

the Gothic sacrarium, which is

in the shape of an open work

tower, decorated with pinna-

cles and over 8 m (26 ft) high.

Also notable is the 15th-cen-

tury Madonna of Gdańsk, by

an unknown art ist, in the

church’s Chapel of St Anne.

Another attraction is the

Astronomical Clock made by

Hans Durunger between 1464

and 1470. It shows the hour

and also the days, dates of

move able feasts and phases of

the moon. At noon, a proces-

sion of figures representing

Adam and Eve, the Apostles,

the Three Kings and Death

appears. The church’s 402

steps lead ing to its 82-m

(270-ft) high Tower, offers

pano ramic views of the city.

Iconic Gdańsk Crane, a unique
medieval structure