Mill Gate in Stargard

The Mill Gate is one of the four medieval gates of Stargard, built over the bed of the Mill Canal (Kanał Młyński). The two-storey brick structure has two octagonal towers and crenellation, and its image used to appear on the town's seals and in its old coat of arms. The gate, together with the Collegiate Church of St Mary and the remaining defensive walls, has been recognised as a Historic Monument (pomnik historii).

What it was for

According to the Wikipedia entry, the gate is among the unique monuments of this type in Europe, both for its function and its architecture. It stood over the river, so it controlled water traffic and had the right to collect toll on the carriage of goods. The name comes from a mill built next to it on the Mill Canal in 1240-1268. The names Water, Port, Coat of Arms and River Gate were also used. The heritage register dates the structure to the 13th century, whereas the entry indicates that the gate was probably built in the first half of the 15th century.

What it looks like

The structure stands on a rectangular plan measuring 14 by 6 m, above a canal bed with a flow width of about 6 m. The hipped roof is crossed by two octagonal towers 28 m high, crowned with brick pyramidal spires with finials on which balls and griffins are placed. The towers have arrow slits and toothed wall crowns. Above the passage there are small guard windows, two on the outside and three on the town side, and the town-side façade is decorated with two blind niches with a rose window, modelled on the Collegiate Church of St Mary.

The appearance of the gate changed over time. In the first half of the 19th century it served as a detention house, and the arch of the passage was then filled in with half-timbered walls. In the second half of that century the monument was reshaped in the neo-Gothic spirit, adding numerous battlements, and in 1938 its appearance was somewhat softened. A major renovation, the first in 70 years, lasted in 2008-2010.

Who is inside

In the communist period (PRL) a PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society) information point operated here, and later the seat of an association of lovers of the visual arts. Since 2007, after a competition, the gate has been occupied by the Stargard Knights' Fraternity Gryf. It is therefore a building in use, and the conditions for entering the interior have to be agreed with its host.

Next to it

The gate stands by the town walls, a few hundred metres from the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Queen of the World.

Not far away are also the Białogłówka Tower and the Town Hall in Stargard.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Portowa 6, Stargard.
• The structure is in the heritage register (numbers 231 of 1957 and A-1594 of 2016).
• The gate stands over the Mill Canal; access to the interior depends on the fraternity that runs it.