Monument to Polish Achievement in Szczecin (Pomnik Czynu Polaków)

The Monument to Polish Achievement (Pomnik Czynu Polaków) stands in Kasprowicz Park, opposite Jasne Błonia (the Bright Meadows). It is a stainless steel column about 22.5 m high, topped with three bronze eagles. It was designed by Gustaw Zemła and unveiled in 1979. In the city it is also known informally as the Monument of the Three Eagles.

Where the monument came from and to whom it was dedicated

The decision to build the monument was taken in 1972 by the Provincial Committee of the PZPR in Szczecin. It was meant as thanks to the inhabitants for rebuilding and developing the city in the three and a half decades since the end of the Second World War. In 1976 an Organising Committee for the Construction of the Monument was appointed. The name “Pomnik Czynu Polaków” was given as an expression of respect for three generations: the Polish community of Szczecin from before the war, the pioneers of post-war Szczecin and the generation that developed the city. Hence the three eagles.

The unveiling took place on 3 September 1979, on the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. In the same year the Council of State awarded Szczecin the Order of the Banner of Labour, First Class. Around the monument, the names of the contributors were placed on bronze plaques.

Construction

The artistic vision of the monument was given by Gustaw Zemła in cooperation with Eugeniusz Kozak, and the structural documentation of the plinth was prepared by Jerzy Piskorz-Nałęcki. The eagles were cast in bronze at engineering works in Warsaw, and the stainless steel plinth was made by the Szczecin Shipyard. The eagles were carried from Warsaw by barge along the Vistula to Gdańsk, then by sea to Świnoujście, and on across the Szczecin Lagoon and the Oder to Szczecin.

According to more precise data, the total height of the column is 22.75 m, the wingspan 6.5 m, and each of the eagles weighs about 60 tonnes. The lower edge of the eagles is at a height of 7.7 m. More than 4 m of the column is below ground, set in a block of concrete of about 150 tonnes. In the underground part there is a chamber with ladders leading into the eagles, from which staff maintain the structure from the inside. About 10 tonnes of stainless steel were used for the outer steel cladding.

Surroundings

The monument stands opposite Jasne Błonia. Next to it stretches Jan Kasprowicz Park.

A few hundred metres further on stands the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic.

Practical information

• Location: Jan Kasprowicz Park in Szczecin, opposite Jasne Błonia.
• The monument stands in the open space of the park.