Kołobrzeg Fortress

Kołobrzeg Fortress was a modern-era system of fortifications that surrounded the town from 1653. It was dismantled as a land fortress in 1872 and as a sea fortress in 1887, but individual forts and redoubts stand to this day, and the town became a fortress once more in 1944-1945.

How the fortress came about

Its construction was decided by the Thirty Years' War. In 1627 imperial troops occupied West Pomerania, and their engineers began to modernise the damaged medieval defences. In 1630 the town was taken by the Swedes, who added earth ramparts and bastions. When they left Kołobrzeg in 1653, Elector Frederick William I decided to preserve its military character. Fortifications in the Dutch manner were built around the town, and a system of sluices made it possible to flood fields and meadows, turning the town into an inaccessible island. A shipyard and a naval port were built at the mouth of the Parsęta. The town also had a Knights' Academy, one of the first military schools in Europe.

Sieges

During the Seven Years' War the fortress was stormed several times by Russian troops. The first siege began in October 1758, and in December 1761, after nearly five months of blockade, the fortress capitulated. After the Russians withdrew in 1762 the fortifications were rebuilt, and in 1770-1774 the Ujście and Morast forts were erected. In 1807 the town was besieged by the French, and the commandant Gneisenau became well known for the defence. The fighting ended with the Peace of Tilsit. In Prussia and in Germany the defence entered patriotic legend and was used for propaganda many times.

Dismantling and 1945

In 1832-1836 the fortress was thoroughly modernised for the last time. When Kołobrzeg developed as a spa, the authorities decided to dismantle the fortress: the land one in 1872 and the sea one in 1887. The moats were filled in and the ramparts removed, and the town grew rapidly. It was declared a fortress again on 28 November 1944. The battle for the town lasted from 4 to 18 March 1945, and the last point of defence was Ujście Fort. According to the Wikipedia entry, the Polish Army regards this fight as the largest street battle in its history during the Second World War.

What remains of the fortifications

Many structures of the fortress have survived, although some were destroyed after the war. Ujście Fort has been opened to visitors: a café operates in the cellars of the rotunda, and the lighthouse has a viewing terrace. Morast Redoubt, pentagonal, is today surrounded by a yacht harbour, and its buildings have been adapted as a restaurant and a small amphitheatre. Salt Redoubt (Reduta Solna) from 1832-1836 has the shape of a lunette and serves the scouts as a sailing base. The Stone Redoubt (Kamienny Szaniec), formerly the Waldenfels Redoubt from 1832-1836, stands by the sea right next to Wilczy Fort (Wolf Fort), which has been an amphitheatre since 1925. Of the medieval walls the Match Tower (Baszta Lontowa) has survived. What has disappeared is the batardeau, a defensive bridge with sluices, pulled down in 1987-1988.

Practical information

• The structures of the fortress are scattered around Kołobrzeg, mainly by the port, on the Parsęta and by the beach; there is no single route or entrance. Near the port lies Kołobrzeg Port, and a little further on the Kołobrzeg Lighthouse.
• The rules for entering the individual forts and the redoubt are set by their managers.