Walking tour of Gdańsk, Organ recital at Oliwa, and seeing the black Sea at resort city of Sopot9/14/2023 We loved Gdańsk. It’s by the mouth of the Baltic Sea but on the river, not on the sea. It’s famous for the shipyards, where the solidarity movement was launched by Lech Walessa and the workers. Actually, the movement was started by a woman named Anna Walentynowicz, who was fired for complaining about work conditions (6 months before she could retire on a pension!) and the friends who stood up for her. However, Walessa became the face of the movement, probably mostly because it needed a man for a face and because he was a good speaker, who moved people to action. Gdańsk is known as a red city, due to it being built in brick. Not much for rocks here. The Poles say they sent all the rocks to the south, so this area is great for farming but needs to make bricks for building. Some notes: The German’s called it Danzig. WWII was started here, Amber capital of the world, holds the largest brick church in the world, longest building in Europe—a mile long, beginning of the fall of communism. Sections of the town were built by the Teutonic knights. Crusaders not popular in Poland. Gdańsk has four sections or towns : main town, new, old, young Fish market dates to 1945, now it is 3 weeks only 22 watch towers in the town, but only two remain. The Galicians destroyed 90 percent of the town. Bakery 100 years old. Churches built by crusaders. Tale of St Bridget: her body was being transported by sea back to Sweden but stopped into Gdańsk due to bad weather. Miracles happened in Gdansk while her body was here. 1904 library with books from 1500-1600 Solidarity square dedicated to the shipyard workers who died in 1976 uprising. The statue has three anchors naked to a post in similar fashion to a crucifix. The port was used for time when under Russian control for what is called the ruble transfer— provide goods to Russia but no money was given for the goods. Anna—strike—6 months before her retirement pension. The movement is credited with being the beginning of the fall of communism. After the fall of communism, many people left to Canada, US, other European country’s, but now quite a few are returning in their retirement years. No more ship building; instead, they are turning the buildings into apartments/hotels and night life places along the water. Right now, the city has 63 cranes, and the bird crane is symbol of city to go along with the building cranes, which came from Finland. The city has almost 500,000 residents plus 200,000 Ukrainians. Was 300,000. Facebook opened offices here. Many different nations come to Gdańsk. Many like to live here as it’s close to Baltic Sea. Major industry is repairing yachts 24 hours a day 7,000 workers; outside the city is a yacht factory. Wind farm workers is another employer. Stadium for World Cup. Looks like a piece of amber, most beautiful in Poland. Concerts and conference hall too. Buildings for workers, one is almost a mile long and holds 10,000 people —colorful. There are 7 such large apartment buildings. Japanese cars most popular. Car shipping to other Baltic countries. Germany controlled harbor but poles controlled trains, which created a problem that built tensions leading to WWII when poles refused to give control to Germany. So built in vestaplotta (military post) which was shelled first shot of WWII. Used trains full of chemicals and explosives to burn everything, 2,000 German soldiers. Sept 1 4:48 am commemoration every year. Cruise ships not too much because not deep enough. Gdańsk means “marshland” because it is one meter below sea level —the Dutch showed how to create canals to prevent flooding. St Mary church Road under the river Many bricks used in the buildings were ballast on the ships from Holland Great crane on roof famous Largest museum. Fahrenheit —Inventor of the periscope and opened breweries. Wife first female astronomer. 3,000 Amber workshops. International show held here. Many buildings onky painted windows as there was a Window and door tax Astronomical Clock inside the st Mary church. Only one in Poland. 6,500 buried in the church, dignitaries, city government officials. No heating system 700 sitting, 10,000 standing. Longest aisle to altar in Poland so popular for brides International Organ music festival 450 breweries. Water was polluted Holland quarter Flying Dutchman dedicated to queen. Amber 40 million years old White amber is calcified. Rare kings treasured the white Amber Green is youngest. Higher in the ground. Grass and leaves. Poland has lots of certificates of authenticity, for Amber, for sheep cheese, for sweetest strawberry. Coal everywhere. And containers Then we traveled to the town of Oliwa, just outside Gdansk for an organ recital. Lots of greenery-/English romantic garden, Japanese and French garden Mushroom picking time. Get them for Christmas. September best month. Largest zoo Swedish stole everything so we say the Swedish national museum is really polish museum Cistercian order brought apples so grateful to them for this. 1800–took 25 years to build. 7,000 pipes. Rotating parts, trumpets. Pomeranian region but dog not from here. It was developed in Germany from the Spitz. No freedom without solidarity workers Pope John Paul. Gdansk has McDonald French fry factory that serves all of Europe Sports academy for Olympics located here too. Then we went 10-minute drive to Sopot—Sopot on the Sea (baltic); a fisherman’s village. 1900 century, many Europeans came for “sea water” therapy. This town wasn’t damaged much in liberation. 1832 oldest house. Upper and lower sopot. Known for music—opera house and international choir festival competition Luxury yachts built here. Lots of company factories on outskirts including salad, panatoni, gas. Lots of channels and canals built by Dutch, keep from flooding. Mennonites come to Pomeranian area, 6 families to start and can still find them here— 170 houses built by Mennonites. Came from Scandinavia, Holland, Belgium and some went to Canada. Dutch brought in willow trees, to make baskets and other uses, which the Poles enjoy to this day.
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