Town Hall, 31.08.2023 Gdańsk, Poland

📍 Gdańsk, Polska

🎞️ Kodak Portra 160

📷 Fujifilm X100F

Old town, Gdańsk

"Człowiek jeździ do Białegostoku czy Jeleniej Góry, do Łodzi lub Gdańska i udaje mu się nawet zdobyć pokój w hotelu. Po czym rusza na miasto pełen nadziei. I nigdy nie może trafić dziewczyny, która byłaby naraz samotna, piękna i niegłupia." - Leopold Tyrmand, Siedem dalekich rejsów

Frank Meisler (above) died in March 2018 at the age of 92. An internationally renowned architect and sculptor he enriched the world with his buildings and his works of art. Yet had others had their way his life would have been savagely curtailed in his teens.  Meisler never forgot how he escaped death, those who made the journey with him and those who made it possible. He left behind a remarkable legacy so that we might remember too.

Image Credit Wikimedia In August 1939 Frank Meisler was a frightened 13 year old boy.  As a Jew he was no longer safe in his home town, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk in Poland), a German enclave which had embraced Nazism.  There had been anti-Jewish riots and the city’s Great Synagogue had been taken over and demolished.  Desperate, his parents requested his evacuation from the city by the Kindertrasport (German, Children’s Transport) an organised rescue that took place just before the outbreak of the Second World War.  Frank Meisler escaped to the UK.  Seventy years later in 2009 he would return to his birthplace with his memorial dedicated to the children of the Kindertransport and those who had made their salvation possible.

Image Credit Wikimedia In August 1939 Frank Meisler was a frightened 13 year old boy.  As a Jew he was no longer safe in his home town, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk in Poland), a German enclave which had embraced Nazism.  There had been anti-Jewish riots and the city’s Great Synagogue had been taken over and demolished.  Desperate, his parents requested his evacuation from the city by the Kindertrasport (German, Children’s Transport) an organised rescue that took place just before the outbreak of the Second World War.  Frank Meisler escaped to the UK.  Seventy years later in 2009 he would return to his birthplace with his memorial dedicated to the children of the Kindertransport and those who had made their salvation possible.

Image credit Wikimedia The railway station at Danzig was the start of a train journey which would take Frank, along with 14 other Jewish children, from their home town to the heart of Nazi Germany, Berlin.  From there they would journey through Germany and on to the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. Thence a boat to freedom in England where another train would take them to London’s Liverpool Street Station and their new life would begin.  Meisler would create monuments for all four places, plus Hamburg (as you will see below).

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Hot take - Polish art

My hot take for Polish art is that Malczewski rules, bitches!

Yeah, Matejko is monumental, but Malczewski is on a whole different level. Like, his art can be fantastical, with chimeras, angels, personifications of Death, Art and Free/Enslaved Poland. And then you get shit like this:

This piece is called Błędne Koło (Vicious Circle), the kid in the middle is Malczewski himself and the characters around him symbolize thoughts he has during the creative process.

Another hot take has more to do with architecture. I think that the most beautiful city in Poland is Gdańsk... but the most beautiful building in Poland is Wilanów Palace (and I thought so even before I was worknig there).

Gdańsk has colorful Old Town, sea-side and a main port where you can see a caravel that serves as a fancy restaurant and regularily sailes around (so you can eat and admire the view). There is also a lot of historical houses you can go and visit.

And Wilanów Palace has a lot of wonderful details in each room, especially because it was built in Baroque and then each new owner since Sobieski's rule was adding something new. There are also lots of things around the palace so really, you can spend there whole day.

I was never one to travel. Sure I went to Greece most summers since my family is from there, but I've had a great fear of the unknown for most of my life and the idea of going to new unfamiliar places scared me, and so I didn't travel like most typical 19 year olds did. Instead find myself in this situation now at 27, when I guess I'm supposed to start settling down a bit (although I am aware that it's not the norm in the same way anymore). But I'm suddenly longing to see places, albeit places closer to my home since I'm still really scared of going out of Europe lol.

But yesterday I walked along the streets in Gdańsk all by myself after having spent three days there to visit friends. That's never happened before. I don't just wander off on my own and I definitely don't remember streets enough to know where I'm going. But I felt different there. A version of me that I've been seeing glimpses of fully emerged there. And it feels a bit silly since this might not be a big deal for others, but I truly felt so much in my element in that town. Just me, my headphones, a book in my pocket and the cobblestones, going to Jozef K for a cappuccino because I'd gone the day before and had liked it.

I'm growing. I'm becoming someone I love and it sounds cheesy as hell and I don't mean to preach, but I've seen so many positive changes in myself this past year that I can't just not talk about it. And like five friends told me they loved me and I never once felt anxious and I walked into little shops with @rezuth and I just felt good. Now that I'm back home I just feel good, rather than tired or wishing I wasn't back home. I guess that's weird since I'm praising a place and still feel content to be home again, but it really reenergized me. I'm ready for a winter full of freelance work and friends and trying to accept the lack of light. And I know I'll be back.

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Old Town Square and Syrenka

We are trying to find as many “Grand Place” as possible around Europe. After Brussels and Madrid. This is the one in Warsaw.

During the 15th century the centre of the square was home to Warsaw’s Town Hall. It was pulled down in 1817 and is not home to Warsaw’s best loved monument and the city defining symbol: Syrenka.

The are many legends about Syrenka. One is about Prince Kazimierz. While hunting in the marshlands that are now Warsaw, Prince Kaz lost his bearings and faced a night in the open. Miraculously, a mermaid emerged and guided the prince to safety by firing burning arrows into the sky. Warsaw was founded out of gratitude, and the mermaid adopted as its emblem.

Another legend is that a pair of twin sister swam across the Baltic Sea, arriving in Gdańsk. Here the sisters split, one swimming to Copenhagen and the other down the Wisła, finally wriggling out of the bit of water bordering the Old Town. Local fishermen soon noticed someone tampering with their nets, freeing the fish in the process, and teamed up to catch this pesky vandal once and for all. They soon changed their minds once they saw her, and her siren like singing voice soon made her a firm favourite among the lads. All except for one, a greedy merchant who decided to trap her and take her on tour, Elephant Man-style, round the sideshows of Poland. His plan was soon foiled though, after the son of a fisherman heard her haunting voice wailing from a shed. Alerted to her kidnap the fisherman hatched a daring plan to free her, and in thanks to the townspeople who rescued her the Syrenka swore to make it her life's mission to protect Warsaw. It’s this defensive stance of hers which explains why you’ll see her armed to the teeth with a sword and shield.

Gdansk or Krakow and why

(also do you know any good spots in Warsaw)

I've been in Gdańsk only twice, i liked the old town tho, but i have to say Krakow. Especially since i live there for a few years now xd i love Kraków, the general spirit of the city, the architecture, how green it is and full of nature (yes we have huge pollution but at least it's pretty)

And no, I'm a firm Warsaw hater, everytime I went there it has been a massive disappointment (team Kraków)

Gdańsk Old Town, 31.08.22

the true adventure is the ladies in baroque dresses you photograph along the way

|gdańsk, the old town|

Puro Gdańsk Stare Miasto is a trendy boutique hotel located in the heart of Gdańsk's Old Town. With its stylish design and modern amenities, it offers a unique and luxurious experience for guests. The hotel's central location makes it perfect for exploring the historic streets, charming cafes, and vibrant nightlife of the city. Whether you're visiting for business or pleasure, Puro Gdańsk Stare Miasto provides a comfortable and convenient stay.

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