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The city is a
living organism, not a museum exhibition with its collection laid out in strictly defined
categories. You have to keep coming back to Gdansk, just as to any favourite place. You
have to experience the autumn chills on the Motlawa, from which you can shelter in one of
the cafes on the riverside. You have to be here at dawn in the summer to see how the sun
slowly covers the town-houses on Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ. You have to mingle with the
colourful crowds along the Royal Route or on the Long Riverside during St Dominic`s Fair.
You have to feel the wind from the sea as it refreshes you during the August heatwaves.  And in the evening -
you have to listen to the sounds of footsteps echoing along St Mary`s Street, because then
you can hear best of all how history walks arm-in-arm with the present. Here the shadow of
St Mary`s Basilica slowly, like the hand of a huge clock, slides along the terraces of the
houses on St Mary`s Street. It is a daily mystery, repeated for centuries, renewed once
again in front of yet another generation. And it is an enormous shadow, because the
basilica is the biggest Gothic building in Gdansk. And not only in Gdansk - it is one of
the largest churches in Europe, measuring as it does 105 metres in length, 30 metres in
height and it can accommodate 25 thousand people. Its builders were in no hurry. From 25
March 1343, when the foundation-stone was laid, 159 years were to pass before they
finished the construction in 1502. Successive masons lifted the construction higher,
decorated the interior with star and crystal vaulting, added chapels and created slender
turrets climbing 78 metres above Old Gdansk ...For over one and a half centuries they
created a monumental stone book - a record of their skill.
The interior in every detail - the grave-stones, the epitaphs - complement this record.
After many years the astronomical clock is working again - it is the work of Hans Duringer
from 1470. In the chapel of St Rajnold the 19th century copy of Hans Memling`s `The Last
Judgment` (the original is in the national Museum in Gdansk) reminds us not only about
the end of the world, but also about the Gdansk privateer Pawel Beneke, who captured this
painting during the Anglo-Hanseatic War in April 1473 and offered it to St Mary`s
Basilica.
The Basilica towers over Gdansk with its massive Gothic bulk. Beneath it the streets of
the Old Town seem to run like streams at the foot of a great mountain. But the church is
not overwhelm, it does not stop their flow. It can be stated that it rules proudly but
kindly. Then there is the most beautiful of routes - the Royal Route, as if clasped at
each end with a beautiful buckle - the Golden Gate and the Green Gate. The Golden Gate was
constructed in 1612-1614 according to a design by Abraham van den Blocke and under the
masterly control of the builder Jan Strakowski - it is a true architectural masterpiece.
But how could it be otherwise, since it is this triumphal arch which leads to the Royal
Route, to Dluga Street and Dlugi Targ. Crowned with statues representing Peace, Liberty,
Wealth, Fame, Prudence, Piety, Justice and Concord, sculpted by the Gdansk artist Piotr
Ringering, it gives a foretaste of what will be seen once we have passed under the arch.
Here begins a stroll past two tows of town-houses, which become even prettier the further
we progress along the Royal Route.
Near the beginning, we can see the rococo interiors of Uphagen`s House, which belonged to
the 17th century councillor and alderman, who donated his residence with all its
furnishings to the city. Today the building houses the Museum of Bourgeois Interiors. At
number 29 there is the house which used to belong to the outstanding patrician families
the Czirenbergs and the Brandeses. Its facade was designed by Abraham van den Blocke,
while the medallions with the likenesses of Caesars were sculpted by Piotr Ringering. On
the opposite side, at number 28, there is the house, preserved in the Renaissance style,
of the Ferbers, one of the greatest Gdansk dynasties. A few doors further down, at number
35, stone lions are looking out from the portal. This is the so-called Lions` Castle,
probably designed by Jan Kramer and constructed in 1569. In this house in the 17th century
lived the Schwartzwalds, who organised discussions here for outstanding academics and
artists. At 45 Dluga Street there is the house of the Schumanns from around 1560, called
by many experts the most beautiful in the city with its decorations of the mythological
figures of Diana and Apollo.
On the other
hand, a few steps further along the uncommon beauty of the Golden House draws the eye. You
cannot possibly miss it - it is at 41 Dlugi Targ. It was conjured up by the talent of
Abraham van den Blocke. Descriptions are inadequate! You simply have to see it.
Next to Arthur's Court and opposite the Neptune Fountain, the Golden House appears to be
just a little gem, but then the function of Arthur's Court was completely different: for
centuries it was the most elegant and representative salon for the burgher brotherhoods,
who did not begrudge money to make it ever more beautiful.  The creator of the rich Renaissance
facade from 1617 was of course Abraham van den Blocke. It is composed of three
pointed-arched windows, a stone portal with bas-reliefs portraying King Zygmunt III and
the Crown Prince Wladyslaw, a decorative attic with allegorical figures of Justice and
Strength in the niches, and the whole is crowned with a personification of Fortune above
the ridge of the roof. In the enormous hall of Arthur's Court there is, among other
features, a Gothic sculpture of St George from 1485, paintings by Evert from 1585
depicting the parade of the Polish armies after the capture of Malbork and by Jan de
Vriese from 1592 depicting Orpheus. The most interesting element of the interior is a huge
12-metre-high tiled stove - the largest Renaissance stove in the world! After careful
renovation Arthur`s Court once again serves a representative function. Once kings were
received here - now it is presidents. This happened for example in 1993, when President
Francois Mitterrand of France and President Richard von Weizsaecker of Germany, in the
company of President Lech Walesa of Poland, received their doctorates honoris causa from
the University of Gdansk. Here also in June 1997, Gdansk's memorable millennium year,
three former presidents: George Bush of the USA, Richard von Weizsaecker of Germany and
Lech Walesa of Poland, were made honorary citizens of Gdansk.
At the end of the Royal Route stands the green Gate, the work of Jan Kramer and the
Dutchman Regnier, constructed in 1564-1568 with the intention of being a permanent
residence for Polish monarchs. That is why it was designed with such panache and decorated
with coats of arms.
The Royal
Route, St Mary's Basilica, the Great Armoury, the Upland Gate, the Torture-House, St
Mary`s Street, Chlebnicka Street, Piwna Street - this is just a small part of Gdansk. It
is like a modest slice of a great gateau, skilfully created by the greatest confectioners.
But just as no description can adequately replace the taste of a gateau, so Gdansk cannot
be properly described. You have to see this enchanting city for yourself. You have to
immerse yourself into its daily life in order to feel, just alongside, like a guardian
angel, the presence of History accompanying your every step ...
Those who made
their way to Gdansk in 1997, when the city was celebrating for almost 365 days its 1000th
anniversary, had a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with all the features that
make this proud and beautiful city exceptional.
The citizens of Gdansk, with their unquestioned organizational talents, panache,
kind-heartedness and sense of humour, presented the cultural, intellectual, economic,
recreational and ... culinary potential of their city. Maybe only the experienced
chronicler Canaparius, the first to mention the name of the city of Gdansk in print, would
be able to meet the challenge of describing everything that happened in the millennium
year.
Perhaps he would open his contemporary chronicle with the words: "And it came to pass
in that favoured year when a great host of the citizens of the fair city of Gdansk did
assemble at the foot of the great and famous Crane to greet the return after one thousand
years of "Sanctus Adalbertus", the boat of Adalbert himself, returned to praise
the city so faithful to tradition and so steadfast in its history."
Not feeling capable of taking over Canaparius`s role, but desiring to recall at least some
humble part of Gdansk's celebrations, I suggest we confine ourselves to presenting a
mosaic of impressions of the events whose number no-one has yet been able to count.
Since noblesse oblige, and a thousand years of history is undoubtedly a noble achievement,
the millennium year began on a high note: Holy Mass in St Mary`s Basilica, concelebrated
by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Jozef Glemp, with the participation of some twenty
thousand citizens of Gdansk and their distinguished guests. Next, despite the capricious
weather, with its snow, rain and frost, there passed along Dlugi Targ (The Long Market) a
procession of city councillors dressed in their ceremonial robes. Behind them there
followed tableaux vivants presenting an allegorical story about the city on the Motlawa
River: from the oldest times, through the maritime years, the Golden Age, up to and
including the future. The creators and designers of this spectacle, Marcel Kochanczyk and
Lucja and Bruno Sobczak, dedicated the event to Fortune. The sharp cold of the April
evening was dispersed by a display of fireworks, while along the streets of
Gdansk's Old
Town there passed a huge dragon presented by the artists of the French theatre group
Plasticiens Volants. The fire-breathing beast passed through the narrow streets and rose
above the heads of the crowds following behind it. Finally, attacked by a monstrous
octopus, it reached a monsters` coven near the Torture-House ...
That is how it all began, ceremonially, and at the same time fabulously and magically.
Later, for many many days, it was as if the organizers had taken to heart the maxim of the
great master Hitchcock: the number of events increased dramatically, their artistic level
delighted the participants, aroused a sense of wonder among the spectators and transformed
Gdansk into a multi-cultural melting-pot of joyous celebration. Among the general
hurly-burly of carefree festivity, the citizens of Gdansk and their guests did not fail to
notice particular moments which were the crowning of the city`s cultural, sporting and
social aspirations.
A spiritual experience of the highest order was the world premiere of several works
composed especially for the millennium: music-lovers reacted enthusiastically to
"Omnia tempus habent", an oratorio by Gdansk`s outstanding Polish composer,
Elzbieta Sikora, which inaugurated the 40th International Festival of Organ Music in Oliwa
Cathedral, and gave an equally warm reception to "Hymn to St Adalbert", a piece
for mixed choir and symphony orchestra composed by Krzysztof Penderecki as the crowning
moment of the millennium celebrations in Gdansk. In total almost 200 concerts of classical
music were presented during the year, including the afore-mentioned 40th International
Festival of Organ Music, the Festival of a Thousand organized by the Baltic Philharmonia,
the 9th International Guitarists` Meetings, a series of concerts entitled "Closer to
Bach" and the series entitled "Music on the Water".
Lovers of theatre and para-theatrical forms also had reasons to be satisfied, mostly
because of the International Festival of Open-air and Street Theatres "FETA" and
the Shakespeare Festival. The former was an opportunity to see 68 performances put on by
38 theatre groups from 13 countries. Particularly memorable were the performances by the
German group "Titanic", which performed in an artistic and impressive way the
tragedy of the ... "Titanic", the "Liceder" theatre from St
Petersburg, presenting a monumental spectacle about the anxieties of modern man, Anton
Adasinski`s "Derevo" theatre, very warmly received by the Polish public, the
French theatre group "Ilotopic", and, reliable as ever in their artistic and
spiritual communication, the domestic groups: Theatre of the Eighth Day, Travel Agency,
Theatre of Dreams and Academy of Movement. There were also artists from many other
countries, including Ukraine, Ghana, Italy and Hungary.
Another great success of Gdansk`s millennium summer was the Shakespeare Festival,
organised by the Theatrum Gedanense Foundation, which recalled the tradition of
Shakespeare`s plays performed in Gdansk during the Bard of Avon`s lifetime. Performances
were staged by theatre groups from Great Britain, Byelarus and Ukraine, as well as Poznan,
Olsztyn, Warszawa, Gdansk and Gdynia.
An event of the greatest significance was the 17th International New Hansa Conference,
under the slogan "Hansa invests in Hansa". Over 2500 people from 12 countries
and 108 cities came to this conference. The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of
the President of Germany, Roman Herzog, and the President of the Republic of Poland,
Aleksander Kwasniewski. The exalted atmosphere was enhanced still further by a performance
of Haydn`s oratorio "The Creation", conducted in St Mary`s Basilica by Enoch zu
Guttenberg. Later, on successive days in June, our guests from Estonia, Holland, Latvia,
Germany, Norway, Sweden and of course from the Polish Hanseatic towns presented their
culture on the streets of Gdansk - from art to cuisine. The Hanseatic Fair, organised
specially for this occasion, attracted everyone with its original crafts, tourist
souvenirs, products and regional delicacies.
Because of Gdansk`s unique anniversary, the traditional annual St Dominic`s Fair took on a
more distinguished and European title. For two weeks in August the Main Town was taken
over by traders who bustled about feverishly among the enormous crowds. Against the
background of all these transactions there were permanent celebrations going on all
around. And there was every kind of fun to be had! The Festival of the Folklore of
Northern Peoples, The Festival of Bread, Brass Bands, and even ... medieval knights.
The programme of the Festival of Gdansk's Partner Cities and Regions was particularly
lavish. Each of the following had their own day: Bremen (Germany), Marseilles (France),
Storstroms (Denmark), Cleveland (USA), Helsingor (Denmark), Kaliningrad (Russia), Sefton
(Great Britain), Schlesswig-Holstein (Germany), Trondheim (Norway) and Akmola
(Kazakhstan).
While we are talking about festivals, it has to be mentioned that there took place a
two-month-long International Festival of Monumental Painting during the summer, during
which ten artists, from Poland, Russia and the USA decorated the walls of the tower-blocks
on Gdansk's Zaspa estate with their huge compositions. There was also a St
Mary's Street
Festival (and why not). The Goldwasser Festival was a joyous event filled with the spirit
of poetry.
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