Westerplatte - where World War II began

By the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Danzig (formerly a part of the German Empire) became the Free City of Danzig ("a semi-autonomous city-state" - Wikipedia). Poland had the right to use parts of the port and to represent the Free City in dealings with the outside world, but the UN didn't want to just go ahead and give it to Poland because the population was 95% German. Sound complicated? It was. And also, nobody was happy. Germany really wanted Danzig back and the Poles complained that everyone in Danzig was mean to them even though the UN said they were allowed to be there.

Fast-forward to 1939: the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein anchors at the Polish harbour of Westerplatte (just a few kilometres north of Danzig) on a "courtesy visit", but by this time the Poles know that it's only a matter of time until the Germans attack, so they've secretly been fortifying Westerplatte with guardhouses and extra troops. Sure enough, on the 1st of September, German troops fire on Westerplatte and World War II begins. Long history short, the "Defenders of Westerplatte", who were supposed to be able to hold out for 12 hours (long enough for reinforcements to arrive), held out for seven days before they surrendered.

That's why they got this very sixties monument from the communists, who tried to leverage this story of Polish heroism into support for their regime.

On my second day in Danzig, I took a boat up the river to Westerplatte and wandered through the forest for a couple of hours. There's not a lot left, but there's quite a good outdoor exhibit and you can walk through the barracks, which gives you an idea of the damage that Westerplatte sustained.

A last note: the German commander who accepted the eventual surrender was so impressed by the Polish defense that he allowed the Polish commander to keep his ceremonial sabre in captivity, which is apparently a sign of soldierly respect. It's also the kind of story that makes me cry.