Posted on 08/16/2007 1:10:04 PM PDT by lizol
Poland to open Westerplatte National Remembrance Park
Created: Thursday, August 16. 2007
The opening of the Museum of Westerplatte Battlefield, northern Poland, will mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of WW2.
The National Remembrance Park will look exactly like it did in September 1939 as the nazis invaded Poland to begin the six years of WW II.
“Westerplatte is a symbolic place important in terms of historical politics”, says Vice-Minister of Culture and National Heritage Jarosław Sellin.
“However, it looks as if time stopped 20 years ago in this place. This neglected site must be made more attractive. In addition to that, we must continually remind others of Poland’s place in contemporary history, because for an average Russian WW2 started in June 1941, and for an average American in December 1941 on the Pacific.”
In 2 years’ time the 70th anniversary of the war’s outbreak will take place. An organizing committee responsible for fiding an appropriate way of commemorating this event is being created .
The reconstruction project has two main aims. First of all, concrete parking lots, kiosks, stalls and sheds will be removed from the historic site. Then, fortifications, barracks and buildings that were in place in 1939 will be rebuilt.
Tourists will be able to see Westerplatte not only while walking around the site but also travelling in light rail vehicles like the ones used before the war.
“This is not supposed to be a place of impudent teaching but a national remembrance park with the history of the place vividly and faithfully depicted,” says Igor Strzok, the chief architect.
Is the park gonna have that ugly socialist monstrosity of a statue in it? Or will they put something nice in it’s place? I still remember when I saw it 10 years ago...I liked the medieval waterfront better in Gdansk...
just my two groszy...
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