High Gate (Danzig)
The High Gate (Polish Brama Wyżynna) is a city gate in Gdansk , built at Dominikswall / Karrenwall (Polish ul. Wały Jagiellońskie / ul. Okopowa).
location
Until 1895, the gate was located between the Elisabethbastei and the Karrenbastei in the course of the fortifications. It formed the main entrance to Danzig from the Danzig Heights to Langgasse and Long Market.
The history
The draft was approved by the Gdańsk councilors in 1586. The gate remained almost unchanged for 290 years. In 1861 the facades were renovated. In 1878 the inner gate was demolished to widen the passage. In 1884 the parts of the brick walls that were still in the raw state were covered with hump stone slabs. The gate survived the war events in 1945 almost without damage.
The gate is considered the work of Willem van den Blocke (until 1588). Some sources hold the gate for the work of Hans Kramer (1574–1576), only the stone facades are therefore by Willem van den Blocke. However, recent research has proven that this hypothesis is wrong. Kramer only created the simple, unadorned brick interior door that was demolished in 1878. Before that, Willem van den Blocke created a stone grand gate as an exterior building.
architecture
The design is reminiscent of the city gates of Antwerp ( Sint-Jorispoort 1543–45 , Kipdorppoort 1550), which were built in the Italian style. There were three arched passages in the gate, the middle of which served as a passage. The walls up to the height of the surrounding cornice were clad with stone slabs. The attic above was decorated with bas-reliefs. Under the reliefs were the coats of arms: in the middle the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Union , on the right the coat of arms of Danzig, on the left of Royal Prussia . The coat of arms of the German Empire was attached to the east facade in 1884 .
There are also Latin sentences on the facade:
- Sapientissime fiunt quæ pro Republica fiunt - "The most sensible thing to do is everything that serves the good of the republic"
- Iustitia et Pietas duo sunt Regnorum omnium Fundamenta - "Justice and piety are the foundations of all kingdoms"
- Civitatib. (Us) hæc optanda bona maxime Pax Libertas et Concordia - “The goods most desirable for states are peace, freedom and unity”
There were three drawbridges across the moat in front of the gate.
literature
- Maria Bogucka: Das alten Danzig , Koehler and Amelang, Leipzig 1987, ISBN 3-7338-0033-8
- F. Krzysiak, Brama Wyżynna w Gdańsku , Rocznik Gdański, Vol. 57, 1997, No. 1, pp. 197-212.
Web links
Coordinates: 54 ° 20 ′ 59.9 ″ N , 18 ° 38 ′ 48.4 ″ E