Following World War II, the city of Gdansk, formerly Danzig, Poland, undertook the daunting feat of rebuilding its Main Town as it had been before the war. In painstaking detail, city planners revitalized the historic architecture of building fronts and structures as they were designed centuries earlier. Park Victory radioman Will Keller returned to Gdansk in 2007 and took contrasting photos of scenes he had captured there in January 1946.
Will Keller on the S. S. Park Victory, 1946. Photo courtesy of Will Keller.
Will has passed on to me a wonderful collection of before and after images, five of which I share with you here.
Golden Gate at the beginning of Long Street:
Golden Gate, Gdansk, Poland, January 1946. Photo by Will Keller.
Golden Gate, Gdansk, Poland, 2007. Photo by Will Keller.
Golden House on Long Market:
Golden House, Gdansk, Poland, January 1946. Photo by Will Keller.
Golden House, Gdansk, Poland, 2007. Photo by Will Keller.
St. Mary’s Gate at the end of St. Mary’s Street:
St. Mary’s Gate, Gdansk, Poland, January 1946. Photo by Will Keller.
St. Mary’s Gate, Gdansk, Poland, 2007. Photo by Will Keller.
The Motlawa River waterfront with its historic Crane at the far right bend:
Motlawa River Waterfront, Gdansk, Poland, January 1946. Photo by Will Keller.
Motlawa River Waterfront, Gdansk, Poland, 2007. Photo by Will Keller.
The Great Arsenal at the beginning of Piwna Street:
Great Arsenal and Piwna Street, Gdansk, Poland, January 1946. Photo by Will Keller.
Great Arsenal and Piwna Street, Gdansk, Poland, 2007. Photo by Will Keller.
Next post: We leave Poland for Park Victory Livestock trip #3 to Greece
These have also been assembled into a matching game for children on my website.
The Seagoing Cowboys 