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THE EASTERN BATTERY IN SWINOUJSCIE, POLAND – HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE OF A PRUSSIAN COASTAL FORT FROM THE 19th CENTURY

A. Wozniakowski

Abstract

The article describes the history, architecture and development of the Eastern Battery (also known as the Gerhard Fort) – one of three remaining coastal forts in ?winouj?cie (former Swinemünde) located in northern Poland, by the Baltic Sea. The research is mostly based on historical cartographic material and architectural plans verified during field studies. This data served to create a digital model – one of the results of the study, as well as a research tool helping to detect and visualize transformations of the fort. Thanks to the rich archival collection and good preservation state of the object, it was possible to determine all its stages of construction and modernization between 1848 and 1905, which had not yet been included in contemporary literature. It appeared to be an outstanding example of how coastal fortifications developed, under the influence of new armament and construction materials, during the second half of ninetieth century. This knowledge completes the historiography of military architecture but can also be useful during the ongoing process of restauration of the fort, which serves as a museum and is a significant tourist attraction in the region.

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