Zuraw, the crane - Gdansk

Poland’s largest port flourished during Medieval times as a merchant city trading Baltic amber.

Gdańsk is a unique city. Its history is inextricably linked with the sea, port and Hanseatic tradition. For its residents, the coexistence of the city and the port means, first of all, jobs, but also the improvement of road traffic due to the modernisation of the city-port connections. Gdańsk is an attractive destination, with a multitude of interesting buildings, impressive historic monuments and intriguing old streets. Its architecture is a mix of many styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque. - in:https://www.portgdansk.pl

Photo by E. Meksiak

PL-661916, sent by Ania & Janek.
This is a view of Gdańsk's Old Town from the Motława river with the medieval port crane, called Żuraw. 

The silhouette of the great waterfront Crane of Gdansk is a well known symbol of the city. The first wooden crane at the foot of Szeroka Street dates from at least 1367. This structure was destroyed by fire in the 15th century. The replacement brick crane of today was erected in 1444. The brick western facade was not completed until 1483. 

 

Photo by Dariusz Krakowiak

The Crane was the largest water gate in the city by far and it still is. The huge crane structure is flanked by two fortified rounded towers. The ground floor of the crane had cannon emplacements. Firing embrasures mark the upper floors.

 The lifting mechanism of the crane was made of two pairs of treadwheels on one shaft. Four workers powered each treadwheel. The men walked inside the wheel like human hamsters. This system provided enough muscle power to lift two tons of load to a height of almost 120 feet. The crane was in ever dwindling use until 1944.

The crane gate was again damaged by fire in 1945. It was rebuilt by 1965 and it has been donated to the Polish Maritime Museum. Inside the crane building today are permanent collections, especially one of ordinary life in the port from the 16th to the 18th centuries. - in: https://www.gpsmycity.com