Tourist routes in Gdańsk: Symbols and memorials
The Crane, Gdańsk / Fot. Shutterstock
Undoubtedly the symbol of Gdańsk which has the most deserved honour. It is the largest medieval port crane in Europe, perched between the pylons on the Brama Szeroka (Wide Gate) on the Motława. This is one of the so-called city water gates, which has existed since 1363. Three years later there was a Latin reference to the crane, or caranum. It was used for the handling of cargo (mostly beer) and ballast, and to put up masts on ships. The present form of the crane came into existence in the years 1442-1444. In its interior there is a restored and active drive mechanism - two drums with a diameter of about six metres, which were once raised with the force of human legs. The device was able to lift a weight of four tonnes, to a height of eleven metres. In 1945, the crane was set fire to by the Red Army who invaded the city, but the walls surrounding the wooden structure survived, and after World War II the wooden part was reconstructed. Today, the crane is one of the branches of the Central Naval Museum.