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The Green Gate, currently the branch office of the National Museum in Gdańsk - Zabytek.pl

The Green Gate, currently the branch office of the National Museum in Gdańsk


defensive wall Gdańsk

Address
Gdańsk, Długi Targ 24

Location
woj. pomorskie, pow. Gdańsk, gm. Gdańsk

The Green Gate constitutes one of the earlier examples of Dutch Mannerism in Gdańsk and the first early modern city gate in that city.

The building also serves as a perfect terminating vista of the urban layout of the Long Market.

History

The Green Gate was erected in years 1564-1568, superseding an even earlier structure known as the Cog Gate (named after the cog - a type of large seagoing vessel of the era), the first mentions of which date back to 1357. The design of the new gate is attributed both to the Dutch architect Regnier and to Hans Kramer from Dresden. Sometime around 1573, a new wing was added to the western facade. The ground floor part of the gatehouse was used as a weighing house, while the wing of the building served as quarters of the city guards, including the night watch. It is not entirely clear what was the original purpose of the grand hall on the first floor, although nominally the Green Gate was considered as the residence of the Polish kings when they came to visit the city of Gdańsk. During the 17th and the 18th century, the hall on the first floor served as the venue of public ceremonies, festivities and theatrical performances. In years 1746-1830, the Gate was used by theNature Society, which also held its exhibitions there; subsequently, the building was made available to the Museum of the Western Prussia Province. In 1831, the building was redesigned by Carla S. Held; the roof and the gables were dismantled and replaced with a low storey with a flat roof. In 1883, a fourth passage was added on the ground floor level, while in 1886 the original gables and tall roof were restored, although their form was somewhat distorted. During the spring of 1945, the building suffered substantial damage, the only surviving parts being the outer walls with gateways and some of the vaulted ceilings on the ground floor level. Following an initial series of protective measures, the gate was finally rebuilt in years 1950-1953; the original form of its roof and gables was restored in the process. Between 1953 and 1992, the Green Gate served as the registered office of a state company known as Historical Monument Restoration Workshops, its interiors having been adjusted to the needs of the said institution. In 2001, the comprehensive restoration of the building began. From 2004 onwards, the Green Gate building houses a branch of the National Museum in Gdańsk; exhibitions are held inside the interiors of the first and second floor, with the wing of the building being used for auxiliary purposes. The offices of Lech Wałęsa, the former president of the Republic of Poland, are situated on the second floor.

Description

The Green Gate, located in a densely built-up area in the end section of the Long Market, its eastern facade facing the Motława river and the Green Bridge - represent the Antwerp variation of the Dutch Mannerism. The building was designed on an irregular quadrilateral floor plan (dimensions: 34 x 12 m), with a narrow southern wing positioned perpendicularly towards the western facade and an annex housing the staircase adjoining the building from the north. The main building is a two-storey structure with a basement and a two-storey garret, covered with a steep gable roof with dormers. The ground floor level features four gateways framed by rusticated quoins, each individual gateway topped with a round arch and featuring a vaulted ceiling. The building is made of small Dutch bricks and features groin vaults supported by arches; the facades of the building are adorned with stone architectural and sculptural detailing, while the roofs are clad with roof tiles. The eastern facade follows a twelve-axis design and is partitioned vertically by pilasters in different classical orders as well as horizontally by profiled cornices which also serve to accentuate the friezes incorporating coats of arms and masks in bas-relief. The windows are rectangular in shape and framed by stone surrounds. The pilasters, depending on the level which they adorn, are either fluted or decorated with strapwork. The roof section of the building is crowned with three symmetrically arranged gables, each of them divided into three distinct sections. The western facade features an analogous design, with the exception of the side wing. The interior of the first floor, once distinguished by its grandeur, follows a single-bay design, although all of the interior fittings and layout are thoroughly modern.

Limited access to the historic building. The building may be visited during the temporary exhibitions which are held there; more information is available at http://mng.gda.pl/oddzialy/oddzial-zielona-brama).

Compiled by Krystyna Babnis, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Gdańsk, 21.08.2014.

Bibliography

  • Friedrich J., Gdańskie zabytki architektury do końca XVIII w., Gdańsk 1997, s. 29-32.
  • Pałubicki J. (red.), Zielona Brama w Gdańsku, Gdańsk 2004.
  • Stankiewicz J. [z uzupełnieniami innych autorów], Brama Zielona, [w:] Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce. Miasto Gdańsk, cz. 1: Główne Miasto, Warszawa 2006, s. 29-31.

Category: defensive wall

Architecture: nieznana

Building material:  brick

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_22_BL.14453, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_22_BL.33604