Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office

The defense of the Polish Post Office in Gdansk was one of the first acts of World War II.

On September 1st, 1939 a division of the SS attacked the Gdansk post office complex as the opening act of the invasion of Poland, rightly believing it to be the base of Polish defense and spy operations. 57 workers from the post office fought back and miraculously held the attackers at bay for 15 hours, before finally surrendering. After their surrender, the workers were court martialed by the Germans and executed as illegal combatants.

This battle has come to be an important episode in Poland’s history and in 1979, while Poland was still under the influence of the Soviet Union, a huge, modern monument was erected in commemoration. The statue is located in front of the actual post office in Gdansk. The towering landmark shows a fallen Polish soldier overseen by an angelic presence and a flock of impressionist birds. All depicted in gleaming, unpainted metal.

Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office is a stirring and beautiful monument to an often forgotten engagement in one of the most significant events in the history of the world.