Since 1925, under the Treaty of Versailles, three Polish Post Offices were established in Gdansk. The branch at Post Office Defenders Square was the most important, it had the right to full postal and telegraphic services.
Polish Post Museum, a branch of the Gdańsk Museum, photo: Pomorskie Travel
From history
In the XIXth century building of the former garrison hospital, in January 1920, in one wing, the Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs in Pomorskie with its headquarters in Gdansk was established.
At the then Heweliusz Square On January 5, 1925, the Polish Post Office and Telegraph Office was also opened. Letters, parcels, and money shipments were handled here, as well as telephone and telegraph services.
The Polish Post Offices operating in Gdansk, established under the Treaty of Versailles, operated within the city and in strictly defined zones.
Polish Post Museum, photo: Pomorskie Travel
Polish Post Museum- defenders, photo: Pomorskie Travel
September 1 1939
On September 1, around 4:45, separate German police groups and SS assault troops – Heimwehr “Danzig” attacked the Post Office building. The Polish crew resisted – fire from three light machine guns and short weapons, and grenades were thrown at the Germans. In further attempts to seize the Post Office, the Germans used artillery and armoured cars. Polish postal workers resisted for about 14 hours, and in the late afternoon, when the building was doused with gasoline, they decided to surrender the post.
On September 1, 1939, there were 58 people on the premises of the Polish Post Office. During the fighting, 8 postmen were killed and 6 died in hospital. The others were arrested. Following the decision of the military court on September 3, 38 postal workers were sentenced to death. In October 1939 they were shot.
Main Hall
This is the main exhibition place, the souvenirs presented introduce us to the history of the defense of the Polish Post Office and Telegraphic Office in Gdansk.
The exhibits include:
- large format photographs from the conflict over Polish mailboxes at WMG, Gdansk in 1939, defense of the post office with capitulation, capture of postmen
- Polish mailbox
- a replica of a 75-millimeter field gun
- a replica of a postman’s uniform
- photos and documents, including a plan prepared by the Germans to take over the building and a replica of a field gun
- items recovered in 1991 during the exhumation of the remains of the defenders of the Polish Post Office: a gold engagement ring, glasses and elements of uniforms.
- witness testimonies
- biographies and photos of: Konrad Guderski, Jozef Wasik, Alfons Flisykowski, Jan Michon
- a frame from the film “Free City” directed by Stanisław Rozewicz
Postmaster's room
The chief’s room is arranged as a postal clerk’s workplace, the exhibits include:
- desk and office supplies from the interwar period,
- souvenir photos that were taken throughout Poland in 1928 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Post Offices and Telegraphs,
- teletypewriter, Morse telegraph, Hughes camera (already)
- A painting given to Konrad Guderski during a transatlantic cruise on the Batory, 1938.
- green spittoon – an inseparable element of the equipment of pre-war offices
- letters, stamps, envelopes
Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office
Unveiled in 1979 on the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. It was made by Krakow artists – Wincenty Kucma and Krystyna Hajdo-Kucma. The monument shows the defender of the Post Office giving his rifle to the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Letters spill out of his bag and pigeons fly up.
The monument is located in a specially arranged space, the street was replaced by a cobbled square with stone waves decorated with the image of the seal of the Directorate of Post and Telegraph of the Republic of Poland in Gdansk and the Virtuti Militari Cross. These are integral elements of the monument.
Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office
