Kraków Fortress

Kraków fortress (Polish: Twierdza Kraków, German: Festung Krakau) refers in the narrow sense to the 19th century Austro-Hungarian fortifications, and in the larger sense - to the interconnected fortifications in Kraków, Poland, including 18th century Kościuszko Insurrection fortifications, and the medieval Wawel castle and city walls.

Austro-Hungarian Fort 31 Benedykt
Kraków Fortress on a French map from 1881

List of Fortifications

Citadel

The Inner Ring

Bastions

Citadel Forts

  • Fort citadel 2 "Kosciuszko" - Built surrounding the Kościuszko Mound in 1850–56, and designed by Franz von Pidoll Quintenbock, Felix Księżarski and Bernard von Caboga. Today, the fort houses a museum devoted to Kosciuszko, the radio station RMF FM, a hotel and cafes.

Tower Forts

  • Fort 31 "St. Benedict Fort" (Polish: Fort św. Benedykta) - the only one of three surviving fortresses built in Podgórze in the mid-19th century to protect the Vistula River and the road to Lviv. It is located atop the Krzemionki cliffs on Lasota Hill, and takes its name from the adjacent St. Benedict's church. The fortress quickly lost its usefulness in the 1890s. Since, it was used as an Austrian military barracks and converted into apartments in the 1950s. Today, it lies in general dereliction, filled with abandoned furniture and building materials. The fort has recently been transferred back to the property of the city of Kraków, with plans for its renovation awaiting approval.
  • Fort 32 "Krzemionki" - The only other tower fort constructed in addition to the Fort 31 "St. Benedict" within the Krakow Fortress. In the 18th and 19th century, the fort was adapted to serve as barracks. Around 1954, the fort was demolished to make way for the construction of the Television Krakow building.

The Outer Ring

Armoured Forts

References


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