Travel Guide "Remembrance Connects Region Oder-Warta"

64 65 The Space of Fat e The Space of Fat e The area of the former old town and fortress of Küstrin in Kostrzyn nad Odrą is now a unique monument of the region, a monument also known as „Pompeii on the Oder River“. Completely destroyed in 1945 and never rebuilt, the fortress is an im- Küstrin Fortress – Pompeii on the Oder River Walk along the imposing ramparts through the ruins of the once famous fortress on the Oder River. pressive reminder of war and its consequences. The historic Küstrin Fortress was built in the second half of the 16 th century to protect the residential town of Küstrin at the confluence of the Warthe and Oder rivers. After the end of the First World War, it lost its military function, and its heavy ordinance and other weapons were re- moved. The eastern rampart was demo- lished to make room for a road bypass. In 1945 , when the Red Army troops were advancing, Küstrin was again declared a fortress in order to hold the Oder River crossing there (railway and road). In an unparalleled bom- bardment lasting 56 days, the Red Army almost completely destroyed the fortress along with the old town and new town. It then defeated the German Armed Forces in the Battle of the Seelow Heights and finally reached Berlin. The fortress and old town of Küstrin were not rebuilt and were abandoned in the new German-Polish border area. It was only after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 that some areas of the fortress began to be used for tourism. Today, two exhibitions provide infor- mation about the history of the fortress. There are also information boards to guide visitors through a tour of the former old town of Küstrin. Numerous well-known locations (such as Seelow or Küstrin) and lesser-known locations (such as Reitwein), along with smaller and larger buildings in Oder- bruch, still have a connection to the battles in Oderbruch or to the Battle of the Seelow Heights. Klessin Castle is one of these lesser-known locations. Located about 20 kilometres south- east of Seelow, Wuhden and Klessin were surrounded by Soviet units and defended by German forces. In the area of the historic Klessin Castle and the associated estate, the fiercest battles raged within sight of the Oder River in the last weeks of the Second World War. The fighting continued for almost seven weeks. The Klessin Castle Theatre of War Fierce fighting raged around Klessin Castle during the battles for Seelow Heights and the subsequent storming of Berlin by Soviet troops. By the end of the war, Wuhden and Klessin had been completely des- troyed. The Wuhdener Heimatverein e.V. association has been campaigning for years, with the support of the local po- pulation, to establish a memorial and remembrance site: „Kriegsschauplatz Schloss Klessin“ (The Klessin Castle Theatre of War). Address: Klessin-Bruch 15326 Podelzig, Deutschland www.kriegsschauplatz-schloss-klessin.de Open: January-December GPS : 52 ° 27 ‘ 32 . 1 “N 14 ° 33 ‘ 24 . 0 “E The Klessin Castle Theatre of War i Address: Chyżańska 66 - 470 Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Polen muzeum.kostrzyn.pl Open: all year, exhibitions closed on Mondays gPS : 52 ° 34 ‘ 37 . 6 “N 14 ° 38 ‘ 18 . 2 “E Küstrin Fortress i