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traces of memory Włodzimierz Fiszer page 15 hall-gate, the flocking visitors were again directed by a policeman, now towards a platform elevated about 1 metre on the left, along the walls of the octagon. From the inside, the walls looked like roofed galleries, separated from the courtyard with a colonnade of simple pillars, which composed 40 recessed area-niches on the circumference of the octagon, where memorial plaques to the fallen Tannenberg heroes were placed. I was particularly impressed by one of them, made in earnest: a cameo impressed in metal, featuring a Russian soldier in a uniform from the epoch of the Tsar, lying on his side, stretching his hand protectively above his head against a huge stallion trampling him. The stallion carrying a German soldier galloping victoriously, a sword in his hand and a spiked helmet covering his head. The entrances to the high, rectangular towers were closed. Each of the towers has a definite purpose. Thus, tower 1 in the vicinity of the main entrance gate, has 3 storeys inside: the first is accommodation for the war invalid who is taking care of the memorial; the 2nd and the 3rd are reserved as accommodation for young visitors here (as Tannenberg is only a village). Thus, one can see here that the design of Tannenberg is not only monumentally and architecturally beautiful but, also, very well thought out and practical. The storeys are linked by staircases by which one can comfortably get onto the upper terrace, running along the walls of the entire octagon – from tower to tower in a circle. Tower two is devoted completely to von Hindenburg's memory. This tower has no storeys while its inner space is delimited at the top by a seep vault, with a skylight made from strong coloured glass in the form of a cone, permitting light to shine inside. The walls of the tower are covered with a mosaic and have elongated, high windows, also with coloured glass. On the right-hand side, there is an enormous painting of the Field Marshal. The third tower is devoted to the memory of other commanders of the Great War and contains their various insignia, busts on stone plinths, and preserved (illegible) of their armament. The upper spaces of this tower are devoted to (illegible). page 16 Finally, Tower 4 accommodates the banners and tokens of regiments which took part in the Tannenberg Battle. A narrow ramp is constructed by the walls where banners and flags are fastened in stirrups in a way which permits the viewer to view them from the bottom up. This mode of placement makes for easy access to the banners and flags, as well as easy to use during various celebrations (German practicality!). The ramp along the walls goes up, leading to the upper terrace of the tower from where a grand vista of the surroundings is available. It is planned to place a bronze (Sic!) panorama in the centre of the upper terrace, to commemorate and to palpably illustrate the main course of the German-Russian Battle of Tannenberg. Tower 5 – the exit, is designed and arranged in the same way as the first Tower. Tower 6, opposite the Hindenburg tower, is devoted to the worship of the German army, precisely, the participants of the Great War, the so called "Feldgrauen". Similar to Tower 4, it has no storeys, but a ramp along the walls, leading upwards. The massive railing of the ramp has specially arranged friezes, featuring a series of images from the lives of the "Feldgrauen" i.e. German veterans of the World War. Tower 7 is devoted to an illustration of the mutual links between Tannenberg and Eastern Prussia. Tower 8, shaped like Tower 2, is devoted to a presentation of the historical development of the German state. The entire building appears as imposing and monumental. However, the main goal of its architect's was the creation of a memorial – not only grand but, also, eternal, therefore, the material used for its building was the most noble, starting from stairs finished with granite to clinker brick and brass doors inside. However, to me, looking at this construction mostly from an engineering point of view, a concrete and definitely presumed goal came to mind – a strategic one. In the case of war, the memorial is a first-class fortress. As I said, we went onto the ramp under the arcades, containing niches with memorial plaques; having passed the 4th and 3rd towers, we are now approaching the Hindenburg Tower. Again a policeman is there; after a while he turns to me, explaining something energetically – I finally understand that we should form pairs; I grab an elderly gentleman as there was no time to search for another companion. Close to me, the policeman was exceptionally enervated; with my "pair" I am now approaching the gate to the tower, now the side opens, next to which page 17 two Reichswehr soldiers keep guard, standing straight in motionless stiffness, fully armed, with guns topped with those characteristic German bayonets and massive, heavy helmets on their heads. Extraordinary concentration and a tomb-like silence reigns everywhere. When the passing people reach the line of the honorary guard they, as if by order of the late Hindenburg, automatically stretch their hands upwards in the Nazi gesture of greeting. I also raise my hand .... this is a very exciting moment, forgetful about anything around me I draw in the interior of this honorary bastion with my eyes – Hindenburg's coffin of a silver-gold colour rests on a small elevated area in the centre; it is literally sunk in flowers and ribbons with Imperial Germany's colours, Nazi Swastikas, and a shiny German helmet with a glittering golden spike lying on the coffin. I thought to myself: before my eyes, in this coffin lie the mortal remains of one of the greatest and most adored German statesmen, the remains of a man whose whole life was the best symbol of the German spirit, tradition, and culture, and its bellicose vigour. Here lies one whose greatness has been considered tantamount to the genius of learned Copernicus (who Germans still consider as one of their kin) and the greatness of the thinker Kant. With other people, I exit through the main gate from "Erhenhof" to "Vorhof", leaving the interior of the "National Memorial". I notice a caption over the main gate: "Deutsche seid einig" ("Germans you are one"). I stop once again in the distance to embrace the entire architecture of the monument with my eyes. Indeed, it is really monumental and the Germans are absolutely right claiming that "die architektonische Wirkung des Gesamtdenkmals ist gewaltig. Das Bauweren macht einen packenden Eindruck, wurdig des gewaltigen Gescheheus bei Tannenberg in den letzten August tagen des Jahres 1914", the translation of which is: "the architectural impact of the memorial on the viewer is enormous, it makes an imposing and exalting impression – (Sic!) |
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