The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-06-06

/
tionalized city and the outlet
for Poland TO the Baltic, is
thus described in a bulletin issued by
the National Geographic society:
Picture far north Venice, cut
| through with streams and canals,
equipped also with sort of irrigation
system to flood the country for miles
| about, not for cultivation but for de-
| Tense; city Of typical Philadelphia
streets, only with those long rows OF
stoops made Of stone and highly deco
rated and jutting into the roadway in
| stead of on the sidewalks, and you
| catch but glimpse of the composite
| Danzig.
AS city of churches Danzig vies
with Brooklyn; its crooked. winding
Streets suggest those Boston thorough
fares OF cowpath derivation and were
| its grain warehouses more modern
the visitor might believe himself
IN Minneapolis-that is he might
until he heard their nameS-Such as
Golden Pelican. Little Ship, Gray
Goose and Mix Maid-then he might
look about for some popular resorts
of New YOrk's Greenwich village.
In no other German city is medic
val architecture to be found in such
variety and preservation as In Danzig.
Conspicuous both in Polish and Ger
man history. Danzig was one Of the
four principal centers of the Han
seattle league, while not far up the Wis
tula is Marienburg, capital of the Teu-
tonic Order of Knights. which -four
ished in Danzig.
Ancient Art Works Intact.
Physically, Danzig escaped many ef
fects of the reformation. Even in her
famous ST. Mary's church. one OF the
largest Protestant edifices in the world,
covering an area as great as the
Cathedral OF NOtre Dame in Paris,
are to be found reliquaries and
manuscripts, embrOideries OF Roman.
Byzantine and Gothic designs, treas
ures in precious metals. stones and
worries, and a noted collection of vest
ments. Among its art works is the fe
nous Last Judgment" of Hans Meal
ing. In appearance almost as much
like a fortress as a church, bringing
TO mind Luther's militant hymn -
Mighty Fortress Is Our God" the
church has been called lone of the
most German things in Germany" In
many ways IT suggests the Prussian
militarist spirit. From the vaulting,
for example. projects one of Napoleon's
cannon balls.
But the Danzig visitor needs no in
direct intimation Of militarism. The
city was one of the most strongly for
tilted places I'm the now shattered Ger
man empire. To the east and south
OF the city older defenses were sup
plemented in recent years by a score
of bastions. Along the Vistula. on
which the city lies, to its mouth at
Neufahrwasser. four miles away.
stretches a line of forts. In addition
three sides OF the town could be In
undated by the garrison.
Quaint House Architecture.
Streets are lined with ornate old
houses of the Hanseatic period. crown
ed with high gables. often profuse-
ly ornamented. Balconies overhang
the streets and in spite of the impedi-
ment they offer to traffic. many OF
the elevated stone pOrcheS still re-
main. Gargoyles grin from ancient
walls. Vistas abound. There are
many old water gates. One of these.
the Hobo Tor, is fashioned after q RO-
man arch. Another, the Kran Thor.
with each successive story projecting
farther than the one below, looks like
the leaning tower of Pisa.
Danzig's beginnings are not known.
Poland, Denmark, Pomerania and
Brandenburg held it at various early
times. In the fourteenth century 1t
came under the sway of the Teutonic |
knights. Not long afterward 1t be- !