Gizycko (PL)

History

The strategic location of Lötzen as one of the few „gateways“ through the natural barrier of the Masurian Lakes was obvious. Already during the Second Northern War for supremacy in the Baltic region in 1655-60 and later in the Coalition Wars (1807) as well as during Napoleon's Russian campaign in 1812, Lötzen was considered an important transit point for large combat units.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the German Empire began considering ways to secure the borders of East Prussia against a possible threat from the east, and Lötzen quickly became a focus of attention. With diplomatic relations with Russia cooling, there was no longer any hesitation, and on 4 September 1844, at 6 p.m., the foundation stone for the construction of the Boyen Fortress was ceremoniously laid on behalf of King Frederick William IV. During the course of construction work until 1860, a Prussian artillery fort with six bastions (see Architecture) was built, which could accommodate up to 2,500 soldiers.

In 1860, the first regiments ceremoniously took up quarters in the fortress. Until around 1913, continuous modernisation measures and the gradual conversion from the originally independent fortress to a strong artillery-armed barrier fort took place. Before the First World War, massive field positions were also built in the lake belt around Lötzen, the so-called Masurian Lake Position.

Shortly afterwards, World War I broke out and at the end of 1914 there was heavy fighting in and around Lötzen, which was successfully repelled. Later on, the first battle took place on the Masurian Lakes, in which Russia was defeated by German troops. The Boyen Fortress was an important starting point and cornerstone of the East Prussian front. The field positions were subsequently expanded to include up to 255 concrete structures and withstood all Russian attacks. By the end of the First World War, Fort Boyen had become a symbol of German resistance, and high-ranking personalities of the German Empire visited the site, including Emperor Wilhelm II, Prince Joachim of Prussia, Admiral Tirpitz and the Bavarian heir to the throne.

The fortifications on Germany's southern and eastern borders were exempt from the disarmament demands of the Allied victorious powers after the First World War. The Boyen Fortress was meticulously maintained during the interwar period and served as a symbolic military training location.

From 1936 onwards, the field positions were further fortified. During the Second World War, the Lötzen fortified area served to secure the rear of the Eastern Front. With the Wolf's Lair, Mauerwald and Hochwald bunker complexes, numerous command posts were established north of Gizycko.

With the increasing successes of the Soviet armed forces and the gradual shift of the Eastern Front towards Germany, Lötzen was further reinforced as an important location and supplied with personnel, weapons and food at the end of 1944. However, the cold winter led to thick layers of ice forming on the Masurian Lakes, which even tanks could drive on. This meant that nothing stood in the way of the Russian offensive. Without its natural barriers, Lötzen lost its defensive value. The location was evacuated except for a few defenders and was taken on 26 January 1945 after minor fighting.

Until 1956, the fort was a training site for the Polish People's Army and a starting point for mine clearance and systematic demolition of field positions. In 1957, Boyen Fort was decommissioned and handed over to the civil authorities. Listed as a historic monument in 1973, but exposed to numerous thefts and acts of arson, the first conservation measures were begun in 1993 by the Association of Friends of Boyen Fortress.

Since 2009, the property has been managed by the Giżyckie Centrum Kultury (Giżycko Cultural Centre) and is increasingly being promoted for tourism. With its membership in the European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network in 2019, Boyen Station became part of the European cultural route FORTE CULTURA®.

Architecture

The star-shaped New Prussian fortress was built between 1844 and 1860 based on designs by General Ernst Ludwig von Aster and Colonel Johann von Bress-Winiary. Three of the fortress's six bastions were named after General von Boyen's first names: Hermann, Ludwig and Leopold. The other three were named after symbols from the family coat of arms: sword, law and light. Four gates with neo-Gothic elements provided access: the Lötzen and Rastenburg gates, the water gate and the powder gate. Inside the fortress are numerous functional and service buildings, such as three-storey barracks, a bakery, powder magazines, an armourer's workshop and much more.

A 2303 m long and up to 5 m high free-standing Carnot wall with embrasures surrounded the fortress. In front of and behind it were the inner and outer ramparts, separated by dry moats. Other elements included casemated bastions, artillery casemates in the bastion shoulders and the caponier at the Lötzen Gate.
From around 1870 onwards, a long process of extensive modernisation began to reinforce the fortress in response to rapidly advancing weapon technologies and the introduction of high-explosive shells. Walls and ramparts were further reinforced, vaults were covered with a layer of concrete, magazines and infantry shelters were built, and rotating and armoured infantry watchtowers were installed.

At the beginning of the 20th century, fortified field positions were built to secure the site and the region. Robert Kempa's extensively illustrated brochure „Die Feste Byoen in Lötzen“ (ISBN-13: 978-8361349167) describes the history and construction of the fortress in detail.