The Dangerous Proximity to Russia in Gdańsk (6,052 km)

(2022-05-29/31) It all started 42 years ago at the Gdańsk Shipyard, when the free trade union Solidarność was admitted in Poland. It paved the way for the fall of communism in Poland and subsequently in Europe. It is only logical that Solidarność should show solidarity with Ukraine. The people of Gdańsk are aware of their dangerous proximity to Russia. Driving along the Gdańsk Bay and crossing the Vistula River by ferry, it is only 75 km to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

On the way there we pass the former concentration camp Stutthof. „Heinrich Himmler‘s order to commandants of concentration camps, dated 14th of April 1945 commanded that there should be no surrender to enemy camps with prisoners, and organize the evacuation so, that none of the prisoners would get into hands of enemy alive. The order caused that evacuation of the last prisoners of KL Stutthof who so far survived, were evacuated by Baltic Sea. […] The Sea Evacuation caused death of about 50% transported prisoners (out of 4,360). […]“ (Stutthof Museum)