The Stadion Miejski in Poznań holds a surprise

By: T. Wasilewski

The stadium is the only one in the world to have a historic fragment of a fortification within its mass. In 2002 the second stage began in the modernisation of the hitherto functioning structure, the redevelopment commencing with the demolition of stand IV. The stand was located on previously built earth embankments, during the removal of which the workers discovered an ammunition bunker of a wing battery detached from an ammunition fort belonging to the fortification system of Fort VIII. The fortification is 25 m by 15 m, built of brick and covered with concrete. Its construction has been dated to the end of the 1880s or beginning of the 1890s. The find led to a change in the architectural plans for the construction of stand II at the Stadion Miejski. According to the original design, one of the pillars necessary in the roof structure was to have been be located on that particular site. However, the conservator did not agree to its being demolished; the bunker is currently to be found between stands II and III.

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