Travels with Olga: Bohemian Highlights -- Poznań

Poznań, the original capital of Poland, is located in western Poland on the Warta River. It was founded in the 10th century and was one of the one of four historical capitals of medieval Poland. Today, as the fifth largest city in the country with a population of over half a million, it is the center of trade, sport, education, technology and tourism.

At the heart of the square is Poznań’s Town Hall, which was originally built in the late 13th century following the founding of the city in 1253. The clock tower features two billy goats that come out at noon and butt heads 12 times as the clocks sounds the hour. This display has gone on since 1551.

The goats refer to a 16th century story about a chef in town who was supposed to make an elaborate feast for the mayor and visiting dignitaries. The chef had planned roasted venison but ended up burning the meat to a crisp because he was distracted by the festivities. In desperation the chef found two goats grazing in a nearby meadow that he intended to cook. Unfortunately, the goats got away from him and ran toward the Town Hall. They ran up the stairs to the tower, emerged from the turret, locked horns, and battled it out. The mayor, his guests, and the townspeople were so entertained by the goats that they forgave the chef and the goats for the meal. When the new clock was set up, the mayor ordered that the goats be added to the mechanism and continue their noon time battle.

Goat photos by Atlas Obscura

Town Square

A very colorful town square graces the center of Poznań's old town and helps visitors like us to forget the dreary, overcast and very cold day. The square is very big with the huge Town Hall in the center of it. Below are some of the buildings and objects that make up the square. The architecture is exquisite, just a taste of what we were in for during this two-week trip in both grand cities and rural small towns alike.

Restaurants are enticing with their sculpted windows and doorways. They look so 18th century. The names are equally intriguing like Billy's, a reference to those two goats battling it out in the Town Hall's tower. Another restaurant features the two goats in its front window. Truly beautiful--and inviting.

I ate at a small restaurant that served some delicious food and a spiced Christmas drink. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of it, the food, or my fellow travelers, two sisters from South Africa, that I ate with.

Christmas is around the corner and the town is getting reading with a crêche and later on, a Christmas market that will feature hand-crafted goods made by local people. Little log cabins (sometimes small tents) will be set up as they are in cities across Europe.

My fellow travelers and I only had time for lunch and a quick look around the town square before we boarded the bus and headed for Warsaw.

St. Martin's Croissant -- “rogale świętomarcińskie”

One of the popular local foods in Poznań is the St. Martin's Croissant. This giant-sized delight is filled with poppy seeds and mixed with nuts, raisins, almonds, sugar and butter. Icing is poured on top and sprinkled again with nuts and sugar. It's more than one person can eat at a time, and it's best eaten when it's warm.

The croissant is protected as a cultural heritage by the European Union because it is not only a staple of the Poznanian diet but a delicacy celebrated every year at the town's St. Martin Festival.

The tradition of the St. Martin's Croissant goes back to 1891 when a young priest was trying to encourage his congregation to find a way to be charitable towards the poor during the cold winter months. A young confectioner took this to heart after he watched a horse lose its shoe. He decided to create a croissant in the shape of a horseshoe and give it to the poor. He filled the croissant with almond and poppyseed paste and passed it out to beggars on the street. As a result, the townspeople created a charitable event they celebrated every year on November 11, St. Martin's feast day. On this day, the town makes and eats over 700,000 croissants during the annual St. Martin's Day parade.

Today, the Croissant Museum features the baking process of the croissant as they teach the history of St. Martin, Poznań, and the famous croissant.

1956 Monument

If there was one outstanding lesson of this trip to Poland and the Bohemian region it was that the people in this region have suffered much over the centuries as bigger and better armies conquered them. One dreadful period in recent history was the post-war Soviet takeover of Poland. In June 1956, however, the people of Poznań revolted against the regime.

The 1956 Poznań protests were the first of several massive protests against the communist government of the Polish People's Republic. Workers demanded better working conditions at Poznań's Cegielski Factories. Approximately 100,000 people gathered in the city center. They were met with 400 tanks and 10,000 soldiers of the Polish People's Army and the Internal Security Corps under the command of the Polish-Soviet general Stanislav Poplavsky who were ordered to suppress the protesters--with bullets if necessary. Between 57 to 100+ people were killed and hundreds sustained injuries. The Poznań protests eventually resulted in the Polish October as well as the installation of a less Soviet-controlled government. Other similar protests would lead to the fall of communism in Poland in 1989.

We didn't see this monument, but I include it in this blog because of its importance to Poznań and Polish history. It is important to note that the protests were not motivated by anti-communist ideology as much as workers' demands for better working conditions. "We demand bread" was their motto. These demands, in turn, eventually led to the call for political change.

These two steel crosses bound together with rope were unveiled on June 28, 1981, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet control. An eagle head and nearby tablet were added when Polish Pope John Paul II visited the monument in 1997.

The monument has become a very powerful symbol of remembrance of the painful events of Poland’s recent past including the people's subsequent patriotic and social riots of 1968, 1970, 1976, 1980 and 1981.