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The Small Armoury

  • The Small Armoury (Mała Zbrojownia) is a historical element characteristic of the architecture of Embankment Square.
  • It was constructed in the years 1643-1645 by Jerzy Strakowski, the son of Jan Strakowski who was a city engineer.
  • The ground floor of the Small Armoury was used as a storage place for heavy cannons and mortars.
  • The first floor of the Small Armoury was used as a warehouse for artillery equipment.
  • In an emergency situation, it was possible to roll the cannons outside through four big gates.
  • The building was burnt down and bombed during the war.
  • There is a cartouche with Gdańsk coat of arms on the Small Armoury wall.
  • After the war, the building accommodated the Provincial Communication Company of Gdańsk-Gdynia and the armoury halls were converted into a depot.
  • Since 1993 the Small Armoury has been housing the Faculty of Sculpture and Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.

Memories and stories told by the inhabitants

  • After the war, the ruins of the Small Armoury were occupied by children who used to run and play cards there.
  • When the Small Armoury accommodated the Provincial Communication Company of Gdańsk-Gdynia, nobody cared for the historical character of the building. The floor was always dirty and smeared with grease.

Contemporary photographs

⯆ The Small Armoury building.

Gdańsk. The Small Armoury. Contemporary photographs. A historic brick building of the former arsenal located at the Old Suburb of Gdańsk. The building is an example of austere and monumental architecture. At present, the building is formed by two joined objects covered with steep roofs. The windows are situated high at the roof level. The building has two (left and right) entrance doors. It is surrounded with a metal fence set on a brick base. At present, the building houses the Faculty of Sculpture and Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts.

⯆ A cartouche with Gdańsk coat of arms. The remains of red paint indicate the former colouring of the walls.

Gdańsk. The Small Armoury. Contemporary photographs. A historic brick building of the former arsenal located at the Old Suburb of Gdańsk. A cartouche with Gdańsk coat of arms. The remains of red paint indicate the former colouring of the building walls. The cartouche is covered with a lot of gilding and under the cartouche there is an inscription with the year when the construction of the Small Armoury was finished: 1645.

⯆ At present, the building houses the Faculty of Sculpture and Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.

Gdańsk. The Small Armoury. Contemporary photographs. A historic brick building of the former arsenal located at the Old Suburb of Gdańsk. The photograph presents the side of the brick building seen from a garden.

Archive photographs

⯆ A post-war photograph of the Small Armoury.

Gdańsk. The Small Armoury. Archive black-and-white photographs. A historic brick building of the former arsenal located at the Old Suburb of Gdańsk. The photograph presents the side of the brick building seen from a garden.

Minecraft: visualisation

Gdańsk. The Small Armoury. Minecraft visualisation. The building is made of brick blocks. The object is made of two joined buildings covered with steep roofs. It is surrounded with a wooden fence set on a brick base. In front of the building there is a road constructed from dark grey blocks. There is a long brick object with numerous gates adjacent to the building.
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