1. Lighthouses link lands

2. Polish lighthouses
• Since the end of World War II in 1945, the coast of Poland has
stretched from Świnoujście in the west to the Gulf of Gdańsk in
the east. All of the Polish coastline was under German control
from the 18th century through the end of World War I in 1918.
Poland became independent of Germany and Russia as a result of
World War I, but between the two world wars its coastline was
only a narrow "corridor" at Gdynia. As a result, all of the
pre-1945 lighthouses except the three Gdynia lights are of
German construction.
Since Poland escaped the Soviet orbit in 1991, the country has
made great progress in lighthouse preservation. The historic
lighthouses have been restored where needed, and they seem to
be in good shape. Many of them are open to the public.

3. Świnoujście Lighthouse
• Świnoujście Lighthouse, also
known as Swinemünde
Lighthouse, is an active
lighthouse in Świnoujście,
Poland. At a height of 212
feet (65 m) it is the
fifteenth tallest "traditional
lighthouse" in the world, as
well as the tallest brick
lighthouse, and the tallest in
Poland. It is located on the
east bank of the river Świna
just inside the entrance.

4. History
• The first lighthouse in the location was built in 1828. The
current structure is from 1857. The cross-section of the entire
1857 tower was octagonal. However, in 1902–1903 the tower was
restored to repair spalled brickwork. This converted the shape
of the tower above the first gallery to the current round shape.
• The tower was damaged during World War II. In 1945, during
the retreat of the German troops, an order was given to destroy
the lighthouse. However, the German keeper refused the order
and the tower survived. The damage was only repaired in 1959.
• In 1998–2000, for the new Millennium, the lighthouse was
restored. It was and opened to the public in August 2000, along
with a lighthouse museum in the keeper's house.

5. Kikut Lighthouse
• The lighthouse originated on
the basis of an old
orientation-scenic tower
built in the second half of
the 19th century of dressed
stones. The tower was
situated on a high, cliff sea
shore thanks to which there
was a vast view on the sea
from it.

6. History
• In 1957 the Sea Building Design Office in Gdańsk worked out a
design of rebuilding the tower as a result of which a remote
controlled lighthouse was created in 1962.
• In the 80's of the 20th century the electric-gas lantern was
replaced witch an electric one with a changer with two bulbs.
• In 1994 a changer made by a Swedish company was installed in
which there are six halogen bulbs.
• The lighthouse is not open to the public.

7. Niechorze lighthouse
• On the grounds of an order
issued by the German
Ministry of Navigation on
15th May 1863, a decision
was taken to erect a
lighthouse on a 22 m coastal
cliff, west of the place now
called Niechorze. In 1863
work on the drafting of a
design started. Construction
continued until 1866, and on
1st December of that year
the lamp in the new
lighthouse was lit for the
first time. It had a white
beacon of characteristic 10
seconds on, 10 seconds off,
unlike the lighthouse at
Świnoujście, which had a
continuous beacon.

8. • Inside the lighthouse there is a winding staircase. After over
200 stone steps you finally reach the viewing terrace. The total
height of the lighthouse is 45 m. On either side the tower is
adjoined by residential quarters for four lighthouse-keeper's
families. This part reaches up to a height of 12.2 m and was built
in dark red brick. The lantern was fitted out with a Fresnel
Class I device, designed by Veit-Meyer. Originally the light
source was rape-seed oil, with an annual consumption of 1,943 kg.
The lamp's characteristic was obtained by means of a clockwork
mechanism which moved a metal annular stroboscope with four
orifices.

9. Kołobrzeg Lighthouse
• Navigational lights and
lighthouses, destroyed lots
of times by the sea element
or by military actions, have
been placed at the mouth of
the Parsęta river, on its east
bank since 1666.
• The present lighthouse was
built at the end of the 40's
of the 20th century on the
highest platform of the old
stronghold of Kołobrzeg
fortress erected in the 17th
century and extended in the
18th and 19th centuries.

10. • The walls of the
lighthouse tower are
made of dark red
demolition brick.
• In the lantern room
there is a rotating
optical apparatus with
eight light walls with
two bulbs of 200-watt
each in each wall.
• The lighthouse is open
to the public

11. Gąski Lighthouse
• Gąski Lighthouse was built
near a small place of the
same name on the middle
part of the coastline. It is
about 112 m away from the
shore, and may be reached
by a road from the main road
from Ustronie Morskie to
Mielno. The seashore here is
flat, and the beach is sandy.
The lighthouse, which is
clearly visible from afar over
the surrounding woods,
towers in solitude over the
surrounding countryside.

12. History and decription
• Work to erect the lighthouse started in 1876 and finished in
late 1877. The building materials were transported by sea and
unloaded on a special landing stage jutting out into the sea. The
lighthouse started operations on 1st January 1878, and the cost
of its construction amounted to 20,600 marks.
• The body of the lighthouse consists of three distinct
components. The first is the base, on a 5-metre-deep stone
foundation. It is a regular octagon in cross-section with sides of
4 m, has a height of 11.4 m and a wall thickness of around 2 m at
the bottom. The second section has a cylindrical shape and rises
up to a height of around 40 m. The thickness of the walls at the
top of the tower is about 1 m.

13. Darłowo Lighthouse
• Darłowo Lighthouse was built
at the base of the eastern
breakwater on the estuary of
the River Wieprza into the
Baltic Sea. Its purpose was
to guide vessels safely to the
port at Darłowo. The
lighthouse is in fact situated
in Darłówek Wschodni, now a
well-known holiday resort;
while Darłowo is occupied
chiefly in the fishing
industry and sailing.

14. History
• What is certain is that in 1885 a small one-storey pilothouse was
erected at the base of the eastern breakwater. This structure
was built in red brickwork, with an adjoining square tower on the
south. On its second floor there was a room for the pilot on
duty, whose task was to observe the roadstead and keep the
lighthouse which showed the way into the port. The lamp and
Class Four lens was positioned in a window at a height of 12.2 m.
It had a constant red beam of light, with a range of 6 nautical
miles.
• In 1899 the lens was exchanged for a cylindrical, catoptric
device, an enhancement by two classes. From the descriptions of
the light we know that in 1904 the luminous characteristic was
changed. The lighthouse now had a white, flashing beam.

15. • To increase the lighthouse's range, in 1927 the tower was
extended by another storey, and on top of this a lantern was
installed with a white steel dome and a gallery around it. The
whole construction was now 22 m high. A prismatic optical device
consisting of thirteen shielding segments was set up in the
lantern, and it was equipped with a changer system for two 1 kW
light-bulbs. The lighthouse was still working using this set-up
until recently.

16. Jarosławiec Lighthouse
• Jarosławiec Lighthouse is
situated about 400 m from
the sea, on a hill around 20
metres above sea level, in the
southern part of a village of
the same name, south of the
road from Jezierzyny to
Rusinowo, near a track
through the fields to
Nadmierz.

17. History
• The history of Jarosławiec Lighthouse dates back to the early
19th century, when, as maritime traffic on the Baltic increased,
it was observed that there were more and more disasters,
especially by night, occurring off the coastal stretch between
Darłowo and Łeba. To put a stop to this, a decision was taken to
build a lighthouse here which would help ships to avoid the
shallows in this area. The location chosen was a high cliff in the
village of Jarosławiec, an excellent spot for the construction of
a lighthouse which would be visible to navigation from a long
distance away.
• In 1830, after a year's work, the building of the lighthouse
according to this project was completed. It was situated around
400 m away from the coastline, on a hill 30 m high. The wall was
built by Widekowski, a bricklayer from Sławno; while the steel
construction for the lamp was made by Winneg, a blacksmith
from Koszalin. Both of these men were local master craftsmen.

18. Ustka Lighthouse
• Ustka Lighthouse is situated
at the end of the eastern
breakwater protecting the
entrance into the port of
Ustka, at the point where
the River Słupia flows into
the Baltic. For centuries
Ustka, which is only 18 km
away from the city of Słupsk
and therefore within its
territorial catchment, was
that city's window on the
world.

19. History
• Ustka Lighthouse has come down to the present day in its
original form. Since 15th November 1945, after the end of the
War, it has continuously been showing the way to all navigating
on this stretch of the Baltic. Its optical device comprises a
cylindrical lens with a diameter of 100 cm and two 1 kW light-
bulbs mounted in a changer. One of the bulbs is on while the
other is a reserve which switches on automatically if the first
bulb goes out. Only the name of the lighthouse has changed.
When the War finished it was called Postomino Lighthouse, but
on 1st January 1947 the lighthouse name reverted to Ustka. It
is a familiar landmark to all sailing into the harbour, a
characteristic elevation on the Ustka skyline and visible out at
sea

20. Czołpino Lighthouse
• Czołpino Lighthouse is
situated between Łeba and
Rowy, within the Słowiny
National Park. It is about 1
km away from the coast,
between Lakes Gardno and
Łebsko, and is located on a
high dune. The keeper's
residential quarters and
outhouses are at the foot of
the dune, on the landward
side. Unfortunately, for the
time being they are
unoccupied, and the
lighthouse keeper lives in a
village 10 km away from the
lighthouse.

21. History and description
• In 1872 a decision was made to build a lighthouse here according
to a design drafted by E. Kummer. The choice of a position ruled
out the feasibility of supplying the building materials needed by
road transport, and so a special landing stage was erected to
load the supplies onto barges for the final part of the journey.
Work of the construction of the lighthouse took three years,
and it was not until 15th January 1875 that the beacon of
Czołpino Lighthouse was lit for the first time, illuminating yet
another stretch of the Baltic coastline.
• Czołpino Lighthouse is a construction in the shape of a truncated
cone in red brick-work with an outer facing. At its base the
tower has a diameter of 7 m, and its lantern height is 25.2 m.
This lighthouse survived the Second World War intact. When
wartime hostilities were over, it was in operation already by 7th
December 1945 and has been working ever since.

22. Stilo Lighthouse
• The lighthouse was built by
the Germans on the concrete
and white granite foundation.
It was assembled from ready
cast steel elements fixed
with screws.
There are only three such
structures in the world, two
of which are situated in
Europe.

23. History
• Originally the lighthouse had gas lighting- burner, mirrors and
prisms. Later, the gas burner was replaced by incandescent
lighting- incandescent light of 2500W, mirrors and prisms. For
the past 15 years the lighthouse has been using halogen lights
with the power of light beam from 1200W/12V, powered from
the grid. In case of power failure, there is a standby power
generator and 6 batteries of 100A/h each, i.e. 18-hour reserve.
The lights are switched on by a photocell or traditionally-
manually.
In the past, there was also a sound signal with the full sound
cycle of 30s. which was audible within 6-12 miles during fog.

24. Rozewie Lighthouse
• This is a lighthouse with
great significance for Polish
maritime history. The legend
says that it was once
inhabited by Stefan
Żeromski, who is reputed to
have written “Wiatr od
morza” [“The wind from the
sea”] here. The lighthouse
was built in 1822 and had new
storeys added in 1910 and
1978. The lighthouse and the
surrounding buildings house
an interesting exhibition
showing, among other things,
models of all the Polish
lighthouses.

25. History
• There were two lighthouses operating on Rozewie from 1875.
The new one, 28.8 m high, was built 190 m west of the old one.
It stopped being used in 1910 when the old tower was built
higher and when electric light was installed there. The tower
became higher again in 1978 when an additional steel cylinder
was installed there, with diameter 3.5 m and height 8 m. In the
new lighthouse revolving machinery was installed with two panels
(each equipped with 20 halogen bulbs). Since 1994 the
lighthouse has also been a reference station for GPS. With this
modern navigational system the geographical position may be
identified with the precision of 5-10 m.

26. • This most famous coastal Polish lighthouse is closely connected
with the history of a "dynasty" of Rozewie’s lighthouse keepers,
Leon, Władysław and Zbigniew Wzorkowie. After many efforts
of the Maritime Authorities in Gdynia, Society of Friends of
The Polish Maritime Museum and The Polish Maritime Museum in
Gdańsk, in the lighthouse building there will be a permanent
exhibition on the history of Polish lighthouses, on the Maritime
Authority in Gdynia, Great Geographical Discoveries and on the
history of the lighthouse in Rozewie.

27. Jastarnia Lighthouse
• The lighthouse at Jastarnia
is visible from the distance
of 18.5 km when you are at
sea but locating it when you
are in town is not that easy.
You may pass it on your way
to the beach and not even
notice it as it is hidden in the
forest.
The 13.3 m high lighthouse
was built in 1950 to replace
the old one dating from 1932.
It is automatic and,
unfortunately, not accessible
to the public.

28. Hel Lighthouse
• The lighthouse on Hel has its
origins in the 16th century,
when a fire was lit on the
church tower at a height of
116 feet to guide ships. The
structure burned down. In
1638 locals asked Gdańsk
authorities to build a
lighthouse on the peninsula.
After deliberation, a wooden
structure was erected circa
1640, with a range of about 6
miles. In 1667 it burned
down, too

29. • In 1942 Germans ordered locals to erect a new lighthouse. It
stood 10 meters to the southeast from the old one (now
detonated). The new structure was modern, powered by
electricity, and it's been in operation to this day.
The lighthouse is a tourist attraction and open to the
public during summer. Apart from the lighthouse itself, a few
keeper houses remain, dating back to 19th century. Facing west,
inland, one can see the Swedish Hill with an old lighthouse built
during World War II to replace the one destroyed in Hel at the
same time.

30. Krynica Morska Lighthouse
• The original lighthouse, built
in 1895, was destroyed in
1945 after being mined by
retreating German forces. A
new lighthouse, now open to
visitors, was built in 1951.
Adjacent to it is a small
cemetery with a monument to
the Soviet soldiers killed in
the explosion that destroyed
the original building

31. Gdańsk Lighthouse
• One of the most beautiful
lighthouses of the Baltic Sea.
Situated at the entrance of
the harbour of Gdańsk, the
Nowy Port Lighthouse
combined three distinct
functions: that of a coastal
lighthouse, a harbour pilots
tower, and a time ball
station. Like in Greenwich,
England, the time ball, which
measured 5 feet in diameter
and weighed 150 pounds, was
dropped at noon every day to
give a precise time signal to
the captains of the ships
lying at anchor in the Bay of
Gdańsk, to allow them to
adjust their chronometers.