The Fortress of Kenigsberg had been built and modernized for hundreds of years. One of the first town defences was the Lithuanian Rampart, originally it was earthen and built in the XIV century to defend the town from the Lithuanian cavalry. At the beginning of the XVII century the old town walls and towers were surrounded by the first line of ramparts with bastions and fortress gates. In 1657 the citadel 'Friedrichsburg' was erected (the gate with three towers as the surviving sections of it are still visible in Portovaya Street). At the beginning of the XIX century the second line of ramparts was erected in Kenigsberg. These are towers: Wrangel, Don, casemate gates: Brandenburg, Friedland, Rossgarten and others built in Neogothic style, which was in fashion that time, and its variety — Tudor style. After the French-Prussian war (1870-1871) Kenigsberg was surrounded by fifteen big forts, the biggest of them are Fort № 3 'King Friedrich ПГ and Fort № 5 'King Friedrich Wilhelm III1. They met all the requirements of fortress architecture of that time. By the end of the World War I Kenigsberg had become the first-rank fortress.
Answer the questions:
1) What are the biggest forts of Konigsberg?
Lebenicht
To the east of the Castle (today's Moscow District) the second ancient settlement of Lebenicht was located. The town privilege was granted to it on May, 20, 1300. The town was reduced to ashes with no trace of its church prominently situated on the hill approximately in the area of the present supermarket 'Moskovsky'. Opposite the church, roughly on the site of the memorial to the seamen, there was a magnificent high school building. Right across the river, near the wooden bridge, stands a red brick building of the former Municipal Orphanage for Jewish Children designed by the architect Berend Steglitz in 1904-1905. It is now converted to a dwelling house. Next to it there was a synagogue built in 1894-1896 with the 46-metre cupola. It was destroyed by the Nazis on the night of November, 9, 1938 (the so-called 'Crystal Night').
Sackheim Gate
At the end of the former Sackheim there is the oldest of 8 town gates — Sackheim Gate. It was through it that on January 8, 1813 General York fon Wartenburg with fifty Black Hussars proceeded secretly to Kenigsberg. On February, 5 he appealed to the representatives of Eastern Prussian estates to form the people's volunteer corps and start an armed revolt against Napoleon. Earlier, on December, 30, 1812 at Taurognen General York made a historic agreement on mutual actions against the French troops with General fon Dibitch who served in the Russian army. As a result the Russians and the Germans united in their struggle and won a brilliant victory. General Bulov contributed greatly to the victory. He took part in many battles including those of Paris and Leipsig, and initiated the forming of the people's volunteer corps. General York and Bulov were immortalized by sculptor W. Sturmer in portrait medallions which adorned Sackheim Gate at that time. The neighbouring streets were named in their honor.
Answer the questions:
1) Who was immortalized by sculptor W. Sturmer in portrait medallions?
King's Gate. Airport
On the right of Sackheim Gate an old unattractive building can be seen. This is one of the oldest buildings in the city, a unique monument of architecture. It housed the King's Orphanage founded by the first Prussian king in 1701 and built to a design by the talented architect fon Unfridt However the present-day building hardly resembles the original — the lost gem of Sackheim.
Litauer Wall-strasse (or Lithuanian Rampart Street) connects two gates — Sackheim and King's. Further to the left stretches York-strasse (now 1812 Year Street) — a very interesting street from the historic point of view. Some of its buildings still remain to this day: the former Fire Station 'Ost', a complex of buildings of the former Military Hospital. It houses the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases now. Nearby, in S. Tulenin Street, one of the oldest schools of Kenigsberg — the Queen Luisa School — still remains.
Three sculptures in the bay of the portal adorned King's Gate. These are figures of three men whose fates were inseparably connected with Kenigsberg. The central figure is the first Prussian King Friedrich I; on his right— Duke Albrecht; on his left — Bohemian King Ottokar II. All the sculptures were executed (beheaded) in spring 1945.
King's Gate stands at the end of Kenig-strasse (Frunze Street now). It extended for a kilometer, began from Rossgarten Market and led to the Gate. It was one of the busiest streets of the city with many beautiful'buildings most of which were reduced to ruins. Baroque, Renaissance, Modern styles were all there in friendly rivalry.
To the north-east of King's Gate stretches a street known as Kenigs-allee (or King's Avenue), in Nazi's time it was renamed after Herman Hering (now it's called Gagarin Street).
More further in the eastern direction there was the Devau estate where a large drill ground for the troops of Kenigsberg garrison was built in 1798. On that ground Napoleon inspected his troops in 1808. In 1919 the first German civil airport was built there. Nowadays it's used mainly by sportsmen-parachutists. There is a new airport near the settlement of Khrabrovo (former Povunden).
Answer the question::
1) How many sculptures in the bay of the portal adorned King's Gate?
Rossgarten Gate. 'Grolman' bastion. 'Kronprintz* barracks
To the north of King's Gate Lithuanian Rampart Street leads to Rossgarten Gate of Kenigsberg. The old military fortifications which were part of the old town defensive system are still visible alongside the street. This rampart with bastions and gates was built on the initiative of King Friedrich Wilhelra IV to a design by Johan Straus, Professor of Mathematics of Kenigsberg University, during the time of so-called Swedish wars in 1626-1627. In 40-50-ies of the XIX century it underwent extensive modernization. The extensive modernization programme was developed by General fon Grolman and General fon Aster. Further along the street there is a stout bastion named after General Grolman.
Just across the 'Grolman1 bastion stand impressive in their size and design defensive barracks 'Kronprintz', the foundation of which was solemnly laid in 1843. They housed Grenadier Regiment № 1. After the World War I they were used by police regiments.
In 1910 the defensive line of Kenigsberg was turned into its green belt which proved a beautiful contrast of fauna and flora to the surrounding urban environment. That wonderful transformation was made by the talented landscape architect Earnest Shneider.
Lithuanian Rampart Street leads to well-preserved Rossgarten Gate adorned by the portrait medallions of General-Field-Marshal Neidhardt fon Gnesenau and General Gerhard fon Sharnhorst. Both generals took part in the napoleons wars and since 1808 had been in the Army Reorganization Committee. General Sharnhorst, a chief of the staff of the Blucher's Army, took part in the Battle of Preisish-Ailau. He died of wounds in 1813. General Gnesenau,' a close friend and a'fellow-fighter of Sharnhorst, became after his death a chief of Silezian Army's staff. At the Battle of Waterloo he captured the Napoleon's coach which was later presented to him by the king. He died of cholera in Poznan in 1831.