Fort 50 "Prokocim"
Fortress Kraków
A typical artillery fort from 1882-1886, whose task was to defend the Lwów Road. In December 1914, together with the neighbouring forts, it took part in the fighting against the Russians that ended in victory. Between the wars it served as a military and later a civilian warehouse; in the 1970s it was handed to the then Medical Academy in Kraków. The fort is surrounded by K. Kostaneckiego and Medyczna streets.
History
Fort 50 "Prokocim" was built in 1883-1886 as a typical artillery fort on a hill overlooking today's Wielicka Street, the old Lviv Road. Its task was to defend the south-eastern part of the city, from Bieżanów to Kosocice. In the middle stood the main shelter with a powder magazine and an artillery laboratory, and at the back were the barracks where the soldiers lived. So that the garrison could move about safely and out of sight, underground passages called posterns were built.
In December 1914 the fort took an active part in the decisive clash of the second battle for Kraków (4 and 5 December), which robbed the Russians of their chance to break through the defensive line into the city. After 1918 it served as an ammunition store, and during the occupation as barracks. After the war it was taken over by the stores of the Medical Academy, and in the 1970s it was handed over to that university. For many years, however, the fort was neglected and littered, and even stripped of its metal parts. Today it is surrounded by Kostaneckiego and Medyczna Streets.
Did you know?
The fort had an artillery laboratory where shells were filled with explosives and propellant charges were prepared.