Archaeological surveillance: modernization and adaptation of the former Military Transit Depot's power plant building for exhibition purposes

Archaeological surveillance of the modernization and adaptation of the former Military Transit Depot's power plant building for exhibition purposes began on September 19th, 2022, and will continue until the completion of the project. Within the facility, an exhibition will be established to showcase the history of the Military Transit Depot through the artifacts obtained during comprehensive archaeological research conducted on Westerplatte since 2016.

The building of the former power plant is closely related to the history of the depot. It was constructed at the end of 1926 and housed transformer and pump stations. The pump station was essential for ensuring fire safety in the port and ammunition shelters. Initially, the necessary energy for its operation and the operation of other port equipment, such as cranes, was supplied from Gdańsk. Electricity was also used to meet the daily needs of the depot. To achieve energy independence from the city, it was necessary to create its own power generator station, which was successfully established in April 1928, with the operation of internal combustion power generators. During the September 1939 battles, the building was only slightly damaged and suffered more significant destruction only towards the end of World War II. After renovation, it functioned as a mechanical workshop until the early 21st century.

In 2021, four test excavations with a total area of 4 m² were conducted on the investment plot, allowing for preliminary reconnaissance of the area. In the same year, under archaeological supervision, Polish soldiers cleared the area of military-origin hazardous and explosive materials. During the ninth stage of research conducted in 2022, an area of 110 m² was excavated. Archaeological surveillance included the execution of shallow excavations with a total area of 1465 m² and linear excavations with a total length of 2060 meters. Due to the depth of some operations, which exceeded the scope of standard sapper actions, continuous sapper supervision was also present.

During archaeological surveillance, the method of the power plant building's foundation was identified, and in one of its corners, a metal barrel repurposed as a sump was uncovered. The main valve of the water supply system to the depot area, along with cast iron pipes (marked as FWH 1926), was registered. Also related to the period of the Military Transit Depot's operation are segments of stoneware pipe networks, forming a part of the rainwater drainage system. These were marked with the insignia of the Porcelain and Ceramic Products Factory in Ćmielów and were produced in the Marywil ceramic plant in Radom. Numerous objects associated with clearing the area in the post-war period were also observed during the work. In one of them, elements of a German artillery fire control device (Kommandogerät 40) and parts of two Mauser rifles were found. While constructing the power grid running from the former power plant building towards the Polish Army Soldiers' Cemetery, the remains of masonry buildings dating from the time of the Westerplatte resort's operation were registered. Furthermore, continuous monitoring of work in the vicinity of the former power plant building allowed for the discovery and exhumation of at least five German soldiers who died in the spring of 1945 during the defense of Westerplatte against the Red Army. Typical items of German weaponry and equipment were found with them, including a helmet, cartridge casings, rifle ammunition, a mess kit, a canteen, field equipment, belt buckles, and three identification tags. An anthropologist accompanied museum archaeologists during the exhumation, and the work was supervised by the prosecutor of the Institute of National Remembrance.

So far, approximately 1700 historical items have been obtained, including about 700 of significant historical, exhibition, or scientific value. A remarkable artifact is a 76.2mm shell for the Russian field gun model 1902, known as "putiłówka," which was part of the depot's equipment. The gun was destroyed on the first day of combat, and unnecessary ammunition was scattered among the trees after the Luftwaffe's raid on September 2nd, 1939. The recovered shell most likely comes from ammunition taken from the armory at that time and was damaged due to German shelling in the following days, as evidenced by visible signs of damage on its surface. This artifact will be exhibited in the former power plant building.