Fort GW XIII "San Rideau", Military fortification in Bolestraszyce, Poland.
Fort GW XIII San Rideau is a military fortification with a trapezoidal layout surrounded by a dry moat for defensive protection. The structure includes reinforced gun emplacements and underground passages that reveal how late 19th-century defensive structures were engineered.
Construction began in 1892 and finished in 1896 as part of the defensive network protecting the region of Przemyśl in Austrian Galicia. The fortification saw intense combat during World War I when it endured repeated attacks and played a key role in territorial struggles.
Three artillery pieces sit in armored gun positions, showing how soldiers operated heavy weapons from within fortified towers. These installations reveal the tactics and technology that defined late 19th-century military design.
The above-ground sections are open to visitors and can be explored without special requirements or equipment. Underground areas are accessible but demand careful attention due to open gaps in floors and cramped passages.
Workers discovered a Russian soldier in 1923 who had survived eight years hidden in the underground chambers since the end of World War I. This extraordinary discovery highlights how difficult it was to account for all combatants after the conflict.
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