Baszta Słomiana, Gdańsk

Baszta Słomiana is an eight-sided brick defensive tower, built in Gdańsk’s Main Town. Its Gothic character belongs to a structure raised in the latter part of the fourteenth century to strengthen the western medieval fortifications. The tower’s present form emerged during the first half of the fifteenth century, and its distinctive roof rises as a pointed tent-like cone.

The lower masonry reaches about 4 metres in thickness, a remarkable reminder of its military purpose. A storage space at the base supported prolonged independent defence, and the tower later served as a gunpowder store. The upper walls and roof were destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt in 1950. The tower stands directly beside the Great Armoury and now contains rooms used by the Academy of Fine Arts.