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Gdańsk Crane Gate (Żuraw) with Townhouses
Scale: 1/200
Skill Level: easy
Length: 210 mm (8.27 inch)
A completely redesigned new edition of the iconic Gdańsk landmark. The historic Crane Gate, adjoining merchant houses, and waterfront quay now feature 11 sheets and nearly four times the parts of the original kit.
With this release, JSC presents a completely redesigned and heavily expanded new edition of the famous Gdańsk Crane Gate. While the original version consisted of just 4 sheets, this newly engineered kit expands to 11 sheets with almost four times the part count.
Designed in the larger 1:200 architectural scale, the set includes the central wooden crane structure, the twin brick fortification towers, and the adjoining pair of historic townhouses. All elements share a single baseplate depicting an authentic quay section complete with street lighting. Additionally, this kit can be combined seamlessly with JSC 205 and JSC 211 to build a continuous, 93 cm long historic Gdańsk harbor waterfront.
| Product type | Papermodel |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | JSC |
| Scale | 1/200 |
| Designer | Bartosz Czolcynski |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Sheet size | DIN A4 |
| Sheets | 11 |
| Parts | 190 |
| Parts without alternative parts | 140 |
| Length | 210 mm (8.27 inch) |
| Bauanleitung | English, Polish, Pictures |
Technical data:
- Type: Fortified port gate and treadwheel crane
- Location: Gdańsk, Poland (Motława waterfront / Długie Pobrzeże)
- Period of construction: 1442–1444 (earliest structure recorded 1367)
- Architectural style: Brick Gothic with timber-framed crane housing
- Construction: Twin semicircular brick towers with an integrated wooden hoisting tower
- Hoisting mechanism: Two pairs of wooden treadwheels (lower set rated for up to 2 t, upper set for masts up to 4 t)
- Lifting height: approx. 11 m (lower mechanism) / up to approx. 27 m (upper mechanism)
- Functions: City defence gate, watchtower, port crane (cargo handling and mast stepping)
- Current status: Branch of the National Maritime Museum (Narodowe Muzeum Morskie)
The Gdańsk Crane Gate (Polish: Brama Żuraw), situated along the Motława river, is the defining landmark of the historic Hanseatic city of Gdańsk and one of the finest surviving examples of medieval port engineering in Europe. First recorded in 1367, the earlier structure burned down in 1442; the iconic layout seen today, featuring heavy flanking brick towers and a central wooden hoist, was built between 1442 and 1444.
The structure served a dual role: it acted as a fortified city gate defending against assaults from the river, while functioning as a heavy-duty harbor crane. Inside the wooden superstructure, workers powered massive wooden treadwheels by foot to hoist bulk cargo or step heavy timber masts into ship hulls. Carefully rebuilt after sustaining severe damage during World War II, the gate now forms part of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk.
