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This is the Wrocław Gate, or Brama Wrocławska, in Oleśnica, the only surviving medieval city gate in the old defensive walls. It was built in the first half of the fourteenth century as part of the town fortifications and is the only one left from the original four gates that once controlled entry into the town. The name comes from the road leading towards Wrocław and it was also once known as the Trzebnica Gate.

The more modern stairway arrangement which has been created to give access back to the rooms above the gate.

The tall brick tower originally had guard rooms above the passage and the gate formed part of a wider fortified circuit of walls, towers and later outer works. By the eighteenth century the walls had lost much of their military purpose, and by 1868, three of Oleśnica’s four gates were demolished because they were getting in the way of transport and development. The city was also aided by the future Frederick III (the one who was briefly Emperor and married Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter), who during a visit in 1866 decided that this gate should be saved. A very sensible move.

This Latin inscription relates to when the gate was renovated in 1614 and reads:

“Unless God protects this City with His fatherly goodness, all the care and labour of the watchmen are in vain and lost.”

This more modern sign notes that German funding was used to restore the gate, something quite appropriate given that this was formerly a Prussian gate.

There were properties on either side of the tower, but they were left burnt out following the end of the Second World War. The gateway itself has done very well to survive at all.

A photo from outside of the city walls, with the portcullis visible that would have protected the denizens inside.

There are many things that puzzle me in life. This is either because I have a creative mind and a love to find out more about the world, or, more likely, I have too much time to think about irrelevant things that happen. Anyway, I spent a day walking about Oleśnica slightly perplexed just how many learner drivers cars there were. Not a few, but hundreds of them.

There is a regional testing centre in the town and a local newspaper reported last year that:

“Data provided by DORD shows that in January 2025 alone, 3,316 people took the theoretical exam in Oleśnica, while 4,569 took the practical exam. This demonstrates the large scale of the Oleśnica branch’s operations and its importance to the region.”

I think that explains matters somewhat, there are around 150 people a day taking their practical exam in the town. Each of these tests takes 40 minutes, so that’s some local industry going on there….

And I’m glad that I’m puzzled no longer.

I like a park with a bit of railway stuff in and this is a wheelset from a Polish locomotive dating to 1953. I accept that this isn’t exactly the National Railway Museum, but I did a bit of railway heritage. Incidentally, I’m not an expert on 1950s trains, there was a sign by it which gave the date of manufacture.

Slightly less subtle is this water crane that was made for railway usage in 1942 to ensure that steam engines had enough water. For anyone interested, which I accept is precisely zero, it weighs 1,800kg.

I have no idea what this represents, but I assume it’s something to do with the railways. Is it a passenger with their bag waving goodbye? I have no idea….

The Basilica of Saint John the Apostle in Oleśnica is one of those rather lovely historic buildings which shows just how varied a life it has. There’s no rendering over the whole lot, like they keep doing to some churches in Norfolk, which hides everything, the various building styles are all evident here.

The core of it goes back to the second half of the thirteenth century, with documentary references to the church at Oleśnica appearing as early as 1230, and over time it was enlarged, altered and rebuilt by successive ducal dynasties.

They had a great idea to modernise the church in the early part of the twentieth century and work started enthusiastically in 1903. Then in 1905, the church fell down which I suspect they found sub-optimal. There was a debate about who was responsible, but they blamed the medieval builders for their dodgy pillars. A decision was made to rebuild as best they could rather than entirely start again.

Fortunately, the church survived the Second World War undamaged and it’s now looking pretty much as it did 100 years ago. What has though changed is that this was a Catholic church until 1538, then it became Protestant and that lasted until 1945, when once again the Catholic church took over the building.

Here’s evidence of the church’s Silesian past, this grave stone from 1780 on the wall of the church is in German.

Now weathered, it seems that this stone was in this vague sort of location before the church fell down. Incidentally, on that note, there are some impressive photos of the damaged caused at https://www.olesnica.nienaltowski.net/zagadka_plyty_nagrobne.htm.

Unfortunately, the inside of the church wasn’t open, hence the lack of interior photos…