Sights in Bydgoszcz
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Statue of Marian Rejewski
In the newer part of town, a block north of Hotel Pod Orłem on ul Gdańska, you can find a seated statue of celebrated Bydgoszcz citizen and mathematician Marian Rejewski (1905-1980). Conservatively depicted in suit and glasses, the great mathematician is seated modestly on a bench. Next to him is the likeness of an Enigma machine, the device he once defeated.
Mathematicians are usually stereotyped as bookish, unworldly creatures. But not so Bydgoszcz-born Rejewski, who took on the Nazi ciphers to become one of the heroes of WWII.
Rejewski was teaching at Poznań University in 1932, a year before Hitler came to power, when he was seconded to the Polish army's Cipher…
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Parish Church
To the west, just off the Rynek, the metal front door of the 16th-century brick Parish Church depicts scenes from the city's 1000-year history. Within is a gilded Baroque high altar with a 1466 painting of the Virgin Mary. What's really surprising, however, is the church's colour scheme - its interior is done out in vivid purple and orange shades that would have appealed to adherents of 1960s flower power.
You may want to keep your sunglasses on! The illustrations on the walls date from the 1920s when the church was redecorated, having been commandeered in the 19th century for use as storage by various passing military forces.
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Stary Rynek
The Old Town is on the southern bank of the Brda River, a 20-minute walk from the train station. Its heart, Stary Rynek, is dominated by the palatial town hall and a large Modernist monument to the victims of fascism. It was here that the Nazi invaders kept hostages at gunpoint for two days in September 1939, shooting 40 of them. Nowadays the grim monument seems somewhat at odds with the life of the square and the surrounding streets.
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Water Tram
For a more relaxing perspective on the city, the Water Tram runs up and down the river from the Fish Market (Rybi Rynek) on the Old Town waterfront, up to four times daily from May to October. One stop is on the riverbank below the bus station, if you want to enter or depart the centre by less conventional means.
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White Granary
The 18th-century White Granary is to the west of the Rynek on Mill Island (Wyspa Młyńska). Displays here outline the region’s history, and illustrate traditional arts and crafts.
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