Two and a half centuries of military history can be difficult to grasp at a glance, but a museum exhibition can bring that past into focus.
On Friday, 28 August 2026, the Museum of Rev. Dr. Władysław Łęga in Grudziądz will host "Museum on a Deckchair - Deckchair in the Fortress", a guided walk through the exhibition "Grudziądz Fortress. 250th Anniversary of the Beginning of Construction".
The walk will be led by Mariusz Żebrowski and begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Museum's Main Building on Wodna Street. Admission is free.
The event forms part of a wider programme accompanying the anniversary exhibition, which examines the history and significance of the Grudziądz Fortress 250 years after construction began. The museum has organised several events around the exhibition, including a guided walk around the fortress's hornwork in June and a further museum walk with Żebrowski in June.
A fortress that changed the city
The anniversary exhibition places the fortress within the broader history of Grudziądz rather than treating it solely as a military structure.
According to the museum, construction of the Grudziądz citadel began 250 years ago and had consequences for the city's military, social and economic development. Its construction, particularly during the late 18th century, contributed to economic growth in Grudziądz.
The fortress also became closely connected with some of the more difficult chapters in the city's history. Its military role contributed to repeated destruction, including the blockade and siege of the citadel in 1806–1807, damage to the fortress following the First World War and the extensive destruction suffered by Grudziądz during the Soviet-German fighting in 1945.
The fortress also had an international dimension. Over its history, people from several nations were connected with the site as builders, soldiers or prisoners serving sentences within its walls.
These different strands help explain why the fortress remains significant to the history of Grudziądz. It was not an isolated military installation, but a presence that influenced the city's development and experiences over generations.
The exhibition as a meeting point with the past
"Museum on a Deckchair - Deckchair in the Fortress" is part of the museum's approach to exploring this history through a series of events accompanying the exhibition.
The format is deliberately centred on a walk through the exhibition, with Mariusz Żebrowski providing the guide. Rather than adding another formal opening or lecture to the anniversary programme, the event invites participants to spend time with the exhibition and explore its subject through guided interpretation.
The museum's programme shows that this is not the first time the format has been used in connection with the fortress exhibition. A previous "Museum on a Deckchair - Deckchair in the Fortress" walk took place on 30 June, also led by Żebrowski. The August event provides another opportunity to explore the same exhibition through a guided encounter.
The exhibition itself opened on 12 June 2026 at the Museum's Main Building. Its subject reflects an anniversary that reaches well beyond the fortress walls, tracing the ways in which a major military structure became part of Grudziądz's wider historical landscape.
For residents and visitors, the event offers a chance to approach that history through the museum's collections and interpretation, with the fortress understood not only as architecture or military heritage, but as a force that helped shape the city's story.
Visitor Information
Event: "Museum on a Deckchair - Deckchair in the Fortress"
Date: Friday, 28 August 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Main Building, Museum of Rev. Dr. Władysław Łęga in Grudziądz, 3/5 Wodna Street
Activity: Guided walk with Mariusz Żebrowski through the exhibition "Grudziądz Fortress. 250th Anniversary of the Beginning of Construction"
Admission: Free
