Fort XV of the Toruń Fortress

Fort XV of the Toruń Fortress, originally known as Fort VII Hermann von Salza, is a main artillery fort built between 1880 and 1885. Located at 6/10 Rypińska Street in Toruń, it was designed to protect the Toruń Główny railway station and the railway bridge. The fort features an old-style bastion trace layout, includes 12 open artillery positions without concrete reinforcements, and has extensive earthworks. In the 19th century, the fort underwent modernization, including the reinforcement of the barracks with a one-meter-thick concrete slab. During World War I and World War II, the fort served various functions, including as an internment camp and Stalag XXA for prisoners of war, primarily French. Cultural activities such as theater performances, concerts, and musical events were organized in the stalag with the participation of the inmates. After the war, the fort became a labor camp for German nationals and Poles accused of collaboration with the Germans, where poor sanitary and food conditions led to numerous deaths and tragedies. Today, although in a state of disrepair, the fort is a site of research, including searches for graves by the Institute of National Remembrance. Fort XV is an important landmark in Toruń's history, offering insight into defensive architecture and the history of camps in Poland.