Port Gate in Szczecin

Built in the Baroque style between 1725–1727, according to the design of the Dutch fortification engineer Gerhard Cornelius van Wallrawe, this gate is one of the two surviving structures (along with the Royal Gate) from the former Prussian fortifications. The outer wall of the gate was decorated by French sculptor Bartholomé Damart. It features a shield with the monogram of King Frederick William I, the patron of the building. On the attic, there is a plaque with a gilded Latin inscription, informing about Prussia's rights to Pomerania and Szczecin. The text refers to the purchase of Szczecin by Frederick William in 1719 from the Swedes for two million thalers: "Frederick William, King of Prussia, purchased the Duchy of Szczecin, which was granted to the Brandenburg electors and given as a fief to the Pomeranian dukes, and which later fell to Sweden. Through a fair agreement and for a just price, he reclaimed these lands up to the Peene River, once again incorporating them into his state. In the year 1719, he ordered the construction of this Brandenburg Gate." Above the inscription is a panorama of the city, including Viadrus, the god of the Oder River. Above that is an oval shield with the Prussian coat of arms, topped by the royal crown.