80. rocznica Wielkiej Ucieczki

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Charlotte Graham/Shutterstock (14399874q) Citadel Park hosts several cemeteries, but the one typically of most interest to tourists is British Military Cemetery (also known as the Commonwealth Cemetery). Why? It's here that you'll find the graves of several of the men involved in what is now known as "The Great Escape" In addition to the 174 servicemen from the First World War (all of whom died in various parts of Poland as prisoners of war) there are also 283 World War II servicemen buried in the cemetery. Many of those graves are airmen who died in bombing operations over what is now the Polish city of Szczecin, but there are also several graves of soldiers involved in the mass escape from Stalag Luft 3 in Zagan, a feat depicted in the popular Hollywood film, The Great Escape. Following their daring escape, most of the fugitives were captured by the Nazis, executed and their ashes were buried in the local cemetery at Sagan/Zagan, before being later moved to the military cemetery in Poznan where they can be found today. To locate them enter the cemetery at al. Armii Poznan; turn right and you'll see a large white cross and the graves of most of the murdered. The man considered to be the mastermind of the escape is Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, renamed "Bartlett" in the film. Keep the name change in mind when looking for Bushell's grave, and be sure to sign the visitor's book that can be found inside a small door on the large white cross monument. The Great Escape: On March 24, 1944, a mass escape of Allied soldiers from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III was set into motion. The mass escape of 76 Allied airmen from a Nazi POW camp in March 1944 remains one of history's most famous prison breaks. Although the German Luftwaffe designed the Stalag Luft III camp to be escape-proof, the audacious, real-life prison break immortalized in the 1963 movie The Great Escape proved otherwise. 'The Great Escape' 80th anniversary...